Century 21, New York City

This is for the man of the house:
My daughter and I were visiting colleges last summer when we stumbled into this store.
(Its next to the WTC ground zero site) We had been in the West Village shops the day before but did not buy anything as she did not want to blow her entire trip budget on 1 or 2 items. She went crazy in this store. She's 17 and apparently designer name brand recognition is a standard feature on teenage girls. She got her mother on the phone and they double teamed me into letting her stock up on bargains.
Over a 3 day period we crammed in about 2+ hrs a day at that store. We shipped 4 packed boxes of clothes home and my total bill was about $1,200. (If you've ever shopped with a daughter searching for a special occasion dress you will be lucky to only drop $300 -$500 at the local mall, before the shoes and accessories)
I can attest that in the months that followed that trip she was the envy of her friends back home. And I was constantly reminded that the blah blah jeans she bought in New York for $40 are at our mall today for $100. We live in a small Texas city and the NYC bargain buys had not even hit our area at full retail.

What to buy: TIP: Go to the US Post Office around the corner and they will sell you a large box and all supplies needed to pack and ship your purchases home. ( Or more likely, she'll ship back the clothes she brought with her and wear her new stuff back home.) Either way you don't have to lug it back thru airports.
Pack it, seal it, lapel it, right there in the Post Office and for about $21.00 + $5.00 Insurance
(our average box) you are done. 1 of the boxes beat us home. I think 50# is maximum but that's not an issue with clothes.

I t's my favorite store in the world.Due to the fact that I can get designer duds for less.

What to buy: You can get anything Designer for less.I love the hats.I got Dolce&Gabbana,Fendi,Ck,Puma etc...............

What to pay: Expect to pay various price ranges.What ever floats ya boat.I spend $200 and up.

Century 21 is a discount department store specializing in designer apparel and accessories. There are 4 floors, with men's ladies and children's apparel, shoes, lingerie, linens, cosmetics, accessories, handbags, luggage, housewares, and gifts. This is a place where you will see brand names like Prada and Narciso Rodriguez side-by-side with Juicy and Miss Sixty.

Everything is well-organized, usually by brand and then size. Avoid going on the weekend if possible since the store can become very busy at times. Salespeople are hard to find everywhere but the cosmetics department, but I appreciate being able to browse in peace. Set aside at least a few hours to properly go through everything- they bring out new racks daily so check back if you have time.

What to buy: You can purchase almost anything here. Check the website for advertised sales to direct your shopping and save even more.

What to pay: You can expect to pay 25-75% off retail for clothes, shoes, etc. Some GREAT bargains to be had. I purchased two jersey dresses from my favorite brand Velvet during my stay, the total came to $85US and I just had to go back.

I live in Boston and am, of course, partial to Filene's Basement. But Century 21 gives it a run for its money. I stayed with friends in Brooklyn this week who advised me to visit the Century 21 near their house (86th St. between 4th and 5th)... WOW! I went one day to scope it out and then again the next day to do my shopping. The fitting rooms are much nicer than the Manhattan ones, the lines are shorter, and I think the selection and bargains are just as good. It's definitely crowded, but it's less overwhelming than your usual discount store. It's also incredibly well-organized for a store of this type (especially the lingerie... don't get me started on Filene's!).

I love Century 21 and I have been a die hard shopper there for years! I wanted to add that the women's dressing rooms now have curtains, for those of us who are a little more modest!

My advice is to go early on the weekdays--The store opens at 8:00am. In the morning the merchandise has not yet been picked over and the experience is much more calming.

The worst time to go is during the holidays, but if you are brave you can get excellent designer gifts and not break your budget.

This place is HUGE! There's always masses of people and you must have patience and strong arms to go through this place.

What to buy: This store has everything from no name to designer shoes, clothes & accessories for men, women & children. You definately won't leave empty handed.

What to pay: The designer items are still a bit pricey but, you can find some major deals.

Many floors of bargains....lots of designer stuff! The first and lower shoe levels were okay. We browsed around those for a while and we each got shoes and accessories. However, the other floors were a different story. We went up to the Ladies' floor and I grabbed a bunch of dresses to try on for a wedding that I'm probably going to in September. Took one look at the mile long line and decided that in a store was the last way I'd like to spend an entire day in New York! I'll have to look elsewhere.

What to buy: Designer clothes at good prices.....if you've got the time and patience!

Described as " New York's Best Kept Secret", is Century 21, a great department store that has more than 15 departments of designer merchandise at greatly reducued prices.
The lower Manhattan store I went to was quite large and had a variety of designer goods, at great prices. They stock all American and European designers, from Jeans, Shirts, to Suits and Jackets, a great place to browse around and find yourself a great bargain.

What to buy: They have numerous departments that sell all kinds of designer merchandise.
I went to buy menswear, but they stock the following:
Mens, Ladies and Childrens Clothing and shoes, Lingerie, Linens, Cosmetics Accessories, Handbags, Luggage and many more.

What to pay: That all depends on that what you are planning to buy, but they offer discounts between 25% - 75% on goods.

The Scoop:
Deeply discounted designer brand clothing, housewares, cosmetics and accessories at 35-80% off normal retail department store prices:

The Scene:
It can be an absolute mad house in here especially at the weekends!! My advice is to shop during the week in the late morning/afternoons when most people are at work.

Shop hours:
Monday-Friday: 7:45am -8pm, Thursday: 7:30am-8:30pm, Saturday: 10am-8pm, Sunday:11am-7pm

The Goods:
You never know what you will find here, so don't come here with anyone thing specific in mind. Mostly past season collections, slightly irregular items or basically an overstock of top designer labels such as Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Calvin Klein, DKNY, etc..

Housewares located in the basement, Menswear and cosmetics on the ground level and two floors for the ladies.

Stock is constantly changing! and Some days will be better than others! If you find that perfect D&G top that once cost $300 and now marked down to $40, I'd say you better grab it quickly!, Chances are you won't see it in the store the next day!

The Bad News:
There are no Fitting Rooms!!! Don't be shy to try things on over your clothes (everyone does it!) or it is not that unusual to buy something, go down the street and try it on in your office or a public toilet somewhere and then go back to shop and exchange it if the size is not to your liking.

What to buy: Tips:

Fragerance is usually $10-15 cheaper here than in most other retail shops. Also you will receive a $10 gift voucher with every fragerance purchase, which you can use towards another (clothing) purchase, the same day in the shop.

What to pay: Thats entirely up to you, but keep in mind, on a good day or rather a good shop, you may save yourself quite a bit of money or find that outfit you may not normally be able to afford!

Advertised as "New York's Best Kept Secret", it's the secret that everyone and their dog knows about. Still, Century 21 was on our "must see" list for New York, and it did not disappoint! Just make sure you get here very early, as soon as they open, and then get out of there by lunch, as the crowds do get overwhelming as 12:00 pm nears. The staff are not that helpful, and seem robotic, but at that point I really didn't care. I just got a $300 cashmere sweater for $65.00!

I must warn you about the change rooms -- if you are a very private person, you may not like them. Basically, they are set up like stalls in a barn, no doors, just two narrow walls about a foot wide to separate you from your neighbor. However, no one's looking, as they're trying on bargains as fast as they can!!

What to buy: There are truly some excellent bargains here, with plenty of all the big name designers. It was a whirlwind, but I remember seeing beautiful Tracey Reese dresses for $50.00; Marc Jacobs dresses for $65.00, a huge selection of high-quality cashmere for under $80.00, and Seven for All Mankind jeans at $75.00. For the vertically challenged, like me, there was a pretty good petites section and petite sizes available. The men's department had great prices too.

What to pay: Save 25-75% off of retail