The Five Worst Sales of the Year

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With only a few days left in 2009, it's time to look back at a year of dizzying highs and crushing lows, a year when every empty storefront held a pop-up shop and every sidewalk a sample sale line. Folks, it's the annual (three years running!) Racked Recap. This week, we'll be reliving our biggest and brightest (and saddest and darkest) moments, from the best collabs to the worst pop-up shops. Take a deep breath of the sweet, sweet nostalgia.

Just as Santa has his naughty and nice list, we must compile the year's worst sales to go along with yesterday's rundown of the year's best. Otherwise, the universe would not be complete. So, dear readers, please find below the Five Worst Sales of the Year.

5.) Seven/Oak/Bblessing: OK, we admit it, after a fruitless wait in line—albeit with some great people watching (hipster in Dorothy Zbornak boots, check), we didn't even make it in. But judging from our trusty commenters, we didn't miss a thing.

4.) Gucci: This sale on timepieces and jewelry makes the list not for crazy pricing, but for total lack of organization. Shoppers endured up to a four-hour wait to enter, only to wait in more lines inside to pay and then receive merchandise.

3.) Oak: We hate to put Oak more than once (even if it's 1/3 of another sale), but it had to be done. The Oak sale this past Labor Day Weekend was packed with notable indie designers, but was full of all ignored trends of the season—drop crotch pants, unflattering cuts and one pair of crazy man shorts.

2.) The Barneys Warehouse Sale: It saddens us to do this, but we're calling out this biannual Barneys sale for the much hyped womenswear shoe segment. Twice now, prices were extraordinarily high for what's supposed to be a "warehouse sale" (an average of $400 per pair), and we clearly recognized some heels that resurfaced from past sales.

1.) Prada: After waiting in line for over an hour on an early and miserable grey Saturday morning, we really wanted this sale to rock our worlds. But instead, we found decimated table of techno-colored and overpriced handbags, unaffordable clothing and a random selection of large sized shoes. We invested so much, Prada, and were duly disappointed.