Jul 29, 2014

*SAMPLE SALE* Weaving through Bottega

Instantly recognized for their artisanal intrecciato weave, esteemed brand Bottega Veneta creates classic, sophisticated, and luxurious leather goods that only get better with age. And as far as I'm concerned, this is probably the reason why avid Bottega fans simply can't get enough of their products and...their annual sample sale. Ever since the dates for this year's event were announced, there has been an air of uncertainty on whether the sale would open to the public. Well, you can rest assured that the sale will indeed open its doors to anyone who has a love for the brand. Now that I covered the most important question, let's weave through Bottega.

Earlier today, I attended the VIP preview portion of this week's Bottega Veneta sample sale in Chelsea. Just like last year's event, prices were impressive. Starting with handbags, prices on leather goods ranged from $200 for mini crossbodys to $3,200 for exotic skins. This is down quite a bit from the full retail value shoppers would expect to find at Bottega boutiques and department stores. Needless to say, the fashion house's iconic woven leathers were the most sought-after items amongst today's shoppers and they were disappearing fast.

To give you a few examples on pricing, an oversized green ostrich skin tote was $1,700 (14th photo below), a chocolate brown mini shopper tote was $250 (1st photo below), an orange flap front shoulder bag was $700 (11th photo below), embellished clutches were $600 (8th photo below), a beige top-handle tote was $1,700 (photo above), and a black round bottom tote was $300 (2nd photo below).

Compared to the bags, the shoe section was rather disappointing. Available mostly in size 39, there were sandals, pumps, flats, wedges, platforms, slingbacks, loafers, oxfords, booties, and mid calf boots to choose from. Markdowns on past season footwear were divided into three groups--$100, $150, and $250. Thankfully, the majority of shoes present at the sale were marked at $100. Unthankfully, shoppers with size 38 and below will have an enormously difficult task finding a pair to their liking.

Occupying the left side wall stood racks upon racks of women's clothing. Here I found tops, knits, pants, coats, and a large assortment of evening gowns & cocktail dresses. Sadly, prices on RTW went up slightly compared to last year. Tops were $100, knits were $150, shorts were $75, skirts & pants were $150, dresses were $300, jackets were $250, coats were $400, and swimsuits were $50.

Men's RTW and shoes were also available. They were situated at the back of the venue. Suits were $300, shirts were $100, ties were $50, trousers were $150, jackets were $250, and coats were $400.

Finally, let's talk about the accessories. There were two different sections for accessories at today's sale. Small leather goods (iPhone cases, cosmetic pouches, and leather bracelets) were located near women's shoes while jewelry, scarves, and belts were displayed near the cash registers. All accessories were marked $125 and under. iPhone cases in leather were $30, cosmetic pouches were $80, belts were $100, scarves were $50, necklaces were $125, bracelets were $75, earrings & rings were $50, and gloves were $50.

To be quite frank, this year's Bottega Veneta sample sale isn't as mind-blowing as last time around but there were still great deals to be had if you look close enough. As I mentioned, handbags were disappearing at a healthy clip but, if it's any consolation, even VIPs had to adhere to the '1 bag per person' rule. So there is some hope if you decide to shop tomorrow. Restocking is highly unlikely according to an employee and, if the past is any indication, you may see price reductions on the last day. Happy Shopping!

Price list: 
Tops $100
Knits $150
Swimsuits $50
Shorts $75
Skirts/Pants $150
Dresses $300
Jackets $250
Coats $400
Men's suits $300
Men's shirts $100
Jumpsuits $150
Special RTW As labeled
Bags As labeled
Shoes $100~$250
Belts $100
Scarves, pocket squares, ties, gloves $50
iPhone cases $30
Cosmetic pouches $80
Hats $25
Necklaces $125
Bracelets $75
Earrings & rings $50

82 comments:

  1. Any pictures for men's collection? Is there any men's leather bags available?

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    1. Sorry I didn't take photos of men's merchandise. There were a few luggage style totes. No briefcases.

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  2. This sale in comparison to last year looks awful

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    1. Not awful but disappointing when it comes to the selection.

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  3. Thank you Miz for such a great, detailed report. I really do appreciate you taking out your time to let us all know what to expect tomorrow. That said, I am going to get some shut eye so that I could wake up early enough to make the line tomorrow.

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    1. Hi Alexandra, thank you so much for your kind words! It means a lot. Enjoy your time at the sale today and let me know if you get anything.

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  4. I know there are probably not many men here, but if you could take pics of mens items in the future I would love it! Also were there more mens RTW than suits and suit shirts? TIA

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    1. Of all the menswear, dress shirts took up most of the inventory. Will try to take more photos of men's stuff in the future.

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  5. I'm guessing no sunglasses this year?

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  6. Thanks again for another great report. I missed last year's sale and was hoping that I can score some nice shoes and $25 sunglasses, too bad this year's selection is disappointing. Oh well, maybe next year.

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    1. Hi Sarah, thank you for your comment! Agree with you that the selection isn't as appealing.

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  7. Thanks Miz ! Did you happen to see any woven slippers - I desperately want a pair (lucky me I'm. 39). Also. when does the sale end?

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    1. I don't remember seeing any woven slippers at the sale. It ends tomorrow (7/31).

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    2. http://www.bottegaveneta.com/us/women/onlineboutique/shoes/flats

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  8. Hi Miz, items on the rack in the 23rd (!) photo were runway/one of a kind and priced as marked. As depleted as that rack was, small size shoppers should look for hidden treasure.

    Everyone should check their bag choices carefully. A number of them have some kind of damage (broken zippers, missing rivets, tears, etc.).

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    1. Thank you for the wise, helpful tips. Much appreciated!

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  9. if anybody goes early - can you please let us know how the line looks - considering leaving work for an hour but can't risk it if the line is 2 hours long. THANKS !!!

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    1. Letting in people on the list right now. Line isn't too bad.

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    2. thank you so much - I'm on my way !!!!

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  10. Great reporting Mizhattan!

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  11. Thank you! I know many of us come to your site, read and run (guilty as charged) but you should know we appreciate you going to these sales and reporting on them quickly, giving us a chance to run over ourselves. I check your site every single day!

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  12. No more bags from what I heard about people that were inside

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  13. If your going looking for bags I would skip - there are like 5 bags left that are damaged and not pretty. No restocking on bags at all

    There were wallets this morning - large flap style for $300 and smaller zip around style for $200 in woven - however they were gone in a flash.

    A party of 5 that was the mother and her 4 friends were able to each buy a wallet - yes there were wallets and a bag and then go to the coat check to check what they just brought and come back to buy another wallet and bag each. Only reason I knew there were wallets cause these ladies cleaned them out. They were nice enough to tell me the prices.

    That the ladies daughter - who was stationed at the first check out register was able to hold the second round of bags and wallets on the side for them is kinda unfair if you ask me. If even the VIP had to buy only 1 bag each and they didn’t have wallets yesterday.

    Shoes are still coming out - but all the same styles of classic heels

    Mens wear is about 4 racks of mixed - mostly jeans and shirts

    Women’s wear had 3 racks of jeans in different prints that no one seemed to be touching

    Dresses are the best bet but only 2 racks left and going fast.

    IPhone cases in brown and white are still there

    Pouches, key chains, wristlets, rope bracelets, rope necklaces are all gone

    Lots of belts left

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    1. Wow! Thank you so much for writing such a detailed comment.

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  14. Line is now down the block and they are letting ppl in slow since the line to pay upstairs is about 50 ppl long.

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  15. Any men's shoes or ties left?

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    1. 1 tie left and some shoes for men, but going fast

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  16. I just came back from there, no any bags, only iphone holder and belts they are same like last year.. I asked two sales both of them said no bags restock tomorrow. so disappoint.

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  17. Ladies if your reading this and your online for a bag or small leather good - iphone cases included. Walk away. Its all gone

    Only things left are clothes, shoes, belts and some necklaces and these are all picked over. Seriously its pretty picked over and some damages.

    Its not worth the wait - if you really want to score a dress your better off going back later when there is no wait. Lots of ppl walking away without buying anything and calling ppl to complain. Ladies just standing around calling ppl to say how bad it is.



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  18. After waiting 1 hour to get it, I felt obligated to buy something. The limit of 1 bad also applied to small leather goods (make up bags). There were some bags being passed around, but you had to wait until the hoarders on the line decided to put down one of the many bags they were hoarding. I got a yellow trimmed leather clutch for $80, which I thought was a total steal.

    There were some smaller sized shoes. I was able to purchase low heel, blue, bow front shoes in size 38. I tried on a few shoes, some ran really small while others ran true to size. So please don't get discouraged by the shoe label (I usually wear size 7). Just try them, they may fit.

    The iphone pouches looked like a good deal at first, but none of them fit the 5S and ran smaller. So most were left untouched.

    The was some jewelry left, but most people were passing on it as it consisted of the "insect" collection.

    There were lots of racks of women's clothing. Some dresses were beyond gorgeous. There were also a ton of beautiful tops. Women were going crazy and grabbing everything in sight, just to drop it on the table later as they waited online.

    Men's collection was meager, to say the least. There were a few pairs of dress shoes (leather knit style) that were worn on the bottom and 2 racks of some hideous pants. There were a couple of nice jackets though. However, the sizes seemed to run small (I could be wrong).

    That said, I have to comment on a couple of things:

    1) The line was NOT decreasing by the time I left. It was still down the block at 1:30pm.

    2) 80% of the line consisted of Asian shoppers. Don't get me wrong, I am no racist. I simply think that I was born into a wrong race. Just a few Asian women ahead of me purchased thousands worth of items (one woman in particular had a total of almost $13K, which she paid without flinching).

    I would pass on this sample sale if you have to wait on the line outside.

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    1. Um, I'm not Asian but I was offended by her comment above. The fact that the line was 80% Asian was inconsequential. Mizhattan is a welcoming inclusive environment. Women please leave the hate home.

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    2. You totally misunderstood me ( I guess my disclaimer was not enough for you). All I was saying is that it seems like there was a LARGE group of people that may or may not have come together [at the time I was there] that were ready to drop some serious cash...and they did. I don't know WHERE you saw hate in my post????

      Stuff was being cleared out in some serous way and the sample sale is not all that worth going after today.

      Also, would be nice if you at least created an nickname for yourself. You sure have a lot to bark about while staying anonymous.

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    3. Thank you Alexandra for the in-depth reporting. Really appreciate it!

      I don't think Alexandra was trying to be offensive but I can see how someone could feel that way. Let's just remember that Mizhattan is only good as its community.

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    4. Hi Alex

      I am Asian. But I don't understand why Asian people so into BV!!!!! I personally think it's ugly, hahaha.
      Yea most of Asian women this morning, bought LOTS of stuff. I was pretty worried about the stock when I was out there. Hope everyone bought something for themselves, not for re-sale!!!! Ladies have that much money please go to a retail store. Don't fight with us in a sample sale, pleaseeeee..
      I got in around 12:30, only few ugly and damaged bags inside. Shoes are size 39+. Most of shoes are real sample! Worn and dirty.
      Very disappointing experience, I have to say.

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    5. haha. I thought the same thing. If you have that type of cash, what are you doing at a sample sale????? lol. But I guess to each their own.

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    6. Can't say for others but for me - its so I can buy more stuff. Pay $10,800 in stores for the bag I got today or the $$1800 I paid at this sale.

      Or pay the $18,400 for the 3 dresses I got verses the $900 I paid today.

      Over all I spent $6K but saved over $50K off retail.

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    7. Wow. Those are some impressive savings. Point taken.

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    8. Lol, I didn't think Alexandra's comment was racist at all. Anyone who goes to these sales knows that 80% of the people there are Asian and hoard a lot of the stuff. That's not racist, it's a fact.

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    9. Alex's post was very helpful and gave us great insight. Thanks Alex! But I have to agree, pointing out that the line was 80% Asian didn't really add anything to the article and a bit why is she including this; thus, I can see how someone can take offense in that. You should have just omitted that fact and just kept the anecdote about the group of rich Asian women who were hoarding all the bags and stuff ( which shopping wise was very useful information). Otherwise, it was a really good post.

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    10. I for one did not think Alexandria's comment was racist at all and I'm Asian - but did find the hoarding comment a little.

      I understand the upset when its one of those sales where a person - which many have to always point out its an Asian - is buying dozens of the same items to resell -

      though its not only Asians - I've seen Russians at the YSL sale buy 200 pairs of shoes at once and at the Gucci watch sale buy 200 watches all for resell - but never hear any complaints about the Russian resellers - but this was not a resellers sale - the reason people did not get bags was not that the bags were being hoarded by people who brought it all but for the fact that there just was not enough bags to go around for all the people who showed up. With the limited handbag stock - even with the limit 1 per a person - even for VIP's. For those who really wanted a bag - you had to have showed up early. This is just basic sample sale rules. You can't show up later then others and expect to get a shot at something that was limited to begin with.

      High end sample sales tend to have a lot of Asians attend - just as there are tons of other people - the Proenza sale 2 weeks ago had only 3 Asians out of the first 30 ppl on line behind me were all white ladies. Do I then come out and say - the Proenza sale had 90% of Caucasian people this morning. If your too busy looking at the people around you and not hunting for the things you want then your not in the zone. I don’t even factor in who’s in a sale with me because once I’m in a sale - I’m too busy shopping.

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  19. Thanks to everyone who left comments! I couldn't go this morning because of a work presentation and your remarks help greatly. Now I know I don't have to get "sick" and leave the post-presentation meeting. It's much appreciated!

    And special to Miz for all the latest news and pics!

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  20. Thank you Miz. You got up very early this morning to get us a detailed report. Thanks for your hard-working.

    This sale is kinda disappointing if you are under size 39 or shop for bags. I feel lucky I just want to take a look, because I am not a huge BV fan. Instead, I wanna shop some gifts for friends. At last, I got two flats for my two friends. Each one is $100. My friends are all size 39, and they are so young to afford BV in retail store. This is a great deal for them. They felt very happy and I feel happy for them, too! Thank you Miz!

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    1. My pleasure! I hope your friends enjoy their gifts!! What a great friend you are :)

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  21. As of 2 pm today there were absolutely no bags left. The staff told me that people had been buying 5 or 6 at a time. I mentioned that there was supposed to be a one bag per person limit and the woman just shrugged. I expect to see these bags on ebay tonight. The only things left are unattracitve dresses and dirty shoes.

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    1. I was there from opening - first group in and left around 12:30 and by then bags were already gone. I did see though that everyone had to stick to the 1 bag rule - but the the group of ladies someone mentioned above - I saw that too - thought it was funny how in your face they were about it.

      But even going in there were only like 30 - 40 bags left when the first group got in.

      This as always is a very limited sale - which usually only has about 150 who attend all day - but had over 150 attend in 2 hours today.

      One of the staff even commented on how many VIP's turned out this year compared to last year.

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    2. Thank you both for your comments!

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  22. Miz! Do you know if the sale will still open tomorrow? Want to head back for some dresses and jeans I saw today.

    As always thank you for not only your report but also for informing us of such great sales! I thank you and check your site everyday just to see what you've written and what you've followed up on.

    Of all the sites around, I trust yours the most. Because you go above and beyond for all of us.

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    1. Aww~ that's so kind of you. Thank you for your lovely words! The sale will open tomorrow but, as you know, inventory won't be restocked so what is left from today is all there will be tomorrow. Hope you find the dresses and jeans you wanted.

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    2. Thank you! Since there were like 3 racks of jeans and no one was really buying them I figure I'll at least walk away with a pair or two.

      Do you think any discounts are going to happen tomorrow? Fingers crossed. :)

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    3. I'll let you know about the discounts as soon as I find out. Good luck tomorrow!

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    4. You are the BEST!!!!

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    5. Wow, I am a slow-poke. Sorry for posting duplicate question on the bottom.

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    6. Not a problem! Check back tomorrow and I should have an answer.

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  23. Wondering if there are additional discounts tomorrow. Would love to go back for another pair of shoes. Please, if someone is kind enough, update us what you see tomorrow morning.

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  24. Hi Miz! I love your site! I check your posts on a regular basis because you are the best out here. Thank you for your postings, we really appreciate it! You always give the fastest and the best detailed reviews of all the events taking place in NY!
    I was at the BV SS Wednesday afternoon around 4:30 pm and was very disappointed to see what was left over for late comers. I absolutely love BV and I was hoping to score some items today. All I was able to get was a belt for $100.00. I thought that the belts were reasonably priced at $100.00 compared to their original regular price ($500.00+ in retail) selection was limited though. RTW was limited as well. All items were picked on and there was not much left on the racks for me to even try on. When I asked a sales lady about further reductions she said "no". My guess is that there will be some price reductions tomorrow; her answer was rather hesitant...
    The most sought out items, handbags, were practically none existent. I saw 2 small bags on the table and they seemed pretty sad, picked on and almost broken., one of them couldn’t even open smoothly… later on a lady put back a turquoise croc tote back, priced at $3200.00. This one bag was the only decent handbag left to grab… I thought 3200.00 was a bit high for its condition. It was not broken but it looked tired and saggy.

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    1. Hi! I do believe there will be price reductions on the meager inventory that's still left over. Good catch on the hesitancy. Also, you are right that $3,200 is rather a hefty sum to pay for a bag that wasn't in great condition. Good thing you passed on it. Thank you for your comment and I sincerely appreciate that you take the time to drop by regularly and read what I have to write.

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  25. Many thanks to Miz for the responsible and accurate reporting. Most of the posters have it right. Lots of the same leftover merch as last year. Many bags were off (damaged, less than flattering colors etc.) and small leather goods didn't fit current tech models. Missing much of the ready to wear I was hoping for. However, there was a solid collection of belts and some good deals on jewelry. Some fantastic statement pieces @ 90%+ off retail and some lovely classic men's sterling pieces @ $50.

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    1. Thank you for commenting! Yes, all the decent handbags were unfortunately taken on Tuesday. Were you still able to grab a few deals on belts and jewelry?

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    2. My pleasure. I'm a long time reader and have attended this sale a number of times in the past. Managed to snag a few nice jewelry pieces for myself and a beautiful Intrecciato tie tack for a dear friend. Stellar prices for BW sterling.

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  26. I agree with everyone above - sale is pretty picked over. Last year they did reduce prices the last day in the afternoon. I'm assuming they'll do the same today. As far as the staff saying no - they have no idea. I asked 3 different people what sizes 40 was & no one knew. One said I should google it. I'm sure Miz will let us know as soon as she hears.
    One quick note on the 2 posters above regarding the "Asian" comment - I did not read OP as racist it was merely a statement of fact. Sample sales tend to have a high Asian population - who gives a shit - we're all there for the same reason - we want to shop !!! End of conversation.
    Thanks Miz , we love this place !!!,

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    1. Yes, I will definitely let you know if/when additional markdowns take effect.

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  27. has anyone gone this morning? Did anyone notice if there Is there any men's items left?

    Thank you

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    1. I went this morning. I quickly checked out the mens section. There were 2 pairs of shoes and one pair of slippers. (not marked down from yesterday) There were 2 racks of clothing, a couple of nice lightweight sweaters and a rack of pants. Sorry I didn't get a look at prices but I did notice that they had markdowns on a couple of things (I think it was pants - not sure) . I hope this helps.

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  28. I'm curious if the line is still down the block today. If you're there, please comment.

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  29. I went this morning at 9:30. No line. The place was pretty empty.
    No bags, No wallets, No belts.
    Prices were slashed only on Jeans - now $50 and one rack of black & grey light wool pants ($50 from $100). The only other markdowns were shorts ($50) and belts - but it doesn't matter as there were no shorts or belts. No more swimwear left. I do have to say that the jeans are worth it if you are looking for a dark rinse that can be dressed up (I'm wearing them at work now with heels and a blaser & they look great )

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    1. I really appreciate your insight! Thank you for letting us know jeans were further discounted.

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  30. My friend was there when they opened this morning. The line was about 5min long and no discounts on clothes but necklaces are now $100 instead of $125. Not worth going unless they slash prices like last year.

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  31. anything left for men?

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  32. Was part of the first group in today - these were the discounts at opening.

    Jean - $50
    Pants - $50
    Shorts - $50
    Belts - $50
    Necklaces - $100
    Bracelets - $50

    After about 30 mins - the scarves were discounted to $25

    Mens were very picked over but had a rack of each jeans, button down shirts, suits

    these were the same discounts when I left at 11:30

    Don't know what happened later though.

    Hope some got a few great deals!


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    1. Ugh, thank God I did not waste time traveling there today. Thanks for letting us know.

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  33. Accidentally posted this post in the wrong place, but adding it here since this is where the main discussion of this sale is:

    Never seen Bottega's sale this busy or strict. Last year, they were more lax on the bag limit (2 per person, 2 SLGs). Prices better as well. They seem to have increased on strictness because of the publicity. I highly appreciate you putting up the info for the public, Miz, but I think next year it might be better until Bottega officially lets the public know about the sale. The sale got so much press this year, so they anticipated a huge turnout (which happened), thus the strict limit. This sale traditionally doesn't have a large stock, thus the quieter announcements. Only making the suggestion because the news appears to have broken on this site. Racked then reposted, not even bothering to honor Bottega's request to redact the info (thank you, Miz, for doing so), and then the domino effect. I think most people would benefit from a quieter release. Last year's sale had no lines on the first public day, and I walked away with 2 bags, including one classic Bottega woven bag. There was also plenty of leftover wovens, lower prices, and TONS of woven wallets. This happened at 4pm. This year, the sale sold out of bags and wallets within 20 minutes of the opening.

    And yes, wallets reappeared this year on Wednesday, only to be hoarded by the 5 team Korean women that came for VIP 20 minutes before the public sale opened (Not being racist. I speak Korean so that's how I knew). One was the mother of a worker so she got an invite, but she then brought her 4 friends. As the posters mentioned above, they checked out, checked in their bags at coat check, and then went back to buy more wallets and bags. I definitely understand you want to bring more people to help maximize your purchase amount, but checking out and then coming back in 2 minutes later to buy more, totally not cool. The security and staff saw this and allowed them to do this. On top of all things, the wallets seemed to be held for these 5 women, because they were not there for VIP the day before as Miz reported. They were the highly in demand long bifolds in limited edition colors. The one I remembered most was the red long bifold and it was priced at $200. Hoping Bottega sees this post and takes proper action against the worker who invited them.

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    1. This is rather detailed comment and you seem to know the ins and outs of sites like Mizhattan and Racked and sample sales in general. Curious to know if OP works for Bottega or is VIP. Would like to hear more of your expertise and background.

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    2. Great post. I was not there at the time, but it seems like a lot of people got upset about the wallet incident. Would have been nice to get a wallet. :(

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  34. The sale is over but in case anyone is interested here is my recap.

    Prices for select items were slashed mid afternoon. There were special racks of $25 jeans, basic pants, and skirts. All bug jewelry was $25 as well, while coral and cube necklaces were $50. iPhone cases were $15 but only in brown and for older generation hardware. One guy bought about 8-10 that were left. There were no belts left and one very sad looking scarf that no one wanted. Men's pants got marked down to $100 and that was the only discount I remember from menswear section. There was still a decent amount of RTW racks, shame they weren't discounted further.

    I got some jewelry and a few basics for myself and family, can't beat $25 for made in Italy. I left at 5:30 and would assume there were no further discounts.

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