You probably have a very mixed relationship with designer fashion. You love the quality, style, and timelessness of the clothing and accessories, but you hate the prices. If you’re working hard trying to complete your wardrobe with quality designs instead of fast fashion trends, designer pieces are probably your go-to option. Luckily, there are a ton of websites out there that offer affordable fashion finds that will last for years in your rotation.
Take a look at these recommendations for websites, tricks, and tips to help you find the best markdowns, discounts, and flash sales on high-end designer pieces.
Shop Consignment Websites
Whether you prefer to shop online or in-store, there are dozens of discount designer stores to help you score killer deals on your favorite brands. You probably already know about TJMaxx and Burlington, but there are a few more options you might not have considered. Check out these recommendations:
- Buy Outlet: An online store that offers a variety of the top brands, including Calvin Klein, BOSS, Ralph Lauren, Nautica, and more. You’ll find deals up to 50% off of clothing for men, women, and children, as well as a generous return policy that provides a pre-paid shipping label for returns within the 30-day period. This site also saves you from sorting through a pile of clothing in-store.
- Neiman Marcus Last Call: While you won’t find the Last Call website available, there are still physical locations for Last Call stores that offer deals on clearance items from the last season. You can also explore the sale section on the Neiman Marcus site for more deals on Prada, Helmut Lang, and more.
- eBay Fashion: With eBay’s new Authenticate Program, you can shop for high-end items with confidence. Although their deals are few and far between, you should still scour this site for fantastic deals on surprising brand-name products.
- Garage or Estate Sales: Stumbling on a fabulous find doesn’t have to happen at an official store! Plenty of garage sales and estate sales in nicer neighborhoods will surprise you with their selection of designer items. Check out listings in high-end areas to plan a weekend of second-hand designer brand hunting.
- Poshmark: This social commerce site allows regular people to sell their used clothing, shoes, and accessories. The host site doesn’t really do authentication, so make sure to get all the details before buying. Also, their internal search engine isn’t great, so it’s best to search online for what you want and add “Poshmark” to the end of your keyword.
While some of these are more convenient than others, there are plenty of ways to shop for brands on a budget.
Shop in the Off-Season
Prices are usually the highest the moment a new collection from a brand is just released. While it’s tempting to buy the newest items right away, if you wait a little bit, you might be able to save hundreds on the items you truly want.
While waiting has a small risk of losing out on certain sizes or colors, it may be worth it if you’re truly trying to stay within your budget.
Coupon Extensions
From Honey and Coupert to Capital One, there are tons of free browser extensions that can help you save. These extensions work in two ways: they automatically apply every discount and coupon code to your cart and they offer you cash back on purchases from certain websites. The most popular extensions are active on thousands of sites, but you might want to download more than one to ensure you get the absolute best deals everywhere.
Shop Consignment
Some people find this a little uneasy, but consignment shops can be a gold mine for designer clothing and accessories. Since consignment shops typically host the pieces left behind after someone has died, there could be more than you expect to find, especially if designer fashion was someone’s life passion!
To find the right type of consignment shop, make sure you search for “luxury” consignment shops in your area to avoid those that carry regular old junk items.
Off to Shop
Well, there you have it! With these tips and tricks, you should have a multitude of ideas for your next shopping trip. If you have any other advice for novice designer shoppers, share it below and let everyone know about your favorite designer finds in the comments!
