11th floor haven of silks, bold prints, and bright colors, Alice and Trixie Sample Sale offered long and short dresses and tops from their spring and summer collections. The calm and relaxed vibe is unlike the typical sample sale, enjoy an air-conditioned studio as you sort though and find your favorite dress for next summer without someone knocking you out of the way.

Leather belts in various bright colors as well as silk print scarves were in an organized bin, accessible for easy sorting. Within the mix of the abundant Alice & Trixie silks were great vintage pieces that the designer clearly used for inspiration. Make sure to try these cute vintage dresses on (amazingly priced at $10) in their decently sized changing area, remember the dresses were used for inspiration so they are not sample sizes! The $75 credit card minimum forces you to buy more than one dress if you are sticking with the name brand.

The dark colored tops and little black dresses allow you to get away with wearing this summer design right through the winter, making it a plausible purchase that will get its wear! Go check out this sale before it’s over, there is something for all here!

• Silk Tops: reg $220, now $40
• Short Silk Dresses: reg $275, now $50
• Long Silk Dresses: reg $330, now $60
• Silk Skirt: reg $142, now $30
• Asst. Vintage: now $10 & up

WHEN: 8/31 - 9/2, Tue-Th (10-7)
WHERE: 265 West 37th Street, 11th Floor, New York

Caitlin Colford 

Third party sample sales are hard enough to manage with just one designer, but add in five, six and more designers and the product is devalued and organization harder to manager. That is what is going on at the Shine Media PR sample sale on 36th street. Prices seem true to th 50-70% off, but since I haven’t actually heard of many of the jewelry and handbag designers featured, I can’t fully attest to that. The best part of this sale are the Le’Bulga bags (Jessica Simpson is reportedly a fan), originally $400-$700, Shine PR has a decent selection for $200 or less. These trendy bags seem oddly placed next to more matronly Eileen Fischer product (also about 50% off), but if you don’t mind a bit of category confusion, have at it.

Full sample sale info here
Emma Dinzebach

The Alexia Crawford sample sale might be one of the most true-to-advertising sample sales this summer. The sale claimed to restock often and provide exceptional selection, and they do. For an accessory sale, the product is fairly organized and staff are restocking and reorganizing. Because it’s an accessory sale, it’s also a bit quieter than big brand ready-to-wear sales, or at least it was yesterday morning. Chain necklaces and cuff bracelets are the popular items of the moment and seem to getting the most touches, and while the sale claimed all pieces are “one-of-a-kind” some are so similar it should be called cheating. The New Haven, CT based designer has some cheeky items like butterfly headbands and pashmina-style scarves that feel a bit out of place amongst the more edgy, studded pieces. But the prices are unanimously around 80% off retail -a $55 black leather studded cuff was $15 - which is hard to beat.
Full sample sale info here.
Emma Dinzebach

Savvy & Co. President and CEO Ann Taylor knows sample sales; as she should. The 13 year fashion industry veteran remembers the start of sample sales in the early eighties. Sample sales, a Manhattan brainchild of an idea, started as a way for the “have nots” to sample designer goods hoping to wet their appetite to purchase items largely out of their budgetary reach.

How was the L.A.M.B. / Harajuku Girls sale in L.A. last week?

It went over really well. Gwen Stefani has a strong following on the West Coast, so it was a no brainer.

How does L.A. compare to New York in terms of sample sales?

L.A. is probably fifteen years behind New York in regards to sample sale scope, size and frequency. New York was the original sample sale city. Sample sales started here around 1982…1983. And for the most part, sample sales have remained unique to New York.

Why?

Because garments were manufactured in New York, designers lived in New York, it held the market. Even consumers who couldn’t afford retail prices where familiar with the designers. The demand was there. Especially in the late eighties and early nineties, there was a such a surplus that designers needed a way to unload a previous season’s product.

When did you start Savvy & Co.?

In 1997. I’ve been in the industry for twenty years and had this company for thirteen.

How have sample sales changed since then?

With the emergence of online private sample sales like those you find at Gilt.com, and the popularity of sample sales in general, there is more competition for product. In the past few years, especially in the recession, designers are making less product, but more consumers wanted to purchase from sample sales. So the demand continues to exceed the product.

Will other cities start to see an increase in sample sales?

L.A. yes. More designers are living and and working in L.A. and the fashion community there has become familiar with the concept of the sample sale. Other cities, possibly, but a successful sample sale requires working closely with the designer and having the market for it. New York will always be the sample sale leader.
Savvy & Co. continues to be the New York City leader in brick and mortar sample sales, carefully selecting the most premier designers. For more information on designers they are working with and upcoming sales, visit www.thesavvy.com.

Written and edited by Emma Dinzebach