Hello, fellow shoppers! I feel like it's been forever since I reviewed a sale, but sadly the Zadig & Voltaire might not have been the best return-from-hiatus sale for me. I was looking forward to checking out bargains on some slouchy, sexy, and oh so Parisian basics from the French chain that arrived Stateside a few years ago. But tragically, I left disappointed––and empty-handed. Bottom line: Even though everything was up to 70% off, it just seemed overpriced for what it was. But that wasn't stopping the 20-strong line of shoppers waiting outside this afternoon and girls carrying armloads of sweaters and dresses inside.
Items are organized by type and the pricing is designated by a motley assortment signage on the racks. There is also a color dot system for some racks, so the pricing sitch can become a tad confusing. Don’t hesitate to double check with a friendly and helpful staffer if you have any questions. Let’s start on a high note with some of the better deals I came across. Dresses run from $110 for non-cashmere knit or jersey styles to $300 for a black leather shift dress with crystal detail on the sleeve. My favorites were a short sleeve navy sequined gown with a scoop back for $135 (from $770), a grommet-detail camel sweater dress for $110 (from $320), and a pleated and knit navy frock with gold buttons also for $110 (from $310). The leather jackets priced at $260 would have been a relative bargain had I actually come across any. The non-cashmere sweater collection ranged from $70 to $120, but the selection was spotty. We did see some crafty girls raiding the men’s cardies and oversize boyfriend sweaters (the mauve caught my eye) priced at $90. The cashmere was on a slightly baffling color dot system (some dots didn’t even have prices next to them), so let’s just say pieces––cardies, cute camo-print tanks, boat neck sweaters and wraps––run from $80 to $195.
I’d say that outerwear was priced accordingly––puffy navy down bombers for $210, dressier wool-blend coats for $190, and boxy black sequined and distressed silk-edged jacket for $180 (from $770––really?)––but the bombers and wool styles just didn’t feel very, um, substantial, if you know what I mean. The sequined number was pretty though. As for the rest of the pricing we came across button downs ($70), jeans ($80), denim jackets ($100), tees and tanks ($38), skirts ($60 and $70), shorts ($60), blazers ($99), dressier camis ($65), blouses ($95), gold leather moto-pants ($300 from $770), and black leather short sleeve tops with blingy sleeve detail ($180).
There were bags are priced between $72 for pochettes to $351 for handbags. The color-coding system applies here, too and it seemed like most bags were closer to the $300 mark. Some styles are cute––like a slouchy, zippered army green one––but sadly, all the leather was stiff and pleathery.
While staffers at 260 Fifth were preforming ordering crowd control per usual, it was starting to become congested in the aisles. So watch out for grabby hanger hooks and children and small dogs in your footpath. So, that’s the full rundown. It’s up to you to decide if you want to drop by. Or wait for the onslaught of sample sales that’s about to come our way.
Zadig & Voltaire
Where: 260 5th Ave. (bet. 28th & 29th St.)
When: Wednesday, September 21st, 3pm~7pm
Thursday, September 22nd, 9am~7pm
Friday, September 23rd, 10am~7pm
Saturday, September 24th, 10am~7pm
Sunday, September 25th, 11am~4pm
