*SAMPLE SALE* How Fur-bulous!

There is no denying fur plays a big role in winter fashion. Whether it's an Old Hollywood-inspired Russian sable or Anna Wintour's iconic chinchilla scarf, a piece of fine fur can elevate the style of any winter wardrobe. J. Mendel has been dressing up posh ladies on the Upper East Side and A-list celebrities for decades but unfortunately the brand's renowned furs come with heavy prices tags. But fret not, the company is hosting a winter sample sale offering budget-conscious shoppers discount prices on Gilles Mendel's fur-bulous collections.

Early this morning, I was invited to preview J. Mendel's sample sale. Once inside, I was greeted to a venue generously filled with the label's luxurious designs. I know the Academy Awards ended last weekend but just in case your post-Oscars buzz hasn't cooled off, you'll find tomorrow's sale extra fun. From floor-length evening gowns to exquisite fur, it was as if I were taking a tour of a movie star's closet.

The layout of the sale venue was identical to last year's sale. Fur coats, vests, and boleros were located on the left side of the venue while RTW and evening dresses were situated on the right. In the fur outerwear section, minks were available in knee-length & full. A gray dyed mink coat from Denmark was priced $12,500 (originally $50,000) while a natural mink from the USA was $5,200 (originally $26,000).

The selection of chinchillas weren't as abundant compared to the mink section, but still, there were several different styles and colors (9th photo below). For instance, a natural chinchilla bolero from Canada was $4,500 (originally $18,000), a golden colored jacket was $5,625 (originally $22,500), and a rust dyed knee-length coat was $13,000 (originally $52,000).

Sables were mostly from Russia and there were two full racks of coats that were perfect for creating that Anna Karenina look. Unsurprisingly, these Russian sables will require you from spending some major cash as prices ranged from $30,000 to $37,000.

If spending 30 grand on a sable sounds intimidating or even downright outrageous, there were plenty of more affordable fur pieces as well. I spotted 2 racks of boleros & vests in fox, raccoon, and squirrel that were priced well under $1,000. Also, located on a few center tables were winter accessories. Gorgeous shearling trapper hats from Spain were $200 (originally $1,250 & 19th photo below), bordeaux red coyote hand muffs were $560 (24th photo below), and white raccoon earmuffs were $250 (originally $990 & 21st photo below).

Now onto RTW and accessories. Daytime dresses and cocktail frocks were priced $450 to $700 while floor-length gowns started at $900. I found lots of floral prints, silk organzas, lace details, sparkly sequins, and flowy drapes. Keep in mind, sizes were running limited. Speaking of, the selection on shoes & handbags were also very limited. At today's preview, I found only 11 pairs of (some noticeably worn) sandals, booties, and boots in size 9 & up. I was told more shoes will be out tomorrow. Lastly, the handbag section was comprised of 6 alligator totes with prices ranging from $5,000 to $6,300.

This week's J. Mendel sample sale started since yesterday for VIPs but I was told tomorrow's official public day would be better to shop as many more boxes and sample racks are expected to arrive in the afternoon. So my MizAdvice is to leave work a little early and head over around 3-4pm to find the new goodies. UPDATE: I've just been informed new merchandise will be coming in tonight for tomorrow's sale so drop by in the morning if you want to shop the full selection.