The Best Places to Buy Designer Goods on Sale

Being stylish isn't about the labels; as any stylish dude knows, it's about how you wear the gear, not what designers you're wearing. However, we can count ourselves among the legions of shoppers who definitely don't mind buying into the designer hype every so often. Unfortunately, just like the majority of people who enjoy designer clothes, we can't afford to drop a stack or two every month to actually get what we're looking for.

Thankfully, our addiction has given us a level of expertise on how to save a bit while indulging. With the advent of the internet (and possibly your current geographic location), you can satiate your designer shopping habits without having to discard your next two paychecks. Whether you're shopping auction sites, working the consignment game, or just keeping an eye on an online auction, these are The Best Places to Buy Designer Goods on Sale.

SSENSE

There aren’t too many online retailers with as robust of a lineup as SSENSE. Its lengthy selection includes everything from streetwear like Aimé Leon Dore and Noah to luxury fashion houses like Balenciaga and Saint Laurent. The wide scope of style it caters to makes SSENSE’s seasonal sales a cause for celebration for anyone trying to ball on a budget. With discounts that go as deep as 70 percent off of retail for certain items, it’s worth navigating through the hundreds of pages to fill your cart.

End. Clothing

This European retailer is another necessary stop for anyone trying to add some fire items to their closet. With hundreds of brands to choose from, including popular names like Stone Island, Fear of God, Gucci, and Human Made, there is something here for everyone. The vast number of products also guarantees that the sale section is always going to be loaded with worthwhile options at as much as half the price. Shipping and import duties are built into the prices too, which makes overseas shopping with End. a breeze.

The RealReal

An online consignment shop, The RealReal offers “authenticated, pre-owned, designer fashion” with markdowns of up to 90 percent. The mission and underlying benefit of The RealReal is to remove the fear and uncertainty of shopping for designer goods online. The site offers a consistent string of designer labels, along with flash sales of curated clothing releases, and even fine art and jewelry. If its giant selection of clothes is tempting and you're lacking the funds to support a purchase, hit up the consignment section of the site as a seller, earning 60 percent of every item you sell. If you're looking for Acne, Balenciaga, Chanel, Common Projects, Dries Van Noten, Givenchy, Junya Watanabe, and countless others, The RealReal is the real deal.

MR PORTER

MR PORTER’s selection of brands is one of the most impressive. With over 450 brands at the shoppers disposal ranging from traditional menswear like Tom Ford to some of today’s most popular luxury streetwear like Off-White, there is surely something for everyone. Seasonal sales can reach up to 70 percent off. For top designers like these, getting markdowns like this is too good to pass up.

MATCHESFASHION

With hundreds of designers including names like Prada, A-Cold-Wall*, and 1017 ALYX 9SM at your disposal, it should be no surprise that Matchesfashion is such a great site to peruse if you are trying to score some luxury pieces for a bit of a discount. Items are constantly being added and with prices getting slashed by as much as 80 percent off of retail in certain cases, there’s no reason to pass this not at least do some virtual window shopping after that next paycheck hits your account.

Farfetch

Farfetch is the best location if you are looking for the best of both worlds. Along with the latest collections from hundreds of brands ranging from Ambush to Yeezy, the online retailers also partners with resellers that sell everything from rare Takshi Murakami x Louis Vuitton Keepalls to Supreme hoodies. The ability to score a rare grail for a steal price and not have to worry about its authenticity is great. Curated selections of discounted categories like sneakers or denim make the search even easier. It’s a lot to sift through, but it’s sure to result in finding at least one item worthy of your money.

Yoox

Yoox began in 2000, relying on direct relationships with designers to curate and stock its shelves full of notable designer goods at a reduced price. Based out of Italy, the Yoox Group (which counts a few other online retailers under its umbrella) also happens to run the e-commerce logistics and distribution for a number of designer brands, including Alexander Wang, Jil Sander, Moncler, and Valentino—to name a few. This close relationship with several of fashion's most popular and relevant names has allowed Yoox to provide plenty of steals in its online store, from Dries Van Noten topcoats for roughly 75 percent off retail, to Jil Sander suits for under $600. The shop makes clear that, generally speaking, the Yoox price is roughly half off the suggested retail price. This is a good place to start digging for designer goods.

Grailed

At first glance this site looks insanely fake. The images aren't consistent, and the layout is confusing and unorganized. When you realize that Grailed is more of a “curated consignment store meets eBay,” then the picture gets a little clearer. The platform operates like an auction site; you make an offer on the clothing, or you can buy it outright.

A lot of discount designer stores focus on well-known, lauded designer names like Gucci, Burberry, Prada, etc. With Grailed, right off the opening page, you'll find designers that generally take a little more digging to know about, and are especially hard to find on sale. PatrikErvell, Lad Musician, Nonnative, and Kapital are just a few of the lesser known designers available for sale. You can also find Raf Simons, Bape, Givenchy and other familiar names. Even better for those looking for a real discount, the shop also has a section called “Grailed Basic” which connects buyers to resellers of already low-price brands like Uniqlo, H&M, and Everlane. Like in life, when it comes to Grailed, you don't want to judge a book by its cover.

Ebay

The benchmark for any auction site, eBay is a relatively reliable way to find designer gear. While you're likely familiar with what eBay is and how it works, you might not be aware of the sheer amount of designer goods that are up for grabs. Sure, you have to have a smart eye to spot fakes, spend time investigating sellers, and (if it's an auction) keep an eye on the timer, but anyone who has been lucky enough to grab some sold out or hard to find gear will tell you that that result is well worth the trouble. Considering that the website is the genesis for the “flipping” culture in today's streetwear and sneaker market, you can always rely on finding someone who has what you're looking for.

Depop

First launched in Milan in 2011, Depop is sort of like what would happen if you fused Grailed with Instagram. Segmented into categories like “vintage” or “streetwear,” users can shop curated listings from various sellers on the platform. Not only is Depop a great way to stumble upon some steals on your favorite brands or trendy vintage gear, but you’ll also surely discover some smaller brands that you will take a liking to in the process. Unlike your typical online shopping destination, Depop also has a greater sense of community, thanks to fit pics from sellers and engagement that goes beyond just buying and selling with a vendor. The fact this is all available via an app and you can get your shopping done on the go, even better.