Plugging In to Clothes Outlets Near Manhattan

NEW YORK —  New York’s great shopping isn’t limited to Manhattan. For many locals and visitors, outlet malls have become the preferred place to shop in the metropolitan area. Within 1 1/2 hours in almost any direction, you can find the hottest names in fashion--Donna Karan, Adrienne Vittadini, Ellen Tracy, Gucci, Escada, Laurel, Crisca, Mondi, Charles Jourdan, Giorgio Armani and so on--at up to 75% off the prices in department and specialty stores.

Designer fashions and apparel are the biggest draw. But the malls also attract shoppers looking for big names in accessories, shoes and housewares: Mark Cross, Carlos Falchi, Dooney & Bourke, Cole Haan, Villeroy & Boch, Waterford-Wedgwood, Mikasa, American Tourister and Dansk.

And getting there is easy. You can take inexpensive, efficient public transportation to some of the outlet malls, but even if you rent a car, you can probably recoup the cost of your trip just by the money saved. How’s that for rationalization?

Located about an hour’s drive north of Manhattan in Central Valley, N.Y., is Woodbury Common, an all-purpose outlet shopping center.

Another mall, Outlets at Norwalk, in Norwalk, Conn., can be easily reached by commuter train. Board it in Manhattan at the Port Authority; about an hour later it will stop just off the parking lot of the 25-store complex.

On Long Island, three outlets within doors of one another--Coach, Joan & David and Daryl Westfall--offer enough savings on first-quality, end-of-season and sample leather shoes, handbags and accessories to make the trip worthwhile. They can be reached by 2 1/2-hour train ride from Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan or by rental car in slightly less time (avoiding rush-hour driving).

Across the Hudson River from Manhattan, New Jersey is home to Liberty Village outlets in Flemington and four centers in Secaucus: Harmon Cove, Castle Road Outlet Center, Designer Outlet Gallery and Outlets at the Cove. Distance by car from Manhattan averages 35 to 45 minutes. An additional advantage to shopping in New Jersey is that there is no sales tax on clothing.

Most of the outlets near Manhattan offer 40% to 50% off retail prices. But during sales and specials--both of which are frequent these days--you can save as much as 75%. All of the outlet malls publish complimentary multi-page directories advertising sales and specials, store ads and money-saving coupons, and distribute them at information booths within the malls.

The Chelsea Group owns Woodbury Common and Liberty Village, as well as outlet malls in Ohio, California, Kansas, Virginia and Upstate New York. The design and caliber of stores in Liberty Village and Woodbury Common are basically the same. Each has brick walkways and buildings arranged in a village setting.

Woodbury Common has attracted the cream of high-ticket designer fashions with Adrienne Vittadini, Anne Klein, Carole Little, Donna Karan, Ellen Tracy, Gucci, First Choice (Escada, Laurel, Crisca), Mondi, Rodier Paris and Moda (Valentino, Ungaro, Joseph Abboud, Giorgio Armani) among them. It has the only Mark Cross outlet, and sometime this year will open the only Gruen watch outlet, as well as outlets for Eddie Bauer, J. Crew, Nike, Cole Haan, Kenneth Cole and JH Collectibles.

A DKNY sleeveless cotton hooded bodysuit with elasticized leg openings and snap closures was $40 in the Spiegel catalogue. The Donna Karan outlet had it for $20 regularly, and a special fall sale discounted it another 25%, down to $15. A DKNY black leather belt with leather lacing and a rounded metal buckle that was priced at $110 in a department store and a catalogue was only $50 at the outlet. And with the additional 25% off because of the sale, it dropped to $37.50.

At Ellen Tracy, the evening wear was a steal. An elegant black-beaded silk shell that retailed for $1,120 was $728. An outlet sale reduced it to an irresistible $280. Ellen Tracy eye wear regularly priced at $75 was $38. A loose-fitting, short-sleeve striped silk blouse was $74. Its retail price was $210.

Not every store makes a hit every time. Though prices on shoes at the Charles Jourdan outlet in September were appealing, the selection was drab.

The Housewares store offered substantial savings on cookware, glassware, cutlery and baby bibs. Baby bibs and picture frames appliqued with whimsical characters were $8.95 and $9.95, respectively. I saw similar gift items in a Louisville children’s clothing store for twice the price.

At Liberty Village, you can save at Donna Karan, Adrienne Vittadini, Anne Klein, Joan & David shoes, Skyr, Perry Ellis, Carole Little, Geoffrey Beene, The Gem Vault, Lots of Linens, Villeroy & Boch, 9 West, Athletic Outlook and Capezio.

A shipment of ski wear just put on the racks at Skyr was tagged “Spring 1991,” but the colors and styles were still fashionable and the prices attractive. Much of the selection was either Gore-Tex or Aqua Tech filled with Dupont ThermoLoft. One style of jumpsuit called Carnivale that usually retails at Skyr stores for $259 was marked down to $169. The matching parka, regularly $159, was $97. Cotton turtlenecks in assorted colors were $6.99 to $9.99.

Men’s heavyweight Gore-Tex Venture-style ski pants with Ultro insulation were $123, reduced from $185. Less expensive styles ran $34.99, marked down from $58, with matching ski jackets ranging from $78 to $117.

Cape Isle Knitters specializes in knitwear, especially sweaters. It had good buys on cotton/nylon socks in a rainbow of colors for 99 cents, regularly $3.99. Men’s high-quality, short-sleeve, polo-style shirts in a cashmere-soft cotton knit were only $9.99, but the selection was limited. Short-sleeve cotton pique polos were $12.99.

In Secaucus, N.Y., many of the 150 outlets are concentrated within the four centers (Harmon Cove, Castle Road Outlet Center, Designer Outlet Gallery and Outlets at the Cove) and on the streets in between: Enterprise Avenue, Castle Road, Meadowlands Parkway and Aquarium Drive.

They include Gucci, Andrew Marc, Calvin Klein, Bally, Anne Klein, Jindo Furs, Searle, Jones New York, Carole Hochman, Adrianna Papel, Laura Ashley, Mondi, He-Ro Group (Bob Mackie, Oleg Cassini, Blassport, Fabrice) and Geoffrey Beene, Aileen, Toy Liquidators, American Tourister, Jonathan Logan and Mikasa.

At Anne Klein, watches were $45 to $49. The same timepieces in Macy’s ran $95 to $195. In the Spiegel catalogue they were $95 to $150. Two matte gold-tone metal necklaces retailed for $45 and $55, but were outlet priced at only $27 and $33, respectively. Anne Klein’s signature umbrellas with wooden handles that run $20 in department stores were only $12 here.

There is a sale rack somewhere in all the Anne Klein outlets. On one such rack we found additional 50% reductions on a linen three-pocket jacket and matching short skirt. They retailed for $236 and $104, were outlet priced at $129 and $59, then were reduced to a final $64.50 and $29.50.

Usually pricey, Mondi’s outlet has brought the prices down to a more affordable level. A wool and mohair Chanel-style, three-quarter-length jacket with four pockets and gold-tone buttons down the front and on the sleeves and each pocket was reduced from $490 to $172. An equally elegant black velvet evening jacket with gold-braided frog closures was discounted from $770 to $269.

Ten years ago, outlets may have sold off marginal merchandise. Today, especially among the better names, terms such as “irregulars” and “seconds” usually mean the piece is ever-so-slightly marred or soiled. At The Company Store, Dooney & Bourke’s tony discontinued styles and “imperfect” handbags and other leather accessories have minor surface marks, prompting the company to reduce them 20% to 30%. Even the more notable irregularities may easily be remedied at a shoe repair shop for a few dollars.

The mall also has outlets for Harv Benard; Nichols Shoes; Van Heusen, and Bed, Bath & Beyond, as well as By The Yard.

East of Manhattan, Amagansett, Long Island, could be called a leather outlet mecca, for it is there that three manufacturers of fine leather goods have clustered their outlets: Coach, Joan & David and Daryl Westfall.

At the Joan & David outlet, shoes cost as little as $45. To clear their summer shoes at the end of the season, they knocked off an additional 50%. A pair of men’s lightweight wing tips retailing for $315 was on sale in September for $199. Sample shoes were priced even lower.

Coach’s normally pricey handbags and accessories were reduced 20% to 40%. Several discontinued styles regularly retailing for about $200 were priced at about $150.

Daryl Westfall carries expensive lines of leather goods, including designs by De Vecchi and Il Bisonte. The De Vecchi large-flap shoulder handbag that retails for $880 was only $695. Expect to save as much as 50%.

GUIDEBOOK

Discount Stores Near Manhattan

New York

Woodbury Common: Route 32, Central Valley, (914) 928-4000.

Joan & David: Hedges Lane (on Amagansett Square), Amagansett, (516) 267-3358.

Daryl Westfall Accessories: Main Street (on Amagansett Square), Amagansett, (516) 267-8956.

Coach Factory Store: Main Street (on Amagansett Square), Amagansett, (516) 267-3340.

New Jersey

Liberty Village: One Church St., Flemington, (908) 782-8550.

Castle Road Outlet Center: 600 Meadowland Parkway, Secaucus, (201) 319-1604.

Designer Outlet Gallery: 55 Hartz Way, Secaucus, (201) 392-9756.

Harmon Cove: 20 Enterprise Ave., Secaucus, (201) 348-4780.

Outlets at the Cove: 45 Meadowland Parkway, Secaucus, (201) 348-4780.

Connecticut

Outlets at Norwalk: 11 Rowan St., Norwalk, (203) 838-1349.