When doors opened at 8 a.m. July 29, Katie Crawford’s five bridesmaids would run a zone offense: fanning out to far left, mid left, center, mid right and far right positions.

Crawford, 26, of Chicago, would post up, strip down to skivvies and wave her green shirt in the air for each heap to be passed to her on the store floor.

‘‘They’re just going to grab, throw them over their shoulder and keep going,’’ Crawford said, scanning the hundreds of competitors who had set up encampments in front of the 1 N. State St. store.

‘‘They’ll just pick any size,’’ Crawford said of her team, noting that dresses wouldn’t be organized by size or brand. ‘‘There’s no time for (checking) sizes.’’

Not for modesty, either.

Barely five minutes into the sale, nine rows of racks containing 1,500 gowns from designers such as Carolina Herrera, Pronovias and Christos, in sizes 4 to 24, had been cleared of all but the most unconventionally colorful designs.

Originally retailing for as much as $8,000, gowns marked down to $249 (with a few at $499 or $699) were engulfing brides in boy-shorts or bathing suits. Ponytailed heads popped up just long enough to negotiate with neighbors for castoffs or to ask Steven Saidman from Imperial Gown Preservation in Fairfax, Va., if a gown could be saved/sized up/made strapless.

‘‘I’ve encountered one stain ever at Filene’s that wouldn’t come out; it was 5 inches long,’’ said Saidman, a veteran consultant at the gown sales who also has done costume preservation for the Smithsonian Institution and Hard Rock Cafe. ‘‘But by the time you shorten the gown and if you add a little lace to the bottom, you don’t see it.’’

The designer gowns at the Filene’s sales come from boutiques and manufacturers who are clearing out samples, overstock, discontinued styles or canceled orders, spokeswoman Patricia Boudrot said. Bargains for brides don’t translate to big profits for Filene’s, she said.

‘‘It’s not a moneymaker,’’ Boudrot said. ‘‘We don’t normally sell dresses because they take up a ton of space. And we have to clear other merchandise from the floor. We have to give up some of our other business for that day. But it’s tradition at this point.’’

Filene’s began staging the sales in Boston in 1947 and has since added them in Washington, D.C., and a few other cities. The sale at the Boston flagship store remains the biggest one, with 2,500 dresses, attracting women from around the U.S. and Europe, Boudrot said.

For those who didn’t find dresses in Chicago, Boston’s sale will be Aug. 19.

Crawford didn’t have time for another shot.

Her wedding was three months from this day - on Oct. 29. She had recently vowed that she wouldn’t be walking down the aisle in the beaded, gathered gown she had already bought at David’s Bridal in her initial exuberance.

‘‘I want something more simple,’’ she said just before charging down the escalator to Filene’s.

With time short, what if she didn’t find something?

‘‘I’m finding something,’’ she said.

And she did, in less than 45 minutes. Factoring in the $103 gift certificate she had won from the radio station that promoted the sale, Chicago’s WKSC-FM 103.5, Crawford paid just $167.91 for her Pronovias dream dress.

She and her bridal party were ready to celebrate.

‘‘Are the bars open?’’ joked one of her bridesmaids Nina Buscemi as they walked out to the 9 a.m. sun.

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GLIMPSING THE WILD WORLD OF GOWNS

-Wedding gowns are in their own fashion world. For starters, they run small; a size 10 gown feels more like a size 6.

-You’ve never had a cleaning bill like the one you’ll get for a wedding gown. Steven Saidman from Imperial Gown Preservation in Fairfax, Va., says average cost is about $400, plus any alteration costs. Check gown.com for tips on finding a reliable cleaner.

-If you’re looking for a extra-meaningful way to save on or donate designer wedding gowns, Brides Against Breast Cancer, an organization that fulfills wishes of patients diagnosed with terminal breast cancer, sponsors Charity Wedding Gown Sales across the country. Check www.makingmemories.org.