to shop / mansur gavriel online sample sale review and tips

Image: Mansur Gavriel

Mansur Gavriel is currently hosting its first sample sale through April 21 in Soho. Today is the third day. I didn’t have high expectations for the sale, but from the sample sale reports on social media, it looks amazing minus the lines. They have significant discounts, variety, no complaints on bag condition, restocking throughout, etc. Sample sales rarely bring out the best in people. When the discounts are 70% off patent leather or fabric bags, 50% off suede, calf, or tumbled leather bags, 40% off vegetable tanned leather bags, $125 for flat clutches, and 65% off ready to wear, it’s a bargain hunter’s paradise as much as it is a reseller’s.

The rest of this post will focus on the online sample sale experience. Hopefully it helps someone who wants to try for Day 4. This is based on my own online shopping experiences as well as tips that other shoppers have left on social media and forums. This is not a true sample sale but more like an overstock/clearance of discontinued items sale.

Tips for Navigating the Online Sample Sale

Patience and Attitude

MG didn’t have to put this sale online. It’s limited supply with an extremely hot demand, so expect stuff to sell out within minutes of being added to the site.

Planning What You Want

• Do your research on styles, types of leathers, and colors. This won’t help you for any discontinued models that currently aren’t on the site.
• Have a list of what you want and a budget. When new inventory drops, you won’t have much time to think. This will help you stick to what you want and not buy for the sake of the deal.
• To date, they have been adding new inventory (styles/leathers/colors) to the top of the page, sorted in color groups for that day. This means that styles/leathers/colors offered on prior days were not restocked. It’s hard to say if they will follow the same approach tomorrow or restock old styles tomorrow. Better yet, sell any unsold inventory from their physical sale online after tomorrow. See the bottom of the post for the list of what has already been released and their prices.
• Prices are similar to the physical sample sale prices. Exceptions are there are some patent items that were 50% instead of 70%.

Prepping to Buy

• Timing: The physical sale started at 8am EST on Thursday-Saturday and is scheduled to start at 10am EST on Sunday. The online sale updates roughly around the same time. It can happen before or after the start time, but the variance is minimal. I.e. you need to be ready leading up to 8am or 10am, but 8am or 10am on the dot.
• “Shopping through Instagram Stories”: MG initially advertised that some bags would be sold through Instagram Stories. Well, all they did was post a public link in Instagram Stories. You can access the sale faster by going straight to the sample sale page which was advertised in their e-mail blasts.
• Desktop and/or Mobile: I think mobile slows you down. I used a desktop and also have dual monitor screens. Say you are looking for a tote. You can easily search and jump to all instances of “tote”. The dual monitor screen is good for multitasking such as checking out on one screen and seeing what refreshed on the sample sale page on the other screen.
• Sorted by Color: Items that drop for the day are arranged in color groups. So if you’re very partial for a color, scroll through and look for the color.
• Account Set-Up/Mailing List: You should already have an account set-up and signed up for the mailing list. Although typically the e-mails are sent a few minutes after the inventory has already been refreshed, it’s better than nothing. There should be minimal entering of any information during checkout.
• Credit Card or PayPal: PayPal is much faster and less prone to errors. Do a dry run with a non-sale item so your PayPal login is working and doesn’t require a fresh login.
  • 5% cashback tip: Chase Freedom has 5% back on all PayPal purchases this quarter. My default credit card is currently set to a Chase Freedom. Chase Freedom also has Return Protection in case something goes wrong with your Final Sale purchase, but note this benefit is rumored to be discontinued very soon.
  • Many credit cards have return protection, in case you have issues with your “Final Sale” item.
• Checkout ASAP: Once you have something in your cart, checkout ASAP. Most sites do not reserve items in the cart for you. MG definitely does not. Shipping is free worldwide anyways, so there is nothing you would benefit from by trying to buy multiple things in one shot.
• Refresh the Sample Sale Page: They added items in waves. It also looks like quantity was refreshed for some of those after the first “Sold Out”. This all happened in the first hour.
• Boxes: They weren’t given to the physical sample sale buyers. It’s unclear what will be done for online orders.
• Negative Outcomes:
  • “Sold Out”: Sold Out on the sample sale landing page and on the product page lags. This means you may add something to your cart and when you click on checkout, it already sold out. Frustrating, I know.
  • Waitlist: Sometimes on the product page, there will be a “Waitlist” button. Click on it and enter your e-mail because you will get an alert if they add inventory. This button tends to only appear right after something goes poof.
  • Cancellations: Some people have been getting cancellations ~20 minutes after they ordered. If this happens, reach out to their social media because it looks like they were able to help people.

Alternatives

• Check the reseller sites (eBay, Poshmark, Tradesy) but beware of fakes. Items from the sale have already been posted (it’s rather obvious with the influx of patent leather and canvas). Some people will be itching to get rid of something and only wants to break even.
• Used MG typically goes for good buyer-friendly prices.

Styles/Colors/Leathers and Prices

All items are listed on the sample sale page.

• Day 1:
  • Calf bucket $350 in Royal
  • Calf mini bucket $305 in Royal
  • Calf mini mini bucket $240 in Sea Blue
  • Calf mini lady $525 in Royal, Sea Blue
  • Calf large tote $340 in Royal
  • Calf saddle $450 in Blu
  • Calf ocean $350 in Blu, White, Moss
  • Patent mini bucket $135 in Blu, Sea Blue
  • Patent mini mini bucket $105 in Sea Blue
  • Patent mini mini sun $120 in Sea Blue
  • Patent mini moon clutch $75 in Black
  • Tumble mini bucket $265 in Royal
  • Suede bucket $300 in Chocolate
  • Suede mini bucket $250 in Chocolate
  • Suede mini sun $350 in Blu
  • Suede flat clutch $125 in Black, Royal, Moss
  • Suede elegant $400 in Royal
  • Canvas bucket $160 in Creme/Black, Black/Black, Creme/Cammello, Creme/Brandy
  • Stripe north south tote $175 in Moss/White
  • Stripe circle bag $270 in Moss/White
  • Stripe volume clutch $180 Moss/White
• Day 2:
  • Calf bucket $350 in Peony
  • Calf mini lady $525 in Peony
  • Calf posternak $445 in Rosa, White
  • Calf saddle bag $450 in Blush, Rosa, Flamma
  • Calf with suede baguette $350 in Flamma
  • Saffiano mini mini bucket $220 in Silver/Argento
  • Patent bucket $135 in Rosa
  • Patent mini bucket $225 in Blush. Black
  • Patent mini mini bucket $105 in Black
  • Patent mini mini bucket $105 in Rosa, Flamma
  • Patent mini sun $180 in Blush
  • Patent mini mini sun $120 in Blush
  • Patent moon clutch $145 in Blu
  • Tumble mini lady $525 in Peony
  • Tumble large sun $450 in Rococo, Peony
  • Tumble mini sun $550 in Peony, Moss
  • Suede bucket $295 in Rococo, Brick
  • Suede mini lady $375 in Rococo
  • Suede backpack $450 in Blue
  • Suede sun $445 in Rococo, Chocolate, Black, Brick
  • Suede mini sun $345 in Moss
  • Suede flat clutch $125 in Blue, Flamma
  • Canvas lady $250 in Black/Black, Creme/Black, Creme/Brandy
  • Grosgrain elegant bag $210 in Rosa
  • Stripe north south tote $175 in Black/Flamma
• Day 3:
  • Calf large tote $340 in Rosa, Coral, Flamma, Olive, Moss, Blu
  • Calf mini backpack $395 in Coral
  • Calf mini crossbody $265 in Coral
  • Calf bucket $345 in Sand
  • Calf mini bucket $305 in Sand
  • Calf elegant bag in $410 in Flamma, Moss
  • Calf mini mini sun bag $225 in Moss
  • Saffiano large tote $310 in Rosa
  • Saffiano mini backpack $345 in Flamma
  • Tumble small tote $270 in Black
  • Tumble bucket $315 in Flamma, Blu
  • Tumble mini bucket $265 in Moss
  • Tumble lady $595 in Blu
  • Tumble mini lady $525 in Moss
  • Suede sun $350 in Blu
  • Vegetable tanned ocean $360 in Black

 

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to shop / {sale alert} crate & barrel x baggu marimekko-ish exclusive

I have a weakness for good Baggu collaborations. This Crate & Barrel exclusive polka dot bag reminds me of the Marimekko Räsymatto print. It’s on clearance, which means its days are numbered!

to shop / {sale alert} clare v la tropezienne in white and black

My favorite Clare Vivier style after all of these years is still the La Tropezienne (previously reviewed). There are two colors (white and black) in the short handle length (the OG) that is currently on super sale. Rare, considering CV’s own site no longer carries them.

Note: If anybody else loves the original La Trop luscious, thick, durable leather as much as I do, they refer to it as “Old Fashion” and I think “Rustic”. They are using this leather in the new Le Big Sac on Clare V and Anthropologie. They also used it for the black Frances shoulder bag, which is now sold out (Edit: Found it here). I got both bags in black in late 2017 and they had both sold out quickly. Le Big Sac just came back in new colors. I may eventually post a review of both. If you see either sold on Garmentory, proceed with caution.

Without further ado, a mini ode to the white La Trop:

Images: Clare V’s blog and Instagram

to shop / shopping directory: where to buy clare vivier (including current discounts)

Last updated March 4, 2018.

Here’s a full directory of where you can find Clare Vivier on the internet.

• (*) denotes non-US stores.
• (**) denotes I’ve seen them have a sale on CV bags.
• (***) denotes that items may be backordered.

This is periodically updated. If you have any updates, please leave a comment.

My Clare Vivier collection started in 2009 and includes two brown Tropeziennes (both handle lengths), a black Tropezienne (short handle), a navy messenger, a black leather simple tote, and various clutches. I’ve also owned the leather weekender, Bando, Wren leopard tote, and a patent shopping tote (that is no longer sold), but bid farewell to them via eBay.

Anthropologie**, ***. In general, they have a nice selection of Clare V’s handbags and clutches. Keep an eye out for markdowns.

Bird Boutique. Limited selection.

Clare Vivier**, ***. Naturally has the best selection. Sales are very infrequent and typically not site-wide.

Eaton Trading Company**. Good sales on major holidays, however, limited selection.

eBay. Secondhand but best way to find something you missed out on.

Garmentory. I’m not linking them here for a reason. I shopped from them and was disappointed that one of their boutiques shipped me a non-flat CV handbag in a plastic Garmentory shipping bag with no padding or protection. That alone is not enough for me to write them off, but the fact that they never bothered to respond to emails is. Stick with the other sites!

Lane-Knight**

Lisa Says Gah

Need Supply

Net-A-Porter US**

Net-A-Porter Europe

Nicole Kwon Concept Store

Nordstrom**

Olivela

Revolve Clothing**

Serafina

Shopbop**

Shop Spring** Similar to Garmentory, it’s a network of retailers/boutiques, but they tend to be much larger and more reputable.

The Outnet** Net-A-Porter’s outlet. Below retail.

TheRealReal** Items may be used. Always below retail.

Yoox

And some collab exclusives…

Apolis market bag

The Inside Pillow home decor and furniture

Clare V wallpaper at One Kings Lane and Lulu and Georgia

Maya Brenner necklaces

Casetify iPhone leather cases

Paige Jeans wristlets

 

to shop / uniqlo airism slip + uniqlo u crewneck short sleeve tee

Uniqlo Airism Slip
Uniqlo has fiiiiinally brought back the Airism slip. I last sighted and bought them in 2014. My slips are starting to show some wear (after wearing them hundreds of times) and I’ve been patiently waiting for Uniqlo to bring them back! The fabric content for the 2018 iteration is 59% Nylon, 31% Cupro, 10% Spandex versus 67% Cupro, 30% Nylon, 3% Spandex for their 2014 iteration. I’m expecting them to be less soft. I will update this post once I get my order. (March 2018 Edit: The new slips feels just as soft, but cooler. It is also slightly shorter, so size up if you want more length. Since it has a lot of stretch, it will still cling in to fit.)

Uniqlo U Crewneck Short-Sleeve T-Shirt
I really love the simple Crewneck Short Sleeve T-Shirt from the Uniqlo U collection by Christophe Lemaire. I would’ve blogged about it months ago, as it shows up in every Uniqlo U collection, but never got around it. Most Uniqlo U items run very big, but this is true to size. It is a thick knit tee in good colors, 100% cotton, not form fitting yet fitted, comfortable, and a bargain $9.90. There are striped designs will be released in early March (but will be more than $9.90). The other tee that I wear the most is from Petit Bateau which is harder to find and at least double the price. (March 2018 Edit: The striped version is out, I’m sad to say that while both solid and striped tees are 100% cotton, the striped ones are rougher.)

Photos: Uniqlo

 

to shop / {high and low} celine small vertical cabas tote vs mark and graham italian leather crossbody tote

I bought the Celine small vertical cabas tote in black grained calfskin (FR link) a few years ago and promptly sold it as it was an unplanned purchase in Paris (and had to do with leftover credit). I don’t regret it, the timing was off. Lately I’ve been wanting the same bag again, but I couldn’t find it in during my last trip to Europe. I’m guessing this style and color is hard to find outside of Paris, which has an abundance of Celine stockists. Celine has updated their website since so now you can easily search for availability online.

I came upon Mark and Graham and their Italian Leather Crossbody Tote looked very much inspired by the Celine. (Note: this site is owned by Williams-Sonoma and will put a monogram on everything.) M&G has some good looking bags but it’s hard to find reviews of them. I have one piazza zip pouch from M&G made of Italian leather and the leather is very nice. I would say it’s a similar leather as this bag.

(Images: Celine, Mark and Graham)

The M&G comes in navy, brown, and cream. Of the three colors, I think Celine’s only ever made it in cream. I like the navy and the brown, but would’ve preferred it in black. I ordered a monogram-less brown and navy when it was initially marked down.

(Image: Mark and Graham)

My photo of the actual item

Notes: 

• Dimensions were very similar.
• Leather grain was noticeable smaller and more delicate on the Celine.

What I didn’t like:

• Hardware: There’s a round piece of hardware on the sides of the bag. It distracts from the sleekness. You can see it the clearest on the blue bag above.
• Edges: The vertical edges are very round and nowhere near a 90 degree angle and as a result didn’t appear to be straight edge (as seen above). Also distracting from the sleekness. I think this comes from the stiffness of the leather and don’t see it going away or softening up with usage.
• Hard to adjust strap: I’m not sure if it’s that hard to adjust the strap length on the Celine but it was impossible to adjust on this bag. If you’re shorter end of petite, you would need to get extra holes punched.

Verdict: I didn’t expect the M&G to match up to the Celine at ~10-20% of the price. The M&G sale price is a steal (I didn’t think it’s worth its retail) and a good buy for someone who wants this style and doesn’t mind the lack of defined edges. I am still waiting to encounter the Celine again.

Note on Mark & Graham shopping experience:

• If you want to be able to return it, don’t get it monogrammed. I have gotten stuff monogrammed before and some were done poorly. They were good about sending replacements. 
• The returning process was slow compared to most other e-tailers. It took them almost 2 weeks to process the return after receipt during the summer and maybe it’s because I sent an email to inquire on the status. They also charge you for the UPS label (which is fine given the size of the boxes). 

to shop / pearl earrings

I really like the aesthetics of Sophie Bille Brahe. Even if I could save a little bit from shopping from European sites, the prices are still too high for a trendy style I’m not guaranteed to love and the SBB earring prices are for a single earring.

Enter Pinterest which shows your similar images and reminded me that affordable alternatives were feasible. I first found a Korean brand (CRANNE), but the prices were still a bit high and it’s hard to make a return to Korea. Eventually I found Ross-Simons and these pearl crawlers (3-6.5mm cultured pearls and 14k backing) for less than 10% of the SBB earrings. (I almost bought these on Etsy but prefer shopping within the US + return policy.) This is my second pair of crawlers — the first pair I got in a Shanghai boutique eventually broke, another reason not to spend too much on crawlers.

Some of my pearl earring collection…

 

(Left) I got the Chanel earrings as a birthday gift to myself at duty-free years ago and slightly regret not getting something bigger.

(Right) This pair is also from Ross-Simons. I like the front-back look and this pair makes it very easy to put on. You can easily wear the top pearl on its own if you have extra backings. Overall they are much bigger and I wouldn’t mind finding a daintier version in cultured pearls.

(Background) I’m also a big fan of the Muji acrylic storage and velour inserts, which has helped immensely with organizing and centralizing my jewelry.

to shop / tatcha lucky bag

Tatcha‘s fukubukuro (“lucky bag”) promotion is back through January 14, 2018 with code LUCK18. These bags are a part of the Japanese New Year traditions — retailers selling grab bags of goods at discounted prices, partially to unload excess inventory. I wouldn’t buy something just to get the grab bag, but it’s a nice treat if you’re already planning a purchase.

Last year, I got two products in my lucky bag – a full size Deep Hydration Firming Serum ($95 value) and a travel size Gentle Rice Enzyme Powder ($15 value). I saw that some people got more travel size items instead of a full size item.

I recommend the:

• One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil (review). I love cleansers and this is great as a year-round cleansing oil. I use this a few times a week as a first cleanse (I have been alternating with the Tata Harper Nourishing Oil Cleanser). I’m finishing up my second bottle and have a third on deck.
• Indigo collection (review).
• I no longer regularly use it, but the Dewy Skin Mist (review) is great if you need/love glow. I don’t recommend it if you have enough glow, which is my case mainly thanks to the LJH Vita Propolis Ampoule and Drunk Elephant C Firma Day Serum.
• Essence (review).

The Water Cream is really popular, but I tried it and found it too scented and performed similarly to other products. I will be trying the new Deep Cleanse.

to shop / susanne kaufmann advent calendar & anthropologie 30% off sale

When you mindlessly browse the internet and realize the Susanne Kaufmann advent calendar you really want is almost 60% off… I love Susanne Kaufmann but haven’t tried most things (aside from some bath products and a facial at the spa in Berlin) as it’s hard to access at a reasonable price here. Don’t fall for the Net-a-porter version in gold that has the same products in gold boxes for a much higher price.

Rest of the Anthropologie sale.

Their sister brand, Free People, also has a noteworthy beauty and wellness sale if you’re interested in consumables (Beauty Chef) or natural beauty.

to shop / 2017 cyber week deals

I wasn’t able to blog earlier, but rest assured, there are still plenty of sales going on in case you are late to the game, and Cyber Monday is sometimes better than Black Friday. I save many purchases for November — it’s best to navigate with a list in mind. Unfortunately, I don’t plan to update this during the day on Monday.

Overall
Anthropologie / 30% off through Sunday. Predicting it will be 20% off and a larger % off for sale items on Monday. I shop their homewares and beauty more often than their clothes. They have a ton of good stuff, especially natural beauty! Recent loves: Rooster Highball Glass Set, Aquis towels. Also really been wanting the Faravel Moto Jacket in my size (backordered) and this CJW Italian Elements Scarf.
Apple iTunes and Google Play gift cards from Costco for 15%+ off (requires membership). Whatever I can pay for through iTunes I will so that I’m getting a discount (including my Netflix). Youtube Red is also really useful for watching those Chinese dramas with 50+ episodes on my commute. The $100 iTunes gift card is also available at Amazon for $85 if you have the Discover credit card that gives you 5% cashback this quarter.
ShopSpring / Not sure if they will do Cyber Monday but hope they do. They are a shopping service and tend to do 20% off site-wide sales with a cap. This is great because they carry items from Clare V, L’Occitane, Barneys, Brooklinen, etc.
Target / 15% off Monday. This is when I stock up on Cerave foaming cleanser.
Texture / 3 months for $5. Expiration unknown. If you like to read magazines on your mobile device. I love this, especially when I am traveling. You can download all back issues too!
Amazon / $5 off $20 on books through Sunday with GIFTBOOK17.

Beauty 
Birchbox / Spend over $75 to get 25% site-wide through Monday. They carry some brands I love like Shu Uemura Art of Hair, Tata Harper, Dr Jart, and Oribe. You can also buy gift cards for subscriptions. I no longer get their box but this is the only time of year I would shop from them.
Dermstore / 25% off today, 30% off predicted for tomorrow. They carry a lot of other brands and I love that they also have a rewards program. They had a 30% off sale for Black Friday, currently have a 25% off sale, but I expect it to be 30% tomorrow with no exclusions. When it’s no exclusions, you can shop for Drunk Elephant. Nope, it was 25% the entire weekend and exclusions never lifted.
Glossier / 20% off and free shipping through Monday. I got the clear boy brow, stretch concealer, and body hero duo (hope it’s not too badly scented).
Tata Harper / 20% off $100+ with exclusions through Thursday, Nov 30. A pretty good sale but not the best sale. I ended up getting what I wanted at Birchbox or Cult Beauty’s Black Friday sale (with a nice gwp).
Tatcha / You have to submit your email to get your offer. They have a bunch of holiday sets. I also got their lip oil – which is nice, but a splurge. This is an ok sale — if you want Tatcha, be sure to check QVC as well who has their own sets and a free shipping promotion going on.
Bloomingdales / 10% almost all beauty with nice gwp (including full size items for Space NK purchases). Good through Monday.
Peach and Lily / 30% off Korean beauty through Monday. I have stuff in my cart but am tempted to buy nothing.
Neiman Marcus / They did a $50 off $200 through yesterday and now have a tiered gift certificate promotion. I only mention NM here because they have Vintner’s Daughter on back order.
Nordstrom / They have a lot of gift with purchases. Depending on what you are buying, the freebie may > a discount.

Clothing
Uniqlo / Love their Heattech stuff and collabs. They started their Black Friday sales early. This year I got some Ultra Warm Heattech items (which is warmer than Extra Warm).
J.Crew / Through Monday noon, 40% + 10% with some exclusions. (That’s 46% off.) I’ve been shopping a bit at J.Crew lately, but also returning a lot. If you like anything that Nordstrom carries, you can also pricematch there.
Petit Bateau / 50% off sitewide through Monday for Cyber Monday/Weekend. Black Friday was 40% off. I love their tees so I’m really excited for this milleraies travel set with shawl, eye mask, and pouch that’s made with the same material.

Home/Accessories
roztayger / 25% off full price with NOIR25. Exclusions noted on top of page. Tightly curated collection of bags. Through Monday, Nov 27.
MoMA Design Store / 20% off and free shipping through Monday. This is a pretty generous offer, especially if you are a member too. I love their curation (which also has some Uniqlo and Muji). They have the Stendig calendar which always sells out.
Need Supply Co. / 20% off through Sunday. Last year they did 25% off for Cyber Monday. A nice curation and while they have clothes, I’ve only paid attention to the home/office/accessories.
Baggu / 25% off through Monday. My favorite print of this season is the strawberry (sold out) and orange tree.
Rifle Paper Co. / 30% off through Tuesday.