Posts Tagged ‘designer’
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How to win big (and save loads) on Ebay
Here are the beloved Marni boots I scored on Ebay a couple of months ago. They’re exactly what I was after: flat heels and over the knee in a rich chocolate brown. If I bought them in-store I would have payed £850. On Ebay I paid just £53. They are seriously the best boots I’ve ever owned, but it took a little time (and Ebay savvy) to get my mits on them.
Here are my top tips for scoring big on Ebay:
• If you’re after a specific item, do your research first. Make sure you’re aware of its actual retail value.
• Resist the urge to bid on the very first thing you find. Spend a couple of weeks watching similar items on Ebay first and see how much they go for. For instance, I’ve been watching Anglepoise lamps on Ebay for the past couple of months. It’s been really interesting to see not only how much they go for, but the variety of lamps on offer – varying from very poor condition to completely re-conditioned and brand-spanking new! When I eventually come to bid on a lamp I’ll be much more confident about how much I can expect to pay.
• Save searches to your Ebay profile and sign up for daily emails alerting you to new auctions. I’ve currently saved 92 searches to my profile, and get about 40 emails a day! (I know it’s a lot but I just quickly scan the auctions for any outstanding gems.)
• Include mis-spellings in your saved searches, such as Mui Mui (instead of Miu Miu) and Vivenne Westwood (instead of Vivienne Westwood). It’s amazing how many people get the spelling wrong in their auctions – and how they’re easily overlooked.
• To avoid missing out at the last second, make sure you snipe by using a service like Just Snipe. It may be a wee bit naughty and not exactly in the spirit of Ebay, but let’s face it, everyone does it and Ebay doesn’t seem to have a problem with it. A snipe service will put in a bid during the last few seconds of the auction (which is extremely difficult and quite frantic when you try to do it manually). All you need to do is nominate your maximum bid and it will do all the work for you.
Total spent: £53
Value of boots: £850
Total saved: £797What’s your best buy on Ebay? Got any top tips of your own?
Posted in Bargains & Markets, Fashion, Vintage
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Where can you find an off-the-peg designer wedding dress for under £500?
Thanks to Jenbug for sending us this challenge, which initially sounded completely scary considering the average bride in the UK shells out £826 on her dream dress. But once we started looking around we soon discovered thet there are many beautiful budget-friendly options around to choose from.
Firstly, keep in mind that there are many factors that go into the expense of a wedding dress. With a bespoke gown, you’re paying for the hours of work that go into the various stages of getting an exact fit, as well as extensive corsetry and hand-finished details such as beading and embroidery.
But I was genuinely amazed at the quality of some of the designer dresses I found, including the Elizabeth Emanuel range at Bhs, which are all priced at £495 (see pic above). I was equally impressed with the Star by Julian McDonald range at Debenhams (see right, for £200).If I had my time again I may be inclined to splash the 500 quid on a gorgeous cream or white dress by a fabulous designer such as Vivienne Westwood or Philip Lim, which are both available from Selfridges. In fact, Selfridges stocks an excellent range of wedding-worthy frocks under £495 – keep an eye out for designers such as Malene Birger, Milly, Westwood Red Label, Maje, Tibi, Paul & Joe and Haute Hippie. A quick whirl around the shop floor also revealed some gorgeous cream or white options including a Vivienne Westwood Anglomania white cotton corset ribbed dress for £340 and a Marc by Marc Jacobs one-shouldered embroidered dress for £310.
The best thing about a ‘non-traditional’ wedding dress is that you could get more than one wear out of it – not to mention wearing a fabulous designer on your wedding day. Matches is also an excellent source for affordable designer frocks. This divine silk crepe shift by Freda would look ‘60s-style simple and chic for a city wedding – a total steal at £98. And I really like this flirty crochet dress by Diane von Furstenberg.
Then there is this heavenly Roksanda Ilincic silk satin gown (see right) from Net-a-porter.com, which is slightly over budget at £625, but still excellent value for your wedding day.And although it may not be exactly “designer”, there are many stunning vintage wedding dresses that come in well under budget. I love the fabulous fifties wedding gowns from Love Miss Daisy, like this breathtaking ballerina-length dress with delicate ivory French lace for £390.
Tomorrow: our top six wedding dresses under £500.
