Can you imagine buying the bag of your dreams at a super low price? While popular luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and Chanel rarely go on sale, there are a few sneaky ways to buy designer at a generic price. Here are five easy ways to buy luxury brands on a budget.
Buy Used Items Online
First of all, buying used luxury items online is the best way to save money. From vintage handbags to pre-worn jeans, the Internet is the #1 place to find a good deal. That being said, it’s a smart idea to buy expensive items for a low price from websites that rented them. Plus, there are tons of online consignment stores that sell pre-used items in fantastic condition to customers.
Some of our favorite bargain-hunting websites include Fashionphile and Rebag. Also, websites like Poshmark, Mercari, and ThredUp literally specialize in providing quality brands at a discounted price. In fact, you can even shop for high-priced items like dresses, shoes, and accessories on ThredUp for as little as $5.
As if that wasn’t enough, there’s always the holy grail of affordable luxury goods: eBay. You can even read reviews about the buyer online before you decide to give them your money. Sound crazy? Sounds crazier to buy brand new items for their original price!
Find Other Collections
Everyone’s heard of Marc Jacobs, but have you heard of Marc by Marc Jacobs? Surprisingly, a lot of fashion lovers have no idea that pricey fashion houses have smaller, more affordable designer lines. That’s why it’s important to know which luxury brands have lower-end options.
For example, capsule collections are a wonderful way for designers to highlight a small sample of their favorite pieces (we’re looking at you, Zara). Since only a few items of clothing are produced, it’s easy for the boutique to supply multiple copies of the same item. But here’s the kicker: capsule collections are only around for a short time.
Have you ever heard of a bridge line? Basically, a bridge line is created when a fancy brand and an inexpensive brand make a product together. For example, Marc Jacobs collaborated with Neiman Marcus, and he also designed several budget items for Target. However, bridge lines might not have the same high quality that you’d expect.
Look For Off-Season Items
Believe it or not, it’s actually possible to buy trendy, designer items during the off-season. That means you can get lavish brands for a reasonable price whenever the items aren’t in season. For instance, you could save money on adorable swimwear for the summer by buying it in September.
Look for heavy coats in April and warm boots in March. Even though you may have to wait several months to wear them, it’s definitely worth it. Plus, buying clothes off-season can actually help you score a popular item for pennies.
Another word of advice is to find classic clothing. If you’re not sure if an item is “classic” or not, just ask yourself: will this be fashionable at this time next year? For those who shake their head “no,” then that means the item is not a long-lasting buy. This is a great way to avoid filling your closet with brands that will be out of vogue by the end of the year.
Find a Flash Sale
Here’s the deal: flash sale sites are a godsend for fashion addicts, cutting prices in half. But how do they sell clothing for so cheap? The answer is simple. By receiving items in bulk shipments, the flash sale site can mail luxury items to your door for a small fee. But there’s a catch – most flash retailers run out of items very quickly.
If you’re curious about how to know when a flash sale is going on, flash sale retailers send out e-mail blasts all the time. These reminders will tell you what brands are on sale, how much, and when you can buy the item.
Tempted to spend every time you get an e-mail? Turn off your e-mail notifications until a certain brand drops its price. Don’t know where to start? We can’t emphasize this enough: flash retailer sites like Gilt, Zully, HauteLook, and Ideel have some of the best designer deals on the market. Remember to shop smart!
Rent Your Clothing
Did you know that you can rent clothing instead of buying them? This new phenomenon is sweeping the fashion world, with celebrities like Priyanka Chopra renting Chanel rather than splurging on it. That means that you can easily send the item back to the original owner once you’re done with it. Plus, you won’t be stuffing your drawers with all the latest finds from this season.
Bonus points: you don’t even have to launder the luxury item before you send it back. Also, most rental companies have stylists on deck to lend a hand. But what kind of designer items can you rent?
Everything from handbags, shoes, and dresses are available at clothing rental sites like Rent the Runway, Vivrelle, Armarium, and Switch. The perk? You can swap out different outfits to see if you like it before you buy it. If you absolutely fall in love with a rental piece, then you usually have the option to purchase it too.