Above the Fray: Bags at Hayden-Harnett Are Disappearing at an Alarming Rate

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Looking at the shelves of bags at the Hayden-Harnett sample sale was like watching time-lapse footage—the piles of leather were shrinking at a rate that didn't seem natural. Most of the women in line to pay were carrying at least two bags, which seemed fairly reasonable given the prices: Clutches for $60, smaller totes for $110, bigger totes for between $150 and $250. The items are true samples, meaning some of them have had rough lives, but the damages were all carefully marked and reflected in the prices. As long as you're not too obsessive about your purse being pristine, you'll be able to find something good. (Worth noting: The online sample sale has a totally different selection.)

In addition to bags, wallets—running $30 to $75—were a big draw, and it was hard to resist the wall of $30 silk dresses. People who are totally comfortable taking their clothes off in strange kitchens might get good swimwear deals: Tanks were $20 and bikini separates $10, but the only place to try them on was an empty corner in the back room next to the stove. (Luckily, there's a mirror.) Footwear, sadly, was nearly nonexistent other than an adorable pair of $25 flats. We did find a gorgeous gray $488 leather boot in the $1 bin, but it was priced so low because its had lost its mate. "I was going to buy it for my friend who's an amputee," one shopper told us, "but it's not her size." If you can use a single boot, though, it might just be the deal of the year.
· Hayden-Harnett [Dealfeed]