THIS WEEK ONLINE:

Roger Vivier, Michael Bastian, TOMS, Bottega Veneta, Sigerson Morrison, Max Mara, Christian Louboutin, Brunello Cucinelli, DSquared2

MOLLY YOUNG GOES SHOPPING:

The New 5 & Dime Edition

SAMPLE CIRCUIT:

Rag & Bone vs. A J.Crew/Madewell Triple Header + Marchesa & More
UPDATED

Madewell1
The Madewell Sample Sale (pictured above) starts today at 151 Wooster St.

Basically, there are two big sales going on this week, and one of them is actually three.
Today is the launch of one of the most anticipated sales of every season, the J.CREW Sample Sale, or Sales, we should probably say. Its regular host, 260SampleSale has pulled out all the stops and distributed the company's various divisions over all of its current venues. Home base at 260 Fifth Avenue is the main women's J.Crew sale finally taking over the whole space including the Crewcuts children's line. Downtown in SoHo, the spacious 151 Wooster St. space will house the first ever stand-alone MADEWELL sale which should please the burgeoning chain's fans. Finally, around the corner, the J.CREW MEN'S sale will take over the newest space at 129 Prince Street which, it should be noted, is roomier and easier to shop than the space the men's sale used to use on Fifth Avenue and has the extra added bonus of three genuine built-in dressing rooms, which will help eliminate that pesky guessing game of sizes and cuts. This new arrangement should go a long way to alleviate the ridiculous line that generally forms for the sale's first day, We previewed the Madewell and Men's sales yesterday, and found what we generally find at these sales. We must always remind shoppers that the J.Crew Sample Sales are mostly actual production samples, and that means that sizing can be limited and somewhat inconsistent. The prices at about 60% off can also be not so far off what you can pay inside a regular J.Crew store right now, especially with the chain's promotional extra discounts. Still, the sale plus a crowd, and it's not unusual to find familiar items in alternate color ways. At the men's sale, we found the usual assortments, but there was an extra abundance of great bag samples that were extremely well priced if  a bit well-worn as well. The shoes looked good too, along with a lot of outerwear that is always tough to look at on a hit summer day. At Madewell there was lots of room, and lots of accessories in particular. items appeared to be arranged more by style than size, but with the 3-way location split, it might be the sleeper that is a little easier to get into and easier to shop. Have a look above and below at a few images from the sale before the crowds descended.

This week's other big event is the always anticipated RAG & BONE sale starting tomorrow, Wednesday at its regular Chelsea Market locale. Note that the preferred entrance is on 16th street, though the doors that lead inside the market are sometimes available. This is also one of the most popular and well-attended sales every season even though typically, the discount is similar to what one might find at Barney's on markdown this time of year. The difference is that, at times, the sample sale has offered a great abundance of merchandise. there's usually a lot of stuff here particularly in denim, knitwear and woven shirts, as well as accessories for men and women. While we don't yet know what this season's assortments will include, we have become accustomed to seeing a lot of it. Both J.Crew's and Rag & Bone's sales are scheduled through Sunday, and both are know to reduce prices toward the final days, so for some it's worth holding out for the weekend.

There are not a lot of other sales this week relative to earlier in the month, although, MARCHESA started its big sale on Monday at the Starrett-Lehigh building in West Chelsea.. While it is scheduled to run through tomorrow, reports have indicated such eager crowds that they might not have enough goods to last that long. If glamor and gowns are your thing, then get over there right away.

Another promising event to look out for is a mulit-brand sale at Bowery and Kenmore featuring an enviable quartet of labels including M. PATMOSTESS GIBERSONULLA JOHNSON and SURF BAZAAR. It runs from Wednesday through Friday and previews suggest reductions on some items as low as 90% off.

Next week's sale schedule has yet to take shape, but at the center will be the RALPH LAUREN HOME sale at the Altman building. Keep an eye on out SALE ROLL side bar at left for all the details, late breaking sales and any other updates.

UPDATE:
6/23- The Shophound stopped by the Rag & Bone VIP Preview this afternoon, and can report that the men's selection is pretty thin. The discounts are about the same as last season, and so is a lot of the merchandise. The shoe offering, in particular, was much diminished compared to previous seasons. While we didn't go through it with a fine toothed comb, it looks like there is much more available on the women's side of the sale including shoes and accessories. It's possible that they were not completely finished setting up the sale, so it may look better when it opens officially tomorrow, but at least half of the sale looked somewhat disappointing this time around

  • Madewell2
  • Madewell3
  • Madewell4
  • Madewell5
  • Madewell6
  • Madwell7
  • Madewell8
Madewell8
A look inside the Madewell Sample Sale
  • Jcrew1
  • Jcrew2
  • Jcrew3
  • Jcrew4
  • Jcrew5
Jcrew5
Around the corner at the J.Crew Men's Sample Sale

 

Comments

The comments to this entry are closed.