Above the Fray: Hot Mess at the Paul Smith Sale

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Few sample sales compare to the absolute madness of today's Paul Smith sample sale in Soho. When the doors opened this morning at 11am, hundreds poured into the space to dig through mounds of discounted merchandise. Per our previous report, the majority of the attendees were well-dressed men and a few fashionable females (think air kisses and expensive bomber jackets).

This sale made the one at Barneys Warehouse look tame. Boxes were overflowing with dress shirts, swimwear, ties, sweaters, belts, and scarves, while rows of suits and coats hung on racks towards the back. Due to a dearth of mirrors and how crowded it was inside, men were stripping down anywhere and everywhere. Guys muscled through the thick crowds to find their dress shirt sizes and just piled up on different patterns. The women's section was located to the right of the store and was considerably smaller, but there were some cute sweaters and turtlenecks in the knitwear boxes. However, after only one hour, most of the smaller sizes were depleted and only larger sizes remained.

Markdowns were substantial, with most dress items hovering between $70-200 (click through our photo gallery for full price lists). The Paul Smith staff did their best to keep things orderly outside and organized inside, but the boxes were being rummaged so fast and so furious that it was a tornado zone by noon. They are not replenishing any inventory, so put on your (metaphorical) helmets and enter at your own risk.
· Above the Fray [Racked]
· Dealfeed: Paul Smith [Racked]