Above the Fray: Alice + Olivia's Sexy, Relaxed 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.

While DVF fans lined up in the cold this morning, waiting for a chance to check their coats and push through crowds, Alice + Olivia shoppers a few blocks to the north were having a much more relaxed sample sale experience. No mandatory coat and bag check. No lines. No limits on the number of pieces that could be taken into the fitting room. Just lots of gorgeous clothing, including a plethora of fun and sexy head-turning dresses, perfect for holiday parties.

Now, if you're looking for a sample sale with rock bottom, "dig through boxes on the floor" type prices, Alice and Olivia is not it—with the exception of their leggings. Lace, knit and plain leggings are just $19—we're talking American Apparel pricing here. Unfortunately, they don't have the gorgeous silver sequin ones currently selling in stores, or our legs would be sparkling right now.

Prices on the rest of the pieces are higher, like they usually are at Alice + Olivia sales, but still less than you'd pay at all but the most dramatic department store sales. Evening dresses are $179, day dresses are $139, pants, shorts and skirts are $99 and tops are $89. Although Alice + Olivia is best known for their women's clothing, this sale includes a bit of their menswear line and some adorable clothing for children as well, both priced at $89.

For the first time at one of their sample sales, Alice + Olivia are selling lots of women's blazers—an entire rack of them for $169 each. While there are a few zebra-striped ones with sequins (not surprised there's a surplus of those), there are also a lot of nicely styled black jackets, which could easily be worn to work at even the most conservative offices. There wasn't much actual outerwear, with the exception of some red leather jackets that initially struck us as being a bit too Michael Jackson-esque. But once we saw how amazingly tiny and curvy they were making everyone's butts and waists look, we decided Michael Jackson-esque wasn't so bad.

Unlike many sales of late, Alice + Olivia has a lot of pieces sized on the smaller end. Smalls, extra small and medium sized shoppers will all do well here. There are some larges, but not many. While there are a few actual samples for sale, it's primarily overstock, including some pieces which are currently in stores. They will be adding more stock as the sale goes on, so if you're a fan of the line or you're looking for an outfit that will really catch someone's eye, but you can't make it in today, don't despair. The sale will still be worth checking out later in the week.
· Dealfeed: Alice + Olivia [Racked]
· Ask Racked: What's Up with Alice + Olivia's Sales? [Racked]