Eliza Fletcher

What you'll find at the Marc Jacobs Sample Sale

5 April 2019

The line was a modest thirty minute wait on the premier day of Soho’s Marc Jacobs Sample Sale, which runs through Sunday, April 7th. Not so modest was the vast range of offerings – mostly looks from Marc Jacobs women’s ready-to-wear collections from past seasons ranging as far back as Spring 2017. The sale also featured a wide range of accessories – mostly socks, scarves and logo canvas totes along with a small selection of menswear. The handbag selection – an unattractive hodgepodge – is worth bypassing. The sale does not include childrenswear, footwear, or Marc Jacobs makeup.

The discount on almost all merchandise is a very generous 85% off the original ticket
price. Meaning that silk-printed, pussy-bow blouse from Jacob’s candy-colored, Harajuku inspired Spring/Summer 17 collection which was originally priced at $395, is now available for $60. Surprisingly, this sample sale did not just feature last season’s styles, but offered a range of seasons from years prior. Equally as surprising is the mint and pristine condition of the garments; it’s as if they were stored in a temperature controlled museum of seasons past.

The outerwear offerings are still rather costly since the original ticket price for most coats is over $4K. Most of the outerwear pieces available are from his brown-and-tan 70’s Fall 2017 collection. The knitwear selection is very good – including this candy-colored cashmere striped sweater for only $90 (originally $595). Also loved this slightly oversized, Romanian-made, merino wool zip-up sweater. Perhaps the best part of this sale is the abundance of pieces from his Resort 2018 collection – almost all of the pieces – (minus the bras) – can be found here. Reminder – this was the collection that was designed to take Mad Men’s Betty Draper from bake sale to cocktail party. The sale included the flocked lace over pastel organza pencil skirt – $90 (originally $595), the canary yellow, empire waist, satin sheath dress encrusted with rhinestones and fringe beading – $510 (originally $3,400), as well as most of the other looks from this collection.

Now before your run over to 150 Greene Street, be warned that there are no fitting rooms or mirrors at this sale. So, bring your friend-who-tells-you-like-it-is along before you end up buying something that “almost” fits if you don’t eat for a week. Sizes – while there are some styles in a full range of sizes up to size 12, a vast majority of the garments are size 00 – 2. And while the denim selection is large, the sizes there are absolutely not – I think the largest size in denim is a 26. Overall, it’s a great chance to grab a piece of runway fashion history at a fraction of the cost.

WHEN: 4/3 – 4/7; W (9-8), Th (10-7), F-Sat (10-8), Sun (10-5)

WHERE: 260 Sample Sale
150 Greene Street
(Between Houston & Prince Street)
New York, NY, 10012