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Gilt City's Warehouse Sale feels a little like a kind of fever dream: after waiting through a line in the cold and a pass through stringent security (mandatory coat- and bag-checking), deliriously marked-down goods with major labels await. As in previous years, the best bets were clothing — there was but one table dedicated to bags, and a small women's shoe section. Again, all was divided by size, though, pro tip, it paid to browse other size racks for over/undersized garments or misplaced pieces after thoroughly searching the sections marked with your standard size.
While there are a lot of "designer" goods — labels you won't remember tomorrow, but with perfectly valid pieces, all at rock-bottom prices — there were also tons of high-end garments. The really really good stuff (a cherry-red Valentino party dress, a sea foam frock from Zac Posen) was on the higher end, retailing for probably over $500. But there were also plenty of steals: a $105 Maje blazer, and a flippy recycled-polyester dress from Organic by John Patrick going for $45. — Alison Baitz
Other finds? A Diane von Furstenberg printed skirt ($39), a silk Tocca button up ($45), a patterned sleeveless top from Elizabeth and James ($45.) There were also some uber-high-end steals, with prices that almost felt like typos: complicated, canary yellow culottes from Marni for just above $100, a beaded Valentino cardigan for $149, an insane quilted and ruched Dolce & Gabbana jacket for $149, and a frilly Miu Miu button-up for $75.
For the guys, there were dirt-cheap shirts from the likes of Topman and Just Cavalli, a $25 Ben Sherman sweater and a $99 Edun jacket.
The shoes and bags weren't the focus but they were worth a gander. The bag table had goods from Furla, Marc by Marc Jacobs and Red Valentino for around $200 or less. The shoe selection felt slim, but there were some hidden gems: DVF heeled sandals and Bloch ballet flats for $45 each, Robert Clergerie platform sandals for $139, and Tabitha Simmons heels for $65.
Also of note: a table each dedicated to housewares and trendy (read: neon and gemstone) jewelry, also plenty of untouched kids stuff — the clothing was nearly hidden behind the women's clothing section. Anything marked with a blue tag was an additional 30% off the listed price. This was the perfect sale if you had a ton of cash to burn (for the beautiful high-high-end pieces that were still rather pricey) or were willing to dig like hell for the perfect piece, which might just be waiting for you to pass by a third time before jumping out at you.
· Gilt City Warehouse Sale Is Back On Saturday, March 8 [Racked DC]
· Gilt City Warehouse Sale 2013: Find Your Size and Start Digging [Racked DC]
· Gilt [Official Site]