Sample Sale Report: Hudson Jeans

Last night I also stopped by the first ever Hudson Jeans sample sale. I for one was very excited because in addition to a snug fit that is super comfortable, Hudson specializes in a variety of unique finishes that makes a pair really special. Unlike competitors, their finishes are never crusty but superior in softness and wearability.


Jeans started at just $50 a pair for women for metallic deco printed styles, dye blasted, striped and snake print. For $60 a pair you could pick up a black back, white front 50/50 color block pair like I did. Or they also had white shorts, ultralight linen jeans in pink and medium blue jeans. For $65 you enter the world of coated and there is a pearlescent blue pair that I already own and love as well as a copper style, shiny style in both turquoise and purple blue. 

For $75 there is a black and white rose print with tuxedo stripe, coated pair with tuxedo stripe, coated sweat pants to name a few. At $100 there are some with elasticized waistbands, detailed back pockets and embroidery up the side of the leg. If you went up to $125 you get the special pairs with zippered accents or leather panels. Sizes were available from 24 to 32 in just about every section although not every style was available in every size.

Sample Sale Report: Siwy Denim

I stopped by the Siwy sample sale and was surprised by how small the sample sale was. I have been to all sorts of sample sales in my life but the two lonely racks at Siwy may have been one of the smallest sales I've been to. Despite this there were quite a few lunch time shoppers trying to snag some sexy denim at 40% below wholesale.

Sizes ranged from 24-27 with most selection in the size 24/26 range. As far as I could tell each item was marked on a tag with selling price and seemed to be about $80-87 per item.

So if you're a huge Siwy fan and in the size 24-27 range, it's worth stopping by but there isn't very much stock so go soon. Otherwise it's a rather small sale that may not be worth the effort.

Who: Siwy Denim Sample Sale
What: Prices now 40% below wholesale
When: June 11-12, 2013. Tues-Wed 10am-5pm
Where: 231 West 39 Street (b/n 7th & 8th Ave) Suite 302

Sample Sale Report: MiH April 2013

Last night I stopped by the MiH sample sale in Soho. MiH is the British brand that has been creating leg lengthening well fitting jeans since 1969. It sells at high end retail channels like Net-a-Porter and Barneys New York. I arrived to a spacious room that was filled with rack upon rack of skinny and flare jeans in a rainbow of colors. The prices are really great! Jeans are just $40 a pop, which is a steal considering that they normally retail for around $200+. I'm not going to lie, these jeans make my butt look pretty darn perky and I bought a few pairs to prove it - The Oslo in particular is my personal go-to with it's slim leg and mid rise, there is some feeling of security because it covers up some of the softer stomach bits.

Sample Sales NYC: Feb 4-10, 2013

NYFW is on our doorstep and as usual it means that there is not much going on in the sample sale sphere - but as always here are a few sales to help you get through the week.

Who: Kleinfeld Sample Sale
What: Up to 65% off on wedding dresses, headpieces, veils, and shoes from top bridal designers. No appointment necessary, first come, first served. Prices for gowns will start at $899 while headpieces, jewelry, & shoes will start at $99. Click here to see more of what to expect.
Where: 110 West 20th St (b/n 6th & 7th Ave)
When: Feb 5, 2013. Tues 3pm~7pm

Who: R13
What: Snag luxe denim that is loved by celebs for a deep discount
When: Feb 5-7, 2013. Tues-Thurs 11am-7pm
Where: 261 West 36th St, 2nd Floor. (b/n 7th & 8th Ave)

Who: JLM Sample Sale
What: Up to 80% off gowns from brands like Lazaro, Alvina Valenta, Tara Keely, and more. The sale will also include mother of the bride and bridesmaid dresses, as well as evening gowns.
When: Feb 10-12, 2013. Sun noon-5pm, Mon-Tues 10am-6pm
Where: 525 7th Ave (b/n 38th & 39th St) 212-920-1221

Who: Cavalli Sample Sale
What: Up to 80% off at the Cavalli Spring/Summer sample sale. At this sale you will also find a great selection of clothing and accessories for men and women from Versace, D&G, Valentino and many more.
When: Now through Feb 11, 2013. Mon-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat-Sun 10am-7pm.
Where: 39 West 56th St, 3rd & 5th Floors. (b/n 5th & 6th Ave)

Ongoing Sales:
Who: Delicate Raymond Valentine's Day Sample Sale
What: Jewelry & Watches up to 70% off retail prices & $5 Vintage Jewelry. Over 500+ pieces of Vintage 80′s costume jewelry only $5. Mini Cutout Initial Necklaces: $15 (orig. $45). Vintage Monogram Necklaces: $50 (orig. $165). Graceful Heart Necklaces: $20 (orig. $65).
When: Feb 1-4, 2013. Fri-Mon noon-7pm
Where: 73A Orchard Street

Who: Branco Pelle High-End Shearling Outerwear Sample Sale
What: Designer creations of exclusive shearling coats, jackets for women & men up to 70% off retail prices.
When: Now through Feb 6, 2013. Mon-Fri noon-7pm, closed weekends.
Where: 214 West 39th Street, Suite 606 (b/n 7th & 8th Ave) 212-302-8900

Who: Ciao Milano Sample Sale
What: Up to 85% off retail on designer coats, jackets, furs and activewear. NOw priced from $20-80. Sizes from XS to XL.
When: Feb 1-20, 2013. Mon-Fri 9am-6pm. Closed weekends
Where: 214 W 39 street, Suite 607 (b/n 7th & 8 Ave)

Denim Habit NYC Opening

Denim Habit the beloved Philadelphia based boutique is spreading it’s wings a little further and making it’s way to New York City’s Meatpacking District. Last night the store held it’s grand opening party with a celeb studded guest list including Emma Roberts, Kelly Rutherford & Kaylee DeFer (Gossip Girl), Constantine Maroulis, Richie
Rich and more. Since I was a bit late arriving on the scene I think I missed out on the major red carpet action but that didn’t stop me from enjoying myself.
While listening to DJ Structure spin some upbeat takes on pop songs, the crowd was sipping Pom Cocktails or Milkshakes and snacking on cupcakes while perusing the merchandise.

The store specializes in high-end denim and include prestigious brands like AG, DL1961, Henry & Belle, Hudson, J.Brand, Seven for All Mankind, DL 1961, Hudson, Citizens of Humanity, Paige Premium Denim, True Religion, Joe's, Theory, For Joseph, Splendid, SoLow, Hardtail, and Ella Moss.  The store also offers high-end fashion from the likes of Halston Heritage, Dylan Alexa, Patterson J. Kincaid, Joie and Feel the Pieces in the mix.  With it’s wide selection of denim and well educated staff Denim Habit offers women a very specialized and customer oriented shopping experience.
The space itself is long and narrow and features row upon row of perfectly organized denim in a rainbow of colors and finishes. The décor is minimal and the store has a clean open feel that focuses on making product easy to see.  Nothing is overcrowded and the lighting is bright and cheerful so that the differences in washes and tones are obvious.  If you are a fan of shops like Scoop and Intermix I am sure that Denim Habit will have a place in your rotation.

Denim Habit 346 W 14th St (b/n 8th & 9th Ave) Sun-wed 11am-8pm, thurs 11am-9pm, fri-sat 11am-10pm. 646-430-8600

Lacoste and Earnest Sewn Team Up

Lacoste and Earnest Sewn are teaming up to launch a denim and polo line which is set to hit stores in March 2011. The denim line will be available in the majority of stores Lacoste operates in the US while the polos will be available in Earnest Sewn's Manhattan locations and in Malibu, California.

Lacoste's signature is their pique polo. While the brand has tried to expand into other areas including denim, outerwear and shoes, the iconic polo remains at the forefront of their label. Lacoste definitely has the right idea for partnering up with a company that excels in an area where they do not. Earnest pumps out premium denim with minimal embellishments or fuss which makes it a great choice to pair with Lacoste's clean aesthetic.

Image courtesy of WWD

The denim is set to incorporate existing cuts Earnest manufactures with modifications to the washes and detailing. The infamous embroidered croc will appear on upper left front pocket of the jeans along with green stitching on the rear belt loop. For men, the line will encompass two cuts in four different washes and will set you back $185-$195. For women, jeans will run between $165-$195 and will be available in three cuts and seven washes. The polos are set to appear in seven colors in a premium fabric.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the placement of the croc and would have preferred it if they moved it to the rear pocket or better yet, left it out all together. Lacoste envisages consumers sporting their polos with their jeans so having two crocs on the front of your outfit seems a bit much to me.

NYFW Spring 2011: G-Star Raw

Earlier this week I had the chance to check out G-Star's presentation at pier 94. The venue was absolutely massive and completely different from all the other shows I've attended. There was tons of space and room to move around in which was great and there was a definite industrial vibe to the pier which paired nicely with G-Star's aesthetic.

The show began with a barrage of whites, cremes, soft greys with the overall theme of the collection being "Desert Denim". As the show progressed, a few tan colored pieces made their way down the runway followed by lots of dark indigo denim and inky blacks.

The collection reminded of a cross between Sahara Nights with a utilitarian flare which and had a lot of great detailing including oversized pockets, exposed zippers and collar work. There were also some nice leather pieces scattered throughout the show. Overall, G-Star's collection had a definite wearability factor and commercial appeal which is what has contributed to the brands overall success to date (particularly in menswear).

G-Star's denim collection included jeans, tops, and outerwear mostly in dark hues. Some of the pieces seemed a bit stiff for me personally but if you've ever tried on a pair of their jeans, you know what I'm talking about and that raw denim is what G-Star is all about. While you end up sacrificing comfort, you end up getting a more rugged and industrial look.

DIY: Proenza Schouler x J Brand Graffiti Jeans

Ever since I first saw these Proenza Schouler x J Brand collaboration jeans make their way down the runway as part of the Fall 2010 runway show, I’ve been contemplating ways to make these jeans find their way into my closet. The jeans are Japanese stretch denim that have been graphically printed and then hand painted to accentuate texture making each pair uniquely fabulous.

Unfortunately this level of fabulous does not come cheap and at $550 a pair they are out of my Fall budget. Fortunately with a little bit of time to spare and a lovely pair of black jeans already in my closet, I was ready to take a stab and create my own take on these jeans. I sort of combined 2 of the combos together using both white and blue to create a slightly different finish. I started off with a trusty pair of black skinny jeans (I used Rich & Skinny but you can use just about any pair).

I had picked up some bottles of both white and primary blue fabric paint at the art supply store. They cost me about $1.50 a bottle. I used a styrofoam plate for carefree mixing and easy brush access and a nylon bristle brush. I also had an old plastic container available with clean water and a scrap piece of paper to cover my work area.

Then I started with the white paint making scribbly loose circular patterns across the front of the jeans while occasionally dipping the paint brush in water to help create more fluid lines and varying opacities.

Continue creating scribbles/circles until you have completely covered the front of the jeans. I was impatient and was curious as to how it would look so I actually did one leg at a time. The great thing about this project is that there is a lot of room for your own interpretation and you don’t have to be too careful about the order in which you do things, I actually went back several times later on to create more scribbles in certain colors on areas that appeared to need more attention.

I started to add in blue and other colors in the same family. I actually decided to use some acrylic paint I had at home for additional color variation. I’m not sure how it will hold up in the wash but seeing as it’s plastic when it dries, I’m hoping it will be all good.

When the front is dry the back is ready to work on. Make sure that you cover all areas, including waistband and around the pockets if possible. When the back is complete, allow to dry before working on the sides. You can flatten the legs out sideways and fill in any gaps that you have missed for a more continuous effect.

Voila! And there you have it! Although it’s a slightly different finish, I think it get’s the overall statement across. I’m pretty happy with the results! What do you think?