Report From the Front: Nanette Lepore: Must or Bust?

"This is expensive."  The refrain was uttered over and over again as shoppers sifted through the sample racks where prices ranged from $40 for a silk top to over $100 for a dress.  Mostly size twos.  And notable rejects from the last sample sale.  That being said, you never know when you'll discover that iconic Nanette Lepore embellished cardigan that will yield oodles of compliments (albeit at $65, rather than the $20 that the crowd has been conditioned to expect).  The lines were shorter to get in this year.  No mad crash at the elevator or line running up the stairs to the next floor.  Were the weather or not-so-super sample sale prices to blame, or the plethora of sample sales in general?  Dressing room had an imperceptible wait and no wait at checkout.  One woman even complained that this season's sale offered a poor selection compared to the Fall. Shoppers are definitely becoming more selective as prices rise. 
225 West 35th Street (between 7th and 8th Aves.)

/nancy brenner