Danielle Guercio

There really should have been an A list diva singing the national anthem outside of this gathering at the 260 Fifth space this morning.  The Diane Von Furstenberg sample sale kicked off bright and early on Tuesday, and people were lined up and ready to bust down the door.

Long lines outside of about 45 minutes to an hour make this a sick day or freelancer’s sale, you won’t be able to cold call this baby on your lunch break.  Long dressing room lines make this one to also know your measurements closely and perhaps even figure out your best size in DVF before attending.  The only easy part is forking over your cash to the breezy checkout line.

The clothes. The clothes the clothes the clothes.  There is a whole host of reasons why designers like Diane von Furstenberg never have a documented ‘prime’.  The main one being time timeless femininity of her company’s productions.  The iconic wrap dress was there, nestled in many colors and sizes amongst countless other silhouettes.  The amount of dresses was nearly insane, and with wedding season also in full swing, you will have an event to wear it to, and plenty of sunny day re-do’s soon after.  There were baggy shift dresses, tight body con numbers, draped cocktail dresses, and playful crepe maxi dresses.  If you need a dress for any reason, why not go to the source, a $100 wrap dress could be in your future, though it may take some effort.

The interior of this sale was hectic, so come with your game face on.  Get ready to literally snatch what you want into your arms before someone your size does the same before your very eyes.  Handbags were marked down to $175 and worth a peek, accessories were cute and plentiful, with lipstick purses, earbuds, and some seriously beautiful clutches for $100.  Snap top clutches bearing hand made details were really stunning.  There were hand beaded pink leather baubles and bold piped designs worthy of the red carpet.  There were other tech accessories, but we didn’t see any shoes (boo!).  Silk scarves and even candles adorned nooks and crannies throughout the accessories area, beckoning to your wallet evermore.

Overall this is a textbook sale, lines, crowding, maybe a few attitudes, but if you know what you want, and you have the stomach, you will prevail.  Make your way up to Flatiron, put on your bitchiest smirk, and get ready to never have to disclose just how much you paid for that amazing coral wrap dress.  If full price is not an option, staying on top of sales just like this one, which runs until SUNDAY(!!!) is a must.

WHEN: 5/27 – 6/1; Tue (10-9), W-Th (10-8), F (9-7), Sat (11-7), Sun (10-4)

WHERE: 260 Fifth Avenue
(Between 28th & 29th Streets)
New York, NY 10001
N / R/ 6 Trains to 28th Street

By Danielle Guercio

Today was the middle day of the three day Tibi sample sale, located on 57 Greene Street between Spring and Broome.  If you are already going to be in SoHo, you should swing by this one for sure.

No line, lots of selection, and plenty of help on hand all made this sale a well-oiled machine and not at all a hassle to shop at. Racks upon racks of dresses lined the entire right section, with occasion wear for $100 or less and cocktail dresses far more interesting than anything you will find on Broadway proper.  We really liked the occasion dresses, there were fun white, black and magenta crepe silk gowns marked down from $695, and blood red plunging neckline satin numbers that looked stolen from Halle Berry’s storage unit.

This sale is in a large SoHo ground floor space, perfect proximity to many other high end shops, making it a crucial stop on a traipse down Greene Street, where you can find legends such as Anna Sui and Louis Vuitton.  The Tibi selection is definitely priced to move, with pants marked down to $50 and in some really exciting patterns and styles.  Soft canvas pants with black leather color blocking, pastel faded ikat, and dense unique florals could all be found next to the sweaters.

The sweaters were the perfect weight for office attire, and far from boring, with knits that looked almost screen-printed.  Sample items in boxes were priced at $25, and we saw great variety from silk shirts to pants that were only missing one button, easily salvageable and over 90% off retail.  There was no shortage of colors here, but the textures are in our opinion are what makes Tibi really shine.  We saw scuba-poly dresses, soft nude leather shirts, painted eyelet cottons with jersey sleeves, and the strangest but quite possibly coolest item- a blue raffia skirt.

Shoes are really worth stocking up on here, ranging from $75-100 for very classy styles.  Different color toe caps were one of the nice details, allowing you to select a black leather shoe with a color pop to suit your wardrobe.  Still kicking were strappy sandals, boots, and espadrille soled styles.

In the front right when you enter are two giant mood boards, something you don’t often see at these sales.  These displays show you exactly how to put pieces together, and more importantly, who else is wearing them. (cough, Beyonce, cough).  Tibi’s prices were decent, and we didn’t really see anyone leave empty handed, but we have it on good authority that prices will be outright slashed on Thursday, the final day, so if you have been holding out, now is the time!

WHEN: 5/20 – 5/22; Tue (noon-8), Wed (9-8), Th (9-5)

WHERE: 57 Greene Street
between Broome and Spring Streets
New York, NY

By Danielle Guercio

One thing about sample sale shopping that can be a challenge is the lack of on season selection.  Sometimes when you reach a sale, they are liquidating sweaters and jackets when it is 75 degrees outside.  The disconnect is sometimes enough to stop a purchase, thinking about the large stash in your closet.

Then sometimes you stumble upon a sale filled with all of the things that you want to wear immediately, and those can be the most dangerous.  Tucked away in between SoHo and the Lower East Side on Prince street is a little storefront full of promise.  The Yumi Kim crew decided to drop back-stock on us, and it is glorious.

Not a far walk from the regular shopping mecca on Broadway and Lafayette Street on 40 Prince Street, you can find the princess romper you may have skipped over last year.  Prices were pretty great, at $55 for a dress or romper, $40 for a top and $20 for shoes.  There were racks filled to the absolute gills with countless options.

No lines, no waiting, and a clear shot to the dressing room makes this sale a hidden gem, not on everyone’s radar by any means.  Yumi kim is known for their hyper feminine florals, beading, and cut styles.  You can go backless, long sleeve, cutout, and short or long and find both your size and the exact cut you are looking for.  This is rare, and one of the reasons why this is a must stop if you are lacking in girly glamour pieces for this spring and summer.

Shoes were at the deepest discount, with most going for $20.  Yumi Kim doesn’t manufacture shoes, but carries brands such as Jeffrey Campell, Dolce Vita, and Minnetonka.  So brand you are used to seeing at Urban are going for $20 in many different sizes.  This alone makes the visit worth it. Folding flats, snakeskin sandals, fringe galore and cork platforms could all be found and all for $20.

Accessories such as jewelry and belts were also available at a very deep discount.  Bold brass bangles were $10, in many different styles.  There were lacquer rings for $10 and less, which could up your accessory game with not much effort, so stock up on those.  Belts in a huge box near the shoe display were also $10 or less, so again stock up on these cheapies, they aren’t anywhere near that affordable on the regular.

This isn’t the largest space, but this weekend should be a crazy shopping weekend, so I were you I would hit the sale before friday for some Mem Day classics.  The sale itself is lasting until Monday, so you have a bit of time to swing by, though we don’t recommend waiting too long!

WHEN: 5/19 – 5/26; daily (11-7)

WHERE: 40 Prince Street
New York, NY 10012

By Danielle Guercio

The 260 Sample Sale space should always remain on your radar.  From earlier this month’s Rebecca Minkoff and Jonathan Adler sales to this week’s James Perse sample sale, you can always count on 260 Fifth to come correct with the big name sales in a convenient almost midtown location.

Easily accessible by at least 3 train lines, if you timed it right, you could hit the space on a lunch hour with no issue.  This week, LA based designer James Perse took over the space, and it was filled top-to-bottom with his socially conscious and high end basics.

Known for their dedication to social responsibility and quality, Perse’s cottons were giving us a very Miyake or Wantabe-fied basics vibe.  The color palette of the sale, when approached as a whole, comes off hazy and blurred, with a large percentage of the cotton goods that feel worn in and ready to rock.

No crisp brights here, this is the stop for you if you are an understated beauty who doesn’t need to be loud.

This sale featured a huge amount of stock to be liquidated from at least 3 of Perse’s lines, from the high end ‘Standard’ line to the lower priced ‘Los Angeles’ line, you can find your next favorite tee, fashionable sweats, or our personal favorite, the jersey knit, tee-style midi and maxi dresses.

Tees and tanks came in white, black, soft heather grey, muted reds and blues, as well as the occasional (and probably first to go) tie-dye.  We saw a huge variety of hybrid cargo-sweat pants, which are a very hot item this year, with many sizes and even a few runs left of olive green.  Perse’s Yosemite line had shorts and sweatshirts for $30 and $50 and looked a bit more sporty than the other more laid back designs.  Though the dresses were not crazy cheap at $60, these were the star item to us, with stunningly different takes on simple silhouettes.  There were tanks, see thru crew sweaters, and a full on assault of lengths, sizes, and fabrics.

Guests of this sale clearly knew what they were buying, so to avoid long lines and a frenzy, this sale has a 10 item limit in the dressing rooms.  We saw tiny undercover millionairesses (they always wear gym clothes to these sales) with huge armfuls of clothes for what we can only imagine everyone they know.  A sure indicator of the apparent following of this designer.

Though not cheap, this sale lasts until Friday and is very exceptionally stocked for both men AND women.  If you like to spend your dollars on socially sustainable and high fashion basics, this is the most promising sale for you.  The normal James Perse retail price is most certainly in another tax bracket than the prices at this event, which makes it an essential stop if you know what you are buying here.

WHEN: 5/20 – 5/25; Tue-Th (10-8), F (10-7), Sat (11-7), Sun (11-4)

WHERE: 260 Fifth Avenue
between 28th and 29th Streets
New York, NY 10001
(212-725-5400)

By Danielle Guercio