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Find Dresses to Cap Off Summer at Nanette Lepore's Sale

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The Nanette Lepore sample sale kicked off this morning at 225 West 35th Street, but we stopped by an hour before it opened to check things out. We anticipate this sale getting hit hard; shoppers were already lining up when we left at 9am.

Everything on offer is production—so there are no samples—and the discounts range from 20% off for current-season merch to 70% off for past-season items. While the former discount might not seem like much, we found most of the prices to be really reasonable, starting at just $5 for some jewelry pieces and capping off at $238 for leather jackets.

First things first: there is a ton of merch. Everything is organized by category, but current and past season garments are mixed together, so it can be a bit tricky to determine when an item is from—and, therefore, its price. A majority of the items are from recent collections, and the stock is heavy on summer gear.

Dresses make up a huge portion of the sale, and range from $60 for past-season pieces to $140 for current-season maxis. Some highlights include eyelet fit-and-flare mini dresses, velvet-detailed maxis, and embellished tea dresses.

There's a section devoted to sets, like shorts and skirts with matching jackets. Look for the pieces with quirky accents, like the bow-detailed blazers and matching shorts or the neon-hued tweed sets. Jacket prices range from $76 to $140, while the bottoms run from $40 to $80.

Separates start at $40 for tops, including cropped blouses, eyelet and knit tees, and embroidered cardigans. The selection of bottoms, whose prices top out at $140 includes pleated leather and floral skirts and printed track pants.

A small selection of swimwear is available—all full suits are $80, while cover ups are $70. However, there's not a bunch to look through here.

In our opinion, accessories are the highlight of this sale. You'll find plenty of shoes and bags, as well as a solid selection of jewelry, scarves, and belts. For shoes, expect to see both sandals and cooler-weather boots. All of the shoes are priced as marked, and we saw loads of boxes behind the shoe display, meaning finding your size shouldn't be too difficult. Some of our favorite pairs on offer include burgundy booties with metal detailing on the heel ($119) and patterned platform sandals for $98.

Bags include both smaller styles—like fabric pouches for $25 and iridescent wristlets for $44—and larger bags like leather totes for $128 and metallic camera bags for $89. There are belts in every possible color for $20 each—we particularly liked the neon ones—while scarves are $40 and necklaces are $20.

There is a small makeshift fitting room in the sale space, but be prepared for long lines. Staff will be restocking sizes, but no more styles. We're not sure about the status of further markdowns as of yet, but will give you an update when we do know.—Gillian Fuller
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