Lace, Ruffles and Sequins at Betsey Johnson's Sample 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.

Set up in one of the Millennium Broadway Hotel's conference rooms in Times Square, the Betsey Johnson sample sale was chock full of character. Racks filled with evening dresses, day dresses, and separates occupied the back of the room, while the front was lined with tables carrying purses, shoes, and jewelry.

The evening dresses stood out, not only for their lace, sequins, ruffles, frills, and trills but for their price of $100 (down from between $200 to over $300). There was a healthy selection for many of the styles, and a refreshing variety of sizes (the highest we spotted was a size 10). Along with the crazy variety of textures, there was a large selection of prints and colors. We saw a lot of aqua, a lot of red, and a lot of hot pink. Even the employees were wearing neon green silk ruffled Betsey Johnson dresses.

Day dresses were going for $75 and $65, while skirts and separates were going for $50. The most expensive bag was $100 while the rest fell around $50. We didn't see much jewelery, but everything was 50% off. By far the best item on sale were the various petticoats hung around the two dressing rooms for $75.

Like the clothes, the crowd—big but not overwhelming—was colorful. We saw a group of teens shuffling through the evening dresses (and telling their friend the shoes she tried on made her look like a fairy princess), a couple of moms with children in strollers, some women in their twenties, and a handful of older women ogling the sequin leggings and faux fur coats.

Overall, there were some great dresses that don't make you look like a cupcake (and some that do, if that's your thing) for some really reasonable prices. Like all things Betsey Johnson, the sale was wacky, wild, and fun.—Lauren Frankfort
· Dealfeed: Betsey Johnson [Racked NY]