The Choosy Beggar

Some guys hear the word ‘sale’ and picture brutish bargain hunters fighting over second-rate scraps under bad fluorescent lighting. In reality, plenty of sale settings rival the best retail experiences, as in the case of this week’s Fred Perry sale. Soft lighting, records spinning, charming digs, friendly staff. Now, the discounts aren’t spectacular, sizes run small, and 27th between 10th & 11th isn’t an ideal locale, but the offerings are ample and varied… for sweaters, light jackets, pullovers, and kicks, anyway. 

Sweaters are on sale for between $50-$100 –       

Light jackets are going for just over $100 – 

Only a few coats, but they’re well worth their $127 price tag – 

We were digging this messenger for about $65 – 

And this leather bag for about $215 – 

Did we mention a nice selection of (small) kicks for between $50-$100? – 

Fred Perry Sale – 547 W 27th St between 10th & 11th – 3rd fl – 212-736-3030 – Tues-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat-Sun 12pm-6pm – Map

At 12 noon today, Paul Smith sunglasses go on sale at Gilt.com. The Beggar has your invite to the member’s-only shopping site HERE.

Among the many changes we expect President-elect Barack Obama to usher in, we anticipate he and the first lady setting new standards for style on a scale not seen since the Kennedy’s ruled Camelot. They’ve already made their own style statements. Michelle recently set a frugal-yet-upbeat tone by doing Leno in head-to-toe J. Crew, while Obama just told homeboys everywhere to pull up their pants and grow the f#%^ up. And though their initial overtures point in a rather conservative direction, we expect to see some serious style on display at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue once the two settle in.

Corpus designers Jerrod Cornish & Keith Richardson recently designed a line for Urban Outfitters, byCorpus. Here’s a promotional interview they did around its launch. Oh, and a few pieces from the line are now on sale like this Raglan Woven shirt for $20.