Top brands are great staples for your wardrobe, but they often come at a high price. They cost more than your average garment and are often found at big-name stores.
Did you know that you have other options if you’re looking for big names? There’s more than one way to find a high-quality designer brand. Because we all deserve to have quality pieces in our closets, no matter our budget.
First, make sure you do your research. You’ll want to know which designer brands are best for the types of pieces you’re looking for–and what you’d pay if you bought the pieces at retail price. I recommend creating a list so you have an average price by category. For example, a top by Joie would be $200 to $250 full price. A leather moto by Rag and Bone could easily be $900.
(Coach fur vest purchased at Outlet mall)
Do you tend to shop online or in person? Some shoppers have no patience for scouring the racks, looking for a deal. The point is that finding a steal on designer brands takes some legwork, so know if you’re up for heading to the stores or if you’d rather do your bargain hunting online.
(Valentino sneakers purchased at DoubleTake consignment store in NYC)
So where do you find great deals on high-end clothes?
- Consignment Shops. These aren’t your Salvation Army or Goodwill. Consignment shops stock gently worn garments that individuals sell to them. Shops carefully weed through clothes that are brought in, looking for name brands and quality fabrics and turning away items that have too much wear, pilling and stains. They only hold onto the best pieces because they know that’s what sells. All you have to do is type “consignment store near me” in Google to locate yours.
- Rack-Style Shops. If wearing previously-worn clothes isn’t your thing, many high-end retailers sell their new, overstocked items to stores like Nordstrom Rack, Off Saks, TJ Maxx (a personal favorite of mine) and Marshall’s. Again, look for the name brands and be sure to check for irregularities.
- Online. There are so many options online, making it easy to find a wide range of brands and styles. If you don’t have consignment shops in your area, or you just don’t have the time or patience for bargain hunting, check out Ebay, The Real Real, Tradesy and Poshmark.
(Louis Vuitton top handle bag purchased from The RealReal)
I love taking clients to consignment and rack-style shops because we can usually find statement pieces that no one else has–for a fraction of what they’d typically spend. However, my biggest tip is to be careful about going too crazy, buying items you don’t really need simply because you can’t beat the price. It’s easy to go a little crazy!
