Great Bargains
Barneys Co-Op is closing: Bad for Houston fashion, but good for your wallet
Shipley & Halmos made a personal appearance at Barneys Co-Op this summerPhoto by Clifford Pugh
Unfortunately, I only discovered the Barneys Co-Op a few months ago. I was trying to find Steven Alan’s shirting collection, and stumbled upon it at the Galleria store. I had always assumed that the Co-Op’s fashions were far too edgy for my tastes.
However, I was excited to discover Thom Browne, Rag & Bone, B.D. Baggies, Burkman Brothers, Rogues Gallery, and GANT Rugger at the store. I thought that I could finally find my favorite brands that I saw in GQ and Hypebeast in Houston. Naturally, I was disappointed when I read on CultureMap that Barney’s Co-Op will be closing in January.
But, there’s good news: The store has a ridiculous sale going on right now. About a month ago, when the store-closing sale started, I picked up a few B.D. Baggies button-down shirts for $70 (marked down from $130). I also snagged a couple of Steven Alan button-downs for $100 (marked down from $168). I was excited about my bargains, and figured that would be my last shopping experience at the Co-Op.
Oh was I wrong. I went back into the Co-Op a couple of weeks ago and picked up a great Rag & Bone scarf for half off. However, my most recent visit to the Co-Op yielded some of the best bargains yet, including Rogues Gallery madras shirts for $39.
According to a sales associate at the Co-Op, Barney’s is using the closing of the Houston store as an opportunity to clear out merchandise from their warehouse. This means fantastic deals. My female friends tell me that the women’s merchandise is pretty picked over.
However, there are some great pieces left for guys in all sizes. Significant denim and shirting selections remain, as well as some seasonal pieces, like winter coats and board shorts — which, apparently, you will need both this week.
The Barney’s Co-Op store closing sale is a super way to snag designer pieces for non-designer prices. The same sales associate told me that the store will not be closing until all of the merchandise is gone.
Some of the Co-Op brands can be found elsewhere in Houston: GANT Rugger, B.D. Baggies, and Rag & Bone. However, I have yet to find another Houston store that carries my beloved Steven Alan reverse seam shirts and one of my favorite new labels, Burkman Brothers.
Will some other Houston retailers be picking up the slack when the Co-Op closes? According to Iris Trent-Siff of Mortar, the closing of the Co-Op frees them up to bring in some additional collections.
It will be interesting to see how the Houston fashion scene fills the hole that Barney’s Co-Op leaves — especially for men.
