If you’re like me, you know the feeling of watching an item like a hawk (a terrible metaphor for someone who knows very little about birds) until it hits the price you like. While I’ve begun to do this less as my income has increased and my time has become more precious, I still love to saunter through the sale rack in hopes of uncovering that one sacred find. because the 5th and 16th location is conveniently near my work, i enjoy a stroll through on my way to the F train.
I do like Anthroplogie. If for no other reason, the environs are angelic and smart, whimsical and worldly, all at the same time. And i have found some items there that have been truly enjoyable and fun to own. But i must be honest on a few levels: first, their clothes look better in their stunningly decorated surroundings than they ever look on the body. The fabrics are delicate and even flimsy and don’t really stand the test of time. But even that is okay sometimes if you find the piece de resistance.
The problem is this: if you’re hoping for that particular piece to go on sale…chances are, it never will. A long time ago, when I had just finished college, and $70.00 felt like a prohibitive amount of money to spend on a pair of pants, I recall asking a saleswoman when they would perhaps be marked down. it was then that she revealed something her boss would probably not be too happy about: sale items are completely random and arbitrary. The garments on the sale rack are shipped from their other stores around the country and may indeed be from past seasons rather than from last month. I felt like I was being tricked. like i was being robbed of my fundamental right to prey on an item until it met my buying standards.
Yes, I still pop in. and yes, there is, on occasion, something to be found in this “sale” area. But still, I can’t help but feel that there’s something unconscionable about this. I recently inquired again as to whether or not my “insider” information was accurate. Another saleswoman, though more obliquely, confirmed that indeed sale stuff is random and not necessarily pulled from their floor. In all my years of shopping there, i have never seen an item at regular price re-appear in the sale area. It makes me angry; I feel cheated. Still, if you want to hit the sale rack, I’ve found that the one on West Broadway in Soho is the best. Maybe their merchandise is coming from…uptown?!
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I agree. I like the 16 and 5th store the door is very pretty.