Holiday Dresses, Party Clutches at Sachin & Babi's Sale

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The venue for today's Sachin & Babi and Ankasa sample sale was unusual to say the least. While we're used to sales in Midtown office towers, we've never seen one subdivided into multiple offices as with today's sale. When you enter, you check your coat in what was no doubt a reception area in a former life. The room immediately to your left, which houses samples, is where the vast majority of today's shoppers were. The sale's sample policy is merciless: there will be NO try-ons, and no taking any sample pieces out of the room. Want to visualize how you look in those $50 leather leggings? Well, you'll have to use your imagination, because there are no mirrors here either.

The good news is that the policies are brutal because the prices are good. All samples are $50, irrespective of material, which means those leather pants are a real bargain. To sweeten the deal even more, the price on samples goes down the more you buy: 1 sample is $50, 2 are $80 and 3 are only $95 (or $35 per item, if you're keeping track). Here, we particularly liked a festive, partially sequined sweatshirt (also appearing elsewhere in the sale for $90) and were impressed to find a long-sleeved, embroidered gown in the mix. However, shoppers are decimating this section, so we expect the samples to be gone in a flash.

Also in this room are shoes and bags, which are decidedly more expensive at $199 each or $350 for 2. Here, if you're not a size 37, you're completely out of luck, but we thought the shoes were a bit pricey (especially considering how haphazardly they were flung on the ground). The bags, on the other hand, are surprisingly gorgeous, especially for a brand not particularly known for them. We loved a black, Givenchy-esque top handle as well as some inordinately festive sparkly clutches.

Once you have made your selections, you pass them on to a friendly staffer, who bags them with your name and leaves them for you at the register (if you've ever purchased a handbag at Alexander Wang's sale, this process will be familiar to you). From there on out, you're able to peruse the remainder of the sale, where each 'office' contains a different assortment of clothing. In the first room, you'll primarily find leathers and outerwear. Coats and pants are going for $299 each (or two for $499), while skirts and leather combo pants are $199 each (or two for $350). Here, we were impressed to find a gorgeous gray coat with rabbit fur sleeves and a versatile black leather jacket with sleeve patches (though the latter is available primarily in sizes 0 and 2). You'll also find some bins here that house particular styles at specific price points (including leggings for $90).

The next room over has some more coats, but also tops, sweaters (both $90 each and $160 for two), and dresses. You'll also find dresses galore in the main, middle section of the sale, in both short ($140 for one, $250 for two) and long ($225 for one, $325 for two) styles. These you can try on, so this is a perfect opportunity to find that sparkly party dress you failed to buy at Alice & Olivia's sale earlier this month. We were also impressed with all the on trend details to be found, including sheer panels, leather elements, and cropped tops.

The last two offices on the right hand side house the wares from Ankasa. While there were a good amount of shoppers here, we have to saw we were not particularly impressed with the merchandise. While the Sachin & Babi section was generally well-organized and easy to peruse, we found these rooms messy and confusing. The most appealing items—the $200 cashmere throws—were difficult to find (i.e., we didn't see a single one) and the room with bedding had a sort of... musty? smell about it. Plus, a lot of the items here were falling out of their packaging, which we found especially unappealing for things that are supposed to go where we sleep. That said, sheets were going for $50, pillows and shams for $30 each (or two for $50), and coverlets for $99 each (two for $150).

The room with the embroidered pillows was far more pleasant. Shoppers seemed to be stocking up, and prices were $65 for one, $100 for two, and $125 for three. If you're a fan of the brand, it seems like there will be a lot that appeals to you here, so we recommend stopping by. The sale runs through 6pm tomorrow.

· Dealfeed: Sachin & Babi, Ankasa [Racked NY]
· 141 New York City Sample Sales to Shop in December [Racked NY]
· Samples Sales [Racked NY]