Post Christmas Sales: The Primer
Maybe Santa didn’t bring you what you wanted for Christmas and Chanukah Harry failed miserably, too. Or maybe you’re just like us, and you’re a horribly greedy, insatiable shopper. The week after Christmas is shopping gold: there’s plenty of deep holiday deals, and the riff-raff has left the malls, so you can scoop up bargains in relative peace. We scoured a few of LA’s best sales to tell you what’s left and where to get it.
SHINY, HAPPY OBJECTS: YSL wedges, $95, at the Barneys Outlet. (image via Barneys New York)
Barneys New York Outlet, Carlsbad and Camarillo
This is the place for the best bargains, since they’re selling already sale-priced merchandise for an additional 70% off. Crazy, right? And some of ultra-bargain merchandise is still selling on the website. For example, the two we visited (we’re a little obsessed, alright?!) both stocked a lot of the Rodarte X Opening Ceremony pieces. Those crazy lace-up pants and the black patent leather fringed skirt were both selling selling for $95 (originally $795), while that one lovely layered crochet dress that originally began its life at $945 was going for $113. On the more practical, everyday tip, there were J. Brand skinnies in black Japanese twill for $21. In the shoe section, we found the Alexander Wang sandals that look like they’re made out of nautical rope for $78, and the YSL multi-colored rope platform sandals for $95. Our star buy was a pair of white linen Spring 2011 Rag & Bone shorts, originally $395, that had been marked down and marked down and marked down to our final price of $43. But choose wisely: the deals are deep but it’s final sale. Definitely worth the trip.
Barneys New York Outlet, 850 East Ventura Blvd. Suite 128. Camarillo (805) 445-1123
Barneys New York, Beverly Hills
The prices are the same as you’ll find online, but you’ll also see plenty of merchandise that isn’t online. We found a handful of Suno dresses that were marked down to $109, and a big selection of Ella Moss tops for $39. Co-op shoes had some brilliant buys, including some black pony loafers from Marc Jacobs for $119, two-tone, and studded Loeffler Randall loafers for $139. BNY stocked virtually all of the Alexander Wang fall 2011 footwear, all on sale. The handbag section looked pretty picked over – the standout piece was the Hung On You bag, in black and neon pink pony, for $179. We even checked what was happening in men’s Co-op, and found Steven Alan shirts for $79, and Vince cords for $69. By far, this was the most relaxed shopping experience of the bunch. Though the overall inventory isn’t quite as good as either Saks or Neiman Marcus, the price/selection combo makes this sale our top recommendation.
Barneys New York, 9570 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills (310) 276-4400
WE DIE: A long, dramatic black dress by Rachel Zoe — $368 from $629 at Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills.
Neiman Marcus had the best selection and the deepest inventory, but also the highest prices. For us, the shoe department was kind of like a museum, filled with beautiful items at prices that were disappointingly high. We drooled over a pair of kitten-heeled Manolos in the perfect shade of blush that were “on sale” for $398. We were also set agog by a pair of Chloe shoes -- blond wood platforms, tan leather upper, and a $395 sale price. Clothing items we liked included an Alexander Wang drapey white corset blouse for $293, a cropped white leather moto jacket by Vena Cava for $417, and a rust drape-front dress, also Vena Cava, for $235. Then we went next door to Saks and found the exact same dress for $220, less 50% off. Despite the fact that we actually received an NM gift card for Christmas, we still left empty-handed.
Neiman Marcus, 9700 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills (310) 550-5900