Shopping guide

Best consignment finds under $100.

You don't need a four-figure budget to shop designer consignment. The smartest finds on our racks are often the ones priced below $100, and they're the pieces our regulars come back for week after week.

Woman browsing through a curated rack of clothing in a bright consignment boutique

Why under-$100 consignment is the sweet spot

The designer consignment conversation is usually about bags and statement pieces in the hundreds or thousands. But the under-$100 range is where consignment shopping makes the most financial sense. At that price point, you're buying pieces that retailed for $200 to $600, made from better materials and with better construction than anything you'd find at a comparable price in a fast-fashion store. The fabric feels different. The seams are finished. The buttons are sewn to stay on. The difference between a $40 consignment Theory blazer and a $40 new blazer from a chain store is immediately obvious the first time you put them on.

This guide covers the categories and brands where the under-$100 price point delivers the most value at consignment shops like ours.

Blazers and structured jackets

This is the single best value category in consignment. A well-made blazer retails for $300 to $800 new, but because blazers go in and out of favor with seasonal collections, perfectly good ones show up on consignment racks regularly. Brands to look for in this range:

Theory: Clean lines, excellent tailoring, consistent sizing. Their blazers retail around $400 to $500 and often consign in the $50 to $85 range.
J.Crew Collection (not regular J.Crew): The Collection line uses better fabric and construction than the mainline. Blazers consign in the $30 to $60 range because most people don't distinguish between the lines.
Vince: Relaxed, slightly oversized blazers in high-quality fabrics. Retail $400+, consign around $60 to $90.
Equipment: Known for silk blouses but their blazers are just as well-made. Usually $40 to $70 on consignment.

The key with blazers: check the shoulders. A blazer that fits in the shoulders can be tailored everywhere else. A blazer that doesn't fit in the shoulders can't be saved.

Silk blouses

A silk blouse from Equipment, Joie, or Vince retails for $200 to $350. On consignment, these show up in the $30 to $70 range constantly. The reason: silk blouses are wardrobe staples that people buy multiple of and eventually rotate out. The consignment rack is full of them.

When shopping silk on consignment, check for:

Stains under the arms (the most common disqualifier)
Snags in the fabric (silk is delicate and snags catch easily)
Colour fading, particularly on darker colours that have been dry cleaned repeatedly

A well-maintained silk blouse lasts years. At $40 on consignment, it's one of the smartest buys you can make.

Designer scarves and accessories

Scarves are one of the most underpriced categories in consignment. A Hermes Twilly retails for $200 and often consigns in the $60 to $90 range. Coach and Kate Spade scarves show up for $15 to $30. Burberry scarves, depending on condition and pattern, land between $40 and $90.

Designer belts are another find. A Ferragamo reversible belt that retails for $400+ can be found on consignment for $60 to $90. Gucci and Louis Vuitton belts are pricier on consignment (usually above $100), but Tory Burch, Coach, and Ferragamo regularly land below the mark.

Sunglasses are seasonal gold. Brands like Prada, Tom Ford, and Ray-Ban appear on consignment racks every spring as people swap out last year's frames. At $30 to $80, they're a fraction of the retail price and often barely worn.

Curated display of designer accessories including scarves and sunglasses in a boutique case

Denim

Premium denim holds up remarkably well over time, and the consignment market is full of it. Brands worth looking for under $100:

Citizens of Humanity: Retail $200+, consign for $30 to $60. The fabric quality and fit are noticeably better than mass-market denim.
AG Adriano Goldschmied: Similar price range on consignment, similar quality. Known for consistent sizing.
Mother Denim: Trendy cuts with excellent stretch and recovery. Retail $250+, consign for $40 to $70.
Frame: French-inspired cuts, high-quality denim. Retail $200+, consign for $35 to $65.

The advantage of buying denim on consignment is that someone else already broke it in. Good denim gets better with wear, softer and more comfortable while maintaining its structure. A pair of Citizens that's been worn twenty times and consigned in good condition will feel better than a brand-new pair off the shelf.

Cashmere sweaters

New cashmere from reputable brands starts at $200 and goes into the thousands. On consignment, cashmere sweaters from brands like Vince, Theory, J.Crew Cashmere, and Everlane regularly appear in the $35 to $80 range.

The inspection checklist for consignment cashmere: check for pilling (some is normal and removable with a fabric shaver, but heavy pilling across the entire garment means the cashmere is lower quality), check for moth holes (hold the sweater up to light and look for tiny pinprick holes), and check for stretched-out elbows and cuffs. A cashmere sweater that passes those three checks at $50 on consignment is a genuine bargain.

When to shop for the best deals

Consignment inventory follows seasonal rhythms, and knowing when to shop gives you an edge:

January: Post-holiday closet cleanouts flood the racks. The volume is highest and the prices are often dropped to make room. This is the best month to find variety.
Late February to March: Winter items start getting marked down because spring inventory is coming in. Coats, boots, and heavy knits hit their lowest prices.
September: Summer items get marked down as fall inventory arrives. Dresses, sandals, and light fabrics are at their cheapest.
End of consignment periods: Most shops run 60- to 90-day consignment cycles. Items approaching the end of their cycle get the deepest markdowns. Ask the shop when their typical markdown dates fall.

Organized rack of designer clothing sorted by colour in a well-maintained consignment shop

The value proposition

A $100 budget at a good consignment shop can get you a Theory blazer, a silk Equipment blouse, and a pair of premium denim. The same $100 at a fast-fashion store gets you three items that will lose their shape after five washes. The math is not close.

Come browse the racks. New inventory arrives weekly at French Cuff, and the under-$100 section is always full. Visit us Tuesday through Saturday at 2701 K Street, or email [email protected] if you're looking for something specific.