New York private school girls are a most interesting specimen. They have more academic pressure than most first year med students but many are more entitled than a managing director at Goldman. To watch them in their natural habitat one only need to sip coffee at any bakery or on Madison Avenue coffee shop.
Shopping for these girls is no easy task. The bar is high and it’s so easy to go too far. Below is a gift guide that can satisfy the private school girl– from Chapin to Columbia Prep.
We have closely focused on the markdowns at stores in The City but that precludes one major fashion shopping destination: Nordstrom! At Nordstrom, shoppers will find lots of interesting sale items that may have already sold out at our local stores.
Right now, Nordstrom has an amazing selection of fashion that goes way beyond Uggs and Tory Burch. Even top designer items are discounted 40%, which tops the discounts at Bergdorf Goodman and Saks. Take a look at this gloved bag from Undercover that’s $536 from almost $900, that gold and black shearling jacket from Acne is now $1800 from $3000 and Valentino lace-up ballerina flats are $536 from $900.
We really encourage you to explore the sale section of ‘Space’ collection that go beyond basic fashion. Included in this all-star fashion line-up are: Junya Watanabe, Simone Rocha, Mira Mikati, Ellery, Roksanda and Undercover. As part of the most recent additions for cruise we absolutely love this Mira Mikati powder blue coat, this Roksanda bell sleeve blouse and this Jiwinaia ribbon chocker ($190) that also doubles as a bracelet.
It’s really novel to have such an offering from Nordstrom, which offers outstanding customer service and will even price match. Try getting Jeffery to price match!
The Chanel presale started a bit early this year– like almost everything. Right now, shoppers can begin to presale the items of their choice at various department stores and Chanel boutiques. The sale officially begins and opens to the public on Thursday, December 8.
Discounts usually only apply to shoes, clothing and jewelry. Sometimes we find a very small assortment of small leather goods and some novelty bags from the current season. Chanel boutiques, Barneys and Hirshleifers (great for finding sold out items) offer a 40% discount. The markdown at Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman and Jeffery is 30%.
If you have something particular in mind, we suggest contacting a reliable sales person to keep an eye out for your anticipated purchase. Chanel fans will be happy to see how much is included in this season’s markdown. We love the pointy-toe mule the the pearl heel. The variety of short boots is also excellent.
Head right this way to browse a large selection of shoes that have been flagged for markdown at various stores. Stay tuned for updates.
Almost all of the seasonal merchandise in department stores are on sale. At most of our local shopping destinations, fall and winter clothing is discounted 40% off but the prices of shoes and handbags vary greatly.
Some boutiques are offering even lower discounts than the department stores. For instance, Lanvin and Prada are both offering customers a 50% savings. Below is a comparison chart of Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue. Take note, for a limited time Barneys is offering a extra 10% off, which brings the total savings to about 45% off.
Dior, Celine and Louboutin all went on sale this week. We are still waiting for Chanel to hit the markdown market. If you’re looking for something from Gianvito Rossi, you’ll need to head to Barneys where the discount is 40%. These velvet pumps are spot on for this season.
Here is your cheat sheet. Take note, we didn’t include limited time promotions. These are ‘hard markdowns’:
Nancy Gonzalez is hosting her bi-annual sample sale where her famous exotic skin bags will be significantly reduced. The sale doesn’t open to the public until Monday, December 5 but Madison Avenue Spy readers will be given VIP access.
Shoppers can attend the pre-sale on Sunday by giving a $36 donation, which will go to New York Cancer Center. Please
email us here if you would like to attend. If you can’t make it to the sale preview, readers who RSVP will be given the opportunity to cut the line throughout the sale.
Space is limited and you must RSVP
must RSVP to access these VIP perks. There will be a guest list at the door on Sunday. The remaining dates of the sale are open to the general public.
We are told that this season’s sale will have a great selection of the designer’s most popular 3-D collections. Past Gonzalez sample sales include an impressive inventory of exotic styles and colors. The prices at the last sale were almost as impressive as the assortment of merchandise starting at just $500.
This sale is always very popular and can be quite chaotic. We suggest that serious Nancy Gonzalez shoppers should take advantage of this VIP-shopping opportunity.
Nancy Gonzalez Sample Sale
VIP Shopping: Sunday, December 4 from 12pm-5pm
Public shopping: Monday, December 5 through Wednesday, December 7
Mon 9am-6pm, Tues 10am-6pm, Wed 10am-4pm
5 East 57th Street, 19th FL RSVP HERE
Check your inboxes to find out. Christian Louboutin just sent their best friends, VIP invites to its exclusive sample sale. That’s right, the sale that everyone loves to hate starts next week. Remember, the security is tight and there’s a clear mean-girls hierarchy to who gets invited to shop first.
The most important Louboutin insiders, glossy magazine editors and celebrities, are known to be invited to begin shopping by appointment on the first few days. The sale extends all week as the invited guest list expands to allow general press and “friends and family.”
Last season, prices started at just $200 but most styles were priced in the $250-range. The most expensive style shoes were $800. A majority of the heels and studded variety pumps were priced between $300 and $400. For example, studded kitten heels was $300 and $2300 studded knee high boots were just $600. You can click here to see the inside scoop from last year’s sample sale.
If you’re considering door-busting this sale, we suggest that you use your best technique starting Wednesday. Be forewarned, at the last sale, there were several layers of security and we received many reports of people getting turned away after waiting on line for a ridiculous amount of time.
Those who weren’t invited can now save 40% at Christian Louboutin boutiques and Barneys. Other department stores have markdowns too but the discounts are less. There are dozens of styles included in the markdown. Use the scroll above to begin browsing.
Follow along on Instagram to get up-to-the minute updates.
Christian Louboutin Invite Only Sample Sale
Monday, December 12 through Friday, December 16
11am to 6pm
307 West 38th Street No. 3 @ 8th Ave.
Here are a few gift ideas the woman who confidently shops for herself. As always, we suggest you hold on to the receipt. And, PS, feel free to forward these ideas if you know someone who needs needs some extra “guidance.”
When sales are down, discounts go up. That’s exactly the situation at Prada, which is hosting it’s biggest first markdown ever. Runway clothing, shoes, bags and accessories are all discounted 50%. That’s a better discount than any department store. What’s even more surprising is that there are plenty ‘carryovers’, aka classic styles, included in the markdown.
Among the clothing, all of the fall/winter ’16 runway is on markdown. The most popular items are spotty on sizing. We love a skirt with oversized bright pockets and there are several brocade options, which are still very pricey and not quite versatile.
It’s been years since Prada has done a second markdown and we wouldn’t count on it happening this season. It’s really a quite unfortunate story but every brand has it’s ups and downs. Remember, Gucci wasn’t so desirable two years ago — and now look!
