Greta Jenkins

Vera Wang is nearly synonymous with celebrity weddings, but this week she brings her bridal gowns to the masses at the Soho locations of 260 Sample Sales. The merchandise is divided into three sections: ready-to-wear, samples, and bridal.

Ready-to-Wear items are priced individually, using the following rubric:

The majority of the Ready-to-Wear section consisted of cocktail dresses, most in the $150 to $350 range. The plainer the dress, the less expensive it was. Longer, more formal dresses were $300 to $400. Embellished tops were also abundant, with most styles landing between $100 and $150. Leather shirts are available for $250, and sweaters were around $100 to $150.

There were only two racks of bottoms, which included an assortment of $350 beaded shorts, $100 lace skirts, and $100 patterned pants. There is a full range of sizes, but size 4 and 6 have the widest selection.

A single rack of $20 samples had already been largely picked over, but there are still a handful of dresses in sizes 8 through 12.

The bridal selection was price-as-marked; while I spotted one $500 gown, expect to pay at least $1,000 for the princess dress of your dreams. The most expensive dress is $2,700. A few racks of cherry red, bordeaux, pink, navy and aubergine wedding dresses stand out among the clouds of white tulle. A small communal dressing room is available, but it is hard to imagine more than four wedding gowns squishing in there at a time.

The showroom will be restocked every day. The sale runs through Sunday, July 19th.

WHEN: 7/16 – 7/19; Th-Sat (11-7), Sun (11-5)

WHERE: 151 Wooster Street
between Houston and Prince Streets
New York, NY
212-725-5400

By Greta Jenkins

The Privé showroom at Chelsea Market is a sea of white this week, with high thread count Frette sheets covering every surface. The sheets still aren’t cheap by any means, but you are unlikely to find Frette’s luxury bedding at better prices.

Plush towels are available in a variety of colors, but your best bet is white you are looking for a complete set. Bath towels are $20, hand towels are $5, and wash cloths are $2. Bath mats and bath sheets are available for $15 and $30, respectively.

Sheet sets are available for King and Queen beds, and there is a small selection of sets available for California Kings. Sheet sets are individually priced; they ranged from $169 to $269 for Queen sets, and $179 to $279 for King sets. The California King sets are all $259. King- and Queen-sized duvet covers are also available. Kings have the flat price of $279, while Queens range from $159 to $699. Individual pillow cases can be purchased for $19 to $39. Pillows are $69, and mattress pads are $249. The palette is predominantly white or cream, but you can also find some other subdued colors.

Other bed accessories include cashmere throws for $399, decorative pillows for $89-$120, quilts for $449-$699, and shams for $19-$39. There was also an assortment of pajamas for $199-299, bags and dope kits for $199 to $399, and a hat and scarf set for $249. Slippers are $139 to $189.

There will be restocking throughout the sale, but it is unclear if there will be markdowns. The sale runs through Sunday, June 19th.

WHEN: 7/15 – 7/19; W-Sat (10-7), Sun (10-5)

WHERE: Chelsea Market
75 Ninth Avenue
between 15th & 16th Streets
New York, NY 10011

By Greta Jenkins

Clothingline’s nine-designer sale is a bit of a mixed bag, but has many good deals on summer-ready clothes and accessories.

Free People merchandise seems to have been the highlight of the sale for many shoppers; by now the only people who can enjoy the super-low prices are size XS or S. Tops, bottoms, rompers, and vests are $15; sweaters are $20; and dresses are $25. Jackets are reported to be $30, but I was unable to find any.

Tocca takes up the largest number of racks in the showroom, offering $40 tops and $30 bottoms. Dresses, rompers, and coats are $70; blazers and vest are $50. In the back there is a table of $30 shoes, but most have seen better days.

If you missed the Misha Nonoo sale two weeks ago, here’s your chance to snatch up some of the stock pieces—at slightly higher prices. Tops, skirts, and shorts are $75, pants are $80, and sweaters are $120. Short dresses are $125, while maxi dresses are $150. Blazers with fur are $325. There are prices listed for furless blazers, leather jackets, and coats with fur, but these items do not appear to be stocked.

The bright and colorful Milly stock is spread out across the showroom. You’ll find tops, shorts, and skirts for $40. Pants are $45, dresses are $65, blazers are $99, and coats are $109. Clutches are $45, small and medium bags are $65, and large bags are $85.

Figue has a single rack of clothes, mostly dresses and tunics. Standard dresses are $50, while styles described as ‘long embroidered tunic dresses’ are $89. Tops are also $50, except for the ‘white shirt with turquoise sequin,’ which is $109. There were a few sweaters, also prices at $109. Ballet flats with large pom poms on the toe are available in two color palettes, each for $35.

A table in the center stocked cheerful raffia beach accessories from Mar Y Sol. Beach bags were $30, sun hats and clutches were $20, and pillow cases and placemats were $15. The shoppers weren’t paying much attention to these offerings, so there was still a robust selection.

Nearby, there are three tables overflowing with Havaiiana flip flops for men, women and children. They are $10 per pair, regardless of style.

Digging through a bin of La Perla and Aqua suit swimsuits yields $30 separates, while the coverups on the adjacent rack go for $50.

Clothingline is known for making generous reductions, so stopping by on the last day might be wise. The sale runs through Thursday, July 16th.

WHEN: 7/14 – 7/16; Tue-Th (11-7)

WHERE: Clothingline
261 West 36th Street
(between 7th & 8th Ave)
2nd Floor
New York, NY 10018

By Greta Jenkins

The Proenza Schouler sample sale started yesterday morning at C21 Editions, and brought huge crowds with it. For those dedicated enough to brave the masses, you’ll find an assortment of investment pieces and great deals.

Denim products have the most straight-forward pricing. Jeans are $29 to $55, down from $295 to $385; denim jackets are $99, previously $495; and denim vests are $69, down from $395. A pair of splattered jeans were $119, marked down from $395.

Other bottoms were far more expensive—and more erratically priced. Leather pants ranged from $69 to $278, a tweed skirt was $345, and a pair of cotton shorts were $555. A pair of culottes were a whopping $735.

Plain T-Shirts were $42, but a T-Shirt with leather details was $1,035. Confusingly, a fully-leather shirt was only $163. Sweaters were mostly in the $100 to $200 range.

Coats ranged from $595 for a leather trimmed option to $1,950 for a shearling number. Leather moto jackets ranged from $885 to $1185.

While there were a handful of plain dresses for $69, expect to pay at least a few hundred for most options. This includes dresses made out of the similar material to the $69 dress—give up looking for any rhyme or reason in these prices. The most expensive dress was $3,750.

There were very few bags left around noon. You’ll have the best luck with the $99 shearling pouches; the handbags that remained included a $8,400 Elliot satchel in cobalt crocodile, a splattered black and white Elliot shoulder bag for $2,093, and a $425 bucket bag in red velour. Printed canvas bags are $79, and small leather cardholders are $49.

The shoe supply was also dwindling. Sizes 36-40 are represented, but you’ll have the best luck finding pairs under 38. Most heels were $269, while flats ranged from $99 to $255.

All the merchandise is already out, so hurry over if you want to scoop up the best deals. The sale runs through Thursday, July 16th.

WHEN: 7/14 – 7/16; Tue-Th (8-9)

WHERE: C21 Edition
21 Dey Street
between Broadway and Church Street
New York, NY

By Greta Jenkins