The 47^th annual Best Dressed Sale and Boutique, a fundraising project of The Women’s Board of The Johns Hopkins Hospital, will begin Friday, Oct. 31, at The Carriage House at Evergreen, located at 4545 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD.

Shoppers from the Baltimore-Washington area — women and men, all ages, all sizes — can expect to find contemporary and vintage apparel and merchandise at a fraction of the original cost. Several retailers donate new, never-been-worn items to the sale. Other items include gently used women’s and men’s clothing, shoes, jewelry and accessories. 

Historically, the sale has raised more than $150,000 annually; the 2013 event brought in nearly $200,000. Most of the hard work — sorting and tagging thousands of donated clothes — is done by volunteers, with proceeds supporting patient care at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. 

“The Best Dressed Sale has become a Baltimore tradition, and we owe our success to our generous contributors, our faithful shoppers and, of course, our volunteers,” says Barbara Dover, president of The Women’s Board. “It’s because of them that our organization continues to raise funds for patient care and scholarships at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.”

Funds from previous sales helped to pay for such items as chair-beds in patients’ rooms, a meals-on-demand program for pediatric oncology patients and “ChemoCozy” jackets, designed to provide patients with a better experience during their chemotherapy treatments. Since The Women’s Board founding in 1927, they have contributed well over $17 million to The Johns Hopkins Hospital with funds from this sale and other events.

For shoppers who want to beat the crowds, preview the merchandise and make purchases, a presale takes place on Thursday, Oct. 30, from 4 to 8 p.m., with an admission fee of $45 in advance or $55 at the door. Admission also includes a cocktail buffet, informal modeling and a fashion consultation.

The event continues — with free admission parking— on Friday, Oct. 31, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday, Nov. 2, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (when most items will be half price).

For more information, please visit www.womensboard.jhmi.edu or call 410-955-9341.