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    Season End Sales: Barney’s vs Bergdrofs

    By ManhattanMataHari

    As department stores blow out the remains of winter we plan on finding statement pieces that will become the cornerstones of our wardrobe. If you can find a Chanel sweater for under $1000 grab it. The same goes for Jason Woo print dress at under $270. (Makes the upcoming Target collab seem overpriced, huh?) Bergdorf Goodman and Barney’s are both offering discounts of 75% off but you’re going to want to read or overview before heading out in these frigid temperatures.

    Barney’s

    The last cuts at the department stores are always our favorite time for steeply discounted brick-and-mortar shopping. Stop into Barney’s by Tuesday before they send their 75% off designer clothing and 60% off shoes to the outlets and warehouse.

    Haute ready-to-wear is mixed throughout the floors. Some sales racks like Lanvin, Marni and Dries Van Noten are alongside new resort collections, but many are in the mixed designer sales racks near the back. We spotted a black and white color block Derek Lam dress for $249 and a Fendi draped silk dress for $669. A Balmain draped red silk blouse is now $639 from $2550. With a bit of persistence you can also find discounted Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Mugler and Givenchy. Our favorite find was a chic $4990 Yves Saint Laurent wool jacket marked down to $1990.

    If you’re a fan of Chloe and Lanvin shoes, it may be worth your while to stop by the shoe salon where we spotted a $670 pair of Lanvin jewel embellished satin ballet slippers for $269. We found a pair of Louboutin suede and mesh maryjanes for just $339. (A prime example why despise waiting on sample sale lines.)

    Mema: (212) 833-2098 (3rd floor Designer Collections)
    Jake: (212) 833-2129 (4th floor Advanced Designer Collections)

    Tom Ford lace at Bergdorf Goodman

    Bergdorf Goodman

    While Barney’s final sale is winding down, Bergdorf’s has just begun their end of season 75% off sale. Check in with your favorite designers at their boutiques where clothing is marked 60% to 75% off retail.

    At Chanel, we found some lovely knits and sweaters as well as a couple of signature wool boucle dresses for $2389 from $5990. Tom Ford is also at a 60% cut and there was a good selection of sales merchandise, including his popular lace and velvet pieces. A $2290 black lace blouse is now $909 while Emma Stone’s structured black lace red-carpet dress and a white long sleeve version is now $3499.

    You will have some luck finding 75% off clothing from Gucci, Marc Jacobs, Christian Dior and Fendi in their individual boutiques, but we suggest heading to the mixed designer rack areas too. In the mix you find deals like a Jason Wu silk print dresses ($269), Rick Owens drapery silk tops ($159) and even a fur collared Givenchy jacket ($959). We also spotted lots of Stella McCartney, Emilio Pucci, Narcisco Rodriguez and Roland Mouret.

    If you are still looking for your shoe fix, you can now find all designer shoes marked down 55%, including Christian Louboutin and Chanel. Overall, there is a much better selection at Bergdorf’s than at Barneys, especially for Manolo Blahnik fans.

    Allison: (212) 872-8732

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    I Spy: Monclers on Sale

    Readers often ask us about getting discounts on hard-to-find-on-sale items. Uggs are one, Chanel is another but most readers want to get their Monclers for less. We’ll give it to you straight, it’s not easy. But if you’re looking, this is the time of year to find them.

    During our most recent tour de Barney’s we found children’s and men’s Moncler jackets and coats for 50% off. Most of the children’s sizes were small but there were a few still left in size two and under and fours and sixes for both girls and boys.

    The men’s jackets are a bit more sparse but there are a few still left on the racks. Unfortunately, the only the Moncler Gamme Bleu jackets were marked down. All but one was sold out but you can ask a sales associate to keep an eye on returns. Over at Bergdorf Goodman, you can find a select assortment of the goose down jackets discounted. Here the markdown is only about 40% but it’s still worth stalking the store.

    Nordstrom.com has a handful of the Italian made jackets on coats marked down 33% but we would also suggest calling the department stores directly to see what inventory might still be available.

    The Brooklyn-based, high-end children’s store, Tuesdays Child has a better selection of coats and jackets but the discount is just 20%. The uptown boutique, Small Change has a decent selection on sale but the discount isn’t very much either.

    If all else fails, try calling the Moncler at Woodbury Common (845-928-3045). But whatever you do, don’t don’t don’t Google “Moncler discounts” or “Moncler sale.” Doing so will result in a list of counterfeit jackets. And even a discount of 90% on those would be overpaying.

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    Century 21 Sale Time

    By ManhattanMataHari

    Despite being world renowned as the place for discount designer deals, Century 21 can be a difficult store to shop. The disheveled racks can be daunting and tourist shoppers can be, lets say, pushy. But when Century has a sale we just can’t resist the downtown flagship.

    When you arrive, go straight to the third floor and turn right to find the European designer racks marked an additional 50% to 65% off. We suggest starting with the 65% off racks near the registers, where Giorgio Armani fans will be thrilled to find a couple racks discounted 85%. A chic long sleeve Alberta Ferretti dress is $161 from $459, while a silk sheath from their more affordable Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti line is only $70! A variety of Love Moschino and Cheap and Chic dresses ranged from $70 to $130 – even less than Aeffe’s sample sale prices. Overall, we did not see many original collection pieces, but there were plenty of designer’s secondary lines to shop.

    Just looking at the wall of discounted mixed designer tops induces anxiety and should be avoided unless you have hours to shop. We found the racks of designer skirts and pants to be more fruitful, with a $128 Carolina Herrera skirt, $200 Lanvin silk trouser shorts and $50 Dolce Gabbana satin pants as highlights. Unfortunately, we saw more damaged clothing than not. Be sure to carefully inspect your pieces prior to checkout.

    Before heading downstairs, don’t miss the 65% cut for designer jackets. Furs and shearlings remain at 50%. Skip the 2nd floor entirely since none of the designer accessories in the showcases are reduced. Make your way to the basement, and you will see walls of mostly Italian designer shoes for an additional 40% to 75% off. Walls of winter footwear are worth browsing for the prospect of $160 Derek Lam booties or $155 fur wrapped Cinzia Araia boots. On the racks, we saw lots of Missoni multicolored pumps ($175), Manolo slingbacks ($125) and Givenchy suede heeled sandals ($120).

    A word for the wise – head to Century 21 sooner rather than later before all the best steeply discounted designer cloths are gone! Uptown gals should save on cab fare and head to the spacious and organized Upper West Side store, unless you miss fighting for your fashion downtown.

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    Mikimoto Sale Overview

    The Mikimoto sale has been a longtime favorite of Madison Avenue Spy readers but much has changed over the years. When we arrived, midday the line to get into the showroom was over two hours and the discounts on the most desirable jewelry fell into the 50% off category rather than the 70% off of past seasons.

    First the line. The wait snaked around the entire fourth floor of the building so that the front of the line met the back of the line. This is not a situation a busy New Yorker likes to confront. After a quick phone call we were in despite snares from others.

    Most of the higher-end Mikimoto jewelry is 50% off but some items were priced up to 70% off. Even after the discount prices range from about $2000 for a small pendant and go up to about $15,000 for larger necklaces. We are especially fond of the the 10mm golden south sea pearl strands that normally retail for $25,000 but are discounted 50% off.

    If you’re looking to spend a bit less look for the Blue Lagoon collection, which is more affordable to many customers. Blue Lagoon is normally found in higher volume jewelry retailers like Zales. In this section you can find pearl pendants for under $200 and bracelets for under $1500.

    We suggest going to the sale towards Friday when the wait will be much less. We also suggest skipping the sale altogether if you’re looking for less expensive pearls. You can find better quality for similar prices from a trusted local jewelry store.

    Mikimoto Sale
    680 5th Ave. (bet. 53rd & 54th St.), 4th Fl
    Thursday, January 19th and Friday, January 20th 10am~7pm

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    Kirna Zabete Sale

    For the past month we have been secretly stalking Kirna Zabete. The Soho department store is a virtual candy shop for fashion lovers. The inventory is incredibly well edited and it’s where in-the-know shoppers go to find that all-sold-out and impossible-to-find item of the moment.

    Those who prefer to prolong the moment, we are talking about winter 2011, should take the time to browse through the store’s sale selection. Price are reduced up to 70% off and there are so many wonderful pieces from which to choose. We found a great Thakoon bright print dress for $250 from $625, a Lanvin cashmere dress is $500 from $1670, Nicholas Kirkwood heels are $318 from $785 and Givenchy rain boots are $140 from $280.

    Yes, you should get something new for Fashion Week. Yes, it’s good to get out of the neighborhood. Yes, it’s worth the cab ride. And Yes, Balthazar is still great for lunch. Any other questions?

    Kirna Zabete
    96 Greene Street
    212-941-9656

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    A RealReal Consignment Deal

    Has anyone noticed how inflated vintage and consignment stores have become? Just last week we were shopping in a local store and spotted a DVF dress that was clearly off a sample rack. (The red sharpie line on the tag was the giveaway.)


    This is not an isolated insident. We can’t even count the amount of times we find inflated prices at second hand stores. That’s why we were so thrilled to find The RealReal. 





     The RealReal is a new online luxury designer consignment destination for women. The site is divided into well curated selections of top designers like Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Chanel, Prada, Gucci, Dolce and Gabanna and more. What’s even better is that the prices are fair and ticketed to sell.


    That doesn’t mean that the sellers don’t get a great deal too. Consigners receive 60% of the sales price, which is a lot more than traditional resellers. Then when you reach sales of $1,500 per year, your rate increases to 70% for the remainder of that calendar year. Sounds good, right?


    In addition, The RealReal  is hosting a promotion where winter mechandise will be 60% off. The markdown includes higher end designers, in addition to second tier warehouse designers. 


    That’s a deal on a deal. Sign up now and don’t miss any of The RealReal’s sales. 

     Sponsored Post
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    Manolos Now 50% Off

    If we knew anything about football we might be able to correlate the big Giant win to Manolo Blahnik’s second markdown. But we don’t. So we will have to be content in just saying, Manolo Blahnik has started their second markdown today.

    Customers can save 50% off on the fall and winter collection, including some alligator styles. This is a great opportunity to grab that special pair of shoes you’ve been watching all season.

    If you haven’t been holding your breath for something special, you might want to consider waiting for the next and final markdown. In early February, the Manolo boutique drops prices to 70% off, which is almost as good as the sample sale and without the excruciating wait. Just be sure to plan your shopping excursion carefully. The boutique closes between 2pm and 3pm to restock.

    Manolo Blahnik
    31 West 54th Street (between 5th and 6th Ave.)
    Mon-Fri 10:30 to 6:00pm, Sat 10:30 to 6:30, Sun 12pm to 5pm
    Don’t bother calling, nobody picks up the phone during sale season!

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    Th It-it: The Perfect Red Lip

    By ManhattanMataHari

    There’s nothing quite like a pop-of-color –or POC, in fashion talk– to help combat the winter blues. None is more uplifting than the perfect red lip. Before you start you will need to find the perfect matte finish, high pigment lip color to achieve a look that’s classy, not trashy.

    We found the holy grail in Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dragon Girl ($24). The shade is a universally flattering bright crimson that has incredible staying power.

    In true MadSpy fashion, we wanted to test the wearability. The application is fool-proof since the jumbo crayon affords more precision than traditional lipsticks. Unlike most lip pencils, Nars has a creamy matte finish with
    Vitamin E, so it won’t dry out your lips or require a top layer of balm.

    Our bright red pout lasted through an entire decadent meal at Il Mulino and a hot, meltdown-inducing session at Earth Yoga. After an hour of hot Vinyasa, our Dragon Girl lips were surprisingly perfect!

    When wearing red, be sure to take a hint from the 1950’s bombshells, and keep the rest of your makeup soft and neutral to bring out your inner diva. Also, a bit of concealer around the lip never hurts.

    Special Update: Last week we wrote about weightless totes and mentioned the
    Celine version ($1600). Today we spotted some at the TJ Maxx in Colombus Square. The hunter green colored tote was priced at just $799. Not too bad, huh?

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