*SAMPLE SALE* A Win at Lyn

In 2005, designer Lyn Devon launched her first collection and has been beloved by fashionistas ever since. To briefly describe her style, there's a dash of precise tailoring and an American–inspired spirit in each of her pieces. I dropped by to preview Lyn Devon's first–ever sample sale today and found lots of wearable pieces at discounted prices.

The official opening for the Lyn Devon sample sale (also hosted with Christian Siriano & Karolina Zmarlak) is tomorrow. So, here is what you can expect. The studio is located in the basement of 463 Broome Street. Since there was no number sign or company logo, it took me a few minutes to find the place. Make sure to pass the elevator on your left & find the stairs to the basement. Once downstairs, the entrance to the studio is situated on your far left. Inside, racks of Lyn Devon's & Christian Siriano's past & present collections greet you in a nicely organized manner. For those who are fans of the reality competition show Project Runway, I will get to Siriano's merchandise later. Let's start with Lyn Devon.

First of all, prices were great! What I was most impressed with was that shoppers will be able to find pieces from the current Fall 2011 collection. These are new arrivals, folks!!! Her dresses usually go for $1,200 & up, but at today's sample sale all dresses were $275. Skirts were nicely priced at $125, tops were $150, coats were $350, jackets were $250, and knits were $75. Lyn Devon's designs are very wearable & timeless. Most items available were in excellent condition, so you'll certainly be wearing them for a long time to come. To go deeper into the pricing, I spotted a dark lavender knit top originally priced $550, now $75. A fiery red pea coat originally priced $1,390 (6th photo below) was now $350 and a wool plaid coat originally priced $1,950 (3rd photo below) was also marked down to $350. An Audrey Hepburn-esque strapless black & white polka–dot dress, originally priced $1,195, could be bought for $275. To get a better sense of how deep the discounts were, click here & compare with the full price list at the end of this article.

While Lyn Devon doesn't exactly seek out glamorous red carpet attention, Christian Siriano's pieces certainly made up for it. The biggest tip I can give you is to start at the sample rack located by the entrance. Although sizes were either a sample size or size 8 & larger, prices were more than impressive. Lots of evening dresses in satins, chiffons, ruffles, and drapes were $40 & $65 (see photos 7th & 12th below). Next to this sample rack, even more glitz & glam was available at a higher price. Coats were $400, skirts were $150, jackets were $275, and dresses were $375. Unless you're looking for something for your future evening soirees, it was pretty hard to find something as practical as wears from Devon. A small selection of shoes were at hand. Pumps, wedges, and sandals were all $70 & under, but sizes were very limited.

I did not get a chance to preview Karolina Zmarlak's pieces because the shipment is scheduled to arrive later this evening. As I mentioned, tomorrow is the official 1 day sale. I hope you get a chance to drop by and enjoy shopping as much as I did today.