Heading into Labor Day it never hurts to grab a new flirty dress to get you in the vacation mood. You can’t go wrong at the upcoming Hunter Dixon sale.

We are told that most everything at the sale will be discounted under $75. Samples will be $50. Expect to find this season’s outgoing spring and summer styles. Be on the lookout for seasonal standouts like the Ballerina dress that was adeptly styled by fashion blogger, SomethingNavy. Snagging a Preston dress that these prices would also be quite a coup.

Hunter Dixon Sample Sale
Wednesday, August 21 through Thursday, August 22
10am to 7pm daily
152 W. 36th St, suite 801 (btwn 6th & 7th Ave)

Today the Alexander Wang sample sale opened to employees, press and insiders. Obvi- we couldn’t resist grabbing a little sneak peak. Most of the merchandize is from spring and fall 2012 but we did spot a few items from the designer’s most recent cruise collection.

First question answered: Yes, there are Roccos! They are priced at $400 from about $900. But don’t count on snatching a classic black. We could only find shades of brown. We suggest opting for an Emile in black for the same price. We also spotted Pelican and Brenda bags in shades of beige to brown. Clutches are priced at $250, small bags are $300 and mediums are $350.

Although Alexander Wang’s bags are usually the most popular item we personally prefer shopping this sale for the shoes. The prices are great and the styles are modern classics. This year the shoes are priced even less than last season at $175. Although the selection was a bit sparse, we did spot print pumps, high heel sandals in a variety of nude colors and animal print Daria’s, which resemble a Doc Martin.

We were a bit disappointed with the clothing selection because there wasn’t a lot of the designer’s iconic pieces. The inventory consisted mainly of basics like blazers for $175. We did find heavy knit sweaters from the runway collection that were priced at $150 and leather items for $500. Dresses are $175. Those who favor Wang’s casual looks might do better to sort through the bins of shirts, light weight knits and tees that ranged in price from $15 to $100.

Clearly few sales are worth waiting in line for hours. We would suggest avoiding the Tuesday morning rush and opting for later in the day. Those looking for better discounts should wait for additional markdowns, which usually occur later in the week. We are told that the sale will be restocked but we can’t imagine the most popular items lasting past Wednesday.

Alexander Wang Sample Sale
Tuesday, August 20 through Saturday, August 24
Tues—Fri 9am—8pm, Sat 9am—6pm
131 Greene St (btwn W. Houston and Prince St.)

Ready. Set. Rocco!

The Alexander Wang sample sale officially starts Tuesday but past experience tells us that insiders will begin shopping Monday. The Monday morning sale timeline usually starts with set-up, employee shopping, press shopping, friends and family and by the end of the day the sale opens to those who have the inclination to try their luck.

Gaining access to the sale Monday afternoon is a crapshoot but if you’re successful it can save you several hours of waiting in line on Tuesday and you might even be able to score a lovable Alexander Wang Rocco bag. Prices for this bag, which weighs as much as a bowling ball, usually runs about $900. At the last sale the bag was priced at about $400 but there were only a handful in white and gray. More likely you can score an Emily bag for the same price or a clutch or small bag that ranged in price from $250 to $300.

At the last sale shoes were the highlight of the sale at a $200 price point. Exotic versions were $300. Be on the look out for the knee-high gladiators featured on the spring 2013 runway. They might not be as fashion forward when worn next summer but they are still a score at $200.

Clothing at the last sale was still priced quite high. Vests are $175 and $140 and silk tops and tanks are $140. The $175 dress selection was also not great, although we fell hard for a leather corset style dress for $300. The diffusion line, T by Alexander Wang, ranged in price from $35 to $120 for outerwear and the majority of clothing was in the $70 to $90 range. You can click here to read the entire review of A Wang’s last sample sale.

Generally speaking, we are not huge fans of this sale. There tends to be a long line to get in and similar (and even more highly discounted) prices can be found at retail stores.

Alexander Wang Sample Sale
Tuesday, August 20 through Saturday, August 24
Tues—Fri 9am—8pm, Sat 9am—6pm
131 Greene St (btwn W. Houston and Prince St.)