"3-D" Shopping: Investing in Fashion
We yearn to buy the things we can’t afford. When it comes to fashion, it’s no different. That $1800 Balenciaga logo jacket probably doesn’t work within most people’s budget - it certainly doesn’t work with mine. It sometimes feels like if you’re not a celebrity or from a wealthy family, high fashion is not for you. If only you could find these designer products at a much discounted price, right? Turns out you can, in more ways than ten! I’m not just talking about the end of the season sale, which typically occurs - everyone knows that. What I am talking about are third-party merchants, stockists, and other platforms that sell the same LEGITIMATE product. Here’s what being a designer discount diva (3-D) is all about. Let’s get started.
First Things First - The Basics
As a newly converted designer discount diva, the first thing to note is that there’s always a sale - you just have to find it somewhere. Retailers are always trying to get rid of their inventory and earn a return profit. The calendar continues no matter if it’s the end of a season, middle of summer, or New Year's. They get really creative by having exclusive promotions, random holiday sales, and special offers to get you to shop. Shopping off-season is a good way to start finding great deals. Buy your cute, trendy springs fits during the fall and winter months, and your winter warm-wear during the spring and summer. If you’re either someone who loves every new product to hit the store, or adds waaaaaay too many items on your wishlist, listen up. Off season shopping not only saves you money, but narrows down your options. Not everything will be leftover or in your size, but there will always be something that doesn’t sell right away. Of course, there is the chance that the lambskin jacket you had your eye on could sell out, but hey, there will always be something new down the calendar.
Know Your Budget
This is probably one of the most important, yet difficult things to consider. Budgeting your money is CRUCIAL to this game. The idea is for you to save AS MUCH AS YOU CAN. If you’re maxing out all your credit cards with no plan of recovery, then you’re doing the complete opposite. Bringing yourself into debt isn’t what we're looking to do here. On the other end of the spending spectrum, you don’t have to be super frugal either. If you can’t seem to find those new or unused Balenciaga Triple S Sneakers for a couple hundred dollars, don’t shy away from the higher price right away. Some merchants have partnerships with credit lenders, such as Klarna, Affirm, and Afterpay. These services allow you to pay off your next purchase in installments, though it’s necessary to review the terms of the loan before proceeding. By all means, only spend what you’re comfortable spending; however, the goal isn’t necessarily to spend the least amount. Ultimately, the goal of 3-D shopping is to maximize savings.
Find Your Style and Look Everywhere!
No matter what you're into, your style represents YOU. YOU should feel GOOD in what YOU WEAR. Truly determine if your newest cop is not only worth the value, but is something that you'll enjoy wearing years ahead. And another thing...if your favorite brand or designer has a physical shop in your town, plan a visit! Get the experience of personally interacting with the products, stylists, sales associates, and store atmosphere. It may feel a little intimidating at first, but the best way to get familiar with a brand would have to be at its own location. On that note though, sometimes the brand's boutique won't offer everything that's on sale or in its latest collections. I highly encourage you to shop around and visit different boutiques and retailers that carry your brand(s) of choice. These stockists will usually carry a wider selection of products (including from past seasons), which gives you a more encompassing curation of your particular brand(s). Here in New York City, there’s an abundance of niche, affordably expensive shops to get your fancy on. Some places that I recommend are Totokaelo (my personal favorite), The Webster, La Garçonne, and If Boutique. If you’re more into streetwear, definitely check out Kith, VFILES, and Unique Hype for great selections. Aside from these boutiques, there’s plenty of sample sales, vintage, and consignment shops to find those charms of past times. A couple places to look into are Sample260, The RealReal, What Goes Around Comes Around, Tokio7, and INA. Though I strongly recommend going outside for the brick-and-mortar experience, you don’t have to leave your home for your 3-D shopping. Every shop has a website, but look into SSENSE, Farfetch, and YOOX (subsidiary of Net-a-Porter) for specialized curations and discounts on past designer collections. Finally, the online resale market has exploded with platforms, like Grailed, Depop, G.O.A.T., and StockX becoming incredibly popular. It's quite a journey scouring the resale market for those pair of Yeezys that you initially missed out on. Case in point, you don't always have to venture to one of the big brand department stores. Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, and Saks are there if you’d like (R.I.P. Barney’s), but don’t feel limited to only shopping there. Fashion is excessive, and there’s plenty of great items with great prices on the market - so go find them!
A Visual
Allow me to give you a personal example to share this meaningful experience. You have an absolutely stunning outfit; all eyes are gravitating to your ensemble; compliments are non-stop; you feel awesome. Now, how would you feel, knowing that you purchased your look for nearly 60% off the original MSRP. I hope that you’d feel like a boss. Examine my NY fashion week fit this past February. Whether you love the fit, or hate it, let’s break down the numbers. We’ll go from top to bottom. The Moschino sunglasses originally retailed for $330. I bought them for $165. The dark red and light blue Sander Degrade button-up shirt from Sies Marjan had a retail price of $895. My buying price was $358. The multicolor neoprene flamingo pants from Maison Margiela were originally $875. I bought them for $350. Finally, the Margiela white Tabi boots arrived on the market for $1190. While browsing Totokaelo’s website, I checked them out for $476. When you tally all the figures (pre-tax), my whole look had an original retail price of $3290 (not including the chain and pouch).
Being a 3-D shopper, I only spent $1349, and saved $1941 (that’s 59% of retail price). Imagine paying roughly $2000 more for the same look; umm why would you do that? Listen, only spend what you’re comfortable spending and please budget wisely. I was comfortable with these discounts, but that doesn't mean that everyone will. Find what price points work for you and how you can maximize your own savings.
Fashion as Investments
Bringing it all together, my final word of advice is this: think of your fashion choices as investments. How will your next purchase add to your wardrobe and personality? Do you feel comfortable with the markdown (or in some cases markup)? What are the environmental impacts (if any) that your investment will have? Will you cherish this new addition, or perhaps resell it one day? I love it, but it's a size too small (or big); can I still be creative? Asking these kinds of questions are great ways to ponder your investments before you make them...plus many items are on final sale and non-returnable. Keeping all this in mind, I encourage further conversation about money management, fashion investments, and other ways to save. When you’ve acquired that stunning ensemble, you’ll see that learning how to play this game is fun, challenging, but also rewarding. It’s also good to know that there’s so many different affordably expensive options when it comes to shopping for your style. Perhaps you’ll be encouraged to change or add to your shopping habits. Please make sure that you’re making the right decision for yourself. Only spend what you’re comfortable spending, and budget wisely. Stay true to your style and be open to others. I can’t wait to see how great you’ll look and how much you'll save!
