After Saks closed on Saturday, I decided to pay homage by visiting the Saks Off Fifth at Tanger Outlets. I was pretty disappointed :(
Of course, my first stop was the sunglasses. Full disclosure, I work for Luxottica and get a discount on their products, so I was really only here to stalk out non-Lux brands since I can get the others over at our Sunglass Hut in this outlet center. I found quite a few pairs that I liked (Chloe, Marc Jacobs, Fendi) though all the styles were definitely a few years old, so it's doubtful you'll find any last-season stuff here. I eventually decided on a pair of Celine shades for $130. Unfortunately, they did not have the original case available, so I had to pass (I am OCD about my sunglass collection!). I also should mention that at other Off Fifths that I have visited, I have had to pass up dozens of dream pairs because the lenses were severely scratched. Fortunately, this location seems to have mostly perfect or near-perfect condition sunglasses.
Onto the handbags--worthless. There was a bunch of Juicy Couture and old lady evening bags. No thank you.
Shoes are what I consider the crown jewel of the discount shopping experience. I usually have a lot of luck with discounted shoes because I wear a size 5-5.5...I've been on a roll this winter, but unfortunately, my winning streak did not continue at Off Fifth. There was hardly anything in my size, and the selection was so poor, there wasn't even anything I wished I could fit into. Lots of Saks-brand ballet flats and Cole Haan loafers. Like, I'm 4'10"...where are the heels hiding?!
The women's clothing selection was poor as well. I feel that it skews to the more conservative crowd. If you are looking for office wear, you might have some luck, but as I don't work in a cubicle, this isn't a part of my fashion repertoire. I almost thought they didn't carry any contemporary labels because the selection was so small, but they did have a couple very tiny racks of Vince, Elizabeth & James, Alice + Olivia, Free People, Rag & Bone...sizes were extremely limited. They did have a wall of designer denim, but I am not a jeans girl so I skipped it.
This store IS extremely organized for an outlet store and I am grateful for that. But the bottom line is, I came here to "go shopping" and left emptyhanded. I may try my luck again in a couple months. read more