Cheryl Shops

Cheryl shops...the Barneys Warehouse Sale
So, I meant to post this on Thursday night, but then I went to see my friend's band. And then I was going to post it yesterday at work, but I was super-busy. So I'm making a rare Saturday post, just for you. (And I apologize to those who've already hit the sale.)

So, as is my tradition, I went to the Barneys sale first thing on Thursday morning, at 8 a.m. The line was almost all the way to 7th Avenue, but once I got inside, it wasn't too crowded. First I hit the designer racks, where, big surprise, there wasn't much in the way of practical outfits, but there were a lot of gowns--Zac Posen, Proenza Schouler, etc. There were also some gorgeous Alaia eyelet skirts for $239. Alas, nothing for me. Then I hit the ready-to-wear racks, where there was, as always, a ton of private-label stuff, but also a lot of Marc by Marc Jacobs (lots of cute skirts from last summer, but only marked down to $79--not enough of a discount, in my opinion), Theory, and Diane von Furstenburg. I snagged a Y3 hoodie and track pants in bright apple green (as my boss TC later remarked, "Not what I was expecting from Barneys," but I love Y3). The jeans area was a disaster, but there appeared to be some Joie and Paper, Denim and Cloth from what I could see. The knitwear area was quite civil, and there were a lot of cute sweaters in there--lots of private-label cashmere for $59 or so and cute pointelle-knit Marc sweaters that I'd never seen before. (If I make a second trip, which I probably will, I'm hoping they'll still have some of those left.) I also scored my bargain of the day in the knitwear bins: a lavender bell-sleeve Lutz & Patmos cardigan for $79 (original retail price: $685). Two things missing: no tanks or tees in the knitwear bins, and no lingerie bin, which is where I've found some great buys in the past. But the kids clothes and random accessories are still there.

I always hit the shoes last, because, as you all know, shoes are my weakness, so if I go there first, I'm in trouble. I was quite surprised by the selection; I'm a popular 8.5 or 9, and I was stunned to find lots of Christian Louboutin and Manolo Blahnik shoes in my size--cute shoes, not ugly ones! I tried on a pair of round-toe ankle-strap beige Blahniks that were $295, and I seriously had to talk myself out of them. But I ended up with the coolest pair of green, round-toe shoes from a brand I've never heard of: Maloles, a Spanish company.

So, as always, the sale is definitely worth it. The best time to go is on a weekday afternoon, but the sale runs through 3/6, and I'm sure the next two weekends will be a bit more calm regardless. And, of course, the longer the sale goes on, the more they mark down the merchandise.