Before You Barbecue, Run to the Saks Sale Before It's All Gone

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You remember Saks Fifth Avenue's four-hour-Day-After-Christmas lightning sale that sends everyone into a complete frenzy? The one with rock-bottom prices that warrant a strict no-running rule within the store? Imagine what it would be like if that sale lasted for five days. Could shoppers remain civil? Could our credit limits withstand the strain of so many deals? Would we call it a Salemageddon or the Sakspocalypse?

Get ready to wrap your brain around the sale to end all sales, because shit just got real, people. The Saks Designer Sale is at DEFCON 1, which means you get to take an additional 50 percent off most sale items through July 7.

Depending on what you most need/want/can't-live-without, your first stop should either be handbags or the shoe department. The handbag selection is more limited than shoes, and the prices run higher. Not that they aren't great deals. A small Marc Jacobs quilted bag that was $1,150 is now $403, a Chloe Porte Epaule bag is going for $698, a $2,490 red leather Lanvin tote is $747, and a white perforated Alaïa tote is $1,035, (which is a steal since it was $3,450 and "it's like a totally important designer").

In the shoe department, you'll find a hefty selection for sizes 8, 10, and 11, and less for the smaller-footed. (Nothing new there, right?) There are a few styles of the Valentino Rockstud collection hovering in the $300 range, and a number of sparkly Jimmy Choo D'Orsay pumps for $186. You'll also find Prada smoking slippers for about $230, and a variety of Reed Krakoff heels for less than $300.

After you finish your shoe shopping, we recommend making a beeline to the fifth floor, where the sale merchandise is consolidated in a collection of racks just beyond the elevators. Among the sale items, we found a $310 fully-sequined Parker cocktail dress for $60, a DVF wrap dress for $104, and the J Brand Roz moto-paneled skinny jeans for $70. (We may have teared up at the register and declared the salesgirl our new best friend.) After you finish on five, make your way down through the store via escalator, and do the sales rack laps until you either run out of time, merchandise, or money.

Saks is going to be a zoo when word gets out, so steel yourself for the worst, and get there early. The San Francisco store is open today, July 4, from 10am to 7pm. Just be sure to hydrate with those tiny Saks water bottles.—Robyn Hagan Cain
·Saks Fifth Avenue [Official Site]
·Shoe Department Showdown: Sak's, Neiman's and Barneys [Racked SF]