There are tons of online luxury retailers and I get tons of questions about where to buy designer high-end brands online. There’s quite a lot to navigate through and there’s tons of trials and errors. With that in mind, I feel like I could help by giving you a short comparison of all these retailers as I’ve shopped in most of them.
I honestly prefer online shopping a lot more than in-store shopping. I don’t often like the experience of in-store shopping because I feel like there’s always a bit of pressure. Someone’s always watching and offering you stuff. I tend to feel intimidated by the sales associates/other buyers and also, you can’t really sit around and think comfortably to decide if you want it or not.
Most of my impulse purchases are made in-store and some I’ve lived to regret. I get too lazy to go back to the store to return it and in the end I keep something I don’t truly want. Now that we’re in this day and age, I think it’s time to make use of the convenience of online shopping. Buying luxury pieces can still be as fun and rewarding even when you do it online.
In this article I’ll give you a brief comparison from my own personal experience. I’ll touch upon the shipping, shopping experience, discount codes, etc. Next, I’ll link you some of my favorite pieces from these online luxury retailers. As a bonus, I’ll mention some of the other retailers which I’ve heard about but have not yet purchased from.
Disclaimer: some of the links below might be affiliate links, meaning, I might earn a small commission if you make a purchase. But, this is at no additional cost to you and I’m not sponsored to write this article. All of the opinion are of my own and I only include these links as a way to support my blog.
Now, in no particular order, here is my comparison of these online luxury retailers to answer your question on where you can buy high-end brands online.
🌸 Retailers I’ve tried 🌸
Matches Fashion (link)
Matches Fashion is a UK retailer and is hands down my favorite. This is one of the best online luxury retailer where you can buy all sorts of designer high-end brands online. I’ve shopped with them the most and overall, I think they have the best collection and they have the best things on sale. I’ve mostly bought clothes there for myself, but I foresee a future where I buy other things from there. My boyfriend has also bought stuff for himself there and I’ve also bought presents for my friends there. I’m obsessed with their marble packaging and the shipping has always been super super fast.
Packaging: beautiful marble packaging.
Best for: clothing and their spring/summer sales. I also love how they style the outfits of the models, it’s just super inspiring and it makes me want things more.
Types of brands: big name luxury brands and “indie” brands. In my opinion, they have an amazing brand coverage – they have e.g. junya watanabe comme des garçon, pleats please by issey miyake, sir the label, etc.
User-friendliness: super functional website, easy to filter through. I find that their layout is practical and they have the most calming/beautiful design for an online luxury retailer. I don’t get as distracted and I just really enjoy shopping there. Legit, I love shopping from their website. I go on their app almost every day just for the inspiration.
Shipping: never had an issue with their standard shipping. it’s always relatively fast/on time. I don’t know if it’s just my experience, but I literally bought something today at 8am and my order was dispatched literally at 5pm the same day. I beam at how fast they process my orders.
Loyalty programs: yes, learn more about it here. Referral: You can also get 15% off using the ‘Mention a Friend’ referral. I’m not super comfortable sharing my personal details here, but feel free to contact me privately and I can give you my name + email for the referral 🙂
Worldwide shipping: yes and customs included.
Luisaviaroma (link)
If I am not mistaken, luisaviaroma is both an online luxury retailer and a physical department store based in Italy. I think they have a pretty comprehensive collection of designer high-end brands in one website. I’ve heard about them a lot on YouTube but I only tried them this year in 2020. I was actually amazed and taken aback by the large “popup” discounts that they give. At one point, the Prada Sidonie was 35%-40% off with the popup code. And, I’m still getting popups now for 40-50% off of the *new* season with the code ‘L40’ or ‘5050’. I found it so impressive that I emailed them about a styling advice of a certain product (cause I wasn’t sure if it’ll be too big on me) and they replied literally within less than 30 minutes…. that’s crazy fast.
Packaging: They have a beautiful black packaging, but unfortunately when mine came it came in a simple brown box (I think due to limited resources during corona). Truthfully, it didn’t come in the best packaging but I honestly don’t know if it was through the fault of UPS or LVR. At the end of the day, the things inside came in fine so I was okay with it. I did raise an inquiry with LVR and they said that they will look into it with UPS, but I never really heard anything back from that.
Best for: new/current season bags and accessories of big name brands and sometimes clothes on sale at a ridiculously high discount. I managed to score the sold out Jacquemus La Tropea here in my size for 20% or 30% off and I am eyeing the Jacquemus blazer here, but unfortunately I need a size or two smaller 🙁. If you have something you’re eyeing, please please please, check Luisaviaroma first. There’s a chance that the item’s there on sale with a code.
Discount codes: L20 / L25 / L30 / W30 / L40 / W40 / 5050 <- there are tons – you just need to keep an eye out on their website.
Types of brands: All the big name brands plus some more User-friendliness: easy website to use. But, I noticed that I’m not able to scroll infinitely. After a few mins of scrolling, the app just no longer shows me the remaining stuff and so I have to be super specific on the filter to get all the brands out. It’s great at stopping me from discovering new stuff to impulsively purchase.
Shipping: this took a little while for me, but this is understandable since there corona measures in Italy was stricter at the time. But, I think it should be fine now.
Loyalty points: yes, LVR | Privelege. You can read about it here. If I’m not mistaken, you’re able to convert some of your points into vouchers – I think at one point I received that offer, but I can’t remember for sure.
Worldwide shipping: yes and customs included.
Net-a-Porter (link)
This was one of the first online luxury retailer I got introduced to a few years ago. I really loved their website and overall design. I also find it cool that that they’re more than just an online luxury retailer, but they’re also somewhat of a lifestyle magazine. Online and offline. I enjoy their editorial pieces and I actually buy their Porter magazine from time to time. I also remember that for a while, Net-a-Porter was the only online luxury retailer which I have on my phone. Unfortunately, my first shopping experience with them was not as mind-blowing as I hoped it to be. But, then again, I only ordered Ksubi jeans and they obviously won’t come in the same treatment as if you ordered a Cartier watch.
Packaging: I opted for the signature Net-a-porter packaging in black, but unfortunately my package came in the simple brown box.
Best for: tbh, I mostly come on Net-a-Porter for inspiration on what to wear. The way they style their pieces are amazing and I often shop based on looks. I do think they have a great collection of bags and clothes, but I haven’t really felt compelled to shop more from them. Discount codes: none that I know of – will update in case I find some!
Types of brands: everything from big name brands, indie brands, and fine jewelry/watches (e.g. Cartier, Piaget, IWC, Lorraine Schwartz, etc.). I don’t think I’ll ever do it, but I’m literally amazed at how you can buy a 150 thousand euro watch at a single click with Net-a-Porter. This is literally taking it to the next level.
User-friendliness: I love that you can scroll infinitely on their app. I never had problems and I think they’re quite nice and user friendly.
Shipping: I don’t quite remember this one in specifics but from my email trails I think my orders actually came super super fast (within two days). I do see on Instagram that recently more people are commenting about not getting their orders fast enough. I think this might be due to the season of sales or decreased capacity in response to corona. But, I personally didn’t have a problem when I shopped.
Loyalty points: yes – I think they have the EIP program but I’m not a part of it so I’m not super sure. you can read about it here.
Worldwide shipping: yes and customs included.
bonus: Mr. Porter (link)
Mr. Porter is part of the net-a-porter and a website where you can buy designer high-end brands for men online. Disclaimer: I don’t shop at Mr. Porter often, but I did once for my boyfriend’s birthday and I almost bought here another time for my friend’s birthday. I think the website is super easy to use and they have tons of gift ideas. I always check there before I buy any gifts for guys. But, to be honest, I didn’t have the best first-time shopping experience and I was a bit let down at the packaging.
It’s nothing huge, but I specifically chose the Mr. Porter packaging because it was for a birthday present. I didn’t have time to wrap the gift and thought that this was a great time-saving alternative. But, it ended up arriving in the basic brown cardboard box and it was similar to my experience with net-a-porter. At the end of the day what’s important is the content. My boyfriend was appreciative nonetheless and luckily the sneakers were also packaged in the original Saint Laurent box. It looked decent enough for an unwrapped present, but still – it wasn’t the best experience we could’ve had.
the Outnet (link)
This is honestly my holy grail and hidden gem. I love them and they’re one of the best online luxury retailers where you can buy designer high-end brands at a high discount, consistently. The Outnet is part of Net-a-Porter and they sell last season items. I tend to shop at the Outnet for work clothes, but I also see that they have some edgier and funner stuff for vacation and just off duty fits. I’m not a super huge fan of their website and app cause I feel like it’s a bit buggy and slow (also difficult to filter), but it’s still usable. Maybe it’s just my devices that can’t handle their website or app, but definitely give it a try.
Packaging: basic brown cardboard box. Note that I’ve only purchased clothes from them, so I’m not sure if the original packaging will be included for other things like bags or shoes.
Best for: clothing – mostly vacation, event, and work outfits. It’s also good for gifts because they have tons of heavily discounted stuff including gift-able accessories.
Discount codes: none that I’m aware of – will update if I know.
Types of brands: all sorts, but mostly clothing brands e.g. 3.1 Philip Lim, Alexander McQueen, Zimmerman, DVF, Hervé Leger, Marchesa Notte, etc.
User-friendliness: Like i mentioned above, the app and website’s a bit buggy and slow for me. Not sure if it’s due to my devices or something else. I love how discounted things are here, but I find it less enjoyable to shop here.
Shipping: I think it took a week for them to deliver my stuff, but to be fair: I requested a last minute change of delivery address with DHL and they had to ship my stuff from one city to another.
Loyalty points: None that I’m aware of.
Worldwide shipping: yes and customs included.
SSENSE (link)
SSENSE is an online luxury retailer based in Canada. I think this is one of the “cooler” retailer where you can buy designer high-end and streetwear brands online. I’ve only shopped there once, but I’m definitely open to buying more stuff from them.
Packaging: basic brown packaging + brand’s original packaging.
Best for: street-wear and anything ‘edgy’. Not sure if that’s the best way to describe it, but this website just gives me such a cool girl vibe.
Discount codes: None that I’m aware of.
Types of brands: all the big high-end brands + streetwear brands.
User-friendliness: I loooooove their website and phone app. It’s so cool and it’s so minimal with a super cool layout.
Shipping: relatively fast as well, but to be honest I can’t recall perfectly. I was on vacation at the time so I didn’t pick it up myself. I recalled that it was surprisingly fast given that it came from the Canadian warehouse to the Netherlands.
Loyalty points: none that I’m aware of.
Worldwide shipping: yes and customs included.
mytheresa (link)
This online luxury retailer is based in Germany (if I’m not mistaken). I think it’s one of the best retailers in Europe where you can buy designer high-end brands online. In comparison, I think they have quite a nice collection of items and their sale is also unbeatable. I’m not such a huge fan of their apps (mainly because it’s quite slow on my phone and it’s a bit harder to filter), but if you’re super patient – you can definitely score tons of good stuff here. Packaging: super cute yellow packaging + the original brand’s packaging.
Best for: shoes, bags, and accessories.
Discount codes: honestly they often don’t work for me and I struggle to find a good shopping code for here, but: APPLOVE; APPLOVE20; WELCOME seems to work the most.
Types of brands: the majority of the big-name high-end luxury brands. They often have collaborations with mytheresa too so you’d find special pieces only available on mytheresa.
User-friendliness: I find the website quite straightforward and customer service has always been pleasant. But, I don’t know if it’s just something wrong with my phone/laptop, but the website and app load relatively slow. I also dislike how they still display sold out items and you can’t filter that out.
Shipping: super fast. It arrived within 2 days for me.
Loyalty points: none that I’m aware of.
Worldwide shipping: yes and customs included.
de Bijenkorf (link)
de Bijenkorf is a luxury department store in the Netherlands and Belgium. This department store also has an online presence where you can buy designer high-end brands online. I don’t think they shop worldwide, so it might be less relevant to you if you’re located somewhere else. But, honestly I love how fast shipping is with them and how great the discount is sometimes.
Packaging: basic cardboard packaging with their print on it. but, sometimes they also include the original packaging of the brand. I often see it with shoes but not for bags. Best for: all sorts of stuff honestly.
Discount codes: none that I’m aware of, but I sometimes receive vouchers from them and also gift-cards from colleagues when my birthday rolls around 🙂
Types of brands: everything including non-high end brand names (e.g. Tommy Hilfiger, maje, sandro, Reiss, etc.)
User-friendliness: straight-forward website and app. never had an issue. had a bit of a shitty after-service for one of my purchases, but I really don’t want to get into it cause maybe it was just that one specific person.
Shipping: super fast if you’re locally based (I think I get it within 3 days maximum).
Loyalty points: yes / privellege membership if I’m not mistaken. The more you shop, the more vouchers they send through your way.
Worldwide shipping: yes and customs included.
Bonus: Vestiaire Collective (link)
This is technically a secondhand store, but it’s still an online luxury retailer. I’ve shopped from Vesitaire Collective a couple of times now though it was quite some time ago and I actually quite enjoy it. I had an order cancelled on me once, but it wasn’t a super big deal. I personally think that you need to be patient with this website – but, you can score some great stuff there. It’s honestly not the cheapest, but if you’re really after something specific, you might be able to find it here.
Packaging: basic cardboard packaging. depending on the seller, you might also get the original packaging of the brand.
Best for: secondhand luxury items at a lower price.
Discount codes: none that I can think of right now.
Types of brands: all User-friendliness: app and website’s a bit buggy, but I’m not there as often anymore. It’s doable but you just need to be patient.
Shipping: depends heavily on how fast the seller sends. keep in mind that the authenticity of your items need to be checked at the Paris’ office, unless it’s stated that the items are ready to be shipped.
Loyalty points: none that I’m aware of.
Worldwide shipping: yes, but I don’t think customs are included.
🌸🌸 Other retailers I’ve heard about but never tried:🌸🌸
Farfetch (link)
I’ve always wanted to shop here, but for some reason I’ve always been held back. I think it is mostly because I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a particularly good deal here. I do think they’re an especially good online luxury retailer where you can buy designer high-end brands online, especially so if you want to support your local boutiques or if you’re after a very specific piece and size.
24sevres (link)
This French online luxury retailer is one of the few which actually carries Celine and Dior. It’s super rare and I think that’s quite nice that they do. The sale’s also great and I think it’s really not a bad website to browse and shop from. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the right item which I wanted to purchase from this website. I’ll definitely update if this changes 🙂
HBX (link)
Sooooo good for streetwear and some high name brands e.g. Loewe, Prada, Burberry. The sale’s amazing and I’ll definitely update once I’ve made a purchase.
Derodeloper (link)
Dutch specific. Haven’t really found something that I want that I couldn’t get at the other luxury retailers that I’ve mentioned above. I think I’ll eventually try them though.
Zalando (link) & Zalando Lounge (link)
Note: I have shopped at both of these stores, but never for high-end luxury stuff. Both of these online shops offer both “regular” brands and luxury brands. Zalando Lounge took me by surprise because they sometimes include brands like Balenciaga, Salvatore Ferragamo, Bottega Veneta, etc. I’ve shopped at both Zalando and Zalando Lounge, but I’ve never actually bought these big luxury brands there. I do think they’re super trustworthy as they’re a super big company, but I’ve just never found something I’ve liked enough to impulsively buy. One time they had a cropped Maison Margiela blazer at a super good price. Unfortunately, I was too indecisive and someone else had bought it 🙁
Others: Saks Fifth Avenue; Harrods; Neiman Marcus; Nordstrom.
I haven’t shopped with them online mostly because they’re country specific and it’s more expensive to ship to the Netherlands. FYI Nordstrom is having its annual sale soon!
Other: when is it best to shop from the brand’s own website vs. an online luxury retailer?
There’s obviously no right or wrong here, but I do prefer to buy from an online luxury retailer (including the online shop of department stores). I mainly do this because I get to collect points and I get additional perks from them. I can’t collect a significant amount of points from a specific brand because I don’t have a “favorite” luxury brand that I keep coming back to. Because of that, it’s way smarter for me to collect points from online luxury retailers. I can buy from all sorts of different brands and just keep collecting points.
How do you know if the online luxury retailer is legit/trustworthy?
I do a whole bunch of checks, but the main thing is establishing whether they’re a legit company with legitimate presence. I check their socials and check who they’ve worked with. Also, Trustpilot & Youtube reviews help tonsss. I can’t live without them.
How to find discount codes?
I honestly think it helps to have your notifications on from these online luxury retailers (via email or phone). I tend to get my discount codes from there. But, I know it’s not the majority’s preference and this can get a little bit too distracting. Alternatively, you should definitely check shoptagr and honey. They’re browser extensions and they automatically apply discount codes for you. I’m not sponsored in any way, but I just absolutely love them. They’ve saved me tons of money no matter which website I’m on.
Hope this has helped you with finding out where you can buy designer high-end brands online. Of course this was based on my own personal experience, I’m really sorry if you also tried one of the retailer and had a different experience. Please feel free to share your experience down below so others can also see it! Also, I hope to build upon this post and to consistently update it as time passes.
Shop my looks here or, contact me privately here.
Erica says
Wow. This is such a great detailed list! Saving this for later! Xx