Danielle Guercio

Women from many different backgrounds were gathered on 39th street between 7th and 8th avenues to scour the selection of tees, dresses and bottoms offered by Vivienne Tam and her team.

Vivienne Tam has been a part of the NYC fashion scene since the early 90s, when she released her controversial ‘Mao’ collection.  This brought her center stage in the high end market, and her pieces have been adorning celebrities and luminaries ever since.  The design house has a heavy Asian influence which comes across sometimes subtly and other times right up front.  Vivienne Tam’s designs show her 90s sensibilities, which are becoming in vogue again, things tend to come full circle a few times in the fashion industry.

Prices were to die for at this sale with only certain pieces rising above 100 dollars. Most items were between $20-$50 and very stylish. One thing of note was a predominantly small size selection. Most sales we have been to have a wide variety of sizes to choose from, but being a traditional style design firm, this sale mainly had sizes 0 to 4 with a few 6 to 10. Skirts and pants were affordable if small, meaning petites need to hop over here asap!

There was a large selection of tee shirts with print and embellishment. Most of these were all different sizes and also oversized styles allowing for a greater variety of body type. The tees had funny prints of monkeys, chihuahuas and other animals. Some were plain, some had damask-ish prints and others were straight up basics.

Dresses were the real show stopper, though not a wide size selection, the style selection was incredible. There were sheers, 70s style wrap dresses, jersey tube dresses, fitted silk numbers, and many different embellishment styles. One of our favorite looks was the striped silks that have a geometric top, showing plenty of skin in new places, and definitely a trendy and on season look. The dresses ranged from $50 to $180, so whether you were aiming for causal or gala, you could snag something great on these racks.

Overall, this sale wasn’t large but provides for a special type of lady who goes to these sales specifically for markdowns.  It can be incredibly helpful to put full price styles on a wish list to take with you to these sales.  Single designer sales like Vivienne Tam are in-house, and the team will be more knowledgeable about the actual garments and what season they came from, etc.  You can end up with a dress that was $695 for $150 if you are quick on the draw.

WHEN: 7/23 – 7/25; W (9-8), Th (10-7), F (10-6)

WHERE: 260 West 39th Street
between Seventh and Eighth Avenues
11th floor
New York, NY

By Danielle Guercio

The 260 Fifth space took a break for summer, unleashing a new and exciting pop up sample sale: Calypso St Barth. Originated in the 90s in St. Barth, this brand is bent on bringing luxury resort wear to every woman in every season.

As usual with the 260 Fifth space, loads of merchandise as well as staff to help are on hand. Expect extremely long waits for the dressing room, as Calypso’s intense embellishment game is not for the faint of heart. This sale is perfect for the impulse shopper with a small to medium budget. You will get in and out faster by not trying things on. The rows were packed with eager shoppers literally grabbing everything in sight, so this is a sale you will want to get to early.

Checkout looked like smooth sailing, but we would wager the morning, lunch, and after work crowds might cause a bit of line buildup. Entry lines we could also see getting pretty large, so this is a show for the big girls or the big fans of Calypso St Barth.

The clothes themselves were pretty wide ranging. One of the most awesome things about Calypso St Barth is the range of styles of embellishment. From ikat to beading to tie dye, nearly every style and technique could be found on a tunic. Tunics were one of the most ubiquitous items at the sale. Quite literally every style of tunic could be found. Draped, fitted, extra long, mid thigh, and from sheer silk poly to linen. The tunics were plain, dyed, printed, embroidered, beaded, sequined, lace, and woven.

Dresses were another popular and plentiful item, with styles going from casual sundress to full on lace or sequin numbers that dare we say could even pass for bridal. Other than the very glamorous, there was even stuff we would consider strange, not an everyday occurrence at a mid level sale. Huge long sweater dresses covered in tassles mingled next to gold leaf metallic and there were beads and sequins for days. Dresses ranged around $79.

Also in the sale, numerous long and short sleeve basics in jersey, cotton and poly for around $19. Everything at the sale is priced as marked, but most things were around $19-$79. Pants were another varied option, with trousers, denim, leggings, and you guessed it, embellished styles. Shorts and skirts were also on hand, there were many types of trouser style shorts in mostly lighter softer colors.

Not the sale for your work clothes, but definitely the sale for your off-duty pursuits, hop a few stops over to 28th street if you want to grab a bag full of sunshine.

WHEN: 7/15 – 7/20; Tue-Th (10-8), F (10-7), Sat (11-7), Sun (11-4)

WHERE: 260 Fifth Avenue
between 28 & 29th Streets
NYC NY 10001
N,R,6 Trains to 28th street
212.725.5400

By Danielle Guercio

When a mid priced lingerie brand has their sale, most of us flock over.  Sometimes some of us can’t justify 30 dollars (or more) for panties, but when they are on 50 to 70% discount, all bets are off.

Eberjey was founded in the 90’s and set to bring trendy styles of underwear and intimates to the masses and they have been up and running for almost 20 years now.  Their styles are feminine and light, evoking a true boudoir feel with prices that don’t break the bank.  They held their sample sale near 34th Street and Madison Avenue near their home office, and women were out in full effect to scoop up the discounted skivvies.

Prices were pretty great at this sale, and it wasn’t quite crowded, but wasn’t empty either.  There was plenty to see but limited space to do it, so we recommend getting there sooner rather than later, when more people will fill up the space and make it harder to shop.  Pajamas and chemises lined the left wall, with bathing suits and cover ups to the back.  Bras and panties hung on the right, and teddies and camisoles hung in the back.

Most items were prices around $15 to $30, and we really didn’t see many better deals this season in the lingerie department.  All panties were $15, and there were colors, textures, and many different fabric selections.  Plenty of red, soft pink, leopard, white, cream, teal, and purple could be yours.  Lace, eyelet, fringe, and both striking and delicate patterns were available.

A large number of shoppers were flocking to the pajama section, which was one of the largest.  The same delicate lace details you can find on camis and chemises could also be found on pants, shorts, and longer sleeved tops.  The robes ranged from satin to jersey knit, and there were many many colors.  Every woman should own a robe for each season, and the ¾ sleeve cream jersey robes are perfect for these hot summer days when you are sweating before you leave the shower.

Our favorite pieces were the chemises and teddies.  These were some of the first things to go over at Natori, so we don’t see this large selection lasting much longer here either.  Teddies were made for summer sleeping, when it’s too hot for much else.  Chemises are the sexier cousin to the teddy, and they had sheer, full lace, jersey cotton, lace details, and many many colors.  All chemises and teddies were on sale for $30, meaning you could score sexy sleepwear for half the week for around 100 dollars.

Checkout was a breeze and we are telling you right now, if you need undies, get thee to Madison avenue before it is cleaned out!

WHEN: 7/1 – 7/2; Tue (9-7), W (9-5)

WHERE: 183 Madison Avenue
Suite 1215
Entrance at 34th Street
New York, NY

By Danielle Guercio

OK, we won’t lie, sometimes a shoe sale can feel a bit small, but today checking out Matt Bernson was anything but.  Traipse on down to 14th street, no side street or office building steez here, and pop right next to Jeffrey’s department store to experience the downtown flair that is Matt Bernson Archive Sale.  Between 9th and 10th avenues you can find this beautiful little pocket of joy.

Known for his “everyday luxury” Matt Bernson’s shoes were so tempting that even we couldn’t resist shopping.  How can you not when Harrison bootie sandals were on sale for $100 down from $290?  There were wall to wall shoe boxes and literally a full team, jerseys and all ready to help you find the shoe of your dreams.

High end shoes with leather soles and perfect hardware are just some of the perks of this TriBeCa based designer’s repertoire.  We saw perforated leather booties, wedge sandals, slide sandals, gladiator sandals, pony flats, embossed pony flats, and much, much more.

We have said before after visiting Loeffler Randall that it is very easy to tell the difference between high end shoes and decidedly not high end shoes.  Thick, hard leather soles and thin but stiff leather inner soles are usually your first indicator.  Not seeing glue smears skipped stitches, or similar imperfections is another.  Matt Bernson shoes had nothing of the sort, just clean, beautiful varied shoes for around $60 to $100, normally priced much much higher.  Many of Bernson’s styles also come with memory foam.

The space was well lit and we think the format of the sale will help it to run smoothly.  Numerous bar height tables have roughly 10-20 styles a piece, some in multiple colors, and a helpful staffer behind.  Each table is staffed and this person will give you the style in the size you need to try on.  There were shoe benches spread throughout the space, making it easy to pop down and decide if the shoes in your hand are a keeper.  You will basically be able to shop like a classy lady, not having to get your hands dirty, and knowing right away if a style was sold out.

I mentioned earlier that even I couldn’t resist the urge to purchase a pair of these fine shoes, and checkout was a breeze!  With prices nearly 60% off there is no reason not to go and find your new everyday shoes, after a few hours of breaking them in, I must say the squishy soles make a big difference.  No insoles needed, and stylish does not even begin to describe these babies, I think I found my summer shoe, and you can very easily do the same.  Perhaps pop into Jeffrey or Sephora after, your feet won’t hurt if you zig zag all over this shopping area after hitting the #mbarchivesale .

WHEN: 6/26 – 6/29; Th-Sat (11-8), Sun (11-7)

WHERE: 427 West 14th Street
between Ninth and Tenth Avenues
New York, NY

By Danielle Guercio