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This afternoon, we stopped by the biannual AEFFE sample sale on West 56th Street, and if you have yet to attend one of these, there are a few things you should probably consider before heading over. Like, how you define the word "sale," and what your tolerance is for pushy women.
While the prices on merchandise from Alberta Ferretti, Jean Paul Gaultier, Moschino, and Cacharel are definitely marked down from their originals, by no means is anything cheap. That being said, you'll most likely find something you like if your purse strings are a little on the loose side. We personally found the best deals in the shoe section, but since almost 90% of the selection is composed of size 37s, that won't apply to everyone. And if you're a guy, you can basically stop reading now: When we stopped by an hour after they opened, there were only two men's items left—both Moschino button-downs.
Upon entering, the first thing you'll hit is the coat and bag check. Here, we considered the fact that perhaps we actually are invisible. Grown women had no problem stepping right in front of us, in line, to check their bags that much faster. In fact, they actually seemed bothered by the fact that they couldn't walk right through us. Moving along to the clothes.
Everything is separated by designer, and from there, everything is grouped by color. Don't let a rack full of Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti plain white blouses fool you—there are tons of bright, spring-appropriate items to snatch up, should that be what you're in the market for. Here, we spotted a white corset for $283, pink blouses for $158, and a tangerine blazer for $398. The Philosophy section seemed to have the widest range of sizes (40 through 44), as throughout most of the sale we spotted predominantly 40s and 42s.
Regular Alberta Ferretti is going to cost you a little more. We spotted several short printed skirts for $372, tropical-printed shorts for $229, a white blazer for $613, dresses that hovered around an $800 price tag, and silk tops for $400. Do note that while most of the prices are clearly marked, others aren't. Some aren't even marked in pen—they're written in pencil, so good luck deciphering those.
The Cacharel area is full of size 40s. The going rate for tunics and shift dresses here is around $250, blouses can be had for $189, button-downs for $215, and one red tank top for $254. Conveniently, the Cacharel rack is along the wall, so there's less of a chance you'll end up doing that awkward thing where you and someone on the other side of the rack reach for the same coral dress.
The nearby Moschino section boasted plenty of colors, too, like a bright blue jacket for $1,029, purple pants for $422, pink tank tops for $360, and an entire rack dedicated to the color mustard. One standout piece we were crushing on was a green embroidered dress for $915. Something that was interesting in the context of a sample sale: A peasant-style T-shirt that read "Luxury Is Relative," for $235.
Over at Jean Paul Gaultier, printed tops were going for $200 to $400, and we fell in love with a striped Femme dress for $340. On the other side of that rack, we spotted plenty of printed, summer-y Fuzzi dresses for under $200. As a warning, this area is directly in front of the cashier, where an ansty line was forming of women who were ready to get their Ferretti and get out of there, so just be prepared.
And now, onto the shoes. Like we said, almost all of the shoes for sale are size 37. There are about three size 36 shoes, all plain black Pollini pumps, for $198. There are two rows designated for larger sizes (mostly size 40s, and a few 39s), but the selection here is kind of all over the place. There's also a small area in the corner of plain black and plain brown Pollini pumps, as well as patent-leather sandals, in alternate sizes.
For all you size 37s out there: We spotted some cute-but-kitschy Love Moschino flats and less out-there Philosophy flats for $100, and a slew of Pollini shoes. There were plenty of stacked-heel pumps, kitten heels, gladiator-type sandals and regular sandals, most with price tags in the $200s and $300s.
The accessories area was looking a little dismal, as the bulk of it was Love Moschino toes, regular purses with Moschino in huge letters front and center, or small evening clutches. Some of the accessories are color coded (blue stickers are $25, light blue are $40, yellow are $60, green are $75, and red are $100), though a lot of the accessories appeared to still be price-as-marked. Like, the $500 bejeweled Moschino evening clutch, and Moschino wallets for $200.
And there you have it, folks—the AEFFE sale. Overall, if you've got some time to kill and don't mind defending your self worth among some less-than polite ladies, head over before it ends on Saturday.
· Dealfeed: AEFFE Showroom [Racked NY]
· Four Mistakes to Avoid at the AEFFE Sample Sale [Racked NY]