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This morning, we made our way to the Club Monaco sample sale that just kicked off at Clothingline. We had pretty high hopes, since last time, there was nothing over $35. Inflation must have hit, because this time around, the most expensive item is $65—which is still a really good deal.
A full price list is in the gallery above, but here's the basic breakdown: T-shirts, polos, and tanks are $10—though some "tanks" count as "tops," which are $20—shorts and skirts are also $20, pants are $25, dresses are $30, blazers and jackets are $40, coats are $50, and leather jackets and suede jackets are $65.
Be warned: The sale is a full-fledged sample sale, meaning almost everything is a medium or a size 6 in women's, and men's is predominantly mediums and size 32s. Other key details before we delve into the merchandise: It's credit card only, there are no try ons and subsequently, no mirrors that we saw, and everything is kind of in a wrinkly mess, so set aside some time.
Most of the merchandise appears to have just been pulled out of the box before set up, so try and imagine everything you grab after it's been steamed. That being said, some of the items are damaged, so make sure you give them a good once-over before heading to the checkout line. Though we found more than one sweater with the sleeves saftey-pinned to it, most of the damages we saw were minimal—small stains, little rips, what have you.
Let's start with women's. As far as tops go, we saw lots of blouses in tan and light-coral, as well as plenty in the standard white, navy, and gray. Also readily available: Sheer tops with sequins, should you be looking for one of those. Personally, we found the sweater section to be the best. The plus side here is that a lot of them are oversized knits, so if you're larger than a medium you can still get away with it being a medium, and if you're smaller than a medium, well, wear it as a dress and belt it. We also discovered plenty of blazers, a faux fur jacket, and puffer coats in the outerwear department.
The pants, as previously mentioned, were all mostly size 6s, but what the pants lack in size variation they make up for in style. We spotted khakis, office-appropriate dress pants, and then things like bright red Bermuda shorts. Nearby, we found some cute pleated skirts in bright, spring colors, as well as a stretchy cotton pencil skirt or two. As far as dresses go, there were a few maxi dresses, but most of them were of the (wrinkled) party variety. There were also plenty of dress linings, and it was kind of unclear if they were being sold for $30, or if they were there in case you felt like diggings for the rest of your dress.
We found the men's area to be just as crowded than the women's. If you're looking for solid short-sleeved and long-sleeved T-shirts, you've come to the right place. As far as the pants and shorts selection is concerned, there were plenty of plaid swimtrunks, jeans, khakis, and even a pair of mustard corduroys. Looking for pants for work? There's a surplus of those. Looking for something to wear to P. Diddy's next All White party? There are a few linen options for you to choose from. The real finds, however, are in the outerwear section: Denim jackets, lightweight navy jackets, parkas, and tweed blazers are all there in abundance.
Over by the accessories is where you'll find that $1 item. Spoiler alert: It's a candle holder. Web and nylon belts are $2, small accessories, gloves, tights, socks, leather belts and ties are $5, books(?), scarves, and hats are $10, nylon and canvas bags are $20, small leather bags and clutches are $30, and large leather bags are $50. We were tempted by a canvas red schoolboy backpack, and we also spotted some straw hats that would probably only work if you were planted on a beach somewhere. We did see an entire box full of change purses, and also a pink leather bag with "Sample" written nice and big on it in black marker.
All in all, if you're a size medium or close to one, you can pretty much replenish your entire wardrobe for under a few hundos. If you're just looking to pick up a piece or two, and are willing to deal with it not being your exact size, you can do that too—you've just got to be prepared to dig.
· Shoppers Wait in Line for One-Dollar Club Monaco on 36th Street [Racked NY]
· At Club Monaco, They're Practically Giving the Clothes Away [Racked NY]
· Dealfeed: Club Monaco [Racked NY]
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