Back to Campus at Century 21 NYC: Y2K Designer Up to 75% Off

The move-in boxes are barely unpacked and the first-day outfit is already a problem. Here is the good news: the back-to-campus assortment just hit the floor at Century 21 in Lower Manhattan, and it leans exactly where you want it to right now: Y2K. Juicy Couture velour, Von Dutch, Ed Hardy, Guess, heritage Levi's, and the backpacks that actually survive a semester. Most of it lands up to 75% off, all of it in store at 22 Cortlandt Street.

This is a floor drop, not an online listing. There is no code and no cart. What is racked today is what you shop today, and campus wardrobes move fast, so it is worth doing in one downtown trip instead of spreading it across a dozen open tabs.

Women's: the Y2K revival, styled for a real week

Start with the piece doing the most work for the least effort. The Juicy Couture velour set is the whole look on its own, and it flexes: hoodie zipped over a white baby tee for an early class, both pieces split up later so the track pants read as loungewear and the jacket layers over jeans when it turns cold. Sitting around $49.99 for the set, it is the rare trend piece that earns its closet space.

For the everyday base, the Levi's heritage crew is the quiet workhorse: throw it over a slip dress, knot it at the waist with the Guess vintage sweat underneath, or keep it plain with denim. The Ed Hardy bumblebee tee and the Von Dutch trucker are your personality pieces, the two things that turn jeans and sneakers into an outfit people remember. Cap the trucker over a middle part and you are done.

A selection from the women's floor. Prices and styles change as the floor turns over.

Men's: the uniform that layers into fall

The men's pull is built for repetition, the pieces you reach for without thinking. The Obey graphic tee under an open flannel is a September answer that costs almost nothing to solve. When the campus radiators lose the fight with October, the Guess Leonardo full-zip hoodie becomes the everyday mid-layer: over the tee now, under the jacket later.

That jacket is the Guess Bennet padded jacket, and it is the one real investment in the group. Buy it once, wear it from the first cold snap through finals. Padded, clean, and dark enough to go with everything, it is the piece that makes a hoodie-and-jeans day look intentional instead of accidental.

A selection from the men's floor. Prices and styles change as the floor turns over.

The bag doing the talking: Von Dutch bowling bags

If one thing carries the Y2K look across the finish line, it is the Von Dutch bowling bag, back in the prints that made it a 2003 status object. Pink leopard for the going-out version, blue cow and dalmatian for the everyday, each one small enough to sling with jeans and big enough for a phone, a wallet, and a lip balm. At $59.99, it is the accessory that upgrades every plain outfit above without touching the outfit itself.

Styling it is simple: let the bag be the loudest thing you are wearing and keep everything else quiet. A white tee, the Levi's crew, straight denim, and one printed bowling bag reads downtown, not costume.

A selection from the bag wall. Prints and stock change as the floor turns over.

Backpacks that carry the semester

This is the one purchase you actually cannot skip, so buy the good one. The Jansport SuperBreak is the do-everything classic at $29.99, the bag you stop thinking about because it just works. If you want the athletic build, the Nike and Jordan backpacks bring padded straps and real organization for the commute-plus-gym day.

And if the everyday bag is also a style statement, the Marc Jacobs quilted nylon backpack is the designer pick that still functions as a backpack, quilted, lightweight, and dressed up enough to carry straight from a lecture to dinner. It is the only piece here that reads luxury and utility at once.

A selection from the backpack wall. Prices and styles change as the floor turns over.

Students and teachers save an extra 10%

Bring a valid student or teacher ID to the register and take an extra 10% off any purchase of $50 or more, in store through September 30. It stacks on top of the markdowns already on the tag, so the velour set, the padded jacket, or a full backpack-and-outfit run all come down again at checkout. High school students, college students, and faculty all qualify. Show the ID at the register, no sign-up required.

How Century 21 sells designer for less

The short version: the price reflects the deal the buyers made. Century 21's buying team works directly with brands and their authorized partners, buys in volume, moves fast when a deal is there, and passes that markdown straight to the floor. That is why the tag can read up to 65% below what the same piece sells for elsewhere, and deeper during clearance.

Everything is the real thing, bought through the brands and their authorized partners. The trade-off is not authenticity or quality, it is selection: the floor is a treasure hunt that changes constantly, so the win goes to whoever shows up and looks.

Where to shop for back to school in NYC

Most back-to-school shopping in the city means chain basics or a long trip to an outlet mall upstate. Century 21 is the downtown discount department store that keeps the designer brands on the tag: one four-floor store in the Financial District, steps from the World Trade Center, with no bus to Woodbury Common and no full-price markup. It is the rare New York department store where cheap designer is a real category, not a clearance rack in the back.

If you have priced the same Y2K and heritage labels at Nordstrom Rack, Saks Off 5th, or a weekend sample sale, this is the version that sits on a single subway line for most of the five boroughs. Search designer discount stores in NYC and this is the one you can actually walk into today.

Is Century 21 still open in NYC?

Yes. Century 21 is open at 22 Cortlandt Street in Lower Manhattan, the original flagship location, reopened and fully stocked across four floors of designer and brand-name fashion. The store runs seven days a week, and the back-to-campus assortment is on the floor now.

Notes for visitors

• Come early in the week. Weekday mornings and early afternoons are the calmest, and the floor is freshest before the weekend crowd works through it.
• Shop the whole store. Handbags are on 1, women's on 2, men's on 3, shoes and kids on the lower level. The best finds are rarely all on one floor.
• Bring your ID. Students and teachers get the extra 10% off $50 or more, so keep the ID handy at checkout.
• Try it on. Fitting rooms are open and there is on-site alterations on the men's floor if something needs a tweak.
• If you love it, take it. The floor turns over constantly. What is here today is often gone by the weekend.

The details

Address: 22 Cortlandt Street, New York, NY 10007
Hours: Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Sunday, 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Subway: 1 to WTC Cortlandt. 2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, J, Z to Fulton Street. R, W to Cortlandt Street. E to World Trade Center
PATH: World Trade Center station, a two-minute walk
Phone: (212) 227-1202

Frequently asked questions

When is the back-to-campus drop at Century 21?

The back-to-campus assortment is on the floor now at 22 Cortlandt Street in Lower Manhattan. It is an in-store drop, so the exact styles change as inventory turns over. The student and teacher discount runs through September 30, 2026.

Does Century 21 have a student discount?

Yes. Show a valid student or teacher ID at the register and take an extra 10% off any purchase of $50 or more, in store through September 30, 2026. It stacks on the markdowns already on the tag. High school students, college students, and faculty all qualify.

Is the Juicy Couture velour set really under $50 at Century 21?

The Juicy Couture classic velour set is $49.99 in store, against a $199 value, so about 75% off. It is a selection from the floor, and stock moves fast, so availability by size and color changes day to day.

Does Century 21 sell Von Dutch and Ed Hardy?

Yes. The current back-to-campus floor includes Von Dutch trucker hats and bowling bags plus Ed Hardy graphic tees, part of the Y2K assortment. Selection is in store only at 22 Cortlandt Street and changes as pieces sell through.

Where can I find cheap designer clothes in NYC?

Century 21 at 22 Cortlandt Street is a discount department store in Lower Manhattan carrying authentic designer and brand-name clothing up to 65% below standard retail. It is one of the few New York department stores where cheap designer is the whole floor, from Y2K brands like Juicy Couture and Von Dutch to Marc Jacobs and Levi's.

How much are backpacks at Century 21?

Back-to-campus backpacks start around $29.99 for the Jansport SuperBreak and run up to the Marc Jacobs quilted nylon backpack at $149.99. Nike and Jordan backpacks sit in between. All are in store now, priced well below their standard retail.

How does Century 21 sell designer clothes so cheap?

The buying team works directly with brands and their authorized partners, buys in volume, and moves fast on deals, then passes the markdown to the floor. Prices run up to 65% below standard retail, and deeper during clearance. The goods are authentic, bought through the brands and their partners.

Is the merchandise at Century 21 authentic?

Yes. Everything on the floor is authentic, purchased through the brands and their authorized partners. Century 21 carries genuine designer and brand-name goods at off-price, from Juicy Couture and Levi's to Marc Jacobs and Guess.

Is Century 21 still open?

Yes. Century 21 is open at its original flagship, 22 Cortlandt Street in Lower Manhattan, across four floors of designer and brand-name fashion, seven days a week. The store reopened and is fully stocked, including the current back-to-campus assortment.

Where is Century 21 located in NYC?

Century 21 is at 22 Cortlandt Street, New York, NY 10007, in the Financial District steps from the World Trade Center. It is reachable on the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, J, Z, R, W, and E lines, plus PATH at the World Trade Center station.

Can I shop the back-to-campus drop online?

No. Century 21 is an in-store experience, so the back-to-campus assortment is available only at 22 Cortlandt Street. There is no online cart. The upside is the treasure-hunt floor and prices you can see in person before you buy.

What are Century 21's hours?

Century 21 is open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and Sunday from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM. The back-to-campus floor and the student and teacher discount are available during all store hours through September 30.