It's Time To Say Goodbye to Barneys

In the dwindling, single-digit days of Barneys New York, the Union Square department store in San Francisco bares only a faint resemblance to its luxurious legacy. Shoes and bags have been consolidated on the first level under red and black “everything must go” banners. Clothing—both women’s and men’s—is on the third floor, and the remaining fine jewelry is on level two. Fred’s is closed; fixtures fill the rest of the store, and even the hangers are being sold. The only areas that seem unaffected by the nearing closure date are the dressing rooms.

But is there anything left worth trying?

The answer to that question depends on what size you are and what you’re hoping to find. Most of the remaining women’s inventory we saw in a recent sale check skewed toward the very small sizes. If you’re a 2, run over.

There were lots of deals to be had, but keep in mind this is still Barneys: we spotted a glorious leather wrap skirt from The Row, (size 4), which—even at 80% off—was still about $800 before tax. That said, there were also dresses and skirts and tops not from The Row for less than $100.

Among the gems we saw were a sunny Proenza Schouler top that Karlie Kloss was just wearing on Instagram last week, a rack of Rick Owens evening wear with pieces around $300 each, and lots of sequin wide leg pants for less than $200. There was a diverse size range in the remaining Sies Marjan inventory if you’re a fan of that New York label.

For decades, Barneys was the elusive department store. If you grew up in a major city, you may have had Saks or Neiman Marcus, but there were only a handful of places blessed with the Barneys cool factor. Barneys was the store you heard about in TV shows and movies that defined upscale shopping. It’s where you would go when you truly arrived in New York. With one weekend to go before closing, this is your last chance to own a piece of that retail history.