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The Parker Sample Sale Is a Head Start on Under-$200 Holiday Party Dress Shopping

By Kathryn Lindsay
  • Coat, size small, $120
  • Beaded dress, size 0, $120 (from $462)
  • Dress, size small, $80 (from $279)
  • Dress, size extra small, $80 (from $396)
  • Dress, size extra small, $80 (from $374)
  • Leather dress, size extra small, $120 (from $550)
  • Beaded Parker Black dress, size 2, $150 (from $462)
  • Parker Black gown, size 4, $180 (from $594)
  • Sweater, size extra small, $80 (from $297)
  • Beaded top, size small, $100 (from $297)
  • Skirt, size 2, $80 (from $220)
  • Parker Black gown, size 10, $180 (from $594)
  • Silk top, size large, $60 (from $220)
  • Skirt, size 2, $80 (from $264)
  • Dress, size XS, $80 (from $352)
  • Dress, sample, $40
  • Sample coat, $40
  • Sample sweater, $40
  • Sample sweater, $40
  • Sample sweater, $40
  • Sample sweater, $40
  • Sample shorts, $40
  • Dress, size small, $80
  • Sweater, size small, $80
  • Leather skirt, $120
  • Sweater top, size small, $80
  • Sample jumpsuit, $40
  • Beaded dress, size small, $120
  • Beaded dress, size small, $120
  • Beaded top, size small, $100
  • Dress, size small, $80
  • Beaded top, size small, $100
  • Beaded top, size small, $100
  • Dress, size small, $80
  • Silk top, size extra small, $60

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The Parker sample sale is totally bypassing Halloween and going straight to the holiday party season. We got a sneak peek at what's on offer at the brand's showroom a day before doors opened to the public and found sparkly dresses and sophisticated ensembles that were never less than 50% off their retail prices.

Here are some tips for your plan of attack: All the best pieces are to your right when you walk into the third floor space. Not only could these items easily be found in stores this season, but there's also the best range of sizes. It's a mix of Parker and Parker Black, (the "evening collection"), but everything on the right side of the room would go perfectly with tall heels and a glass of champagne.

Included here are silk tops for $60, beaded dresses for $120, and LBDs for as far as the eye can see at $80. You can also mix and match high-waisted skirts ($80) with cropped black camis ($60) for an ensemble that can be worn well beyond the holiday season. See the full price list — plus some of our favorite picks — in the gallery above.

When you do venture to the left, keep in mind that the sample pieces ($40) are interspersed throughout the selection. Anything without a size tag sewn into the neck is a sample, while anything else is a one-off that's still going for the price found on the lists around the room. These pieces are less evening wear and more what you'd find in the back of your own closet: from a few years ago, but that doesn't mean they're not worth resurrecting — just make sure to inspect, since at least one pair of pants we picked up had a tiny rip.

For the first time ever, the hours of this sale have been extended to accommodate the sheer number of interested shoppers. In fact, while we were looking around yesterday, an eager customer popped by to see if she could get in a day early (no, she couldn't). Come prepared for crowds, as well as to make some leaps of faith — there isn't a fitting room (although there is a giant mirror), so you'll have to cross your fingers that it looks as good on you as it does on the hanger.

While we were told that they didn't expect a lot of the stuff to be here by the end of today, they also mentioned that they'd be restocking almost hourly, so don't get too antsy if you can't make it until later. It could even be to your benefit, since if there were going to be any markdowns, they'd likely happen on Friday. Get the full details of the sale in the Dealfeed below.