*SAMPLE SALE* Proenza Bonanza

Another busy week of sample sales is here! And to kick Monday off with a big bargain bang, I swung by Proenza Schouler's November sale event hosted at Century 21. This is the brand's second sample sale at C21 (their last sale was held in July) and the private VIP/Press portion for this week's Proenza bonanza was well underway when I stopped by the sale earlier today.

Once inside 21 Dey Street, I started my inspection in the handbag section located on the left side of the main level. There I found an overwhelming amount of shoppers busily snatching up deals on Proenza Schouler must-have bags. Despite the purchase limit (4 bags and 3 small leather goods per shopper) set in place, there were still lots of hoarding going on. The label's most sought-after styles like PS1 (priced $449 for tiny and $499 for medium) and PS11 (priced $299 for mini and $499 for standard) were available in seasonal colors this morning but were disappearing fast. By the time I left, nearly all of them had been scooped up by lucky early bird bargain hunters. As for the rest of the bags on the eight multi-level racks, they included python Lunch Bag clutches for $405, PS1 Keep All satchels for $499, PS13 totes for $399, python PS11 bags for $975, crocodile PS13 totes for $7,350, Large Bucket bags for $495, Buckle Bag clutches for $299, and python Courier shoulder bags for $791.

Small leather goods (wallets, iPad cases, keychains, and coin purses), scarves, and jewelry were also situated on the main floor. Placed in several vitrines throughout the venue, prices on small zip wallets were $79 while continental zips were $129. In addition, suede and leather versions of the PS1 wallet were $129. Also included in the accessories section were coin purses for $75, PS1 iPad cases for $99, and keychains for $29. Finally, the discounted jewelry was comprised of $64 earrings and several boxes worth of costume necklaces.

Markdowns on women's shoes were really impressive this time around. Red tweed flats were $69, crocodile-embossed loafers were $99, leather espadrilles were $99, low-heel sandals were $149, black & white woven heel sandals were $119, wooden platform sandals were $149, ankle-wrap flat sandals were $149, and leather booties were $199. Overall, the price range for shoes was $69 to $299.

Proenza Schouler's Ready-to-Wear from past seasons were available on both the main floor and upper level. Discounts were generous but figuring out prices was a bit of a task. On the second floor, half of the prêt-à-porter inventory was marked with barely noticeable colored plastic strings. Each string had a matching price: green was $29, blue was $49, purple $69, pink $99, yellow $199, and black $499. The rest of the apparel which was sans string was priced as marked with a normal tag. The 28 racks of apparel included shirts, dresses, heavy knits, outerwear, skirts, shorts, trousers, swimsuits, and jeans discounted up to 85% off.

This week's Proenza Schouler sample sale was supposed to open tomorrow to the general public but, due to a technical error on C21's part, the sale organizers started letting in the public at 11am today. The sale is open till 9pm tonight so if you can, you'll want to run over now to shop the best selection. If finding bigger bargains is your main concern, I'm told there will most likely be additional markdowns towards the end of the sale. I will make sure to keep you updated regarding this matter.