Above The Fray: The Art Of Shopping Sale

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

Above the Fray details the goings on at some of the city's biggest sample sales. Had a fantastic (or less-than-fantastic) experience at a sale? Do let us know.

If every cloud has a silver lining, then The Art of Shopping does have a faint sheen. We're sorry to report, though, that their denim sample sale, running through Sunday September 23rd, is where overly-whiskered jeans come to die. Some positives: Though the dressing room's communal, at least it's there, and even if the denim styles are a little behind the times, there's a variety of sizes and plenty of each. However, the deals aren't spectacular. Denim prices don't rise above $75, but the jeans offered here are ardently distressed, embroidered, and bejeweled—the kind of denim you'd expect to see on clearance for far less. Brands stocked here include 7 for all Mankind, Citizens of Humanity, William Rast, and 575 Denim. If you're into Theory and T Luxury, there's an abundance of tanks and tees, starting at $10. Men can find decent Ben Sherman and racks of embellished t-shirts. The items for sale here are not samples, but remnants and overstocks, an it's easy to see why. There's not much about this sale that's artful, but it's certainly plentiful.
· The Art of Shop [Official Site]