In case you missed the massive Comme des Garçons archival sale two years ago, you're in luck: It's back. Like last time, the stock is massive, spanning nearly eight years of runway and commercial pieces from all of the brands, including Tao, Junya Watanabe, Comme des Garçons BLACK, and more. Prices are 70 percent off the original price on tags (50 percent for BLACK pieces), and range from $20 for a T-shirt to over $1,500 for runway looks, with stock being replenished daily. With most pieces in the $300 to $600 range after discount, the sale is certainly not cheap-cheap, but ardent fans of the brand will find plenty of iconic pieces at a deep discount. A lot of the items are one-offs from the archives, so grab fast because they will likely disappear quickly. Read on for our breakdown of how to best navigate the sale and to see a sampling of the merch.
Three large vats of accessories frame the entrance. Fans of wallets and pouches will be thrilled with the selection in velvet, houndstooth, and checkered patterns marked down to $37 and up. Don't miss the bin of men's accessories with hats and ties that are $30 and up. Past the vats, the main sale sorts the men's selection to the right and the women's to the left, with shoes in the middle. A word of warning to those unfamiliar with the brand's shoe sizing: Japanese sizing tends to run large, so consult the handy charts and find a quiet corner (if one exists) to try them on. Shoes include standard oxfords in black, white, and a smattering of metallics, along with Repetto x Comme des Garçons ballet flats and Tretorn x Comme des Garçons sneakers.
If you're on the hunt for Comme des Garçons PLAY pieces, there's one rail filled with kid-size T-shirts in the center along with colorful discontinued styles, but besides that the sale doesn't have any classic pieces from the line. The real treasures are for collectors of iconic CDG goods, like spring 2005's biker ballerina collection, some of which is currently on display at the Met's new punk exhibit. For men, outerwear is a highlight, including printed blazers from the spring 2006 Rolling Stones collection and Junya Watanabe's sporty bombers. And to tempt even further, more tubs filled with jewelry, snow globes, and scarves precede the cashiers. So come early, be prepared to wait, and allocate plenty of time to carefully peruse each rack. It's a bit overwhelming, even for sample-sale devotees.
Just Comme des Garçons New York Market Market, 2, 127 W. 30th St.; Friday, Saturday, and Monday 10 a.m.–7 p.m., Sunday, noon–8 p.m. Cash and credit cards accepted.
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