Barneys New York

Does all this dreary February weather have you feeling blue? According to me — and I do think I have some authority here — there’s no better way to cure winter weather woes than with a little shopping. This week I’m highlighting four must see NYC Sample Sales. Visit one, two or perhaps all four!

Barney’s New York Warehouse Sale

You’re not a NYC shopper until you’ve sifted through the racks at Barney’s New York Warehouse sale. In fact, it may be a cardinal fashionista sin to not go to at least one of their sales in your lifetime. Lucky for you, this year’s sale has been extended through March 4. And, according to buzz on the street, they have recently added new merchandise.

Giuliana Teso Italian Fur Sale

Channel your inner Hollywood diva and snag a few extraordinary furs crafted by Giuliana Teso. Teso is an Italian fashion designer renowned for her luxurious furs and ready-to-wear garments.

Bruno Magli Sample Sale

I contend that a woman can never own too many pairs of shoes. Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw would most certainly agree. If you’re anything like her (or me), you’ll find yourself enamored by the sea of pumps, stilettos and wedges placed before you at Bruno Magli’s Sample Sale.

ABC Carpet & Home Bronx Warehouse Sale

A well decorated home is the type of space you’ll want to spend your time. Though ABC Carpet & Home’s Warehouse Sale in the Bronx is slightly off the beaten path, it remains one of the most popular warehouse sales of the year. The store offers an impressive selection of high quality carpets, rugs, furniture and various home decor.

We’ve given you shoes, clothing, fur and home decor. Hopefully a few new pieces — on your body or in your home — help rejuvenate your spirit amid the tail end of these winter months.

By Wendy Rose Gould

The overly hyped Barneys Warehouse Sale in Chelsea kicked off this morning at 8AM, reeling in crazed shoppers from around New York City, some of who stood in line since 5:30AM, simply to be the first through the doors.

The setup of the sale remained the same as it has been in the past: check your purse and jacket at the door with your first stop being the shoe department. As per usual, the shoe selection was a mess, hands grabbing designer stilettos and discarding them wherever they please. I wasn’t too impressed with the shoes this time around as they were mostly CoOp or suede shoes covered in scuff mark. I soon became focused on the men carrying shopping bags loaded with shoes in order to restock the shelves with unwanted items. After following them around, I was able to get my hands on a few decent items: Carven Velvet Pumps in Ecru ($220), Lanvin Brown Snake Skin Pump ($639, pictured), Manolo Blahnik Grotta Neutral 5” Pump ($567), Manolo Blahnik Alter Moccasin Booties in Cream ($399), and Rag & Bone Brown Leather Ankle Boots ($235, pictured).

Next up is a row of bags and clutches waiting to be sorted through. The same Deux Lux Basket Woven Faux Leather Bag ($99), in various styles and colors, such as black, purple, silver, gold, ivory, etc, kept appearing and flooded the crates. “They’re all the same bag!” one girl whined to her friend. I didn’t hate the Barney’s CoOp Potato Sack Bag with a brown leather handle ($169), but other than that there was literally nothing else worth mentioning, as the purses were all boring, broken, or stained.

Oddly enough, the best selections in the denim section were…not denim. The Theory Khaki Cotton Tech Chino Pants ($79) are perfect for vacation wear and the upcoming seasons, as are the Resin Sahara Khaki ($69) and the J Brand Army Khakis ($49). As for the denim there were a few nice pairs by brands like Current Elliot, J Brand, Acne, and Hudson.

The designer section of the sale was very slight. There were more imperfections and damaged dresses and blouses than there were anything else. I did find a simple and cozy looking Piazza Sempione Foresta Nera Pure New Wood Brown Sweater ($535), a Helmut Lang Knee Length Particle Silk Dress in Light Rosewood ($540), a Balenciaga Silk Vest in Ivory ($779), and a Thakoon Grey Knit Cardigan ($99). The ultimate find was an amazing corduroy blazer by The Row in Proffington Yellow ($959, orig. $2390, pictured).

I’m not quite certain why there was a specific section for Imperfections when they were all mixed in with everything else storewide. Most items throughout the sale seemed to have at least one thing wrong with them, whether immediately visible or not. Said Imperfection section offered clothing from slightly tattered to extremely tattered. All Imperfects were 25% off but the only find worth the money was a sheer, oversized white tee shirt by Ella Moss ($39) with a tiny hole by the collar.

The other clothing selections – marked by size – were average at best. For fans of Marc by Marc Jacobs, I found of a lot of cute designs at fair prices: the Calf Length Tank in Army Green w/ Gold Zips ($145), Peter Pan Collar Baby Doll Shirt in Red (119), Black Sleeveless Floral Dress ($359, pictured).

Again, CoOp was the majority in the clothing section. Most items were not marked at all, making pricing a guessing game, amounts you’d have to either wait for an attendant to find out for you or be surprised upon checkout. Among the unmarked was a cotton and silk blended Lanvin Tuxedo Tee in Cream and a navy Penning Ceremony Cropped Knit by Opening Ceremony.

With all the anticipation, hype, and promotion, one would think that the Barneys Warehouse Sale would be something straight out of a shopper’s dream. Instead, the sale is mediocre and disappointing. With a few good finds here and there, I couldn’t imagine how upset I would be had I froze on line since 5:30AM and was not greeted by a stellar sale selection and amazing prices. Hopefully Barneys will learn their lesson and give us something better next time, we know they’re hiding something.

WHEN: 2/16 – 2/26
2/16 – 2/17, Th-F (8-9)
2/18 – 2/19, Sat-Sun (10-8)
2/20, M (9-9)
2/21 – 2/23, Tue-Th (10-9)
2/24, F (9-9)
2/25 – 2/26, Sat-Sun (9-8)

WHERE: 255 West 17th Street
(between 7th and 8th Avenues)
New York, Ny 10011
212-450-8400.

By Caitlin Colford