How I Shop Luxury Brands for Less

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Nothing beats a great outfit that includes a direct extension of your personality. That’s exactly what a graphic tee is able to do. I have tees with cute sayings, tees that celebrate my favorites, vintage tees that used to belong to my mom. There’s also the simple, crisp white tee that can hold its own. The hole in my collection is a high-end luxury brand tee that says “yes, I’m super comfy and casual, but I’m also kind of a big deal in my little fancy way.” Basically, a go-to tee that I can wear with anything to feel a little more dressed up, even though I’m still just wearing a tee.

If justification is needed for owning a multitude of graphic tees, here it is: A tee goes with just about anything. Pair it with jeans, a skirt or pants. Dress it down with sneakers or up with heals. Layer it with a blazer or moto jacket. I love a good high-low balance of a office-appropriate pencil skirt paired with a tee that says “livin’ the dream.” A tee is literally always a good idea, hence my mission to fulfill the luxury hole in my closet.

The thing is, high-end brands like Gucci and Givenchy are expensive, even in t-shirt form. I was not willing to pay close to six hundred dollars for a Gucci t-shirt. No thank you.

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One day I was scrolling through Facebook, and I got an ad (the Facebook ads get me every time) for an adorable Gucci tee at Neiman Marcus and ended up clicking through.  This time, the price caught me eye. How could I get a Gucci t-shirt for only $180?  What’s the catch?!  Unless you look closely at the sizing chart, I wouldn’t have known that I was looking at a girl’s sized t-shirt. Good thing I didn’t get my normal size four! 

However, it did get me thinking, I’ve been buying kid-sized shoes to pay less for my adult-size six feet for years.  Why should tees be any different?  Could I have been paying way less for years and it never occurred to me?  The answer is yes. 

I must not be the only person who’s found this loophole.  Many of the larger kid’s sizes are sold out, but I did some searching and ultimately fell in love with a  Givenchy sweatshirt that I had to have.  While it’s still on the pricey side, it’s much cheaper, compared to the offerings in women’s sizes. 

I’d say the fit is pretty comparable.  I purchased a girl’s size 14 and while it lacks some of the womanly shapes and cuts, these aren’t needed in loose-fitting shirts.  I’ve found that being short-waisted is actually a benefit to child size cuts! It isn’t too long, yet I still have room for my chest.

I feel like I stumbled onto a secret society and fear I’m just getting started.  Next up, I’m looking at kid-sized graphic tees to layer with blazers through the winter.  Happy shopping!

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