FROM THE FRONT LINES: Day One of the Barney's Warehouse sale has come and (almost) gone, and the intrepid shoppers of Racked LA have filed their report. They break it down like this:
- Lots of the slinky Alexander Wang dresses. Starting at about $115. Also saw one—just one—of the stretch skirts with the sheer mesh inserts. But didn't see any AWang shoes, save for the black cowboy boot-looking ones. The only T piece we saw was the grey thermal onesies for $46—which were, no lie, getting snatched up like hotcakes. REALLY, PEOPLE?
- All the good bags are gone. There is a pile of big, plasticy Barneys Co-op bags for about $39.
- Didn't see any belts, or sunglasses.
- Hardly any Phillip Lim, but plenty of DVF, Theory, Marc Jacobs, Loeffler Randall. And Rodarte. One girl carried a couple of dresses into the dressing room (which is terrible, by the way. The attendants are mean, you can't get to the mirror; only marginally better than dropping trou out in the open)—she's like, "Oh, aren't these amazing? There are rows and rows, all for $249! I'm getting two!" We suggested she inspect the price again. At $2,497, we don't think she was getting any.
- Racks and racks of beautiful suits for the guys, and an on-site tailor.
- As far as shoes go, there were lots of Loubs, Lanvin, Givenchy, Prada…the high-end stuff was well represented. Selection not as good for the middle-of-the-road stuff, like Barneys Co-op, Marc by Marc Jacobs, or Loeffler Randall.
- Ladies, don't be afraid to look at the man-bags. We saw a black Givenchy manbag for $250. Would also work well as an oversized purse.
- We have no advice about parking. Other than don't do it, if you can. There's a subway station about eight blocks away. It's a brisk walk, and you'll save at least $8.
Apparently the bargains are good, but not so different from in-store final markdowns. No doubt, better deals will be placed on the Convention Center floor as the sale goes on. GET YOUR SHOP ON: Today through Monday, February 15th. More info on barneys.com.
