My likeness for Vera Bradley kind of snuck up on me. Mostly, I thought of Vera Bradley products as those “quilty-looking purses” with crazy patterns that just didn’t have a classy touch to them. In college girls toted their laptops around in Vera Bradley cases and carried her totes, while I had a polka dot Target laptop case. Recently, I was invited to attend Vera Bradley Annual Outlet Sale in Fort Wayne, Indiana (about three hours from Detroit). When you hear “outlet sale” you tend to think it is items that didn’t sell or have an imperfection. However, that is not the case for this sale – at all. Women travel from near and far to head to the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum to get their shop on. This sale is a bigger deal then you can even begin to imagine.

When You Get There

When you arrive at the Vera Bradley Annual Outlet Sale, you get to walk through doors during your allotted spot to a sea of prints and patterns. Upon walking through the doors you will be given a map that will help you navigate through the space, as well as a huge bag to carry any items you plan on purchasing (for security purposes, your items will be transferred to a different color bag upon checkout if you chose to buy one). If you signed up for a ticketed session, you’ll have a set amount of time to shop and when that time is up you’re out of there. There are countdowns and announcements to let you know when the session is over, so you’ll want to be sure to locate what you’re looking for quickly and efficiently. Even though you’ll only get a set amount of time during a paid time slot, you will shop with a lighter crowd, which makes the paid session totally worth it.

What You Will Find
Ladies, if you have been living under a rock like me, you’ll be surprised when you walk into the sale and realize that it is so much more than paisley printed totes – although they still have those if that is your thing. You will find florals, modern patterns, saturated hues, leather, solids (obsessed with the black) and more. In case you didn’t know Vera Bradley isn’t just totes, bags, purses and luggage it\’s so much more. At this sale, I found blankets, umbrellas, stationery, robes, flip flops, shoes, towels, lunch boxes, bathing suits, apparel and so much more. There’s something to fit every aspect of your life, and with deals, a deal between 40 to 60 percent off you’re sure to find things you need and want. Even I found items that matched my beach babe and classy professional lifestyle.

My Haul

I went with the intention of buying things for Christmas gifts, but in the end, I only bought things for myself. I actually walked around the entire place once, before I started making my picks. So what did I go home with? I picked up the Weekender in classic black to take on road trips with me. The Work Tote in classic black that has a slot for my laptop case, the beach scarf in Indio and two Seashore Beach Wristlets one in sunburst floral and one in lotus flower swirl. As you can tell I am a classy meets beachy kind of girl.

Overall Thoughts
Before attending the show I had absolutely no idea what to expect. Upon walking in I was very overwhelmed, but once I looked around followed the map I actually loved attending the show and looking at everything. I was so surprised by all the amazing products Vera Bradley carries, and cannot wait to go back to the sale again next year. I am definitely interested in getting a rolling carry-on suitcase. Prior to attending this sale, I had no idea that Fort Wayne was just three hours away and was a city packed with so much fun.

I highly recommend heading to Fort Wayne, Indiana to attend the Vera Bradley Annual Outlet Sale next year.
April 15 – 19, 2020