Sandy: The Aftermath

Sandy is a messy one.  Clearly she didn't get the memo about picking up after herself.  Hope you all stayed safe/dry last night!  My area in Williamsburg was pretty lucky - everything stayed intact (power, gas, water) except for a brief stint with the internet last night.  Overall, definitely can't complain.  It's day 2 of being under lockdown and I had to go out to get some air - I can only watch the same news broadcasters so many times and eat so many cookies....

 

Most of the stuff in my area is basically intact - except for a few scaffolding boards and a tipped porta-potty.  I stopped by McCarren Park for a bit and saw one of these gimungous light posts that just snapped at the base like a twig and toppled over along with a couple of fallen trees.

 

Hope you all are holding up well - especially those without power. Stay Safe!

NYC Sample Sales: Oct 29-Nov 4, 2012

Who: Ippolita Sample Sale
What: Up to 65% off jewelry & accessories
When: Oct 27-30, 2012. Sat-Sun 9am-6pm, Mon-Tues 9am-7pm
Where: 317 W 33rd St (b/n 8th & 9th Ave)

Who: Hickey Freeman and Bobby Jones Sample Sale
What: From Hickey-Freeman: A huge selection of classic and sophisticated suits, sport coats, top coats, trousers, dress shirts and ties. Knit and woven shirts, sweaters, trousers and outerwear. Suits $599, or 3 for $1,500 (retail $995-$1895). Sport coats $349 (retail $695-$1895). Dress trousers $159 (retail $295-$350). Dress shirts $79, or 5 for $325 (retail $145-$295). Ties $49 or 5 for $200 (retail $155). From Bobby Jones & Hickey Freeman Sportswear: Signature knit and woven sport shirts, sweaters, outerwear and trousers. Knit and woven sport shirts $59, or 3 for $150 (retail $150-$195). Sweaters start at $79, or 3 for $195 (retail $195-$295). Pants $79 (retail $98-$295)
When: Oct 28-Nov 1, 2012. Sun 9am-6pm, Mon-Wed 8am-7pm, Thurs 8am-5pm
Where: Metropolitan Pavilion - 123 W 18th St - 5th Floor (b/n 6th & 7th Ave)

Who: Fashionhaus Sample Sale
What: Discounts on men's and women's clothing
When: Oct 31-Nov 2, 2012. Wed & Fri 9am-6pm, Thurs 9am-7pm
Where: 58 W 40th St - 9th Floor (b/n 5th & 6th Ave)

Who: Under Armour Sample Sale
What: Discounts on athletic wear
When: Oct 31- Nov 4, 2012. Wed-Sat 10am-7pm, Sun 10am-4pm
Where: 260 5th Ave (b/n 28th & 29th St)

Who: United Nude Super Sample Sale
What: Discounts on footwear.  Prices start at just $25 and will include Fall 2011 and Spring 2012 pieces.
When: Nov 1-3, 2012. 9am-7pm
Where: 146 W 29th St - Suite 9W (b/n 6th & 7th Ave)

Upcoming Sales:
Who: Christian Louboutin Sample Sale
What: Discounts on the infamous red-soled footwear.  INVITE ONLY (with a very tight door policy).
When: Nov 5-9, 2012. Mon 8:30am-3pm, Tues-Fri 8:30am-6pm 
Where: 306 W 38th St (b/n 8th & 9th Ave)

Who: Manolo Blahnik Sample Sale
What: Discounts on footwear.  Basic heels start at $100.  VIPs are given first dibs but the sale opens up to the public afterwards.
When: Nov 6-7, 2012. Tues 9am - 11am (VIP), 11am-4pm (public), Wed 9am-2pm (public)
Where: 65 W 54th St (Warwick Hotel - near 6th Ave) - 2nd floor

Who: Alexander Wang Sample Sale
What:  Up to 70% off womenswear, menswear, shoes and accessories
When: Nov 6-10, 2012.  Tues 9am-8pm, Wed-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-4pm
Where: 131 Greene St (b/n Prince & W Houston St)

Sample Sale Report: Bonpoint Childrenswear

While I don't usually check out childrenswear sample sales, I just happened to be in the same building as the Bonpoint sample sale, so I thought it wouldn't hurt to pop by fo a quick look around. Adorable childrenswear in sizes 3 months to 10 year old boys and 12 year old girls could be seen throughout row on row of well organized rolling racks and perfectly folded tables of luxe cashmere onesies, sweaters and other cute clothing all marked at about 60% off retail.

Prices at the sale were not exactly intuitive by product category, you really had to look at the tags on each item and compare it to the list on the wall to know what price you were getting for each item. There was also a small selection of children's shoes in a variety of sizes. I happened to notice quite a few size 32 shoes.


Adorable little velveteen blazers, puffers (marked down to $165) and faux fur jackets could be seen on rolling racks lining the walls.

Cashmere socks which were once $100 are now $40 a pair while cotton socks are now $8 a pair. Cardigans are around $54 while this printed onesie is now $46.

Button down shirt is $56, while this dress is now $66 and the adorable snuggle suit is $110. While prices aren't exactly low for a sample sale, especially considering it is for children, the quality is definitely high. I saw plenty of stylish moms cruising through the sale to snag some goods. Funnily enough despite it being a childrenswear sale, strollers are forbidden. Even if you don't have kids, a good place to pick up gifts for all the kids or kids to be in your life.

Who: Bonpoint Sample Sale
What: Up to 60% off kids clothing (newborn to preteen)
When: Oct 25-26, 2012. Thurs 9am-7pm, Fri 9am-3pm
Where: Metropolitan Pavilion - 123 W 18th St - 5th Floor (b/n 6th & 7th Ave)

Sample Sale Report: Zadig & Voltaire

Last night was a pretty busy night sample sale wise - I hit up YSL (don't waste your time on this), Club Monaco and finally the press/preview event for Zadig & Voltaire (the sale opens to the public today).  By the time I arrived at my third sale of the night, I literally had 7 minutes to look around before onto the next event (gotta love New York!) so I quickly made my rounds and snapped a few pics.

First off - there's PLENTY of merch and items are arranged by type and by size (finally).  I would rather have items organized by size (especially when there's a lot of inventory) than anything else in a sample sale - it just makes life a little bit easier!

 

 

Pricing is alright - most things are ballpark 60% off retail, which is fairly high for a sample sale in my opinion but at least there's lots available and to choose from.  Outerwear ranges from $150-$300 and there were a couple racks (but not too many styles) up for grabs. T's were going for $38, shirts $75, sweaters were $75-$160, and bottoms ranged from $35-80.

T's made up most of the menswear section and there are so many to choose from.  Most are thinner cotton (which is what I prefer) and there were lots with emblems/lettering/etc. (which is what I stay away from).  At $38 a pop and limited time - I skipped passed these and went to look at what else was up for grabs.

There were a couple racks of pants available with sizing mostly in size 32 and 34 size.  I really took a liking to the slim-fit cargo chinos pictured above for $60.

My favorite items up for grabs at this sale would have to be the knitwear.  While not the cheapest, the items are tasteful, most are super fine gauge/thin knits and have subtle details like contrasting inserted necklines.  I loved this zip up sweater pictured above (the rolling rack bar was in the way of the zipper) with leather patchwork on the arms.  Sizing runs the gamut here and the stock's a plenty.

Outerwear was reasonably priced although there weren't that many options available.  There were a couple of heavy parkas up for grabs also in most sizes.

There were a few blazers likes this creme piece (in a variety sizes) but not much in terms of quantity and a couple of racks of button up shirts .  Blazers are $200 and button up shirts are $75 a piece.

Overall while there's plenty of merch up for grabs, the prices are definitely on the higher side for a sample sale - hopefully these will come down through the weekend as the sale progresses.

Who: Zadig & Voltaire Sample Sale
What: Up to 80% off womenswear, menswear, kidswear and accessories
When: Oct 25-28, 2012. Thus 9am-8pm, Fri-Sat 10am-7pm, Sun 11am-6pm
Where: 260 5th Ave (b/n 28th & 29th St)

Maison Martin Margiela x H&M Lookbook

I keep telling myself that I will not get totally sucked into collaborations anymore after I spent slightly more than I wanted to on the previous H&M collaborations with both Marni and Versace. After all collaborations are nothing new anymore. Everyone and their mom has been doing it regularly for the past few years but the H&M one of the true originators of the collaboration have pulled out the big guns. Yes, Maison Martin Margiela as we shared previously is coming up fast and set to drop in select stores and online on November 15, 2012.

The MMM x H&M collaboration presents a re-edition of iconic garments and accessories from the archive of Maison Martin Margiela for both men and women that span across the brands lifespan of 23 years. The collection showcases MMM's creative approach to shape & volume, oversized elements, showcasing the process of tailoring, ambiguity and transformation.

From silhouette to color palette the collection stays true to the DNA of MMM which is a bit unfortunate for my wallet. Peep the entire lookbook/price list to start making your wishlists. I have a feeling I'm in trouble - I've got my eye on the mirrored leggings, the horizontal dress, the oversized jeans and the hitched up dress. Do yo have any favorites?