A question about how/if being a SAMPLE dress affects vintage pricing (not asking for valuation!)

DecadencePast

DecadencePast

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If this has been addressed before, I apologize in advance; but has anyone discussed how being a "sample" might affect desirability/price of vintage fashion?

I've had a Rhonda Harness dress for over a decade & am just now getting around to research. Appears she partnered with Karen Alexander to create the Foxy Lady label in SF in the 70's but they apparently split went on their own in the 80s.

The label says "Duplicate Sample" (RN45784) - made in USA but no content tags (feels like silk).

Not sure I understand correctly; but always thought a "sample" was a garment in a shop that was made just to exhibit a designer's style - and consequently samples were then later offered at greatly discounted prices (like bridal ?).

So would the fact a dress is/was a sample then likewise be expected to be significantly discounted?
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I don't know this for sure, but thought the Karen Alexander sample dress I owned was something that was being considered for production and might be one of a kind. My dress was found in Oakland, California which is where Karen Alexander dresses were made in the 80s.

I felt that being a sample, my dress was worth more than a dress that was widely distributed, but it ended up selling for the current market price. I don't think a sample would be worth less at all.

Karen Alexander dresses were sold off the rack at better department stores and boutiques and wouldn't be specifically ordered for a customer. I know this because I purchased and wore new Karen Alexander dresses back in the 80s.
 
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The way I understand samples - this would be made and shown in a showroom, and buyers for stores would make their orders based on the samples - so it could well not be one of a kind either. Just from my bit of experience of shopping at the occasional sample sale (we have a whole cenre of such sales rooms not far from where I work).
 
Thanks all for your input & insights - I bought & wore Karen Alexander back in the day too, Debbie :)

The inner seams are all stitched down tightly so no burn test available - but the fact it was a sample dress may explain why there's no content label.

Guess I'll have to wing it... but I sure appreciate your help!
 
Midge said:
The way I understand samples - this would be made and shown in a showroom, and buyers for stores would make their orders based on the samples - so it could well not be one of a kind either. Just from my bit of experience of shopping at the occasional sample sale (we have a whole cenre of such sales rooms not far from where I work).
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It's possible that sample dresses may have been used for both purposes, Karin. I don't recall hearing about any Karen Alexander sample sales in the San Francisco Bay Area during that time frame, but events weren't as promoted then as they are now.
 
Salesmen carried sample pieces around to their accounts. Even "designers" such as Liz Claiborne
Some have shown up in my local outlet type discount store. Most with a slit in it so it couldn't be resold or copied.
Or with Sample stamped in large letters inside.
Why a store thought they could sell pieces with big slits in the back, was beyond me.
 
I’m pretty sure samples are used in the production side too. Maybe it’s more common in recent years? But I understand that samples are also made and sent to the design houses where they would check them over for fitting issues, correct colour, matching and etc. Of course that would be much more common for items which are factory made.
 
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