Style: A Report From the J.Crew Sample Sale

Today's the second-to-last day of the J.Crew Sample Sale in NYC. It's open until 9pm tonight and is open tomorrow (Sunday) for its final day from Noon-5pm. I stopped by this afternoon to see what great bargains might be left after the mad-house opening of the sale on Tuesday. To my surprise, the clothing selection and overall prices weren't especially great. 

The Men's section was much smaller than expected - just some khakis and a number of casual shirts and sweaters I'd describe more as "Brooklyn hipster" than "Uptown preppy". The women's clothing for the most part was pretty plain - lots of solid color cotton blend pants and tees. There were quite a lot of damaged items (see light blue pants below) and the few notable "dressier" items still had price tags of $150-$300. It's important to note that some items were marked at higher prices than their current sale prices in J.Crew retail stores - be careful! The gilded dot brocade cafe capri pants below were marked $179 and are currently $109.99 in stores & online plus 25% off! The jewelry was pretty well picked over as well, with fairly plain pieces selling for as high as $35-65.

By far, the best deals to be found were in the shoe department. Heels ran on average $100-$150 (still not cheap, but high quality & lovely styles). Solid color and cap toe plain leather ballet flats were $65 and more elaborate ballet flats were $80-90. J.Crew Factory bow flats and some other casual styles were around $65 too. The most styles were available in sizes 7 and 7.5. However, there was a decent selection in all sizes. I took home a pair of pink & navy cap toe ballet flats for $65. Although I liked a number of other styles, I really felt that those were the only true bargain for what I needed. They retail for about twice that price.

Tomorrow could bring some price cuts. So, it's definitely a sale worth checking out if you'd like to build up your dressy shoe collection! There was practically no line today so it's was pretty hassle-free shopping. Here's the current price list they had posted:

The retail sale going on in stores and online right now (25% OFF everything, including sale) seems to be almost as good a deal for some things. So, depending on what you want, that might be the better option for you.
Happy Shopping!

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!

Events: A Report on the Rent the Runway Sample Sale

I went to the Rent the Runway Sample Sale with a friend on the morning of the second to last day of the sale (Saturday).  I was very pleasantly surprised to see that there were still a lot of nice dresses left on the racks for all sizes.  I found some especially good finds by See by Chloe, Christian Siriano, Missoni, M Missoni, Herve Leger, Tibi, Badgley Mischka, Alice by Temperley, and Temperley.  There also seemed to be unlimited amounts of dresses from Nicole Miller, Milly, Haute Hippie, Moschino Chic and Cheap, Rebecca Taylor, and Catherine Malandrino.  I even saw a David Meister dress I bought last winter for probably 1/5 of the price I had paid!  While I tried on mainly short cocktail dresses, my friend tried on several full-length gowns.  The best she looked at were from Badgley Mischka ($50 each) and Yigal Azrouel.

Here's what I especially liked:

Find #1:  Calla Lily Cap Sleeve Dress by Tibi
Rent it on Rent the Runway HERE
Retail $378, RTR Rental $50, Sample Sale: $37
Note: Slight flaw - About 3 inches of the seam of one of the cap sleeves had been separated away from the body of the dress but nothing that five minutes of quick sewing couldn't fix.  It was right along the seam so it wasn't torn or anything like that and extremely easy to fix - anyone could do it. Trust me, I'm not an expert seamstress and just used an old travel repair kit with some white thread and a needle.
Find #2: Heartbreaker Dress by Herve Leger
Rent it on Rent the Runway HERE
Retail $1050, RTR Rental $100, Sample Sale: $167
Note: The dress was a Size S but I assume that I would normally wear a bigger size because I tried on another Leger dress in a M that fit just quite snug.  The dress was probably in the sale because it had been stretched out a bit while being rented.

The other two dresses I liked are no longer being rented on the RTR site but had been featured in a few of their blog posts (Missoni1, Missoni2, La Rok1, La Rok2).  Both were in impeccable condition with no additional notes to be made.
Find #3: Emily the Empress Dress by M Missoni 

Retail: $795, Sample Sale: $113
This gorgeous striped brown M Missoni cocktail dress pairs well with all fall/winter neutral accessories and with the tribal & animal prints that are popular right now.
Find #4: Lovely in Lace Dress by La Rok

Retail: $278, Sample Sale: $60
This very casual white frilly dress from LaRok that will be great for the summer, especially when paired with a very long dangling necklace or statement collar necklace - with the perfect sandals of course! 

The second to last day was actually an excellent day to go to the sale.  While I was disappointed that there wasn't anything left from Kate Spade or Lilly Pulitzer (as I read there had been earlier) and that the selection of Herve Leger had significantly depleted, everything was being sold at an additional 40% off.  I heard that on the last day this was increased to 50% off but I imagine not all that much was left after Saturday.  My suggestion would be to visit a sample sale like this twice, once at the beginning to grab up some of the more popular items that are going quickly and again on the morning of the second to last day to get some even better deals.  This was not my first sample sale by any means but it was definitely one of the ones where I found the best deals.  My other favorites have been the regular Diane von Furstenberg and Ralph Lauren ones.

Here are some great sites I'd recommend that make announcements about upcoming sample sales: The Vogue City & Sample Sale Avenue.

Events: Rent the Runway Sample Sale

The Rent the Runway Sample Sale started yesterday and goes until Sunday, March 4th. Visit 260 Fifth Avenue and snag some great deals on lightly used designer dresses and jewelry at up to 95% off!  I've been tempted by a lot of their online clearance sales, but this is even better.  Now you can view and try on the items in person.  If the flyer is any indication, you will find amazing deals.  The David Meister dress on the right was at Bloomingdale's last spring for about $500!

Here's the extra information RTR put up today on their blog:

"Attention all New Yorkers! Don’t miss out on our exclusive sample sale where you can get up to 95% off designers like Milly, Tibi, Badgley mischka, Proenza Schouler, Rebecca Taylor, Nicole Miller, and more. Now’s the time to add that special designer piece to your permanent collection.

February 28 – March 4

260 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10001

Tues – Wed, 10am – 8pm

Thurs – Fri, 10am – 7pm

Sat, 11am – 6pm

Sun, 11am – 3pm

Visa/MC/Amex accepted (cash payment not accepted)"

Have YOU visited the Rent the Runway Sample Sale Yet? Let me know how it is and what you found by posting in the comments below or sending a tweet to @hauteonthespot1.

Style: Mad for the Barney's Warehouse Sale or Sheer Madness?

The infamous Barney's Warehouse Sale begins today and goes until February 26th.  So far it has received very mixed reviews. 

What do YOU think? Post in the comments below!  

View the larger version of this schedule HERE.

Pulsd says: "It's that time of year again - thank Goodness! The Barneys Warehouse Sale offers you up to 80% off retail prices on men's and women's clothing & accessories. In the past we've seen Gucci dresses from $300 and Dolce suits from just $250! Throw in a pair of Louboutins (if you get there early they may have your size!) and you're really talking fashion at a price that's right." 

Read more on Pulsd HERE.

RackedNY says: "OK, Barneys Warehouse Sale shoppers, we're not going to sugar-coat it: This sale isn't one of their finest. Prices aren't marked as clearly as last fall's, there's hardly any size selection, wading through all the Co-op stuff leaves you with marginal designer goods, and the decent items are...dirty. Or torn. Or just not very exciting. We were able to find some worthwhile things, of course, but our biggest recommendation would be to wait until the prices have been slashed—as they will be soon if Barney's wants to sell anything. The good news is that the check-out line isn't insanely long!"

Read more on RackedNY & view pictures of sale items HERE.

Today's Featured Shops & Sites on Twitter: @BarneysNY, @pulsdJFK, @RackedNY