Hi lovelies!
Let’s talk a little about LUXE today! ๐ I’ve posted on IG a few of the newest items to my luxe collection, and have gotten some questions on how I find hard to get pieces, or where I shop for my luxury goods. I figured I would do a blog post to answer all of your questions!
Where I Shop for Luxe Goods…
First, unless something is to die for and a true MUST-HAVE IT NOW item, a brand’s retail store is not usually my first stop. I LOVE to scour sites such as Fashionphile, Rebag, The Real Real, and my most recent find for luxury goods, Julia Rose Boston on IG! These sites offer nice discounts on luxury items, as some may be preloved, but in great condition, and you also might get lucky and score a brand new item for a steal!
Don’t get me wrong though, I have great relationships with my SAs at Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Gucci. They always are on the look out for things I might like and text me with new arrivals, which I love.
Louis Vuitton…
I really do love working with my SAs and having that personal connection. Last year I purchased a limited quantity black and white Louis Vuitton swimsuit from my SA and absolutely loved it – still do! This year, my SA reached out to me when a new blue and white swimsuit became available and she ordered it for me and sent it my way, which was super easy. A swimsuit is something I’ll definitely buy brand new (it should be obvious why lol!), and because it’s a seasonal item, I’ll usually purchase directly from the store. This is my newest LV swimsuit for this year!
Save at Online Retailers or Department Stores…
Other places I’ll pick up a new swimsuit, like the Gucci ones I have, are online retailers such as Matchesfashion.com, or Farfetch. The reason I would choose to buy from these sites is because usually there are no taxes (or duties) charged and they have fast and free shipping (and returns). They carry some of my favorite luxe lines such as Gucci, Saint Laurent, Valentino, and Balmain etc.; Louis Vuitton (unless preloved or vintage items), usually aren’t on sites like these. These sites also sometimes offer promos or in-app discounts, but brand restrictions apply, so not everything is included.
Another option for getting a small discount on luxe goods is through retailers like Saks and Neiman Marcus. I’ve saved on a Saint Laurent bag when Saks was having a regular promo opportunity, and also earned points on my Saks card on the backend; again, brand restrictions usually apply and can change, so not everything will be included. For Neiman Marcus, when you sign up with a new email address, you can usually save something like 10% or 15% off your first purchase; I’ve used this discount method on Valentino items and it worked great.
Earrings…
Ok, back to my most recent purchases! I’ll start with earrings. I picked up this pair of Louis Vuitton hoops directly from LV because they were a hot item and selling out fast. This is when it pays off to have a good relationship with your SA, as she tracked down a pair for me before they were sold out.
Another pair of earrings I recently got were a pair of Chanel hoops! I saw these on a few different influencers online and fell in love with them. They came in a large and small size, and I was only able to get the smaller size, but I think they are perfect for me! These I did get from reseller, Julia Rose Boston, and they were brand new in box! I’ll be honest, I paid a little more than retail for these because they are sold out and so hard to find, but if you consider tax, it wasn’t actually that much more than it would have been in store.
Julia Rose is an IG only reseller who has AMAZING finds and is so easy to work with. Follow her if you don’t already: @juliaroseboston – and be sure to watch her stories as that’s how she debuts new items! If you see something you like, reply to her story / send her a DM with your email address for a Paypal invoice; if you are first, you get the item! I snagged a few other items from her, which I’ll share below. These weren’t even things I was looking for (besides the Chanel earrings), but she just had some items that I truly couldn’t resist!
DIOR…
First up is this AMAZING J’ADIOR bag…when I first saw it, I knew I had to have it. I love a good white bag, and the gold detail, and unique hand slot sealed the deal for me. This bag is a showstopper! It can be worn as a shoulder bag or clutch, and it is just stunning. I saved over 40% off retail because it was preloved, but you literally cannot tell at all, it’s in pristine condition; no edge wear, scuffs or marks! It’s also currently in stores at DIOR so it was a true steal of a deal. I also snagged a super cute DIOR twilly, that I can’t wait to wear in my hair!
Gucci…
Next, I got this brand new, Gucci Sylvie Clutch/Belt Bag. I love the iconic red and green Gucci Web stripe detail. The color combo, just pops against the black leather, and the gold hardware adds instant glamour to the bag. It’s just gorgeous! I saved almost 40% off retail for this brand new bag from Julia Rose. I haven’t worn it yet, but it’s a classic bag that I know I will get plenty of use out of, especially as a clutch.
CHANEL…
Moving onto my latest Chanel bag purchases…guys, I’m so weak when it comes to Chanel. I have a huge problem; I am a true addict, and I probably need to seek help for this. I’m a bit embarrassed by how much I’ve spent on Chanel recently; trust me, I know I need to reign myself back in… Please know this many purchases is NOT normal for me by any means.
Chanel Deauville/Shopping Bag
Only one bag was straight from the boutique, but I will say that I compared it to some of my usual resellers online and it was cheaper in the store, brand new. Sometimes that is the case, you always have to do your research and make sure the item’s value and price are right. This bag is so beautiful and popular that I was surprised my SA could still get it. It was being sold over retail online, so I’m grateful my SA tracked one down and got it for me. It is the Chanel Deauville or Shopping Bag as it is called online; mine is the medium size, which still has the long chain straps and regular tote handles. It has the prettiest shimmering gold thread detail, and the ivory color is perfect.
Chanel Retro Girl Shopping Tote
My next bag was a ridiculous Fashionphile find! I LOVE everything teal, turquoise, or aqua colored. I already have a turquoise WOC from Chanel that I picked up in Paris a few years ago, but I found this amazing Calfskin Large Retro Girl Shopping Tote in Turquoise on Fashionphile that I could not pass up. It is in excellent condition and the color is so vibrant and rich, I literally am obsessed with this bag. I had found another one for sale on eBay a few months ago and it was listed for about 3x as much as what I paid for it from Fashionphile. Again, such a good deal, I really could not afford to pass it up…it’s perfect for Spring and Summer!
Chanel Supermodel Bag(s)
One bag that I’ve been dying to get my hands on is a Chanel Supermodel bag. It is an iconic bag from the 90’s. It’s an insanely huge bag that is perfect for travel. It came in a few different styles, but the popular versions were the caviar leather, and the quilted lambskin style. While I was in CA last week, we popped into Rebag and I saw the caviar one first and physically freaked out. I’ve seriously been looking for this bag for quite some time now, and even though I’ve seen it on eBay pretty regularly, the photos and descriptions listed definitely indicated those for sale were throughly used. I’ve watched the price point go up and down on these vintage bags and I’ll be honest, I paid more than I had been willing to when seeing them online. However, being able to actually see, smell, feel, and try on these bags made such a huge difference in the buying process and my decision. I originally only wanted the caviar style for its increased durability over the lambskin, but I have always loved the quilted lambskin look. Well…wouldn’t you know that the Rebag on Melrose had three of these Supermodel bags in stock. One caviar, one quilted lambskin, and one slightly smaller quilted lambskin version, that I didn’t even know existed. Of course, I felt like I had hit the jackpot and rather impulsively purchased both the caviar bag and the smaller quilted lambskin one… I know…it was beyond impulsive and to be honest, a bit careless, but again, to my defense, being able to actually touch and try on these bags influenced me immensely and because I have been looking for these bags for so long, I just really could not pass on them…right?
There is a silver lining though, one, I got a $100 discount on each bag because it was my first purchase from them. I also saved about 10% in taxes; I avoided all taxes, and specifically the high CA tax rate, because I had them shipped to me in VA. Lastly, they have what’s called an Infinity Program, where in 6 months, if I realize I don’t really use them, maybe they aren’t as great as I thought they were, or I just plain don’t want them anymore, I can exchange them and get store credit for at least 70% of my purchase price, and use those funds towards another bag…and I can keep doing that for infinity. So, although I slightly regret this major indulgence, I do feel better that I’m able to give them back so to speak, if they don’t work out for me, and at least be able to get something else that I might like more. One thing to note, Rebag charges for shipping and returns, so that’s kind of a bummer. Most places don’t charge for that (at least separately; I realize it may be rolled into the price), so it always kind of stings when you see a line item charge specifically for shipping.
Final Thoughts…
So there you go…you have all of my current methods for aquiring luxe items! I don’t claim to be an expert, but I do make sure I do my research on things before I buy. I’ll give you a quick rundown of the resellers I used in this post below.
My favorite reseller by far is Fashionphile, they make it so easy with quick shipping, free returns, and a buy back program – similar to Rebag’s, but I think you can get your money back, not just store credit. Fashionphile also recently partnered with Neiman Marcus, so there will now be new ways to shop, sell, pickup, and return in store! Also, I love how you can favorite items on their website and the system will alert you when your favorites go on sale, or come back in stock. You can even add items to your wishlist that you’re looking for and get notified if something becomes available.
Sellers like Julia Rose are awesome, and have quality products and amazing prices, but all sales are final, so you really have to make sure you love the item before taking the plunge; or find a way to sell it again if you made a purchase you’re not happy with. She will also help source items you’re looking for if she can.
As I mentioned above, I had my first transaction with Rebag last week. I find their inventory to be vast and plentiful, but I definitely don’t like the shipping fees. Another thing to note, they only give you two days to request a return upon receiving the item (similar resellers give between 14-30 days for returns).
I hope you found this post somewhat helpful. I’m happy to answer any additional questions you might have, so feel free to reach out. If you guys have your own tips and tricks for buying luxe items, leave me comment below and let me know!
