No matter how amazing it makes you feel, few of us can justify blowing $500 on a blouse. That’s where Jersey Gardens and Bergen Town Center come in. These two North Jersey malls offer huge arrays of high-end outlet stores—with heart-stopping deals on designer garb for men, women and kids.
Jersey Gardens
651 Kapkowski Rd, Elizabeth;
908-354-5900, jerseygardens.com
This massive mall—near Newark Liberty International Airport and the you-can’t-miss-it yellow and blue Ikea building—has more than 200 stores, including a Neiman Marcus Last Call and Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5th. These outlet versions of the famed luxury department stores offer a chance to look runway chic and red-carpet ready, with high-end designer clothing, shoes, cosmetics and accessories at greatly reduced prices. And unlike Marshalls or Filene’s Basement, the experience isn’t a scavenger hunt. The clothes are organized by designer, making your search and overall experience painless.
Last Call, located on the upper level, sometimes has several racks in the front of the store offering an additional 40 percent off, including clothing by Tracy Reese, BCBG and Theory. During our visit, Spanx, the life-saving but expensive body shapers, were $10 off. A multicolored Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress had a price tag of $179, reduced from $325 elsewhere. Christian Louboutin peep-toe pumps were $633, down from $945. For men, 7 For All Mankind jeans were going for $139 instead of more than $200. The special clearance section has color-coded discounts, with an additional 30, 50 or 65 percent off select items.
Men will find a more expansive selection at Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5th, where we flipped for True Religion jeans at $169, down from $263; Calvin Klein suits reduced to $399 from $595; a Ralph Lauren polo down to $54.99 from $145; and a Cole Haan quilted coat at $274 from $395, with an additional 50 percent off. There were also bargains for the little ones, with cute looks from lines like Plum and DKNY. For women, bag choices included Elliott Lucca, Michael Kors and LAMB; the shoe selection ranged from Badgley Mischka to Minnetonka.
Bergen Town Center
Route 4 East & Forest Ave, Paramus;
201-845-4051, bergentowncenter.com
This mall features Nordstrom Rack and Bloomingdale’s the Outlet Store—in addition to a Last Call and Saks OFF 5th and OFF 5th Men’s. It’s not as big as Jersey Gardens, but the deals from labels such as Betsey Johnson, Vince Camuto, J Brand and Hunter are equally monumental.
Immediately upon entering Bloomingdale’s the Outlet Store, we learned of a 35 to 70 percent-off sale throughout the store, offering further incentive to pick up a Sue Wong ball gown (because you never know when you’ll need one) or a Calvin Klein dress for work ($69.99, down from $128); a pair of Joe’s jeans ($99 from $172); a hoodie from Theory ($99.99 from $195) for your favorite guy; or an adorable girl’s Burberry toggle coat ($236 from $365) for the budding fashionista in your life. One particularly jaw-dropping find: Movado watches for 58 percent off the original price. The denim selection for men and women is extensive, offering the aforementioned Joe’s, along with 7 For All Mankind, True Religion and Rock & Republic in a variety of styles and affordable prices.
Despite its tony pedigree, the atmosphere at Nordstrom Rack is more Filene’s or Century 21 than high-end department store. The additional percentages off vary from one rack to the next. The brands are a bit more mainstream than its high-end competition, meaning there are more affordable lines, including Nike, Juicy Couture and Paper Doll. The shoe selection is impressive, with 35 or 50 percent off the lowest marked price.