I think it’s safe to say that most of us have a mixed relationship with designer fashion—we love the quality and timelessness, but we hate the prices. On the bright side, that’s exactly what makes finding a great designer discount so exciting.
If you’re trying to fill the gaps in your wardrobe with quality pieces (rather than fast fashion), finding designer items at prices you can afford is challenging. Thankfully, there are dozens of apps, websites, and tricks to help you along the way.
Below, I’m sharing six best tools and strategies I’ve used over the years for finding markdowns, flash sales, and discounts on high-end, one-of-a-kind designer pieces.
1. Designer Consignment Websites
There are dozens of discount designer websites for scoring killer deals on high-end brands (so many, in fact, that it can feel overwhelming). Here’s a list of my favorite designer discount sites along with the brands and types of items I’d go to each for:
- Nordstrom Rack—Designer items that don’t sell out on Nordstrom.com almost always find their way to Nordstrom Rack’s website. It takes some hunting around to sift through the lower-quality pieces, but when you find a good deal here, it’s really good. For example, just this morning I found classic Ugg boots, this Vince sweater 60% off, casual white sneakers under $100, and this beautiful Eileen Fisher wool coat 70% off.
- The Outnet—The site is great for both trendy, fashion-forward brands like Stella McCartney and timeless staples. Discounts are up to 75% off and shipping is always free. I love their selection of Stuart Weitzman shoes, Theory cashmere sweaters and silk skirts, and Iris & Ink sweaters.
- Saks Off 5th—I once went to a Saks Off 5th department store in person, and I was overwhelmed in that there were SO many amazing discounted items. Thankfully, saksoff5th.com makes the entire process a bit easier by allowing you to search by designer, price, and category. I’ve found especially incredible deals on jewelry here, but they also have an amazing selection of makeup (Bobbi Brown here!) and designer shoes, like Aquatalia and Marc Fisher. Don’t miss the vintage Gucci, Staud handbags, or
- Neiman Marcus Last Call—Neiman Marcus officially shutdown the Last Call website and moved the designer deals to the clearance section of NeimanMarcus.com. I like to sort by newest (the latest items are usually in season!) or sort by designer. They offer great deals on Prada sunglasses, Helmut Lang dresses and separates,
- TheRealReal—This company is known for its authentication process on luxury items, including Fendi, Marni, Versace, Bottega Veneta, Louis Vuitton, and more. I also love that they run sitewide sales, giving you an even better price on the designer pieces that are already discounted.
- eBay Authenticate Program—EBay does the work for you with regard to authenticating and verifying high-end items, and I’ve seen Chanel bags go for amazing prices here.
- Luxury Garage Sale—This is both an online designer consignment shop as well as a subscription website. You can sign up for a curated box of designer items to be sent to you; you keep what you love and simply ship the rest back in a prepaid box. It’s a great way to experience the quality of brands you’re curious about without committing.
If you don’t find what you’re looking for at the websites above, also take a look at Gilt, RueLala, and Net-a-Porter’s clearance section.
2. Shop Off Season
Prices are typically highest immediately after collections are released. It’s tempting to buy in season (a faux fur coat looks much better when it’s snowing outside your window), but waiting a few months or even an entire year can save you hundreds.
3. Install the Honey Coupon Extension
Honey is a free browser extension that automatically applies discount codes and coupons in your cart on 30,000+ websites. I usually save $5-$20 on my purchases, but there are a few times I’ve saved well over $100.
4. Use ShopStyle “Favorites” Sale Alerts
Shopstyle is a massive shopping search engine, and you can filter by price, brand, retailer, discounts, and size. They have a favorites feature that allows you to “heart” designer pieces you love, and Shopstyle will then immediately send you an email with a price drop alert when that item goes on sale!
Last year, I found a Vince coat that was originally over $500 for 75% off the retail price with Shopstyle alerts. Read more about how Shopstyle favorites work here.
5. Designer Consignment Shops
Most cities have several luxury consignment shops where women sell lightly used designer pieces. My favorites in Raleigh are Fifi’s Consignment and Dress Raleigh. A quick Google search for “luxury consignment shop [city name]” should give you a good idea of the best options in your area.
6. Poshmark
Poshmark is a social commerce website and app where people sell used clothing, accessories, and shoes. I’ve had good success buying designer brands like AllSaints, Sezane, Isabel Marant, and Vince on Poshmark. A few tips to keep in mind if you go this route, however.
First, search for the item in Google instead of in Poshmark’s app (the in-app search engine isn’t the best). A search like “Poshmark [item name]” in Google should give you good results. Second, always request additional photos of the item from the seller, if needed, and read the product description details carefully.
There you have it! Let me know if you have any questions about finding designer clothes on a discount below in the comments. Below, I’m sharing a few designer favorites I found on sale as I was writing this post to get you started! Happy shopping!