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We ventured to the Upper East Side yesterday evening to see what designer and vintage apparel was being offered at the Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Thrift Shop's fall opening. Because hey—shopping for a good cause can help mask your guilt about spending your hard earned money on designer duds, and paying way less than retail helps too.
There actually isn't any digging to be done, since every garment is neatly organized by color and style around the store. In the back of the shop you'll find a slim selection of menswear, including shirts, jackets, pants, sweaters, and shoes, while the rest of the shop is mostly occupied by womenswear and accessories. There's also a small selection of children's clothing as well.
We spotted a lot of fun items for women, such as vintage Givenchy and Thierry Muller blazers. Overall, the selection of blazers, jackets, and overcoats is pretty stellar. We spotted an elegant 100% wool coat (size 6) from Elie Tahari for $250, a beige Jil Sander coat for $175, and a Burberry wool coat for $275. Some of those vintage or sample Givenchy blazers were $215-$250, and in great condition.
The coats alone are worth a trip uptown, but most of the sizes run big. Other brands include Oscar de la Renta, See by Chloe and Derek Lam. Some of our favorite evening gowns and cocktails dresses were from Carolina Herrera, and we also found a flowy Jil Sander floral dress for $350 and a black wool LK Bennett dress for $75.
There's a so-so selection of women's footwear that includes tall boots, booties, loafers, pumps, and sandals from a variety of brands, but nothing really worth trying on unless you crave a more conservative style. However, we did spot two pairs of Rag & Bone Newbury booties, a couple Manolos, and pairs from Tod's, Gucci, Lavender by Vera Wang, Prada and more.
A special rack of vintage and possibly new-and-never-been-worn designer jackets and dresses are on display on a separate rack in the front of the store. The prices are a lot higher than other pieces at the shop, but considering some of the frocks retail in the thousands, a Dolce & Gabbana cocktail dress for $625 and a white Alaïa dress at $825 might be a bargain for some.
Other things that caught our eye on that rack were a vintage 1980s Thierry Muller snap front jacket at $375, a peplum detailed Yves Saint Laurent (autumn/winter 2008) jacket for $375, and a totally sexy Norma Kamali lace cocktail dress for $525.
Selected designer accessories and jewelry are placed on shelves and inside glass cases. You'll find a small Prada handbag ($175), a Gucci crossbody bag ($150) and a jewel encrusted Judith Leiber clutch.
If you're around the area, you might want to stop by, but if not, you may want to take a look through the gallery above to judge whether the trip uptown is worth it. The Fall Opening is actually a two-part sale event; part one (fashion) runs through the 10th, and part two (furniture) runs from the 13th through the 17th. See both dealfeeds below for more info.—Hsini
· Dealfeed: SMSKCC Thrift Shop (Part One, Fashion) [Racked NY]
· Dealfeed: SMSKCC Thrift Shop (Part Two, Furniture) [Racked NY]