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Below, I’ll share my shopping experiences with Cettire and Italist. I’ll say right away that both brands met my expectations in terms of quality and speed of delivery.
The main difference between Cettire and Italist is that Cettire focuses on aggressive discounts. Savings can reach 30-50%. Italist feels closer to a traditional luxury retailer. Prices are based on European retail, duties and taxes are included at checkout, and shipping via DHL is fast with no surprise fees.
My shopping experience with Italist
Italist’s head office appears to be based in Los Angeles, but the company also operates offices within Europe. All of the merchandise sold on the Italist website comes directly from European boutiques, which explains why prices are often lower. Because pricing is based in Europe, items are generally cheaper compared to buying locally. In my case, purchasing locally would have meant Canadian pricing from stores like Nordstrom, Holt Renfrew, or Longchamp boutiques. Even after currency conversion, European pricing usually works out to be less expensive, which is why I started shopping on Italist.
Another reason I chose Italist was availability. The bag I wanted was sold out on other websites. It was no longer available at Nordstrom or on the Longchamp website, but I managed to purchase it from italist.com. Shortly after, it sold out there as well. Italist frequently updates its inventory, especially for Longchamp bags, so it’s worth keeping an eye on their stock.
Overall, I’m very happy with the purchasing experience. It was similar to other luxury retailers I’ve bought from.
Italist’s Shipping
Shipping was handled by DHL, and my order arrived in about three business days, which was impressively fast. Everything was included at checkout, including duties and taxes. There were no surprise fees upon delivery, which I really appreciated. The final price shown at checkout was the exact amount I paid, and I didn’t have to worry about unexpected charges later. In terms of pricing, the item was already discounted due to European pricing. On top of that, there was an additional 15% off. After duties, taxes, and currency conversion, the final cost came to about 183 dollars.Italist’s Packaging
The packaging wasn’t anything special. The bag arrived wrapped in a plastic bag with tissue paper, along with the care card and tags. That said, the item wasn’t damaged at all. I’ve previously ordered a Longchamp bag directly from the official website, and it also arrived in plastic wrapping, so this didn’t bother me. As long as the product arrives safely, I don’t mind minimal packaging. I saved money, and the bag was in perfect condition, so I have no complaints. As for the bag itself, I really love it. It’s a beautiful deep navy color, and I like the Longchamp logo with the French flag detail on the back. It has the classic snap button that allows the bag to fold, and the branding appears upside down when open but reads correctly once folded. Overall, I’m extremely happy with my purchase and the entire shopping experience. I can’t comment on the return process, since I didn’t need to return anything. Based on what I’ve read, return shipping and duties are not free, which is something to keep in mind.My shopping experience with Cettire
Cettire is a luxury fashion retailer that sells brand-new items at discounted prices—at least discounted for those of us in the United States. I had heard of Cettire before but never actually shopped there. I always lumped it in with resale platforms like Fashionphile or The RealReal and didn’t think much more about it.
That changed about two or three weeks ago when I came across a TikTok explaining what Cettire actually is.
What intrigued me was the explanation that Cettire takes advantage of the fact that designer items are often cheaper in their country of origin, mostly Europe.
The items are purchased directly in Europe and then resold worldwide at those lower European prices. Because of that, you can save a significant amount compared to U.S. retail pricing.
So far, I’ve purchased three items from Cettire. Two have already arrived, and the third is coming tomorrow. On average, I’ve saved anywhere from 30% to 50% on each item.
What I ordered
Everything I ordered is from Versace. Versace is my brand. These days, everyone seems focused on Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Dior, and while those brands are amazing, they don’t really speak to me in the same way.
I do like Louis Vuitton for certain pieces—especially travel items. As someone once said, Louis Vuitton is the go-to luxury travel brand. That said, unless you’re flying business or first class and checking all your luggage, I don’t see the appeal of hard-sided luxury luggage. I’ve never flown business class, so I’ll stay in my lane.
Anyway, all of my Cettire purchases are Versace, and I want to say right away that I am extremely pleased. There were a couple of minor hiccups, which I’ll get into, but overall I’m very happy.
The wallet I ordered retails for $450 before tax. I paid $187 before tax and shipping. That’s a savings of roughly $250, which is huge.
So far, everything I’ve received has been 100% authentic, brand new, and in original packaging. For example, I purchased a Versace bracelet as part of my “silver era” for 2024. It arrived with
the official white Versace carton, the original box, the jewelry case, and all authenticity cards and certificates.
The quality matches my other Versace pieces exactly. If you’re familiar with the brand, you know Versace recently updated their packaging and branding, and everything aligns perfectly with that.
These are items I likely wouldn’t purchase at full retail, especially fashion jewelry. Everyone has their own opinion on fashion jewelry. I buy it for the look and the aesthetic, not because I think it’s some ultra-high-quality investment piece. Nine times out of ten, Versace gives me an aesthetic I can’t find anywhere else.
All items have been exactly as advertised: brand new, authentic, and in box. Cettire claims they only sell new and authentic items, and so far, that’s been true in my experience.
Cettire’s Shipping
Shipping is very fast. It costs about $25 if you don’t meet the $200 or $250 free-shipping threshold, which is a little annoying. That said, the amount you save easily outweighs the shipping cost, so I’m still a fan.
Overall, shipping has been fast, quality has been excellent, and I have very few complaints.
Cettire doesn’t seem to carry brands like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior, or Hermès, but they do carry a wide range of other designers. Luckily for me, they carry a lot of Versace, and I hope that continues.
As much as I love the boutique experience, everything I’ve received from Cettire matches the quality of pieces I’ve purchased directly from Versace. I am a very satisfied customer.
If you’re thinking about giving Cettire a try, I highly recommend it.
