LUXE FILE CHICAGO: A Fashionable Life: Luxury Garage Sale's Lindsay Segal

Luxury Garage Sale

We ask you: What is more fun than owning one of Chicago's most super chic, luxury-meets-vintage consignment stores, beloved to a cool mix-up of fashion publicists, retail reporters and Millennium urbanites? Running it with your BFF, of course!

Lindsay Segal and Brielle Buchberg

The brainchild of Lindsay Segal and her best friend, Brielle Buchberg, Luxury Garage Sale began as an online consignment service that sold designer duds from Chicago’s most stylish closets. Now, the luxe-for-less duo have opened a new, modernly-designed boutique in the heart of Old Town which features a well-edited collection of contemporary and gently worn couture, designer handbags, jewelry and accessories.

What we love most about Luxury Garage Sale? Their deeply discounted inventory makes it simple to stay fashionable sans the fear of breaking the bank.

Here, Luxe File Chicago catches up with Lindsay Segal who let's us see what a day in her fashionable life looks like.

Lindsay Segal

24 Hours with Luxury Garage Sale’s Lindsay Segal

8:00 A.M.: Most mornings begin the same way. "First thing I do is grab my phone and scroll through my emails and Instagram. I am addicted." After a quick shower and a cereal breakfast (she reaches for Frosted Mini Wheats, a childhood favorite), Lindsay heads off to Luxury Garage Sale, the high-end consignment boutique she co-runs with partner, Brielle Buchberg. (Buchberg is currently on maternity leave.)

Gracing the cement in front of her store

9:30 A.M.: Lindsay arrives at her Old Town store. She sits down with her young team for a morning debriefing. They discuss the day’s busy schedule which includes a list of client meetings and drop-offs.

9:45 A.M.: After another quick email check (she gets at least 200 every morning), Lindsay makes sure that everything is “lights-camera-action!” ready. This means that lights are aglow, Pandora’s playing softly in the background, and the super-skinny mannequins are decked out in the boutique’s most luxurious designs.

10:00 A.M.: Ready for a busy day, Lindsay unlocks the front door and greets visitors.

Come lusso! Shelves overflow with

designer purses and clutches

10:15 A.M.: “This is my favorite kind of drop-off: this lady has BOXES of vintage purses and costume jewelry!” After she runs through the Luxury Garage Sales sales process with her new client and they agree upon pricing, Lindsay hands off the items to her staff to be tagged, inventoried and photographed for the website.

Shopping for a client

11:00 A.M.: A customer needs a stand-out dress for an upcoming wedding. “I love helping put a look together. It’s especially fun because of the influx of holiday dresses we have in right now.” After a flurry of try-ons, the client says, "I do" to an opulent, black-beaded Prada dress.

12:00 P.M.: Lindsay dashes out for a bite before heading to a client’s home for a closet edit and pick-up.

1:00 P.M.: Lindsay arrives at her client's home. After wading through a treasure trove of covet-worthy ensembles and vintage pieces, Lindsay plucks a cross-body Chanel purse, a lipstick-red leather Balenciaga bag, and a few patterned Marni and Missoni dresses to be sold at the store.

Enjoying a quiet moment

2:00 P.M.: Time to court the muse. Lindsay sits down with a pile of her favorite fashion books, looking for inspiration.

Meeting with her staff

3:00 P.M.: Lindsay rounds up her team for an afternoon pow-wow. What's on the agenda? Brainstorm marketing strategies and discuss upcoming events.

Consulting with a client

3:45 P.M.: Calling to tell her client that the Balenciaga cocktail dress and Chanel clutch had just sold. Crack out the bubbly!

4:00 P.M.: Lindsay tends to a storeful of well-dressed shopivores whose needs range from post-work cocktail parties to wardrobe-enhancing basics.

Back in her office, checking emails

5:00 P.M.: Quitting time! Lindsay reviews the day’s sales, reads emails (“I’m not surprised to see at least 50 more have popped up”), and tidies up the boutique.

Heading out for the evening

5:30 P.M.: Lindsay grabs her fur wrap and bag du jour then locks up for the evening.

Playing catch up over a cozy meal

at Nightwood

6:30 P.M.: After picking her husband up at work, the couple dashes off to meet friends at Nightwood, their favorite dining spot in Pilsen. A fan of their handmade pastas, Lindsay loves the restaurant’s creatively prepared desserts. “I am obsessed with all things sweet.”

Guilt-free pleasure:
Revenge's Emily Thorne (via GQ)

10:00 P.M.: Curled up in bed with her husband Lou, Lindsay catches up on a DVR-ed episode of Revenge (“a guilty pleasure” she admits).

11:00 P.M.: What’s this? Lindsay surfs the Web for one last, satisfying fashion fix. “Even after being surrounded by clothes all day, I never tire of shopping.”