**Robe Raiders have now been bought by The Fifth Collection – www.thefifthcollection.com for more details**

My thoughts are with everyone back in Sing suffering from this intoxicating smog.  Wishing for a change in wind direction and blue skies again soon.  This amazing designer sale that I am about to bang on about below may actually be postponed due to the haze, which has prompted less and less people to stay in town.  I will keep you posted with changes to the date or venue, should there be any.

The day before I left Singapore, I squeezed in about an hour – which was not nearly long enough – to have an exclusive preview, courtesy of my wonderful and hugely accomodating friend JY who organised it, of Robe Raiders’ upcoming second hand designer sale.

I have spent more than a few fleeting moments since I moved here wondering what on earth people, who spend serious money on fashion, do when their beautiful designer clothes get a bit old and are considered to be…gasp…’last season’. Well, the wondering is officially over.

This concept of a high end second hand sale was set up a few years ago by a group of three fashion forward girlfriends who regularly replenish and refresh their own wardrobes with beautiful things. In order to make space for new additions, long forgotten items/things rarely worn/pieces bought in a fit of enthusiasm that never truly worked/last years ‘it’ bag must make way.  They tapped in to their wide network of friends and family with equally impressive wardrobes who were keen to sell what they no longer wanted…and Robe Raiders (great name) was born.

The clever part is that for every person who can’t close the doors on their over flowing designer closets there are about as many people – if not more – who wouldn’t say no to a cut price designer dress.  Me for one.

They are very strict in what they accept for sale and there will never be any old, tatty looking clothes on their rails. Everything they resell is pristine. Some is vintage but the bulk is past season. Some has never even been worn.

Don’t come here and expect to pay $10 for a Chanel clutch. That’s never going to happen (this pair of almost unworn Chanel camelia flip flops was for sale when I was there and was priced at $300. A mere snip compared to the in-store price) and it’s good to get it straight in your mind from the start that this is NOT a thrift sale.

As I was not at the sale proper, trying things on was a breeze. We popped into the empty office to rummage through the stock as it was in the process of being priced and collated and, much like my five-year-old daughter when faced with a cavernous dressing up box, I found myself stripping off and running towards rails of clothes.

And…

…success! I bought a whopping 10 things from shoes to dresses, a cashmere jumper (Valentino) and even a pair of shorts (Alice Temperley). I am now the proud owner of an Oscar de la Renta dress which I’m almost scared to wear it’s so beautiful.

The conclusion? I am definitely a Robe Raiders client but on the buying rather than selling side and I hope that never changes.

Their next sale is on 29 June at Bacchanalia restaurant on Coleman Street from 11am-4pm.

Robe Raiders is also available to buy online. Click here for details.