cupcakes and cashmere x club monaco holiday party

Last week, just before all of the holiday madness officially set in, we attended a party hosted by Emily Schuman of Cupcakes and Cashmere at Club Monaco. In celebration of Club Monaco's new flagship store opening in NYC, we enjoyed hot chocolate and treats from their all pink candy bar while shopping. We couldn't get enough of the beautiful space; the 5th Avenue store is also home to Toby's Estate Coffee and a small Strand bookshop. Here were some of our favorite holiday picks and a few photos from the evening!

from left to right: julie stripe turtle - shayla printed dress - shae faux fur topper - 

lourdes printed silk tank - abby angora gloves - adriana angora sweater

matilda faux fur vest - micala contrast sleeve dress - sienna split back jacquard top -

theresa textured top - ana embellished hat - susanna jacquard skirt

shopping sample sales

We've always been fans of perusing sample sales; it's definitely one of the perks of living & working in NYC. Racked NY keeps a great running list of sales, which you can take a look at here. Below are some of our tips for shopping these often-chaotic sales!

Do Your Homework
Familiarize yourself with the brand and its past season of clothing. The last thing you want is to pay more for an item that you could get for a better discount online or in store.

At the past few J.Crew sample sales we realized that many of the pieces could have been purchased in store at a cheaper price. J.Crew retail offers extra discounts on their sale merchandise so usually you can get a pretty good deal. 

On the other hand, sometimes you can find unique pieces at samples sales. My biggest regret was passing up on a lilac peplum top from the J.Crew sample sale that never went into production (gasp! a real sample).

Decide what is more appealing to you, access to the best pieces for a higher price, or less stock but at a discounted cost? Sometimes it pays to wait to shop the last few days of a sale when items are marked down and sometimes it definitely doesn't.
 
Read Up On Past Sales
It's important to know what to expect. Will you have to fight for the most coveted pieces? Or is this particular designer known for re-stocking their sale? It's always good to know you'll be walking into a complete mess before you do.

Bring a Friend
Bring a friend to hold your wallet while you try on clothes or have them act as your mirror when there just isn't one around. In an environment where you need to make a quick decision, it's great to have a friend to convince you to purchase a one-of-a-kind piece or talk you out of buying something that you definitely don't need.

If you missed it, check out our review of the club monaco sample sale for more info on shopping sample sales. Stay tuned for a post on our best sample sale finds!

review: club monaco sample sale 2013

Holly: Normally I'm not a huge fan of the Clothingline Sample Sales but this time Molly and I both had some good luck! We showed up a little bit before six and walked out with our bags a half hour later. The line was about sixty people long but it moved at a pretty decent pace; I was kind of surprised it was so short considering that items were further marked down on Wednesday.

When we got inside I immediately noticed the abundance of size 12s, which is something that I also spotted at this same sale during the spring. Usually Clothingline provides makeshift dressing rooms but this time there were absolutely no try-ons, which explained why there were so many pairs of pants still up for grabs. I was pretty overwhelmed as there wasn't any consistent organization at this sale; in one section there was a grouping of all of the same dresses and on another there were miscellaneous samples and all different pieces hanging on the same rack. According to Racked, the sale will be restocked all week with the exception of the jewelry and accessories (Note: skip that section anyway since most items are very outdated or broken).

I purchased this awesome white jacket that will be
perfect for layering in the spring. I'd wear it layered
over a dress or with ankle length pants.
-kassandra jacket-

Molly: This was actually my first time at a Clothingline Sample Sale, and though the space was much larger and it was easier to sort through racks, I much prefer the more intimate sales, such as those held at 260 Sample Sale. Like Holly mentioned, the biggest problem at this sale was the lack of fitting rooms, and the strict rules against trying items on in front of mirrors. There were some pants in interesting materials and fabrics, but without being able to try on, Holly and I immediately skipped them. 

 This pair caught our attention but we had to 

leave it on the rack since there were no fitting rooms.

-ali cropped pant-

Most of the items were on the summery side of the color and pattern scale - pastels, neons, tropical prints - so if you're looking to stock up for Spring/Summer 2014 it might be worth checking out. A good piece of advice for this sale is to keep your eyes peeled. Like Holly noted some of the racks were less organized than others, so its easy to miss unique pieces. One of the items I bought was spotted in someone else's arms at the pay counter in front of me. I kept my eye on her and as soon as I noticed she didn't take it, I snagged it. Sequins and feathers are also a good indication of a unique item. 

-tamia jacket-

Despite not being that impressed with the sale, I walked away with a knit peplum top that I can't wait to layer over a turtleneck, a bold black and white striped jacket perfect for work, and a cute journal that I plan on using for tracking my 25th year, all for $60.

-jane peplum top-

The Club Monaco sample sale runs through Friday November 1. Wed-Friday 11am-7pm. Clothingline, 261 W. 36th St between Seventh and Eighth Aves. For a more detailed rundown of stock & pricing check out Racked.