Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.
We were stunned by the sheer beauty of the Tanya Taylor sample sale when we stopped by the preview last night at 495 Broadway. There are lots of vividly printed tops, skirts, pants, and dresses spread throughout the racks in the showroom, and they're available in most sizes.
Sale prices are as follows: Tops and knits are $85, bottoms are $115, dresses and blazers are $150, outerwear is $195, specialty items like leather pieces are $250, and belts are $50. Pants, skirts, and jackets are to the right, with dresses and tops to the left. There are more tops and a rack of the specialty items in the back, with a table of knits in the center and another table of belts and shoes next to it.
We saw sizes 0—8 represented here, but some items didn't have it clearly marked. In dresses, a white sheath with a pink floral pattern and matching organza embellishments stood out ($150), as did a white short-sleeved fit-and-flare style with an orange and blue flower pattern ($150). A black cold shoulder body-con dress ($150) was very popular with shoppers.
In tops, boxy crop tops were the most frequent style on the racks. We liked a silver button-down style with a pattern of a woman taking a picture ($85), and a striped style in black, white, and yellow ($85). We noticed that there were a lot of one particular white full-length button-down with orange floral embroidery ($85). The knits table is full of gorgeous yet cozy-looking fuzzy sweaters, including a cute pink striped one ($85).
For skirts ($115), a white pleated floaty style and a pencil skirt with a blue, orange, and black geometric motif were among the best on offer. There were a few pairs of pants ($115), and notable styles include coated white bell bottoms and a silky printed pair. On the outerwear rack ($195), a pink walker coat with a knit collar was the most abundant style.
Specialty items ($250) are mostly hand-painted leather pieces, like a stunning white leather cropped button-down, skirt, and dress, all with a black spotted motif. We also liked a black beaded top here.
Pieces from the fall/winter 2015 collection that are still in stores are to the left just after the entrance. Those pieces are priced as marked, and not subject to the sample sale markdowns. Of these, we liked a black-and-white checked skirt ($280) and a long black dress with a bright floral print ($390).
The shoes on offer are all Paul Andrew and all $95. We liked a pair of heels that matched the white leather apparel described above. In fact, it was mostly white leather point-toe slingback pumps with a sculptural vamp here.
There is a single-person dressing room in the back right-hand corner of the sale space. This is another sale that we recommend checking out, even if only to admire the clothing. The sale runs through 8pm on Wednesday evening; see the Dealfeed below for more details.