If you haven’t been to any London sample sales and you’re wondering whether they live up to the hype, let me tell you everything you need to know about them.

First of all, there are a couple of different kinds of London sample sales. Sometimes individual designers will hold their own designer sample sale. They may want to sell their samples and past seasons’ clothing, and you’ll usually find them at much reduced prices. These may be held at their headquarters, their offices, a rented room or one of their retail shops. Examples of these London sample sales taking place this month are Fred Perry, La Perla and Georgina Goodman.

Next you have London sample sales put on by retailers that sell various designer brands. At these events, you’ll be able to find designer brands at a fraction of the prices sold in stores. If you are familiar with what the retailer stocks, then you will be able to have a good idea of what to expect. Examples include the Flannels sample sale London and the Doors Jas MB sale.

Lastly, you have large shopping events organised by companies and organisations such as the Designer Warehouse Sale and Designer Sales UK. They are typically held in large rented venues around London. The amount of clothing and accessories at these London sample sales may bowl you over at first and you’ll have to be prepared to dig to find fashion gems and top bargains.

Can you try on clothes at these London sample sales? The answer is yes, but do not expect individual change rooms. Most of the time at a designer sample sale, there will just be a changing area that is blocked off by curtains with standing mirrors arranged around the perimeter. But don’t worry, if the designer sample sale carries both menswear and womenswear, there will be separate changing areas for men and women. And don’t be shy about stripping down to your knickers, everyone else is doing the same and too busy trying on their designer clothes to notice you. Here is a tip: sometimes people leave behind unwanted items in the change rooms. These are fair game to the rest of the people in the room!

Queues, queues and more queues! Popular London sample sales will require you to queue to get into the sale; you will also need to queue to try on clothes and probably queue to pay for your items. I once had to queue for half an hour just to get into a sale. I then queued for 20 minutes to get into the changing area, and then queue another 15 minutes just to pay. So depending on which London sample sales you go to, you may not be able to make it there and back during your lunch break.

Don’t forget to enjoy yourself and don’t buy something you don’t even like that much just because you feel like you have to get something at a designer sample sale. Because you don’t, and there will always be more London sample sales.

Find out the latest upcoming designer sample sale.