In the last six months or so, a new site called Grailed has been getting a lot of attention. Pete wrote about them in his post about alternative markets. If you’re not familiar, Grailed is a site exclusively for men’s fashion enthusiasts, where pieces are posted from coveted brands such as Alden, Gitman Bros. and Jil Sander. Most of the trading is between private individuals and involves second hand clothing, so much like eBay, it’s made high-end clothes a lot more accessible.
Today, the company opened Grailed Direct – a new discount shop done in partnership with various brands and retailers. The goal is to offer brand new, unworn clothes at 50% off. Stuff that brands and retailers haven’t been able to move, essentially, but also don’t want to discount too far for fear of hurting their image (much like how flash sale sites have become a dumping ground for such merchandise).
The discounts are good, but affordability ranges. On the site now, for example, are some black 3sixteen jeans for $103 and Onia swim shorts for prices starting at $70. A bit more expensive are some white overdyed canvas sneakers from nonnative for $183, and much more expensive still is a navy 60/ 40 jacket from nonnative for $895.
Unfortunately, all sales are final, which makes shopping a bit less appealing than other discount sites, but they do carry a better selection of merchandise. Arun, one of the guys behind Grailed, tells me that this is only their first drop and they have more product waiting in the wings. They’re also looking to partner with more brands and stores in order to increase the amount and variety of things they carry.
