March 31 - April 4: Elie Tahari Womens & Mens Sample Sale

This is one of the good sample sales - and unfortunately wildly popular - in midtown:

Elie Tahari Women's & Men's Sample Sale
March 31 - April 4
T-F 8:30-7:30 Sat 10-5
510 Fifth Avenue (42-43 Streets) Ground Floor, Entrance on 43 Street
212.398.2622
http://www.elietahari.com/

Savings up to 85 percent off original prices.

• Handbags originally $498-$995 now on sale for $79-$249.
• Shoes originally $228-$525 now $69-$79.
• Women's full length Shearling coats originally $2,498 now $499.
• Dresses originally $398 now $79.

And for men:
• Leather jackets, originally $998 now $199.
• Luxury shearling outerwear originally $1,998 now $199.
• Shirts originally $198-$228 are now $49.

Cash, Mastercard, Visa and American Express accepted. All sales final.

Lord & Taylor Shoe Sale Success Story

OK, I suck because I didn't tell you in time. The big shoe sale just ended today at Lord & Taylor, where if you bought one pair you got 20% off, two-to-three pairs, 25% off and four pairs, 30% off! I tried - hard - to buy four pairs, but before I got locked inside for the night I had to make a final purchasing decision. So while you can no longer benefit from the sale, I suggest going and checking out the newly revamped shoe department, which has some great stuff from Jil Sander, Coach, Donald J. Pliner, Frye and other fancy European brands that I can't yet pronounce correctly.

P.S. These Donald J. boots are freaking excellent. The other shoes you see pictured here are of the new high heeled-shoe shoes that all the kids are wearing. Think a modern day Little House on the Prairie. In this case Via Spiga and Tahari hooked me up.

I was also fortunate enough to have gotten an L&T gift card from my day job to put toward my purchase. So while I wouldn't describe my score as inexpensive, I feel somehow triumphant.

Vive le SHOE!

Tahari & Calypso Spring Sample Sales

Elie Tahari - Spring Sample & Stock Up To 80% Off
510 5th Ave. @43rd St.
Tuesday, April 1 - Saturday, April 5
(Tue - Fri 8:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.; Sat - 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.)
Handbags now $289-$349, orig. $595-$995
Shoes now $99-$139, orig. $195-$395
Women's leather jackets now $349, orig. $998
Dresses now $159, orig. $598
Men's leather jackets now $399, orig. $998
Men's shirts now $69, orig. $198

CALYPSO Christiane Celle
Up to 75% off; most pieces under $100
261 W 36th St. between Seventh and Eighth Aves, second floor (212-947-8748)
Wednesday, April 2nd through Sunday, April 6th
(Wed, Thu 10am—7pm; Fri 10am—6pm; Sat, Sun 11am—5pm)

Elie Tahari SAMPLE SALE: Oct. 23 - 27

Git over there now! NOW. The Elie Tahari sample sale is taking place now at 510 Fifth Ave. @ 43rd St. (entrance on south side of 43rd St.). They take credit cards!

There is a long line of mostly women waiting on the sidewalk. This is seemingly annoying at first, until you finally get to enter the sale and realize it's probably a good idea - minimizing the number of people inside makes for a much better sample sale shopping experience. However, you have to hand over everything upon entry and you will also end up waiting on line to get in the dressing room for about 10-15 minutes.

BUT IT IS WORTH IT.

I just spent $766 on pants, coat, jackets (2), top, skirt. Not a small sum, but would have cost me at least double (nay triple!) that at retail. And as a result, I would have bought nothing.

I find that Elie Tahari's sizing isn't exactly made for a guerilla like me - I need bigger tops (size 12) and smaller bottoms (size 8) than my usual - and they still tend to run a little too small on top and big on bottom. This is sort of the story of my sizing life. Bottom line is sample sales - shoot any sale - damn ANY SHOPPING - is usually best for those of you in the skinny size 6 or smaller realm. Of course you will never look as Marilyn-Jane-Pamela hot as I do. So there.

I will try to get some pics of my finds to post soon. I may even go back again later!

Tahari at DSW

I just visited my favorite discount shoe store in Union Square: DSW. I had a $20 DSW "premier rewards certificate" as well as $20 left over on a gift card burning a hole in my pocket. After perusing the cheaper-yet-still-frighteningly expensive designer shoe area, I came upon some groovy Tahari shoes in black, gunmetal and the plumaliscious pair you see pictured above.

I love these shoes because they actually look better on AND they have a low yet alluring heel. Following years of wearing 3" spikes, my feet have HAD IT and will be so pleased with my new approach.

After utilizing the coupon and gift card, they ended up costing me a whopping $27. I WIN!

I call B.S. on some Discount Stores

I recently read an article about how some discount stores that claim to have top designers at low, low prices are in fact selling sub-par apparel to the masses. "Hmmmmmmmm...." I thought to myself. Could this be true? So I did a little investigation at a Filene's Basement and Marshalls and have come to the conclusion that it is true. I tried on Kors by Michael Kors at one, and looked at Tahari suits at the other. The clothes were crap.

The same article mentioned that the only places that you can be sure to find the real deal for less are sample sales or Century 21. Shoot. I guess I believe it, but shopping those is a real nightmare pain in the ass.

I guess the lesson is to be very discerning when considering purchasing "designer" clothing for less - if you think about it, how could all of these discount chain stores that continue to pop up all over the country carry top-of-the-line apparel? It's just not rational. I'm not necessarily saying that these stores are selling false or counterfeit goods, it could be that the designers are licensing out their names to mass manufacturers who are creating select items using less expensive materials and designs.

Since so many of these labels are owned by publicly traded companies, they have to continue to figure out new ways to make more money year after year. So be a smart consumer and don't be "had!"

Filene's Basement in Union Squuuyawn...

Realizing that I write ad nauseum about DSW in Union Square, I thought I'd change things up a bit and scribe on Filene's Basement, which is located in the same building. Except first I need to admit that while at DSW, and in between taking calls from Guerilla Shopper groupies, I bought New Balance all-terrains to replace my current ugly-ass sneakers. I need to play the part if I am to achieve fitness zen at Equinox.

OK, so anyway I scoured the second floor of Filene's, which is actually the third floor of the building, which isn't really a "basement" at all, and came up with...

NOTHING!

I tried about 10 items on, and they did nothing for me, except make me look drowned out. Now, had I been looking for a semi-conservative suit, I'd have to admit that they have some decent options from Tahari and Calvin Klein (reg. $320 reduced to $130), but alas, I was not.

What I was looking for was simply not present and accounted for. There were lots of non-structured, picked over, fancy T-shirts and pants that don't seem to go to one's ankle. What is it with all of these knickers and shorts these days? I mean having a couple of pairs is fine, but why is the whole store full of this crap?

I really need to put the pedal to the metal on hooking up the spring into summer wardrobe...but where do I go now that Aaron's is gone?! I am going to have to recreate my approach. Wish me well. I'll be back.

Tahari - RED PATENT LEATHAAAAAH

Red Patent Leather Shoes - an obvious necessity. I needed to replace ye olde red Jones New York shoes of yore.

I've been looking and looking for 'the new' for a looooong time but the good shoe designers of the world had not been making much in the way of RED - maroon, yes; pink, sure...but not red in a "Look at me I'm hot hot hot..." kind of way.

So yesterday I took one of my regular jaunts to DSW in Union Square and found the pictured Tahari pair for - get this - $58. Granted I had $10 off and a credit for almost $12, but it almost made my day...

Woodbury Commons: Tahari

I wasn't exactly sure how to come at the Woodbury Commons topic - so vast, so complex, so crowded...so off the New York State Thruway (exit 16). My main advice to you is this: call in sick at work and go during the week - and not on a holiday. There are buses and trains that go up there if you aren't blessed with a car or helicopter to call your own.

One of my favorite stores at this outdoor mall experience is Tahari. Why? Because I got this suit there (there's a knee-length skirt underneath this fab coat) for $239.95 - regularly $798 - for a savings of $558.05. However, I am having the darndest time finding the perfect top and shoes to go with it - see even the Guerilla Shopper faces tragic shopping adversity.

Looking back on my most recent journey to the WC in early September, I think my favorite stores are: Escada (amazing vibrant colors), Diane VonFurstenberg (a vast array of styles, much to my glee) and Ferragamo (talk about quality). There was another shoe store that I had never heard of called Pancaldi -- very European looking stuff; interesting. OK fine, I'll admit it! The Coach store too (the G.S. usually rebuffs such pervasive brands...but this brand has got it going on, tons of merch in here).