Inhabit Sample Sale: Messy In Style Habits

A dozen or so women huddled in a very small and stuffy hallway, thumbing through newspapers and tattered copies of Fifty Shades of Grey, as they waited for 320 Studios to open the doors to the Inhabit Sample Sale.

The bright and airy room of 320 Studios provided a serene atmosphere as women headed straight for cashmere, well, anything. A few racks that outlined the edges of the room held samples and prototypes of designs, but the majority of the sale is found within a slew of tall boxes, with piles and piles of plastic bagged shirts, sweaters, and tanks stacked inside. The Inhabit Sample Sale truly forces shoppers work for their discount.

I was disappointed to discover a hole or pull in the fabric every time I found a cute lightweight sweater sample hanging on the racks. Please note, many of these samples are all a size small or petite. Most samples were not labeled, and any cashmere discovery without a “care label” is priced at $60 versus $80. Some undamaged finds on the rack included the Cream Yig Sweater ($50, pictured) with a cotton and rayon blend, as well as the Cropped Silk Button Down Cardigan in Ash ($60) and I truly loved the Linen Blended Cashmere Double Pocket Navy Sweater ($60).

Onto the boxes! Women tossed bags and clothing everywhere as they frantically dug through to unveil a bit treasure. It seems that every item is a variation of a lightweight sweater, including their thick tank tops. Fortunately, all of the boxed finds come in a variety of sizes (P, S, M, L). Super soft and comfortable seeming, sure, but not sure this thick and heavy fabric on a tank would work well during the summer, may be best suited for the spring and in layering during colder seasons.

Regardless, the clothing in the boxes was all in tip top shape and well made. Boxes and boxes and boxes of cashmere held v-necks, crew necks and cardigans ($80) in interesting colors such as twilight, camel, beeswax and cigar. However, I noticed that most of these generic sweaters were not 100% cashmere and instead blends of polyamide, lycra and spandex.

For only $30, the cotton tank tops are worth a buy for layering purposes. They only came in two varieties – button down and spaghetti strap – and traditional colors such as ivory, black, navy and yellow. I did see a few striped tanks and shirt dresses but the outside of their box was marked “damaged.”

Your best bet is to check out the long sleeve cotton shirts, namely in Lavender Stripe ($50) and Cobalt Blue Button Down ($50) as they will prove to be a great (and cute!) toss on option during chilly nights in the upcoming months.

The Inhabit Sample Sale is only worth a visit if you are seeking staples to use throughout the year. No great find is held within, but certainly a collection of cardigans and lightweight sweaters that will ad to your pile “go to’s” for some time to come.

WHEN: 5/2 – 5/3; W-Th (10-6)

WHERE: 320 W. 37th St.,14th floor
between Eighth and Ninth Aves

By Caitlin Colford

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Posted by Caitlin Colford at 02:11 PM
Opinions , SALES , Sample Sale Reviews , The City |