Past-Season Shoes Are Your Best Bet at the Rachel Comey Sale

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All was quiet yesterday evening at the private preview of the Rachel Comey sample sale. Hipsters examine the selection leisurely, wandering through the lanes of shoe boxes and browsing the racks of clothing with a notable lack of urgency. Probably because the sale's offerings, while good, are largely not worth fighting over.

Shoes make up the bulk of the inventory. This year's women's shoes are in the middle of the gymnasium, where boxes are piled by style and priced as marked. Most are in the $175 to $200 range, including "Inni" wedges that you can get up the street at Creatures of Comfort on sale for $298. A few booties, though, cost more. Past year's women's shoes are laid out on the floor on the left side of the gym, grouped (in theory) by size and priced at $100 per pair or three for $250. It's the same deal for the men, except their shoes are in the right corner—and they have a wall of shoes for $90 per pair.

On to the clothing. Women's is divided among five racks, two of which are SS12 and three of which are past season. The SS12 racks are priced as marked. Dresses that retail in the $500 to $600 range are priced in the $275 to $300 range, including the coveted Cassus and Corbey dresses that have been on the racks at Creatures all spring. We expect them to go fast, as there are only one or two of each.

The past season racks are priced like the shoes: $100 per item or three for $250. This applies to tops, jackets, pants (though we saw almost no pants) and dresses alike. Except for the jackets, items are limited to one piece per style. There is also one box of damaged items, but these are in such bad shape that they don't look worth the time to dig through. On the men's side, there is only one rack of clothing, and it was dominated by jackets.

Pickings are very slim on everything else. We saw a grand total of three bags ($125), and the selection of bras ($50) and swimsuits ($120) is sadly limited to only three styles and about two pieces per style of each.

Overall the sale is a must-attend for devotees of the brand—and those who don't mind paying over $200 for items at a sample sale—and anyone wanting to stock up on shoes. If you're looking for basement prices, especially on clothes, or if you're looking for specialty items, you may be disappointed.

The sale runs today through 8pm and tomorrow from 11am to 6pm. Consult the Dealfeed for location and more details.—Mallory Farrugia
· Dealfeed: Rachel Comey [Racked NY]