Events: Reports on the Roberta Freymann & Elizabeth McKay Sample Sales

Roberta Freymann: My fave prints in XS - none of them in S or M!

Roberta Freymann:

Cute Beaded Clutch for $50

I went to both sample sales this afternoon/evening. I have to say that the Roberta Freymann was a bit disappointing. Many of the sales people were very rude, some signs indicated clothes were cheaper than they actually were at check-out, and clothes' actual sizes often did not match their size tags (which is probably why they were in the sale). On top of all that, Roberta Freymann ran the sale differently than any others I've been to at 260 Fifth. They had NO dressing room and they covered up all the mirrors. A few ladies tried to uncover the mirrors to see what size top they'd wear over their clothes and a salesman ran over and screamed at them and re-covered the mirror! In the end I had some luck, grabbed 2 kurtas/tunics, 1 printed and 1 embroidered chambray for $30 each (reg. $80), a button-down shirt for $25 (reg. $75), a scarf/beach wrap for $25 (reg. $50), and a ditty bag for $15 (reg. $40). It wasn't exactly the 80% off that some advertising had boasted but decent. For their classic kurtas, unless you are a size XS or XL, it didn't look like there'd be much left for you tomorrow. The M rack was practically empty. There will still be plenty of sweaters (~$70) and evening dresses ($100). You really had to dig through massive piles of stuff to find things that you would like. Anything that was not on a rack was very disorganized. For the craftier crowd I'd highly recommend checking out the home section on the back left and snatching up some napkins, bed sheets, pillowcases, etc that you can turn into something else. The fabrics back there were some of the nicest. The jewelry is really the worst they have so not worth much of a look. I've seen nicer beaded collar necklaces in Koreatown for dirt cheap. The children's clothes were definitely worth taking a look and some of the beaded clutches ($50-75) were quite nice. Overall, I was not overly impressed with the selection.

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Elizabeth McKay: Lots of polos, turtlenecks, tunics, & silk tops!

Lovely silk dresses at bargain prices!

Elizabeth McKay: 
On the way to the Elizabeth McKay sample sale I walked by the Roberta Freymann / Roberta Roller Rabbit retail store and gawked at all of the nice things in the window...so much better than what they had at the sample sale!  The Elizabeth McKay sample sale was another story. Although there was no dressing room there either, they had a large mirror and all of the girls were trying on the clothes in the showroom.  The saleslady made sure to not allow men into the area for exactly that purpose. The designer was even walking around and other ladies were asking her questions about how to wear the pieces! You did not have to dig or search for anything really at all; it was all laid out nicely on the racks and folded neatly in bins. There was a great selection of silk tops in all sizes (0-14) for $40.  Dresses and coats were $80. There was also a nice selection of polos, turtlenecks, skirts, and shorts for $20.  These are fantastic prices for the quality you are getting! I got a wonderful silk dress for $40 (reg. $265) because of an imperfection I couldn't even find and two polos for $20 each (reg. $150).  I also got a silk top for $40 (reg. $215) and an embroidered tunic for $40 (at least reg. $215 compared to similar items online). It looked like there was still a great selection when I left today, so I highly recommend checking them out! They have really cute designs. I would recommend for some items to try a variety of different sizes. I found that the dresses & tops ran a bit big. The ones I purchased are one or two sizes smaller than what I usually wear. The polos & turtlenecks run a bit small. I'd usually wear a M and I got an XL. They had plenty of things that were suitable for all seasons and all purposes, from a night out to professional attire. The sale is located on the second floor, just above Bar & Books. The location is so peaceful and people were definitely not as frantic as they were at the Roberta Freymann sale. I highly recommend stopping by!