A price 75 to 95 percent below retail looks like either a hidden flaw or a hidden bargain. Usually it is neither. The size of the gap mostly measures two things that have nothing to do with the individual garment: how widely the label was sold new, and how many secondhand buyers the piece can actually fit.
The six listings below make the point because their titles are accurate. Brand, line, fibre and size are all spelled out, so these pieces are not cheap because nobody can find them. They are cheap because contemporary labels and diffusion lines circulate in large numbers, and because tailored clothing in a single size reaches a narrow audience.
That changes what the discount should prompt you to do. The percentage off retail is not the useful figure. The useful questions are whether the piece fits you, whether its condition matches the photographs, and whether the price is fair for the label on the secondhand market rather than against a department-store tag.
1
Vince
Vince Dress Women S Black V-Neck Cap Sleeve Split Hem Shift Minimalist Lagenlook
$57
vs $360 retail
84% below
A minimalist black shift in a small, at $57 against $360 retail. Vince sells widely through department stores and its own outlets, so plain black dresses are among the most plentiful things the label makes, and resale prices reflect that supply. Look closely at the split hem in the photos, since that seam takes the most strain.
2
Akris
AKRIS PUNTO Italy Black Stretch Cotton Classic Zip-Up Blazer Jacket 10
$65
vs $1,095 retail
94% below
Akris Punto is the Swiss house's lower-priced line, and resale buyers price it well below mainline Akris even when the retail tags look close. That gap is most of the story behind $65 for a zip jacket listed against $1,095. Stretch cotton loses its recovery with age, so ask whether the fabric still springs back at the elbows and seat of the sleeves.
3
Eileen Fisher
Eileen Fisher 100% Wool Black Long Coat Button Front Ribbed Cuffs L/G
$97
vs $448 retail
78% below
Here is 100% wool in a long black coat for $97. Eileen Fisher runs its own take-back and resale programme, which keeps a steady flow of the label in circulation and holds secondhand prices modest. The brand tends to cut generously, so compare the flat measurements against a coat you already own before trusting the L/G.
4
RED Valentino
Red Valentino Black Lacy Dress, size S
$75
vs $514 retail
85% below
RED Valentino is the house's younger diffusion line, and the resale market treats it as its own label rather than as Valentino at a discount. This listing is one of the sparsest in the set, with no fibre content given, so ask for a photo of the care label. Lace snags easily; check the hem and underarms for pulled threads.
5
Eileen Fisher
Eileen Fisher Womens XL Purple 100% Merino Wool V-Neck Button Front Cardigan
$58
vs $238 retail
76% below
Merino cardigans are where the retail comparison is least useful: $58 is roughly what well-kept everyday knitwear fetches secondhand, not a mispricing. What decides the value is wear, and merino shows it first as pilling under the arms and thinning at the cuffs and elbows.
6
Corneliani
Corneliani Green Tweed Blazer Sport Coat Wool Cashmere Elbow Patches 42 R #rm
$80
vs $1,095 retail
93% below
Tailoring from Corneliani, the Mantua menswear house, in a wool-cashmere tweed for $80. A 42R suits one chest and one jacket length, and that narrow buyer pool pushes tailored pieces further below retail than knitwear. Check that the sleeves have enough cloth turned under to lengthen, and that the elbow patches lie flat.
Before bidding on anything here, ignore the retail figure and compare the asking price with what the same label and category have sold for recently on eBay's completed listings. Then ask the seller for flat measurements and a photo of the care label.
