Call it what you will, but we all love name brand clothes.
Some people deny it, others embrace it, but the truth remains the same. The majority of us love having a logo people recognize on our clothes.
And there’s nothing wrong with that.
After all, if you’ve ever tried to save money by buying off-brand clothing, you know the frustration of having seams break, collars stretch, and colors fade.
Aside from the psychology and exclusivity behind clothing brands, one fact stands true:
Bigger brands often offer higher quality, either perceived or actual, and quality costs money.
But what if it doesn’t have to? What if you can have the quality brands you know and love for a fraction of the price?
Well here are 8 tips to get you name brand clothes on the cheap.
With Dealspotr, there’s no reason to pay full price when shopping for brand name clothes.
Dealspotr is the largest and most accurate database of coupon codes online, which means you should never go shopping again without first grabbing a discount code.
Start by going to Dealspotr.com and either searching for the brand you’re looking for, or simply hover over “Brands” in the top navigation, then click “Fashion”. You’ll see a list of brands, and a “% avg savings” for each one.
You can also click on “Interests” in the top navigation, then click “Fashion”. There you’ll see a list of fashion-related deals, organized and easy to scroll through.
If you haven’t heard of GiftCardGranny or Raise by now, you should definitely check them out. Basically, people sell their unwanted gift cards to these companies, and they then turn around and sell them to you at a discount.
For example, at Raise, you could get a $50 gift card to Old Navy for around $44. At GiftCardGranny, you could get a $50 Old Navy gift card for $40.
That’s a savings of 10-20% off right off the bat.
Keep in mind, these are gift cards, so you can typically still use coupon codes found on Dealspotr to really save some serious money.
Example: Old Navy gift card for 11-20% off + 30% off coupon code on Dealspotr for Old Navy = 41-50% off.
Want to know the best time to buy brand name clothes for cheap? Right after a season ends. You may not be able to wear them for long this year, but you’ll be ready for next year and you’ll save a bunch of money in the process.
Most people know this instinctively, but they never act on it. After all, it isn’t as fun to buy clothes you or your kids can’t wear until next year.
This is a great strategy when shopping for kids, because you know they’re going to need new clothes each year when they’re young, so you can plan ahead by pre-buying some of their clothes a year in advance.
This one’s a no-brainer. Whenever you hit a department store, the clearance racks should be your first stop.
Some people have a reservation about shopping the clearance section, but keep in mind those clothes on the clearance rack are the same exact clothes that were on a regular rack (for a higher price) just weeks or even days ago.
Again, pair the clearance section savings with a discounted gift card, and now you’re really saving money!
Secondhand stores are a great source for finding name-brand clothes for much lower than the sticker price.
Many second hand stores like Plato’s Closet have very high standards for the clothes they take, so you don’t have to worry about sifting through ratty old clothes to find the good ones.
As they say on their website, their clothes are “gently used” and they’re “up to 70% off”. You can’t beat that.
Note: If you want to save even more money at used clothing stores, sell them your old clothes before shopping. You may even want to ask for a store credit to see if they’ll give you more for your clothes.
Yard sales (or garage sales) are an American classic. Who else remembers waking up early on Saturday mornings and going on a yard sale adventure with your family? Good times.
But yard sale-ing is good for more than fond memories. It’s good old-fashioned commerce at it’s finest: someone outgrows their name-brand clothes, or gets a shirt for Christmas that just isn’t their style, so they sell it to you for cheap. Like, really cheap.
The beauty of yard sales is that it really isn’t about money for the seller. Many times, they simply want to clean house and get rid of things they no longer use or need. That means you get nice clothes for literally pennies on the dollar.
Thrift stores are another great place to find brand name clothing for cheap. Although they tend to have lower standards than stores like Plato’s Closet, they serve their purpose: to help people get nice clothes, shoes, household items, and more at affordable prices. If you genuinely need new clothes for either yourself or for your children, thrift stores are a legitimate option.
Who doesn’t love shopping big brands at outlet prices? Just make sure the price you’re paying, and the percent off discount associated with it, are legit.
Outlet stores started as a way to get rid of excess products (misplaced orders, damaged products, etc.) from factories. These days companies are able to forecast demand and limit production of manufactured products, which means less items to sell at outlet stores.
But outlet stores had become a hit, so instead of letting the deals slip away, many companies now make products specifically for outlet stores. Therefore, many of the items you see in outlet stores aren’t actually the same items sold in regular retail stores, and may be of lower quality.
Companies may also inflate the MSRP in order to make the “discounted” price look better in outlet stores, so make sure you’re checking the actual store price either online or over the phone before committing to your so-called bargain.
Long story short:
As long as you know what you’re getting when you go to outlet malls, and you double-check the retail price to make sure you’re getting a deal, outlet stores can be a great source of cheap brand name clothes.
Last but not least, if you don’t have time to drive to an outlet store, but want to get brand name clothes at outlet-store-like prices, take a look at 6pm.com.
6pm is a site that is owned by Zappos that offers savings on tons of name-brand items. They don’t have every brand, but they do have a ton of quality brands and the prices are good.
Make sure you check Dealspotr for 6pm coupon codes before shopping, and check the clearance section on 6pm’s site, to ensure that you’re getting the best deal possible.
If you shop at the right times, at the right stores, use discounted gift cards and promo codes from Dealspotr, you’ll be well on your way to getting brand-name clothing for a fraction of the price.
Mike is a husband and father of 2 who studies the art of never paying full price for anything.
