Polo Ralph Lauren

A large crowd came out for the first day of the Club Monaco Sample Sale. By 10:30AM about 50 people were already lined up to explore the sale, waiting for the doors to open at 11AM.  By kick off time, the line swelled down the block and slowly moved as only five people were let in at a time due to the required bag check. Shoppers were instructed a numerous amount of times that no try-ons were permitted, making it laughable when people disobeyed and were consequently barked at by Clothingline employees

Polo Ralph Lauren has quietly owned the steadily successful brand, Club Monaco, since their flagship store became popular in Canada in 1999. Perhaps this is why their clothing is consistently well made. However, at today’s sale, the ten or so racks of true samples that shoppers were racing to sort through, were tragically wrinkled as well as damaged. But don’t despair, the very well organized and displayed racks of gorgeous ready to wear made up for it.

I was surprised that many shoppers were ignoring the gorgeous clothing at the start of the sale and jumping right to the sample section. As they skipped over this area, they were missing great finds such as the Lanna Black and Gold Dress ($40), a pretty Beige Crochet Dress ($40, orig. $179.50), Elsa Burnt Orange Pants ($30, orig. $149.50), and a wide selection of Sonica pants in corduroy and denim ($30).

The skirts certainly stole the thunder of the sale and were available for only $25 each! Do yourself a favor and stock up on skirts starting with the Gold Gwen Skirt ($25), Daria patterned skirt ($25), Annie Long Flowing skirt ($25), Dark Brown Charlie Skirt ($25), the ultra comfortable Alma Long Knit Skirt in Heather Grey ($25), and the Emilie Brown Asymetrical Skirt ($25).

Don’t stray from this area without taking a gander at the Marsha Boucle Cream and Black Jacket ($60, orig. $179.50), the Annabelle Sweater ($30), which may or may not resemble a jumble of pretty cotton balls, and the Sarina Tweed Jacket ($60).

The accessory section was a hot mess. A bundle of cardboard boxes held piles of sample scarves ($10), which were frantically being picked through by shoppers, in addition to their winter accessories ($10). Also here was a great deal of leather belts ($10) and a small variety of straw and leather purses ($50), which were all very damaged and/or dirty.

A few pairs of shoes were on hand, including Club Monaco’s Rachel Comey Boots in Rust ($109), 2568’s Brown Moccassins ($40), as well as Minnetonka’s famous Mocassins in burgundy, dark and light brown, and white ($20).

Last but not least were the racks of samples, broken up into sections full of blouses, pants, skirts, blazers and jackets. There were a few finds within, but overall I was nowhere near impressed. Many of these items were damaged and so wrinkled that I could hardly tell if it was worth its low price tag. Here, blouses were $30, basic tops were $10, sweaters were $30, while cashmere sweaters were $60, dresses and pants were $40 a pop, blazers were $60, and outerwear was $95. Not much was on hand in this department, but any fur, leather, or suede item was marked at $109.

If you are a fan of Club Monaco, then I would absolutely recommend visiting the sale strictly for the first half of the room. The skirts are perfect for the spring and summer seasons and there are plenty of items to stock your closet with, for both casual and professional occasions. As for the sample section, I can imagine that most of the diamonds in the rough will be toted away by this afternoon, so proceed at your own risk!

WHEN: 3/11 – 3/15; M-F (11-7)

WHERE: 261 West 36th Street
between 7th & 8th Ave.
2nd Floor
New York, NY

By Caitlin Colford