Apparel & Accessories

After enduring two weeks of near fiction-like weather, we are rewarded this week with a forecast of sunshine and moderate temperatures in addition to an outpouring of sample sales from top designers. With so many unbelievably great sales to choose from in the next seven days, this is your perfect opportunity to score a fabulous outfit for Thanksgiving dinner. Next week you’ll be worried about baking pies, prepping your home for company, and revving up for Black Friday, so take use week to indulge in some “me-time” as you attend sample sales from some of our favorite brands such as Rebecca Minkoff, Anna Sui, Thakoon, Nanette Lepore, Theory, 3.1 Phillip Lim, and Bulgari.

Rebecca Minkoff Sample Sale

Start your week off right with gorgeous, sunny weather and 70% off clothing, handbags, footwear and accessories at the Rebecca Minkoff Sample Sale on 5^th Avenue hosted by the always organized 260 Sample Sales.

Anna Sui Sample Sale

When Anna Sui and $15 are featured in the same sentence than I am there. Monday at 8AM marks the start of a week long sale of 40-80% off women’s ready-to-wear at the Anna Sui Sample Sale, in addition to samples for as low as $15.

Thakoon Sample Sale

Thakoon’s most recent merchandise from Fall 2012 will be on sale at their SoHo sample sale beginning Tuesday at 8:30AM, in addition to past season’s wear. Last spring their sale offered sample pieces for as low as $50, so be on the look out for sample steals!

Nanette Lepore Sample Sale

Wednesday brings us bright colors, bold patters, and thick heels at the Nanette Lepore Sample Sale on West 35^th Street where they promise embroidered skirts for $100, jewel-tone velveteen pants for $125, and beaded silk frocks for $175.

Maison Martin Margiela H&M Collaboration

The Stylish City loves a good H&M collaboration. This time around, Maison Martin Margiela brings avant-garde to the floors of wallet friendly H&M, beginning Thursday, November 15th. If we’ve learned anything in the past, it’s that arriving early to H&M on the first day of a collaboration is an absolute necessity, if you want to be able to purchase the top styles in your size that is. Please note, the way it usually works in these cases is a certain number of wristbands are distributed well before H&M even opens. These will indicate what time you will be allowed to shop that day. So be prepared to line up early!

Theory Sample Sale

For diehard fans of the designer, there are two Theory sample sales taking place this week, beginning Thursday at 10AM. With cozy sweaters and ultra cute dresses, Theory may be your best bet in finding the ultimate Thanksgiving outfit that is flattering yet comfortable. Come Thursday, be sure to first drop by the true blue Theory Sample Sale, hosted by the brand at Privé located in the Chelsea Marketplace for deals up to 60% off their men and women’s collections. If you still haven’t had your Theory fill, take a trip uptown and visit clothingline on 36^th Street, where they’ll offer Theory’s fall merchandise, including outerwear, knits, dresses, blazers, and more at a discount.

3.1 Phillip Lim Sample Sale

There’s nothing better than alleviating your shopping guilt by knowing your purchase is benefiting a good cause, close to home. A portion of the proceeds from Thusday’s 3.1 Phillip Lim Sample Sale will be donated to the American Red Cross for Hurricane Sandy Relief Efforts. This sale is a definite Do Not Miss.

Alice & Trixie Warehouse Sale

To further benefit Hurricane Sandy relief efforts via shopping, head to SoHo on Thursday after the Phillip Lim sale where Alice & Trixie will host a warehouse sale with samples, stock, vintage, and one of a kind items, which will start at $10. 15% of sales from this event will be donated to the American Red Cross relief fund.

Bulgari Sample Sale

Early holiday shopping is in order on Saturday. Load up on goodies for your loved ones as Soiffer Haskin hosts the Bulgari Sample Sale, where jewelry, watches, handbags, accessories, and fragrances will be priced at an eye-popping discount.

After getting a jump on holiday shopping, donating to the Red Cross, and scoring a comfortable yet stunning outfit for Thanksgiving Day, I’d say this week was pretty much a success. Just don’t forget to wear your apron to protect that amazing new dress while fixing the turkey and all the trimmings next week!

By Caitlin Colford

Fashionistas can finally rest easy (and prepare to shop hard). Why? Because the highly anticipated Maison Martin Margiela and H&M collaboration collection will hit stores on November 15. The brand — adored for its truly art-over-function, avante garde aesthetic — has remained true to its nature for this collection.

All the pieces are wearable, but shoppers will find that most of MMM’s pieces are stop-her-on-the-street-and-take-her-picture worthy.

10 Things You Should Know About the Collaboration

1. With over 100 pieces, the collection is impressively comprehensive. It includes outerwear, shoes, accessories, bags, formal wear and everything in between.
2. Prices range from between $13 to $399.
3. The entire collection consists of re-issued, iconic pieces from previous Maison Martin Margiela collections.
4. You’ll notice many of the pieces have a slightly retro flare to them while others look quite modern. That’s because the collection covers more than two decades of fashion.
5. There are a number of “fusion” pieces in the collection. For example, a mens blazer that combines two different colors/silhouettes and a woman’s dress that’s one part knee length with shoulder and one part floor length with halter.
6. The collection features a wide range of shoes. They include a Plexi wedge pump in various colors, knee-high, heel-less leather boot, hand painted loafer and high top sneaker.
7. MMM’s collection includes clothing, accessories and shoes for both men and women. No sex-based exclusions in this collaboration!
8. Some of the more shocking pieces include a blanket coat, a nude bodysuit with printed black bra, a brown/black leather belt jacket and an over sized fanny pack that’s worn across the body.
9. The collection has caught the eye of even celebrities, including Selma Blair, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kanye West and Julienne Moore.
10. Each piece will include a unique tag that indicates which season the MMM piece is from.

There’s no denying it — this collection is downright cool. Even those who couldn’t care less about what’s happening in the fashion world have to be impressed and intrigued by what’s included in the collaboration.

What do you think about the H&M/MMM collaboration? Are you eyeing any pieces in particular? Let us know in the comment section below.

By Wendy Rose Gould

Pixie Market is known for their affordable selection of downtown style. For every pricier piece, Pixie matches it by featuring an affordable and well-made item. Some of their prices seem almost too good to be true, requiring a second glance at the two-digit price tag. Needless to say, Pixie Market’s retail buyer has an eye for funky and emerging designers who offer their impeccable style for pennies compared to the well-known labels. With that said, you can only imagine what a sample sale at Pixie Market would look like.

Imagine no more, folks. After a week’s delay due to the horrific weather that swept our area, Pixie Market officially rung in the start of their sample sale today with rock bottom prices, and tags that read no higher than $40. Pair these prices with peter pan collars, fringe bags, and ankle length booties, and you have the perfect recipe for a Pixie’s dream.

About 25 anxious shoppers waited in line on the Lower East Side this morning, awaiting Pixie Market to open their doors at noon. Without skipping a beat, the door was unlocked right on time and all shuffled into Pixie Market’s itty-bitty boutique space (the word market in the store’s title is a bit deceiving).

As more customers piled in the small store, most shoppers crowded around the rack marked “small,” tearing at mostly blouses and dresses, not allowing personal space to be an issue. The “medium”  and “large” racks were not given as much love, leaving free reign over the best selections.

A traffic light-like sign depicted the low prices of each sale item with $20 for green marked tags, $30 for red, and $40 for blue. Please note: This sale is cash only, but there is an ATM right across the street for your convenience.

While making my way through each rack, I found some fantastic pieces for unbeatably low prices. Such steals were Cotton Candy’s Blu Coat in Black ($30, size Large, Pictured), a maroon blouse with a blue peter pant collar by House of Balfour ($30, size Large, pictured), a two-tone short sleeve sweater by Freeday ($20, size Small), a pile of black velvet shorts with gold stud features by Evil Twin ($30, assorted sizes), and an incredible tuxedo dress by Ciel ($20, size Large, pictured).

The shoe selection was mediocre, yet still ideal as far as the prices go. Most shoes pictured are $30, with the exception of a standout pair of cow-hair skull loafers from Beobe ($40, assorted sizes, pictured).

Long lines to the dressing room formed after the initial hype died down and as shoppers came out I was able to be the first one to check out the pieces they were not purchasing. Among these were a ladybug-esque dress by Oxford Circus ($20, size Medium, pictured), a turquoise button up blouse by Dee and Ray ($20, size Small, pictured), and a Siam Square Co. brown dress with velvet and polka dot features ($30, size Small, pictured).

Before racing to the register, try your luck at the trunk full of clothing, accessories, and bags, all for $10.

If your closet is lacking ultra cute button ups and short dresses, then don’t let too much time pass before making a trip to the Pixie Market Sample Sale this weekend. There were still plenty of people piling in, with not a ton of merchandise to choose from, therefor, today an after work shopping trip downtown is mandatory if you want to get your Zooey Deschanel on this weekend.

WHEN: 11/9 – 11/11; F-Sun (noon-8)

WHERE: Pixie Market NYC Store
100 Stanton Street
between Ludlow and Orchard Sts
212-253-0953

By Caitlin Colford

Urban edgy — like other fashion terms — is a somewhat vague phrase. In short, an urban edgy look is one that combines minimalist street wear with a hint of sass. It’s sophisticated but hip, fashion-forward but effortless. Urban edgy looks consist of a lot of black, a lot of leather and pops of print, animal skin, leather and metal. As for the hair and makeup, neither is ever prissy or painstakingly perfect, but both are thought out and styled to a certain degree.

Still sound vague? Well, again, like most fashion, it kind of is. That’s one of the most beautiful parts of the style world, though. We, the buyers and wearers, get to decide how we interpret a trend. As long as you incorporate the basic elements (listed above) and stay true to your fashion preferences, you’ll pull off urban edgy without a hitch.

Below are two pulled urban edgy looks, different price points, to give you a better feel for the trend. Let them inspire your own looks. Let us know with your comments what you think. Would you wear any of them? Which one?

Look “A” Total Cost: $5,190

Acne Boots at Saks Fifth Avenue $750

Alexander Wang Nappa Shearling Hoodie at Saks Fifth Avenue $2,750

Marc by Marc Jacobs Thunderdome Handbag at Saks Fifth Avenue $598

Casey True Religion Jeans at Saks Fifth Avenue$167

HELMUT LANG printed blouse at Barney’s $390

Aurelie Bidermann Shark Tooth Pendant at Bergdorf Goodman $540

Look “B” Total Cost: $1307

Equipment Liam Zebra Satin Blouse, $198

Hudson Krista Super Skinny Black Wax Jeans, $189

Rachel Zoe Taupe Grey Vintage Faux Fur Marianne Vest, $535

Jeffrey Campbell Battle Spike Black Leather Platform Pump, $210

Brahmin The Party Red Collection Alexis Clutch, $175

By Wendy Rose Gould