The Final Countdown (of Pittsburgh Saks Closing)

(photo from the aftermath of the Saks 2008 recession clearance)

You have one week left to pay Pittsburgh's Saks Fifth Avenue a visit before the doors are shuttered for good. I was able to stop by this week and can report that prices are now pretty incredible. But what remains is very picked through. You take an additional 70-90% off the lowest marked tags. Other than the fixtures that are for sale, everything is contained on the first floor.

In women's: There is an entire La Vie section (beautiful pieces for professionals who want to still look unique and feminine) with racks priced between $25 and $35 per piece. It is located in the space formerly occupied by women's handbags and scarves. In the women's contemporary space, you will find furs to the left and dresses to the right with other clothing pieces (suiting, tops, sweaters, outerwear, and pants) in between. Take 80% off dresses (and if you buy three, you get an additional 10% off). 80% off outerwear 70% off sweaters, pants, tops, and skirts. 70% off bras (and if you buy three, you get another 10% off). You get the idea... Men's stuff can be found where women's shoes once sat. Bras and intimates are where the Prada handbags and wallets were once located. There are still plenty of pretty items left but you have to dig. Lots of Escada if that's your thing. Some very pretty dress options in plus sizes (which are across from La Vie). A few evening gowns remain. But stuff is moving quickly as you can imagine.

The See by Chloé sweater dress is gone sadly (and I wasn't the person who scored it), but the other See by Chloé dress I tried is still there for about $50.

Some tips if you go: dressing rooms are mostly communal (all communal in men's and half communal in women's) so dress accordingly. I wore a slip so that I could still change swiftly with some amount of modesty, knowing that the communal room had a shorter wait. You can bring a maximum of 8 things into the dressing rooms. It's funny how swiftly the Pittsburgh Saks has come to feel like Gabriel Brothers in both of the above regards...

If you are shopping for a specific type of item (a blazer or a dress for example), check the entire section and the dressing room return racks. Things are not as organized as they once were during the regular rotation of Saks' end-of-season sales so even though you might not be a size 6, some 8s, 10s, and 4s could be in the size 6 section. Don't fixate on the numbers during the hunt. Be thorough and patient.

And be kind to your fellow deal hunter. These scenarios have a dehumanizing and decivilizing effect on many of us (as indicated by the annual Black Friday trampling stories we read across the US). At the end of the day, it's just stuff. There will always be another deal, another dress, another opportunity to consume. But being a jerk can have a lasting impact on your fellow shopper's outlook. Being kind can too, but in a positive way.

Everything is "Final Sale" so beware of the disorienting effect that sale goggles can exert upon otherwise sensible brains. And check price tags if multiple items of your desired garment exist in the additional % off sections! I paid different prices for two of the same T by Alexander Wang t-shirts in men's (bought as undershirts for Chris) because I wasn't careful during the transaction and I didn't check both tags. It was a difference of only a few dollars so it isn't a big deal. But let my mistake make other dealhunters more thorough. :)

I am not sure if another cut will be taken next Thursday, when only two days will remain. I regret not going earlier on this Thursday just to see what was still available when those deeper cuts were made. I also can't help but regret not scoring the stripey sweater dress before someone else nabbed it. Sure it was itchy but for 80% off, I'd deal. Anyway, I hope this update is useful. If you score anything great, I'd love to hear about it in the comments!