I had soooo much buildup in my head for the awesomeness that would be the Gilt City Warehouse sale recently held in Hollywood that I suppose a let-down was imminent. Parking was no problem, there was no line and the sales people were all very friendly upon entering the location.
Unfortunately, that’s kind of where the good things tapered off.. My initial game plan was to go for the shoes first, most of which were used. I’m not totally against buying shoes that have been previously worn, but the prices did NOT match the wear and tear of most of the items. As an example, I tried on a pair of leopard calf hair pumps from DVF that were “on sale” for $240, marked down from $425. My impression of a warehouse sale would be to mark the item down by half, and then discount further based on use. These shoes should have been around $100, in my opinion. There were racks and racks of size 7’s, which was nice, but nothing that struck me as a pair that I needed to own.
Next, I moved on to the handbag and accessory section, and what a bummer! Everything was damaged in some way… marked by pens, missing crystals and straps, lacking working closures, or my favorite, a Moschino belt marked down to $85 from $650 that was completely unwearable.
Moving on to the clothing section, there were racks and racks of tops, skirts, pants, dresses (including Oscar-worthy gowns), thankfully organized by size. I was able to find a few items that I really did like, after an hour of scouring and trying things on in the community dressing room.

Another tee to add to my collection of basics with French words/sayings. This one is from the brand Best Society, still available here. I got it for $15.

I fell in love with this French Connection dress as soon as I saw the sweet embroidered print! How perfect for a spring event or even for running errands on a warm day (something to look forward to!)

So the color doesn’t really translate in the picture (light was not my friend when shooting these pieces), but this tweedy jacket is a pretty dusty warm mint, if that makes any sense. Also from Best Society, it has ivory faux-leather trim and a zippered front. I see this being worn in heavy rotation in a few months!

I’m not sure of the brand of this black and white number, but I thought it just had the most fun floral lace pattern and a great swing in the skirt.

The shoes and accessories sections, full of no-gos for me.

More duds and the men’s shoe section.

We started the morning off with cappuccinos and omelets at Vee’s café. Such a great idea.

Overall, I would go back for the next Gilt City warehouse sale, but instead of expecting to find new designer goods at fantastic discounts, I will vow to dig for finds from little-known brands, quirky basics and maybe even some fabulous piece that I will treasure forever.