The Second Coming of the Nanette Lepore 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.

Grid View

Expand

If it seems like only yesterday that we were reporting on a Nanette Lepore sample sale, you're not far off. It was actually four weeks ago. Which begs the questions, if you shopped that sale, is it worth going back for this one? And if you didn't check out the first one, should you go now? We're going to say a definite yes to first timers, because there is a lot of stock to choose from. As for returnees, we'll give a qualified yes: If you're looking for holiday attire, new Oonagh pieces, or jewelry, then it's worth a trip.

The biggest difference between the two sales is that this one includes the Holiday collection. So you'll see quite a few new festive dresses and skirts. We've always found Nanette Lepore a good place to look for striking holiday dresses and this year is no exception. You'll find some brocades and silks, as well as a few beaded styles. Just like at the last sale, dresses are $145, with the only exceptions being sweater dresses (there are some very cute ones) which are just $125.

There are new pieces from the Oonagh collection this time around as well, including some very pretty black sweaters and some brightly colored dresses and blouses. Prices are the same as last time, and range from $40 for some of the skirts and tops to a maximum of $100 for a few of the dresses.

Near the checkout, you'll see tables covered with a lot of one-off pieces of jewelry. Some are fabulous, others not so much. They're neatly displayed, but it takes time to go through them all. Prices range from $5 to $125, with most of the ones we saw falling between $30 and $75. One woman we spoke to was loading up on ten pieces of jewelry to give her friends and family as holiday gifts.

Once again, there are purses—many that were there last time, as well as a few new ones, including a rainbow-tinted silver bag which we'd coveted in Nanette Lepore's Grand Street store earlier this season. Handbag prices range between $50 to $200.

When it comes to the rest of the sale, as we mentioned, there are still a lot of pieces from earlier this season. If you're looking for dresses or stylish suits, the choices are particularly good. Lighter-weight coats are $275, blazers are $195 and cardigans, tops, skirts, and pants are all $95.

As for samples, we spotted a few new items, but not many. There are about half of what was there last month, although amazingly, we did notice a handful of leather pieces. Samples still range from $40 to just under $200. There are signs around the room proclaiming that if you see a sample you like, the sizes aren't always accurate, so try it on. We concur: A two is not always a two.
· Plenty of Samples Are Left at Nanette Lepore [Racked NY]
· Dealfeed: Nanette Lepore [Racked]
· Nanette Lepore [Official Site]