Instantly refresh your closet with these affordable designer brands.
We all deserve to reward ourselves with designer and luxury goods once in a while. Who doesn’t like designer brands, anyways?
Designer clothes and accessories are high-quality, unique, and timeless pieces. If you think about it, the initial investment in a well-made piece will last longer and save you money over time.
However, designer brands are typically synonymous with expensive. No matter how tempting a designer piece can be, its price can be off-putting.
Nowadays, many designer brands are designing more wearable and affordable quality pieces. A designer brand isn’t just about its high price anymore. It’s also about the lifestyle and impact that it promotes.
These affordable high-end clothing brands make quality fashion more accessible to a larger crowd. Check out the best quality clothing brands that are affordable below.
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Disclosure: Vain Affair is reader-supported. When you buy through affiliate links on our website, we’ll make a small commission, without impacting your price. Thank you. Learn more.
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Top 9 Most Affordable & Cheap Designer Brands
If you appreciate mid-range designer fashion, check out the 9 best female clothing brands below. They’re some of the most affordable designer clothing brands online:
Tory Burch is the classic American luxury brand that many of us are not a stranger to. This designer brand excels in creating timeless pieces and collections that embody optimistic and joyous feelings.
Also, their style staples have an elegant twist that seem to transcend seasons and give it that timeless quality.
The brand was founded in 2004 in New York City and quickly amassed global success. Moreover, the founder, Tory Burch, is one of today’s most inspiring female icons.
Michael Kors is an award-winning American designer that’s gifted in creating luxury and ready-to-wear clothing, shoes, and accessories with a touch of glamour.
Founded in 1981, you’ll find his designs under his brand labels Michael Kors, MICHAEL Michael Kors, and Michael Kors Collections.
He produces a vast range of products, so you’re sure to find something for just about any occasion.
Marc Fisher was raised in an American footwear family where making beautiful shoes is literally part of his DNA. As the son of Nine West co-founder, Jerome Fisher, he spent his time learning the intricacies of shoe making from the bottom up.
For over 30 years, he created many best-selling collections. Marc Fisher’s designer brand is all about the casual luxe aesthetic.
He believes that if something “is not wearable, it’s simply not worth it.” Therefore, his collection is made of practical, high-quality, and beautiful women’s shoes.
Mara Hoffman graduated from New York City’s Parsons School of Design and started her label soon after in 2000. Her colorful collections and designs are inspired by and honor women.
For 15 years, the label advocated and implemented sustainable and responsible practices. Therefore, they remain open to conversations about mindful consumption.
Mara Hoffman continues to inspire consumers to reexamine their relationship with clothes. Moreover, the company vigorously applies sustainable materials, production, and processes to help extend a garment’s life.
Kate Spade started off in 1993 with just 6 handbags and has now expanded beyond that. They also have clothes, shoes, jewelry, home décor, and more.
Their brand stands for optimistic femininity with thoughtful details in every piece. Therefore, if you’re looking for polished and feminine designer pieces, this is where you should go!
In addition, all their items have the brand’s signature spade mark thoughtfully integrated in their design and it sometimes might not be as obvious too.
Since 1988, this British retail luxury company has been known for its long-lasting quality, style, and affordability. Surprisingly, they became well-known in the luxury fashion realm with minimal advertising.
Ted Baker London carries womenswear, menswear, accessories, and much more. This brand also uses color and design with their own distinct style.
If you’re looking for a designer brand that mixes contemporary and traditional influences with a hint of British attitude, Ted Baker London would be perfect for you.
RIXO was founded by two best friends, Henrietta Rix and Orlagh McCloskey, that met at the University of Arts London in 2015.
Their designer brand creates vintage inspired one-off pieces for women to wear with confidence. Moreover, most of their pieces feature hand-painted prints and no piece is mass produced.
RIXO’s collection features easy-to-wear, feminine silhouettes, and quality materials. Also, the founders are vintage fashion enthusiasts and get their inspiration from vintage finds around the world.
Ganni embodies the “Scandi style 2.0,” a modern Scandinavian style of astonishing personality and detail. This affordable designer brand was created by a husband-wife team from Copenhagen.
Their design inspiration comes directly from their customers. Therefore, it’s no surprise that their goal is to create confident designs for everyday life.
Like the city of Copenhagen that avoids trends, Ganni honors individual style. Therefore, you’ll see effortless designs with the city’s laid-back attitude throughout their collection.
Staud is your fashion fix for vintage-inspired styles for modern women. They focus on ready-to-wear feminine and flattering silhouettes.
I’m in love with their minimalistic and clean looks combined with striking details. In addition, they have clothing for all occasions, handbags, a custom pet collection, and more.
This is a LA-based brand launched by Sarah Staudinger and George Augusto in 2015. Their brand embodies the LA-cool style and has garnered a strong cult following in just a few years.
Related: How To Dress For Your Body Type & Flatter Your Figure
What Is Affordable Luxury Or Mid-Range Designer Brands In Fashion?
It’s possible for designer clothes and accessories to be both affordable and luxurious. However, when I say affordable, I don’t mean cheap quality.
Affordable in luxury fashion can range from the low hundreds to $1,000. Sometimes you might even find deals under $100 if you’re lucky to stumble on a good sale. I’ll show you how to hunt for good deals on the best quality clothing brands that are affordable later on, so don’t miss out.
When I say luxury, I also mean exclusive and made of high-quality materials. The majority of the brands that I list above produce limited runs for their clothes.
Related: Affordable Business Casual Clothes: Budget-Friendly Shops
6 Shopping Tips: How To Score The Best Deals On The Most Affordable Designer Brands
Who doesn’t like a good deal or discount? There’s something undeniably fun about scoring a designer item on an incredible discount and saving money at the same time.
Keep in mind, the designer brands I listed above are already great deals–especially considering that they’re luxury items!
However, there are a few extra tips I will share to help you score even better deals on the best quality clothing brands that are affordable.
- Use Outlet Stores To Find The Best Deals
Go to the official outlet stores for a designer brand. Not only are outlet stores heavily discounted, but everything is guaranteed to be authentic since it comes directly from the brand.
Shop at outlet or factory stores if you’re interested in more affordable pieces from the designer brands. Outlet and factory stores are generally stocked with items that were overstocked, on clearance, or have minor design fluctuations.
All the best quality clothing brands that are affordable will have a separate website or store for their outlet deals. Simply search for the designer brand name and add the word “outlet” or “factory” to the end of your search query.
Auction sites and open marketplaces like eBay may seem like great places to get incredible deals on the best quality clothing brands that are affordable, but you also run the risk of receiving a fake designer item too. You’ve been warned!
- Wait For Sales & Look For Coupons
Designer brands rarely go on sale, but if you’re patient, you might stumble on a good sale here or there.
I suggest signing up for your favorite affordable designer brand’s official newsletter. This way you will be notified whenever they hold sales or offer coupon codes.
In addition, I typically see the best sales happen at the end of the year–particularly on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) and Cyber Monday (the following Monday after Black Friday).
Many designer brands will be clearing out their old inventory, so take advantage of the holiday shopping frenzy. *hint hint*
If you’re shopping online, don’t forget to search for coupon codes for an extra discount before checkout. I highly suggest using the Honey browser extension, which automatically finds and applies coupon codes for you.
- Avoid These Designer Brands
Don’t taunt or torment yourself with designer brands that have a history of outrageously high price tags. Therefore, if a designer brand is consistently out of your budget, just avoid it!
Since we’re talking about the best quality clothing brands that are affordable, here’s a list of common designer brands that typically have a super high price tag attached. You should avoid these brands:
- Gucci
- Prada
- Hermes
- Louis Vuitton
These brands frequently have items that start around the mid-thousands in price. Sometimes they may hold sales that drop some of the prices down to the mid-hundreds, but that’s very rare.
However, if you’re strong-willed and won’t get attached to designer items, then it wouldn’t hurt to take a peek. 😉
- Shop At Designer & Luxury Consignment Stores
When it comes to luxury goods, the high price tag is an unfortunate deterrent. Not everyone can afford brand new luxury goods!
This is where consignment stores come in. These stores sell pre-owned, gently used, and authenticated luxury items at a discount.
You can still score amazing deals upon deals on the best quality clothing brands that are affordable. Also, a team of professional authenticators will inspect the item too, so you don’t fall for fake designer goods.
Here’s a few of my favorite designer and luxury brands consignment stores to check out:
Tradesy is another great place to check out new and pre-owned luxury goods for up to 90% off retail price. They have many luxury brands such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Vince, and so much more.
Tradesy relies on smart technology to automatically remove any fakes on their website with a 99.7% accuracy rate. As a result, inauthentic items can be returned to Tradesy for a full refund.
Tradesy is female founded and dedicated to supporting underrepresented minorities. Love their pledge to equality!
Product Range: Women clothing, shoes, accessories, wedding, and vintage
Price Range: $$$-$$$$
Shipping: Shipping is included, so the price you see is what you get!
Returns: Any returns must be requested within 4 days of delivery and they will send you a free shipping label. You can only receive a full refund if the item differs substantially from the listed (i.e. inauthentic, unreported damage, etc.) Otherwise, you will only receive store credit from the return.
If you are looking for pristine pre-owned luxury vintage pieces, particularly bags, accessories and jewelry, check out this online consignment store. They’ve been around since 1993 and are lauded as the vanguard of high-fashion vintage with several flagship stores in the U.S.
WGACA has a team of buyers that travel the world to collect the finest handbags, accessories, and apparel from coveted fashion houses. They carry unique, one-of-a-kind pieces that would surely attract compliments
Authenticity is highly-valued and assured for the items they carry. They go through a 3-step authentication process for every item before it’s guaranteed authentic and listed for sale.
Product Range: Bags, accessories, jewelry, and watches
Price Range: $$$-$$$$
Shipping: There is a $10 ground shipping for most items.
Returns: There’s a return period of 7 days after delivery. However, final sales may not be returnable.
If you’re looking for pre-owned premium and luxury items from around the world, check this one out! There are sellers from the United States, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and more. As a result, a wider access to global luxury goods means that you are more likely to find unique items.
Vestiaire Collective has around 300,000 pre-loved items at a deep discount and over 3,000 new items are added each day.
All sellers have to ship their item to Vestiaire Collective’s Paris headquarters for a thorough quality control inspection. If the item passes the inspection, the buyer will receive the item.
However, if the item does not pass inspection, the buyer receives a full refund. Perfect, right?
Product Range: Women and men’s clothing, bags, watches, jewelry, and lifestyle
Price Range: $$$-$$$$
Shipping: Each item may have a different shipping cost. You can opt for the Direct Shipping option for free shipping, but it would mean skipping the authentication process.
Returns: Each seller has a different return policy, which you can read more about on their website.
TheRealReal is one of the top online luxury consignment and secondhand online stores
They are an online luxury consignment shop that sells pre-owned, gently used luxury items at a discount.
TheRealReal does require you to open a free account to start browsing their selection, which can be a bit of a pain. However, this leading authenticated luxury marketplaces is worth checking out!
Every item they sell goes through a rigorous authentication process. Moreover, they have hundreds of experts and brand authenticators authenticating over 1,000 items a day.
Product Range: Women and men’s clothing, shoes, accessories, jewelry, watches, home goods and kids clothing
Price Range: $$$-$$$$
Shipping: Standard shipping is $11.95 with UPS (US)
Returns: There is a 14 day return period. If it is an online return, they charge $11.95 for the return shipping label.
Related: Best 8 Secondhand Stores Online & Shopping Tips
- Not Committed Yet? Just Rent It!
Most people think renting designer brands is hard, but it’s actually easier than you think and cost-saving too.
It allows those with low budgets to experiment with luxurious items–without committing to the full price.
You can rent designer clothes, shoes, dresses, and handbags. This allows you time to try out different designer brands. In addition, you don’t need to clean them, the rental company will do it for you!
Moreover, if you end up loving it, rental services may offer you a discount from the full price to purchase it.
Here’s a few of the best places to rent designer brands:
Rent The Runway, or RTR, is one of the most popular and well-known designer rental services for a good reason. They offer a wide selection of styles and designer brands to choose from and flexible membership plans.
RTR offers outerwear, blouses, pants, and accessories for everyday styles, but they’re also well known for their amazing selection of formal and cocktail attire.
You can opt for one-time rentals that start at $30 or a monthly membership as low as $69. Moreover, there’s an option to purchase pieces you fall in love with at a deep discount too!
Le Tote is another fashion subscription rental service with experienced stylists that are on par with the personal shoppers in big department stores.
Stylists will propose a variety of styles based on your browsing preference, previous box ratings, and the weather in your area. Le Tote offers office looks, formalwear, everyday styles, and more.
Moreover, a monthly membership starts as low as $59 and can include accessories. Their affordable price and flexible plans make it a great value.
This subscription service rental carries items from Vince, the luxurious California brand with a refined style. They offer a variety of items for all types of events and occasions.
Vince Unfold offers one simple plan of $160 for 4 items at a time with unlimited exchanges and complimentary two way shipping. Therefore, this is perfect for those who hate to wear the same look twice.
Also, if you decide to purchase an item, you get a discount too.
- Be Financially Smart: It’s Not A Competition Or About Social Status
Don’t buy designer brands if you can’t afford it. Be honest with your finances, make a budget, and don’t overspend.
In the end, designer items–even the best quality clothing brands that are affordable–are just a thing. It’s nice to have, but definitely not a necessity.
Following fashion trends or social media influencers often can be bad. If something or someone is influencing unhealthy spending habits, it’s time to block or remove it from your life.
It’s okay to indulge in some of the best quality clothing brands that are affordable as long as you can truly afford it. Here’s a quick checklist to go through when shopping for the best quality clothing brands that are affordable:
- Do I really need this? (In other words, check to see if you already own something similar.)
- How many times will I wear this? (Hint: You should see yourself wearing it over and over again.)
- Will this coordinate well with what I already have? (If you can think of multiple outfits that work well with it, that’s a good sign!)
Related: How to Find Your Style In 4 Steps: Tips & Tricks That Work!
FAQs About Affordable Designer Brands
Where Can I Buy Cheap Expensive Designer Brands?
When the most affordable designer brands are still not affordable, there’s other ways to score an even better deal. Check out discount designer clothing websites for deals of up to 70% or more off their prices!
Here’s a couple of great discount designer clothing websites I recommend:
- The Outnet – They offer luxury discount shopping with over 350 designer brands with irresistible prices up to 70% off. You’ll find brands like Michael Kors, GANNI, RIXO, and many more!
- Rue La La & Gilt – These are designer private sale websites that act like a live sample sale. You’ll get an email each day with the brand boutiques available for grabs, but you have to act quickly to snatch the best styles and sizes!
- Nordstrom Rack – This is the outlet for Nordstrom that carries designer brands with deep discounts. They have everything from clothing, shoes, bags, makeup, and more!
- Blue Fly – This designer fashion marketplace carries major brands, such as Gucci, Prada, Christian Louboutin, and many more on incredibly steep discounts.
In addition, you can score gently used luxury items for a great discount too. Check out my list of recommended designer and luxury consignment stores above!
Are Expensive Clothes Better Quality?
Clothes that cost more are typically well-made and higher quality than cheaper clothes. The higher price tag comes with better fabrics that are more durable and quality stitching that helps prolong your pieces.
It might be shocking to spend hundreds of dollars on a single item, but it actually helps you save money in the long run because you’re less likely to impulse purchase clothing.
Expensive clothing is designed to last longer. They’re also produced in smaller batches, which means each piece gets more care and attention during production too.
Are Designer Brands Cheaper In The USA?
It depends on the brand and if it’s located in its home country. Any European brands will most likely be cheaper in Europe than in America.
Therefore, any American designer brands are likely to be more affordable if you buy them in the USA. If you’re located in the USA or making a trip over here, I recommend checking out American designer brands like Coach, Kate Spade, and Michael Kors.
I hope you score some amazing deals on the best quality clothing brands that are affordable and use my shopping tips listed above. Also, I’d love to hear what you ended up getting!
Disclosure: Vain Affair is reader-supported. When you buy through affiliate links on our website, we’ll make a small commission, without impacting your price. Thank you. Learn more.
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