*SAMPLE SALE* Mellon Patch

After an 18 month hiatus, Tamara Mellon's NYC sample sale finally returns to SoHo this week. But this bargain affair will be a bittersweet one as it is the brand's unofficial liquidation sale after shuttering operations. Hoping for the same substantial discounts the brand had shown in the past, I stopped by the event's opening day to browse the goods. Unfortunately though, it turns out this week's event is more bitter than sweet. Here's why.

Inside the Greene Street sale venue was a co-hosted event by Tamara Mellon and Lulu Frost. There was a neatly organized collection of Tamara Mellon's last few seasons plus discounted jewelry from Lulu Frost. I will get to Lulu Frost later, but first, let's get started with Tamara Mellon.

The headliner of the joint sale was the shoes. Divided into two areas, boots and booties were set up on the left side of the venue while flats, pumps, wedges, and sandals were situated in the back. All footwear was 80% off but, to be quite frank, I was disappointed with the prices. Considering the brand doesn't exist any longer, and the fact you could easily have found the exact same discounts on their online store before the closing of business, I expected prices to be far more generous than 80% off. So, what does this so-so discount exactly get you? I was able to find sandals for $110~$160, pumps for $65~$139, flats for $100, boots for $200~$220, and booties for $150~$200.

Located in the center of the venue were several racks of TM apparel which was individually priced with the same 80% discount. Here, I found blouses, skirts, tanks, dresses, leather pants, shorts, full-length gowns, and crop tops.

Merchandise from Lulu Frost was displayed inside multiple trays and placed on the right side of the sale space. Bracelets were $65, earrings were $40 & $75, necklaces were $60 & $115, rings were $45, hair accessories were $30, key rings were $30, cufflinks were $30, tie clips were $30, and pins were $25.

Though they haven't announced it yet, there will most likely be further reductions later this week. Unless you're really in a rush, my MizAdvice is to stop by when additional discounts hit.