# The Most Underrated Designer Brands to Buy Secondhand Right Now - Link: https://shopquirkla.com/underrated-designer-brands-to-buy-secondhand/ - Published: 2026-08-06T06:34:50-07:00 - Author: Rich Baldonado Quirk Field Guide # The Most Underrated Designer Brands to Buy Secondhand Right Now Eight labels where the design, construction, and point of view can still exceed the price tag, if you know what to look for. There are two very different ways to buy designer fashion secondhand. The first is to chase the names everyone already recognizes. This can be satisfying, especially when the object is exceptional, but the market has usually done the math before you arrive. The logo is legible, the demand is established, and the price often reflects both.The second way is more interesting. You look for the label whose design language is stronger than its current cultural volume. You buy the jacket because the cut is extraordinary, the shoe because the line is strange in exactly the right way, or the knit because it has an identity that does not need a monogram to explain itself.Resale demand changes quickly. The RealReal’s 2025 report, for example, identified Isabel Marant as a major comeback label after a sharp rise in searches. That is the reminder: a brand can sit quietly in the secondary market until a new generation learns how to see it.The names below are not guaranteed investments, and not every piece from any designer is worth buying. Think of this as a point-of-view list, not a stock tip. We are looking for design value, wardrobe value, and the possibility that the market has not fully caught up. ## 󠀁[1. Dries Van Noten](https://www.driesvannoten.com/)󠁿 Fashion people do not consider Dries Van Noten obscure, but the secondhand market can still treat portions of the label more gently than its textile intelligence deserves. This is especially true outside the most obvious runway pieces. Look for print combinations that should not work but do, dense jacquards, thoughtful menswear, fluid trousers, embroidered evening pieces, and coats with quiet complexity. Dries is useful because the clothes are expressive without requiring a complete costume. One printed shirt or richly colored jacket can change the temperature of everything around it.Best secondhand targets: outerwear, print shirts, skirts, trousers, knits, and earlier menswear. ## 󠀁[Marni](https://www.marni.com/en-us/)󠁿 Marni is at its best when color, proportion, and material feel slightly off-center. The label can make a sensible coat strange with one curve, or turn an apparently awkward print into something deeply wearable. Secondhand Marni is broad, so edit hard. Look for the pieces that carry a clear idea: sculptural jewelry, graphic shoes, unusual color stories, painterly prints, cocoon shapes, and strong early-to-mid-period ready-to-wear. Skip the item that is relying only on the label. Buy the one that could be recognized across a room without it. Best secondhand targets: coats, dresses, jewelry, shoes, print separates, and unusual bags. [ Check Out Our Latest Curations ](https://shopquirkla.com/shop/) ## 󠀁[3. Jil Sander](https://www.jilsander.com/en-it/)󠁿 Minimalism is often mistaken for simplicity. Good Jil Sander shows the difference. The interest is in the exactness: the shoulder angle, the length of a coat, the negative space around the body, the way a trouser breaks, the quality of a seemingly plain fabric. Because understated clothing photographs less loudly than logo pieces, excellent Jil Sander can be overlooked in crowded resale feeds. Look closely at labels and era, but do not become so label-archaeology obsessed that you ignore the garment. The best buy is the piece that creates a line you cannot easily find elsewhere. Best secondhand targets: coats, tailoring, trousers, crisp shirts, leather goods, and knitwear. ## 󠀁[4. Sonia Rykiel](https://www.soniarykiel.com/)󠁿 Sonia Rykiel understood that knitwear could carry personality. Stripes, intarsia, sparkle, text, fluid jersey, and a slightly undone Parisian energy run through the strongest pieces. The resale market often flattens the label into ‘French sweater,’ which is exactly why it deserves attention. Look for strong color, novelty knits, narrow stripes, trompe l’oeil details, plush textures, and dresses that move rather than grip. The sweet spot is playful without becoming childish. A good Rykiel piece looks like its wearer has a sense of humor and somewhere to be. Best secondhand targets: knits, striped dresses, novelty sweaters, velvet, bags, and statement separates. ## 󠀁[5. Costume National](https://costumenational.com/)󠁿 For people who love 1990s and early-2000s fashion but do not want the same five names, Costume National is worth learning. The label’s strongest pieces sit somewhere between rock tailoring, Italian precision, and a dark, lean modernism. Search for narrow jackets, sharp coats, low-slung trousers, minimal leather, and evening clothes with clean tension. The clothes can feel cinematic without advertising themselves. Condition matters here, particularly with coated fabrics and leather. Inspect surfaces, hardware, and linings carefully. When the piece is right, however, the value can be excellent relative to the design. Best secondhand targets: tailoring, leather, boots, coats, fitted shirts, and sleek evening pieces. ## 󠀁[6. Martine Sitbon and Rue du Mail](https://www.martine-sitbon.fr/)󠁿 Martine Sitbon’s work has the kind of romantic intelligence that resists a single keyword. It can be sheer and severe, soft and rock-adjacent, feminine without becoming polite. Look for bias-cut dresses, velvet, lace, translucent layers, narrow tailoring, and pieces that feel like they belong to a person with excellent records. Rue du Mail, the later label, can also surface at approachable prices and deserves the same close inspection. These are clothes that reward styling. A delicate Sitbon blouse under a hard jacket, or a fluid dress with blunt shoes, feels more current than a literal revival look. Best secondhand targets: dresses, sheer blouses, velvet, tailored jackets, and evening separates. ## 󠀁[7. Pierre Hardy](https://pierrehardy.com/)󠁿 Pierre Hardy is a useful antidote to buying accessories for logo recognition alone. His shoes and bags often begin with geometry, proportion, and color rather than a house emblem. That means many pieces can look surprisingly fresh years later. Look for graphic boots, architectural heels, strong color blocking, cube motifs, and bags with a clear shape. As always with secondhand footwear, inspect soles, heel tips, insoles, and material condition, then factor restoration into the price. Best secondhand targets: boots, sculptural heels, graphic sneakers, and structured bags. ## 󠀁[8. Moschino, Especially the Pieces With a Joke](https://www.moschino.com/)󠁿 Moschino is famous, but the market does not value every line or era evenly. That creates room for people who understand the language. The pieces to look for are not simply the loudest. They are the ones where the wit is integrated into the design: heart hardware on a disciplined skirt, surreal buttons on a tailored jacket, a knit with an intelligent visual joke, or a classic silhouette interrupted by one irreverent detail. Older diffusion lines can be particularly good hunting territory. Read the garment, verify the label, and judge the construction rather than assuming that a lower line is either worthless or automatically collectible. Best secondhand targets: tailoring, novelty knits, hardware-rich separates, belts, bags, and Franco-era pieces when authenticated. ## How to Buy the Label Without Being Bought by the Label A designer name should begin the inspection, not end it. Ask whether the piece expresses what the designer is actually good at. Check the material, construction, condition, and fit. Look at the version of the label and country of manufacture. Compare the piece with others from the same era, not only with whatever a marketplace algorithm places next to it. Most importantly, decide whether the garment adds something specific to your wardrobe. The best secondhand designer purchase is not necessarily the piece that will impress the most people on sight. It is the one that makes your existing clothes more interesting, feels difficult to replace, and still gives you a small electric feeling when you put it on. That is the part of luxury no logo can guarantee. [**Explore Quirk’s designer vintage and independent-label edit. Inventory changes constantly, because the best pieces rarely repeat.**](https://shopquirkla.com/shop/) ### Now Open For Clients. Now Open For Clients. Now Open For Clients. Now Open For Clients. Now Open For Clients. Now Open For Clients. Now Open For Clients. Now Open For Clients. ## Clothes Donation Drive: Whether vintage or modern, knowing how to tell if clothing is good quality can transform your style. ## Help LA Fire Victims Today! [ LEARN MORE ](https://shopquirkla.com/la-fire-help/) ###### Visit our boutique to find our curated vintage selection Quirk BOUTIQUE, is located at 112 West 9th St. #200 Los Angeles, CA 90015 ## STILL INTERESTED? Here’s more [ ](https://shopquirkla.com/reimagining-glamour-smart-shopping/) ## Reimagining Glamour: Sustainability and Ingenuity Behind Kelsey Merritt’s Custom Satine Look * [ November 4, 2025 ](https://shopquirkla.com/2025/11/04/) At first glance, Kelsey Merritt’s Moulin Rouge costume looked like pure Hollywood fantasy—crystal fringe, beadwork, and a silhouette that felt straight from a Parisian cabaret. But behind the sparkle was a story of creative sustainability, smart shopping, and the kind of resourcefulness that defines independent fashion in Los Angeles today. [ Read more ](https://shopquirkla.com/reimagining-glamour-smart-shopping/) [ ](https://shopquirkla.com/fck-fast-fashion-be-quirk/) ## Forget Fast Fashion * [ November 1, 2024 ](https://shopquirkla.com/2024/11/01/) In a world where fashion trends change as swiftly as the seasons, the allure of fast fashion is undeniable. However, as eco-conscious consumers and sustainable fashion enthusiasts become more aware of its environmental and social impacts, particularly in light of the recent typhoon catastrophes that have devastated communities, a shift towards second-hand shopping is gaining momentum. This blog aims to explore the detrimental effects of fast fashion, provide insights on how to identify these brands, and highlight the benefits of choosing pre-loved clothing. [ Read more ](https://shopquirkla.com/fck-fast-fashion-be-quirk/) [ ⌊Photographed by Irving Penn, Vogue, October 1977⌉ ](https://shopquirkla.com/dolly-parton-style-personal-style/) ## What Dolly Parton Taught Us About Personal Style * [ September 1, 2026 ](https://shopquirkla.com/2026/09/01/) Dolly Parton never dressed for approval. Her rhinestones, wigs, heels, humor, and extraordinary consistency made her instantly recognizable—and offer a lesson in what personal style actually means. [ Read more ](https://shopquirkla.com/dolly-parton-style-personal-style/) [ ](https://shopquirkla.com/clothing-donation-in-los-angeles/) ## Style with Purpose: How Your Pre-Loved Finds Can Help LA Fire Victims * [ January 28, 2025 ](https://shopquirkla.com/2025/01/28/) The recent devastating fires in Los Angeles have left thousands grappling with unimaginable loss—families without homes, workers without jobs, and communities struggling to rebuild. Such tragedies highlight the power of collective action, reminding us that everyone can contribute to recovery in their unique way. What if we told you that your favorite pre-loved pieces could help make a difference? By donating your cherished finds, you’re not only giving back to those who need it most, but also supporting a more sustainable and thoughtful approach to fashion. Building on the success of our clothing donation drive, we’ll delve into the transformative power of clothing, share ways you can join this impactful movement, and highlight the heartfelt stories of those whose lives have been touched by your generosity. [ Read more ](https://shopquirkla.com/clothing-donation-in-los-angeles/) Previous [Next](https://shopquirkla.com/underrated-designer-brands-to-buy-secondhand/?e-page-0ca56c8=2)