The Real Elle Woods Guide to Picking Up a Designer Bargain!
Wednesday, January 14, 2015Us ladies, do love to snag ourselves a bargain and while we all know about end of season sales and the infamous "Black Friday" most of us tend to find our our bargains from the High Street. However what if I was to tell you that if you're savvy, you can pick up some MAJOR bargains when it comes to designer goods too??
Blair Waldorf indulging in a little designer retail therapy!
(Still from Gossip Girl).
When it comes to wardrobe staples: the perfect LBD, a statement handbag or those seriously covetable pair of heels it's always best to try to spend as much as you can on these "investment pieces" as they will become the backbone of your wardrobe, to be worn for many years to come!
In this blog post I will share with you some of my top tips on how to get those designer labels for less!
Online outlets/Outlet Villages.
Online Outlets are always my first port of call when it comes to snagging myself a designer bargain! The best of these has to be the online outlet aptly named The OUTNET (the outlet website for the hugely popular Net-a-Porter)! Here they carry a huge wealth of designer brands and you will find yourself browsing for hours as they carry everything from Victoria Beckham to Louboutin! However it's definitely worth browsing on a regular basis for new offers as they offer reductions ranging from 30%-70%! The only drawback is that as it's basically a clearance site for Net-a-Porter they can be somewhat limited in sizing when it comes to clothing and footwear!
It's also worth noting that retailer TK MAXX also sell discounted designer brands under their "Gold Label" range! While it can take a lot of searching instore to find these elusive designer brands, I've seen everything on their shelves from Valentino to Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs to Versace! It's often worth checking online to browse a selection of their Gold Label womenswear/footwear and Gold Label accessories.
Next are Outlet Villages, here in N.I. we have only two: Junction One (which has NO designer brand outlet shops) and The Outlet in Banbridge. Here it's mostly mid priced High Street stores with a few high end High Street retailers such as L.K. Bennett, Jaeger, etc. However The Designer Studio at the Outlet does stock a wide range of Armani pieces as well as occasionally stocking some sample sizes from labels like Versace! Their manager is an absolute gem and the staff instore will go out of their way to help you in any way they can!
Happy girl! Snagging some serious bargains at the L.K. Bennett Shop at The Outlet, Banbridge!
However If you can make the journey it's definitely worth taking the trip down to Kildare Village! Here you can snag your dream Mulberry handbag, or go a little crazy in Ted Baker, Anya Hindmarch, BOSS (Hugo Boss), Links of London or my personal favourite, Karen Millen!!! *squeal*!!!
Speaking of Karen Millen they also have an official eBay Outlet! Here you can get past season items with up to 70% off! Again the only issue is that as it's clearance stock sizing may be quite limited, but it's well worth a look if you are wanting a bargain or are looking for an item from a previous season you missed out on getting first time around!
Pre-Loved items from Consignment Stores.
An alternative route is to go down the "Pre-Loved" market. This however can be fraught with difficulty as many people will try to take advantage of shoppers by selling counterfeit goods as authentic items! If you are going down the pre-loved route make sure whenever possible to fully familiarise yourself with the authentic item first to make it easier to spot fakes! When it comes to handbags check out the Forum on Purse Blog for comprehensive reference guides on what to look out for when authenticating designer handbags and SLG's (small leather goods).
As for online Consignment sites, two of the most popular and well known are Fashionphile and Yoogi's Closet. I personally have never used either of these, but both sites have specialised teams in place to fully authenticate all items before they appear online to be sold and both have excellent reputations!
Last but by no means least is a true hidden gem in Belfast, a store called "Labels" on the Lisburn Rd! Owned by the fabulous Gerard he boasts an impressive array of both high end high street and has had many of my favourite designer labels: Gucci, Louboutin, Louis Vuitton, etc on his shelves! His store is an "Aladins cave" filled to the brim with fantastic items! Here you can either choose to leave in your designer goodies to be sold on by Gerard on your behalf, or you can browse his stock and find yourself a bargain! As his stock is made up of pre-loved items as well as stock overflow from boutiques it means his stock changes all the time, so best to visit on a regular basis to make sure you don't miss out!
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I hope you have enjoyed my guide to Designer Discount Shopping and please comment below with some of your fab bargain finds, or to share your favourite places to pick up a designer gem!
Happy Shopping!!
Blair Waldorf after a successful days Shopping!
(Still from Gossip Girl).
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