Nov 15, 2012

*SAMPLE SALE* Fill Up at Phillip

Designer Phillip Lim knows how to dress a woman in no-fuss wear. It's been almost a year since the label hosted a sale and, judging by the looks of it, shoppers have been quietly anticipating this year's Phillip Lim sample sale. So, was today's event worth the wait in the cold? Let's find out.

The most important question everyone was asking was: "Were there Pashli satchels at today's sample sale?". The answer is yes with a caveat. You had to be part of the first group to enter. Phillip Lim's best selling handbag, Pashli satchels, were available in both black leather and oversized beige. They were each priced $400. I saw two very lucky ladies joyously holding these two prized bags. Other handbags not already spoken for included see-through clutches, patent leather totes, and animal prints. All were priced at either $150 or $300.

On the back right corner of the showroom, I found a reasonable selection of shoes and each pair was $100. Perch skin sandals with jewel embellishments & summery espadrilles dominated the shoe rack, while leather wedges & metallic peep-toe pumps peppered the selection. I also found boxes of past season shoes organized on the floor. Included in the pile were Regine strappy sandals in kelly green & Alex half-d'Orsay pumps in black.

The clothing aisles were comprised of inventive fabrics, clean silhouettes, and understated color palettes--the signature style of Phillip Lim. Stock RTW and never before seen samples were interspersed on the 20 or so racks. Though I did not find neo-noir comic-inspired graphic pieces from his Pre-fall '12 collection, I did spot some slouchy silk pastel trousers from his Spring '12 collection. In fact, most items from today's sample sale were from Phillip Lim's Spring '12 collection. Prices for apparel didn't seem to change much from last year's sale. While outerwear items such as winter coats were priced $300~$800, there were many affordable wardrobe staples like pants & long sleeve tops for under $100. If you plan on shopping for clothes, keep in mind that there was no changing area.

The men's section was pretty quiet and shoppers will find items priced a bit cheaper than in the women's section. Trench coats were $300, jackets were $250, pants & jeans were $75, tops were $100, and cashmeres were $200. Situated adjacent to the men's section stood two racks of children's wear, one rack of intimates (mostly camis & briefs), and a giant table holding accessories like leather belts, gloves, and sunglasses. You can find the full price list at the end of this article.

So, to answer my initial question, I felt this year's Phillip Lim sample sale was not worth the wait (especially on a cold day like today). Many shoppers were hoarding and the stock was limited due to yesterday's private F&F sale. Unless you were part of the first group allowed in, you were mostly out of luck. Tomorrow is the last day of this sale and I don't expect prices to drop. I asked two employees whether they would be restocking but was told "No" both times. If after reading this you're still intent on dropping by (I don't blame you, Phillip Lim is a wonderful brand), I recommend that you make sure to look for damages & imperfections as I spotted many pieces with slight tears & scratches.

Price list:
Women's
Shearling coats $800
Fur coats w/ jewels $600
Fur coats w/out jewels $500
Leather jacket $450
Fur vest  w/ jewels $350
Fur vest w/out jewels $300
Coats $300
Trench coats $200
Jackets $175
Long sleeve $150
Embroidered/woven tops $150
Short sleeve/sleeveless/tanks $100
Long sleeve, short sleeve, tanks T-shirts $50
Cashmere $200
All other sweaters/cardigans $150
Leather or sequin skirts/pants $200
Wool, casual, silk, or pleated skirts $100
Pants/Jeans/Shorts $75
Evening gown $400
Cocktail dress $300
Sweater dress (cashmere) $200
Sweater dress, wool, T-shirt dress, day dress $150

Accessories
Large bags $400
Medium bags $300
Small bags $150
Clutches $150
Shoes $100
Belts $50
Necklaces $50
Scarves $75
Fur scarves $150
Gloves $50
Fur gloves $100
Sunglasses $75

Men's
Leather/suede/patent outerwear $400
Trench coats $300
Wool jackets $250
Cotton jackets $200
Denim jackets $150
Pants or jeans $75
Shorts $50
Woven tops/Shirts $100
Cashmere sweaters/Cardigans $200
Merino wool, cotton/Linen $150
Long or short sleeve T-shirts $50

Kids
Trench coats $125
Trench coats w/ fur $200
Cotton jackets $50
Shearling jackets $300
Pants, jeans, or shorts $25
Skirts $35
Sweater, T-shirt, day dresses $50
Long or short sleeve tops $35
Long or short sleeve T-shirts $25

11 comments:

  1. they said they werent restocking but I did see a man rolling in garment bags with "philip lim" written on them? Maybe later shoppers will be able to tell us if they actually restocked...

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    1. I did hear one employee ask another if more stuff should be brought out. The reply was "Is such and such still in the back?". Which was quickly answered by "No, they're all out on the floor.". So, fingers crossed for a possibility but I have my doubts.

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  2. I was maybe the 25th person in line (waiting since 7:45am) and all the decent bags were gone by the time I got in. People were hoarding the good stuff immediately --- I saw several girls with 5+ bags each. I did see someone trying to purchase a Pashli in smooth black leather with silver hardware and they refused to sell it to her, and said that it should've never been on the floor in the first place. This gives me the impression that they never intended on stocking the classic Pashlis and I saw no minis either, which was super disappointing. They only had very few of the oversized ones in leather. There were no regular 31 hour bags, I only saw a couple of the oversized weekender ones in white. I saw a couple of Larks and other bags in yellow and metallic silver. I grabbed a Lark in brown leather and a Fannie clutch in tan, but decided to take neither. Those were the only decent things I got my hands on and they were snatched up as soon as I put them down. I really feel that they should've controlled the bag situation better. I was super disappointed by this sale. I did leave with a cute pair of green silk pants for $75 though. If you are going for bags, I would say don't bother, especially if you have to wait in line.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the insightful review! I'm sure the coveted bags (Pashli & 31 Hour) were for those who attended the private F&F yesterday, not for public consumption.

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  3. I was very disappointed with the mens selection. It was really just a rack or two full of left over crap IMO.

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  4. correction - no pashlis. i did spot 2 in the hands of some very lucky early risers (i got on line around 8:15am and was in around 10:15am), but when one of them went to pay the cashier refused to sell it to her, saying it was a mistake and there weren't supposed to be any pashlis on the floor. the woman attempting to buy it was furious, but the cashier didn't budge. maybe someone still managed to walk out with one, but the staffers were at least attempting to shut it down.

    i agree, miz, the sale was not worth the wait. rtw was nice, but the things i liked were still too expensive (for me) to justify waiting so long. any bag worth considering was cleared out by the time i got in, and even those were not worth waiting for. after enough circling around (killing time so the bag hoarders had an opportunity to tire of carrying around 10 purses at a time and put one down), i got my hands on an abichi satchel that looked ok, but the PL staffer rearranging the bags on the shelf told me not to bother, saying i'd never use it because the fasteners on the flap are impossible to open and close (a design flaw mitigated in later editions, apparently). i asked him if they would restock, and he very quietly said "maybe, if you're very early tomorrow morning", but i just can't do that whole song and dance two days in a row (especially if they're excluding pashlis from the accessories this time around). maybe someone else can and tell me if i missed out.

    shoes were ok, but all the ones i liked i had already bought at the barneys warehouse sale a year ago. overall, quite disappointing from my point of view. made me grateful that at least at alexander wang, the bags were all behind a counter so no hoarding allowed!

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  5. I am actually pictured, in the first picture! Haha with the taupe oversized Pashli. I was the 3rd person in the sale and FIRST in front of the handbags (was outside in line at 6am)I LEFT EMPTY HANDED, as the Pashli I had in my hand in your picture, was way too oversized and I had my heart set on the medium size.

    NOT worth the wait. I went to Wang last week and scored the Emile tote that I want, and the Robyn bag, BOTH brand new with wrapping still on them. Pristine condition.

    This sale was terrible. 4 hours in the cold and walked out EMPTY handed.

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    1. i also went to wang for an emile, and was in/out with a brand new, fresh-from-the-wrapping version in grey leather within 15 minutes (after, of course, 2 hours of waiting in line, but still). frustrating that the bags weren't better stocked/managed at this sale (though the one PL staffer i talked to was really nice and helpful, so i have to give them credit for that!)

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    2. Did anyone end up buying your bag? (Hopefully this year will be better!)

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  6. But Alexander Wang restocked roccos when I was there. I didn't get one because I already have one D:

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