Caitlin Colford

March has arrived and the forecast is looking greener! For both our upcoming sample sale and weather forecast that is! As we wait impatiently for the growth flowers and green grass, now that we are surrounded by mild weather and sunny skies, shamrocks and leprechauns will decorate our coming weeks and we’ll celebrate it all by shopping for bright and cheery spring wear! This week, kick off March with sales from DKNY, Ted Rossi, Frette, J Mendel and 2b Rych.

Sample Sale Alert: Yellow

Frette Fine Italian Linens Sample Sale

There’s something about a Sunday combined with the phrase “Fine Italian Linens” that achieves celestial bliss. Beginning this Sunday, the Frette Fine Italian Linens Sample Sale begins on 59^th Street at 11AM. Last year, the sample sale offered a plethora of bedding for a king sized bed, but not a vast selection for a queen and smaller. Further, a duvet cover will run you around $600, while sheets are priced individually for top and shitted, and marked for under $100.

DKNY Sample Sale

Monday marks the start of this season’s DKNY Sample Sale at 260 Fifth Avenue. This past August, the sale not only offered DKNY, but also Donna Karan, DKNY Jeans, and DKNY Pure as well. We’re hoping for the same multi-collection turn out this time around as well! As we reported in August, the shoes from DKNY and Dona Karan were a hit, as were the wallet friendly prices for t-shirts, sweaters, and denim.

2b Rych Sample Sale

You can certainly gear up for spring at the 2b Rych Sample Sale beginning Monday. Their comfortable maxi dresses should always be a staple in your closet for bouncing around town, in addition to their simple yet elegant cocktail dresses and flowing blouses that will be all on hand for $25 and under! Can’t go wrong with prices as cheap as that.

Ted Rossi Sample Sale

The ever-present snakeskin pattern tends to steadily float in and out of fashion year by year. This summer, snakeskin is back in action and how better to wear the trend daily than as wrist candy? The Ted Rossi Sample Sale will offer 60% jewelry and majorly discount his famous color block cuffs and python and metal bracelets, ready for stacking!

J. Mendel Sample Sale

The luxurious J. Mendel will be holding an exclusive sample sale this week, with two days of invite-only shopping, followed by a public opening on Thursday the 7^th.  Although this sale comes a week too late (we could have utilized the discounts when purchasing our Oscar gown!), it’s exciting nonetheless for fashionistas considering the bleak selection of sales as of late. This sale promises up to 90% off everything from J. Mendel’s furs, to his ready-to-wear, cocktail dresses, and gowns.

Happy Sample Sale Shopping everyone and get ready for a more active sale line up coming this spring!

We regret to inform you that this sale is private and by invitation only, and that we are not in the position to give you any further information.

By Caitlin Colford

Tonight marks the ultimate evening of celebrity fashion: The Oscars! For fashion mavens, we’ll tune in beginning at 6:30PM to gawk at our favorite fabulous actresses as they strut their stuff down the red carpet and spill their carefully selected designers to Ryan Seacrest. Don’t forget to jot down your favorite looks of the night and be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the designer’s respective sample sales in the coming months, perhaps you can find a similar steal! This week, the sample sale lineup continues to remain thin, but that allows us to focus our attention on what is offered.

And the nominees are…

Monday Mash-Up

This Monday, allot shopping time to re-visit some of this past month’s best sales to check in for additional discounts and stock. Be sure to first stop at the What Goes Around Comes Around Sample Sale on Astor Place. This sale is receiving rave reviews as this pop-up warehouse of sorts is coming to a close, therefor liquidating its stock. Within this massive shop you’ll find fabulous vintage for under $30, with prices as low as $5. Prices are expected to drop as their March 7^th finale creeps closer. A true bargain considering the hefty prices the What Goes Around Comes Around boutique in SoHo offers.

After indulging in vintage clothing downtown, head up a few blocks to 19^th Street to the Ralph Lauren Home Sample Sale. As we reported last week, this sale features an inundation of vintage knick-knacks and low-priced Ralph Lauren furniture. For a mere $100 you could be walking away with enough décor accents to re-decorate a small room.

Diptyque Beauty Sample Sale

The Parisian company Diptyque, noted for their creation of diverse and eclectic scents, will host a sample sale beginning Wednesday at 225 Fifth Avenue. Be sure to get your hands on a few of their famous candles (I swear by them!), in a variety of smells from spicy Oriental blends to clove pomander, bitter orange and floral blends. Also on sale will be a number of their luxurious fragrances, beauty products and gift items.

Baggu, Mociun, No. 6 Footwear & Accessories Sample Sale

Schedule a visit to Brooklyn Saturday to check out the Baggu, Mociun, No. 6 Footwear & Accessories Sample Sale. Jump off the L train and bask in discounts on No. 6’s fashionable clogs high heels and boots. Some of No. 6’s classics include the Hurache High Heel and Hurache Wedge, in addition to their comfortable and stylish leather clog buckle boots and wedges. If clogs are not your thing, then get your hands on the Baggu Leather Tote Bag or one of their sturdy canvas weekender bags.

Pratesi Sample Sale

Now that you revamped your bedroom with some vintage and antique pieces thanks to the Ralph Lauren Home Sale, scoop up some luxury linens from the Pratesi Sample Sale to add a pop of lavishness to even out the vibe with their hotel sheet sets and duvet covers.

After mapping out your shopping schedule tonight, sit back and relax, pop a bottle of wine and a bag of popcorn as you indulge yourself in luxurious fashion modeled by the biggest names in Hollywood at the 85^th Annual Academy Awards.

And the winner goes to…

By Caitlin Colford

The first day of the Ralph Lauren Home Sample Sale within Chelsea’s Metropolitan Pavilion brought on massive, slow moving lines and ultimately a long wait in the cold for those who were anxious to browse the huge space full of vintage goods, designer sheets, antique designs, and discounted furniture. Numerous helpful employees fluttered about, assisting shoppers with heavy items and locating prized possessions. Delivery is arranged on premises for furniture and non-taxi-fitting items.

Some aspects of the sale require patience as you dig and carefully browse as many pieces are cluttered together within various shelves. Vintage pieces occupy a good chunk of the sale, with two separate sections full of stackable tattered suitcases ($20-$40), which are very much in style at the moment, vintage record players ($40), decorative or playable vinyls ($5 each), old radios ($25), funky top hats ($20), antique street signs ($25), and I also spotted a Royal typewriter ($50). All of these goods are everything you would find in an upscale antique store, but for a fraction of the price! There were also some funky goodies for the daring designer such as skeletons ($100), an old newspaper stand ($250), black and white framed art ($100 each), totem poles ($150), vintage school lockers ($50), a gumball machine ($250) and a gym’s basketball scoreboard ($600).

A small collection of jewelry and gifts were located in cases toward the front of the room. Here, RL Vintage turquoise jewelry ran between $100-$200, with an array of Navajo-inspired moccasins and accessories intermixed.

Moving on from vintage, there were a vast array of RL Supply lanterns ($150) and wicker lights ($250), about seven gorgeous brown leather and plaid wingback chairs ($750 each), and numerous wood drum tables in a variety of stains for under $1,000.

Some higher end items that were selling quickly included Ralph Lauren’s New Safari Library Club Chair ($3,512, orig. $10,033), the beautiful Desert Modern Chest ($3,699), the Rosecliff Bookcase ($3,145), and Rosecliff Mirror ($2,494), as well as the sought after Alpine Lodge Armoire ($3,277, orig. $9,632).

I was a bit disappointed by the selection of couches and love seats. Pieces are “sold as is” and for the most part feature large imperfections. A variety of white love seats and chairs with large stains and rips were on hand for the purpose of recovering, and certainly meant for someone with an artistic imagination. However, you may be better off purchasing an old couch on craigslist if that’s your forte as these are certainly not worth you money.

Be sure to inspect the dining room tables on hand for scratches and nicks. Ralph’s Black and Red Modern One Fifth Dining Table was in great shape ($3,399).

An L-Shaped table held on to heaps of Ralph Lauren Duvet Covers, Sheets and Shams. The Cream Josephine Duvet in Queen Size will run you $400, but Ralph’s Denim Design Duvet and White and Blue Striped Duvet are only $100 a pop. Ralph’s Franklin Bed Blanket’s ($450) looked extra cozy, as did the Cashmere Sweaters for your furry friends ($30 each)!

The Ralph Lauren Home Sample Sale requires an early visit. Don’t wait until the last minute on this one! I was there when the doors opened and noticed stock depleting by the second. Shoppers are frantic and stake their claim fast by having employees mark furniture and décor pieces with a “SOLD” sign quickly! I was certainly impressed by the sale’s vintage array, which wasn’t the main focus compared to the furniture, but do keep in mind that stock is not replenished as time goes on. Act now before it’s too late!

In this week’s Don’t Miss, we reported that the upcoming Barneys Warehouse Sale would be the last of its kind. Today, the Warehouse’s very pleasant and helpful manager clarified our speculations. He informed us that yes, this would be the final sale within their 255 West 17^th Street space. But starting with their end of summer Warehouse Sale in August/September, they would move a block away. Additionally, Barneys is also relocating their Co-Op store, which closed earlier this month, to a to be determined location. The newly located Warehouse Sale will still feature the classic set-up of past sales we are all used to, but in a slimmer, more condensed fashion as many of their sale stock will be first offered on their permanent sale website: Barneyswarehouse.com. This could potentially mean that the best of the best will be purchased by e-shoppers before making it to the Warehouse. It’s your prerogative from here on out shoppers. To continue on with the tradition of religiously visiting Barneys Warehouse Sale or not is the question. You may be better off stalking the website in order to catch a hot deal before anyone else has a chance, but that will so be determined with a little trial and error.

Today was the first day of the two week long Barneys Warehouse Sale, kicking off with a not so thrilling start. As usual, browsers were buzzing about the shoe and purse section as the Warehouse’s very polite and organized staff tidied up behind them and provided excited shoppers with tote bags to lighten their load.

The trends of the shoe section were platforms, suede, and Greek sandals. A pair of Proenza Schouler Wood Wedge Black Leather Platforms ($629, orig. $1,580, Size 9, pictured) were a stand out, as were the Rick Owens Ankle Wrap Platforms in Bronze and Black ($709, orig. $1,770, pictured), the Derek Lam Black Leather Platforms ($279, orig. $690), Derek Lam Brown Suede Chelsea Peep Toe Heels ($399, orig. $990, pictured) and the wide variety of Greek Sandals by both Barneys CoOp and Ancient Greek Sandals ($100). Be aware that many of these shoes appear weathered, so do be sure to do a careful inspection before charging the designer shoes to your trusty credit card.

A small selection of damaged shoes was on hand on a bleak looking shelf. Here, there was a pair of Manolos for $250 and a pair of Prada heels for $150, but stained and tattered nonetheless.

Typically, the denim section at the Barneys Warehouse Sale is meticulously organized. At past sales, neatly folded denim and cords were arranged according to size and furiously folded by staffers after a shopper’s examination. This time, however, jeans were stacked in boxes, making for messy sorting and frustrating digging. Staffers were still furiously folding, but it made for a much harder task. The denim selection seemed to be a repeat from last year’s sale. I noticed the same colored jeans and corduroys. The stands out in this messy pile included Brown Current Elliott Skinny Jeans ($99), Helmut Lang Bell Bottoms ($159), Coral colored James Jeans ($99), and Rag & Bone Skinny Cords ($105). Note that most, if not all, of the white and beige colored pants appeared dirty.

In the purse section, shoppers were scooping up Marc by Marc Jacobs leather handbags and wallets. Although no great bargain, these bags were indeed cute and worth your consideration. Colored Marc by Marc Jacobs Wallets were $130 and a Magenta Marc by Marc Jacobs handbag was $378, while his adorable Teal Backpack ran for $300, down only $70 from its retail price. For this merchandise, it may be worth waiting for the additional markdowns Barneys will provide in the coming days.

Another change up within Barneys Warehouse Sale was the fact that designer and contemporary wear was intermixed. The less than exciting ready to wear collection featured ripped dresses and pulled sweaters, so again, be sure to launch a full-scale inspection before purchasing. Some highlights of the clothing section included a Band of Outsiders Crochet Dress ($149, orig. $495, pictured), an ALC Peach Jumpsuit ($319, orig. $794, pictured), an interesting Madison Marcus Beige Cocktail Dress ($235, orig. $363), and an Elizabeth & James Mint Blazer ($239, orig. $395, pictured). 3.1 Phillip Lim offered exciting finds, including his Navy Blue Blazer w/ Shoulder Tie ($269, orig. $675, pictured) and a gorgeous Black Cropped Jacket ($339). Also, for those who favor comfort, be sure to sneak a peek at Barneys Jersey Knit Dresses. These are featured in the “blue star” section, indicating an additional 75% off tag prices, making these incredibly soft yet flattering dresses only $20.

The accessory section was dismal. You won’t find much there aside from $2,000 hand painted chairs and Marc by Marc Jacobs iPhone cases.

All in all, although damaged and stained merchandise overpower the true blue steals of the sale, the Barneys Warehouse Sale is always worth a walk through. Even though it may be worth it to focus your attention on their online sect in the future, the Barneys Warehouse Sale is still a staple in a New York City shopper’s life.

WHEN: 2/14 – 2/24;
2/14 – 2/15; Th-F (8-9)
2/16 – 2/17; Sat-Sun (9-8)
2/18 – 2/22; M-F (10-9)
2/23 – 2/24; Sat-Sun (9-8)

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

By Caitlin Colford