Greta Jenkins

The Gant sample sale is heaven for a lover of classic Americana sportswear. Although the showroom is dominated by menswear, there is still a decent selection for women.

When you enter the showroom, head straight to the back left hand corner. Here you’ll find the best deal of the sale—the $40 shoes. While that might be steep for the flip flops, it’s a bargain for the leather loafers, practical heels, and riding boots.

Accessories are also well priced. The canvas totes and duffles are $50, while leather bags range from $50 to $150. Scarves, hats, pocket squares, and belts are $25, and luggage tags and leather card holders are $15.

The women’s clothing was largely ignored by the shoppers this afternoon—expect prices to drop later this week. As of now, there are a few racks of women’s $30 polos and $45 button-downs, two racks of $50, and a small assortment of $40 cotton dresses and $75 silk dresses. There are a few $100 rain jackets, $150 letterman-style coats, and $300 mint green leather jackets. Swimsuits are $25 per piece, but there are barely any left. These prices are identical to what you’ll find in the men’s section.

Unless you want the best selection of shoes and accessories, I think it is safe to hold off for markdowns. The sales associates could not confirm when the prices would be slashed; I would expect to see them around Friday. The sale runs through Sunday, July 12th.

WHEN: 7/7 – 7/12; Tue (10-8), W-Sun (10-7)

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

By Greta Jenkins

Hurry to the Misha Nonoo sample sale to grab current season designs for a fraction of the retail price. The small showroom has six full racks of fun and playful merchandise—but get there sooner than later; it’s going fast!

If you start with the racks on the left you’ll find three racks of stock merchandise. The first rack is devoted to $100 spring dresses; soft, painterly pastels have a strong showing, as do crisp, white shirt-dresses. The next two racks hold a mixture of $50 tops, and $75 sweaters and skirts. There are no stock pants or jackets. Many tops have the same pastel motif seen on the dresses, and there is an abundance of sweaters with sheer panelling.

The first sample rack is filled with $50-$60 tops and $60-$70 sweaters. The samples appear to be dominated by pieces for the Fall/Winter collection, and, as such, have a darker palette. The next rack is filled with $200 leather jackets and $275 fur coats as well as a few $90-$100 dresses. The final sample rack has $70 to $80 skirts and $80 pants.

There is also a bin of seven or eight pairs of pastel Manolos. The sizes range from a 36 to a 42, but most are on the bigger side. Most pairs have moderate wear and tear, but could probably be spiffed up by a good shoe repairman. There is a single pair of white Adidas Orions in a size 7.5; it comes in its box and is in pristine condition, but similar styles can be found online for cheaper. All shoes are $80.

They will not be restocking the sale throughout the week. The sample prices will be marked down on the last day, but the staff warned that the racks are likely to be picked over by that point. The sale runs through Wednesday, July 1st.

WHEN: 6/29 – 7/1; M-W (9-8)

WHERE: 209 West 38th Street
Suite 312 (Third Floor)
New York, NY 10018

By Greta Jenkins

The Eberjey sample sale takes place in a peaceful and well-organized showroom on East 34th Street. It is located in a large office building, and you must have photo identification to access the building. The security guard also snaps a quick photo before he hands you a visitor sticker.

The majority of the clothing and lingerie is size small. This includes all the clothing and panties on the racks, as well as three boxes on the center table. The rest of the boxes on the table and along the window sill are divided into Mediums and Larges. Some of the bras are unlabeled, but appear to be on the smaller side.

If you are only interested in the $20 bras, don’t bother coming as there were only about seven left. There were only about twenty $15 undies remaining, but there was an abundance of $25 camisoles, $35 teddies, and $50 robes. There is also a lot of sleepwear left at $50 per a set of two; you can mix and match the sizes. The swimwear is $50 per piece, except for the two racks of $40 Rasurel by Lejaby by the door. There are also a few boxes of swimwear for little girls for $5.

I attended the sale around the time it closed on Thursday, and, as they do not intend on restocking, the stock should look very similar this morning. The sale runs through 7pm today.

WHEN: 6/26; F (9-7)

WHERE: 183 Madison Avenue
Suite 1215
New York, NY 10016

By Greta Jenkins

Set aside a few hours if you are serious about shopping the Rag & Bone sample sale. The prices are certainly not rock-bottom, but the expense did not seem to dull the shopper’s enthusiasm. After you join them in eagerly sifting through the relatively expansive merchandise, expect to wait at least 20 minutes to go into the minuscule communal changing room. In short, skip this sale if you are a casual shopper.

In the front of the sale there is a large table, piled high with items from Rag & Bone/Jean. The eponymous jeans were receiving the most attention; most pairs were $85, but a few premium designs were going for $185. Shorts are $75. The less popular half of the table is devoted to $135 sweaters and $65 T-Shirts.

The rest of the showroom is dedicated to the main Rag & Bone line. There are a handful of $185 dresses and $125 skirts and vests, but at least half of the merchandise is outerwear. The racks of $200 black blazers are virtually untouched, as are the $495 leather jackets.

Shoes and accessories were easily the most popular part of the sale. There were about a dozen shoes styles, mostly flat loafers, espadrilles, and sandals for $150. There are displays of small leather goods scattered throughout the sale; belts, wallets, and small bags are all $150.

If you are a size Small, you will find that best deals are the unpriced samples in a small enclave next to the blazers. A couple of the samples are damaged, but most are in good shape. You can only find out the prices by bringing the piece to the cash register; most prices hovered around $40, but some went up to $85. The hassle of consulting with the cashiers seemed to scare away most of the shoppers, making this section a treasure trove for dedicated bargain shoppers.

As I left, the Privé staff were bringing in many more boxes of merchandise. They could not confirm whether the new additions would replenish the diminishing shoe selection, nor could they tell me when the new stock would hit the sale. Besides from the shoes, the stock shoes no sign of depleting, so it might make sense to sit tight and wait for the inevitable markdowns. Privé usually marks down their stock on Saturday. The sale runs through Sunday, June 28th.

WHEN: 6/24 – 6/28; W-F (10:30-8), Sat (22-6), Sun (11-2)

WHERE: 410 West 16th Street
between Ninth and Tenth Avenues
New York NY

By Greta Jenkins