4 tips for buying Diane von Furstenberg dresses for cheap on eBay

I've averaged $81 (including shipping fees) for buying 43 dresses on eBay.  This is only dresses I still have in my possesion, not including dresses I've sold back.  How do I get dresses that usually retail for  around $400 (with tax) for 20% of the price?

1. Know the goods.
2. Know fake from real
3. Know your size
4. Know your price limit

Know the goods--have a good, working knowledge of what a Julian, Jeanne, Justin, Jessica, Jillia and Jude are.  Browse Saks, Bloomingdales, DvF.  Know what dress styles are.  If someone puts up an unnamed style, it might be a genuine dress.  I've scooped up some dresses for very little due to a bad picture or unlabeled style.   Also, as you don't get to try on, know what the dress looks and feels like. 

Know fake from real.  Here's an article on some quick tips.  In general, look for a style tag!  Look for pictures!  If the only picture is a stock picture, ask for more.  If it's labeled as New with tags, ask to see a photo of the STORE tag.  

Know your size.  Are you a small 2?  An 8 that can squeeze into a 6 or upsize to a 10?  If you've never bought a DvF, try on a few at a store to get a feel for what they are sized.  Be aware that wraps can be dramatically different from fitted dresses.

Know your price range.  I'm willing to pay up to $150 for a highly desirable dress but would like to pay under $100.  Don't get caught up in a bidding war.  Conversely, when a dress I want (China Vine Olivier) appeared, I bought it for very close to my limit.  

Diane von Furstenberg Sheath Dresses

Though Diane von Furstenberg is famous for her wrap dresses, she does make non-wrap dresses too.  Some show up for a season, others have started becoming repeats.  Here's my thoughts on what sheaths I like, how flattering they are, and how appropriate for work.  First, my opionion is strictly on my own body shape.  I've compared myself to a T-Rex-  little up top, huge hips & thighs.  And a tummy.  In wraps I'm usually an 8, though I've squeezed down to a 4 if it's a rare pattern.  In my own personal preference order:

Thane, Marbled Pesto.  I LOVE this dress.  It's not too tight at the waist.  The wool is a comfy stretch (this dress is 100% wool, Bluefly is wrong in listing it as silk".  The keyhole back is interesting but not work inappropriate.  If it's cold, I can layer a cardigan. In fall/winter, this dress gets heavy rotation.  The dress came in several other patterns (Eva Longira wore it in red) but it doesn't pop up much on eBay.
Description "Crewneck, Cut-out back with button closure, Pleated cap sleeve, Empire waist seam, Ruching at side skirt, Unlined"

Jamila, Tiger Print.  I also LOVE this dress.  With the obi waist it's surprisingly forgiving of my stomach.  The top is a soft silk, the bottom a stretchy silk.  I think the tiger print is a little much for work, and usually only wear with a sweater. I tried on the Jamila in Cayenne at the DVF in NYC, and thought "it'll go on sale".  It didn't, and I still regret not getting it in Cayenne or in blue.  The tiger keeps popping up on eBay.
Description "wide scooped neckline, keyhole button closure at the back of the neck, capped shoulders, chiffon overlay (top), banded waist, ruching at the sides, straight skirt, and a slip on design."

Holland, Navy Blue.  I got a 10 as I'd read this ran big.  wrong!  the 10 split neckline is way too low on me.  It's a cute dress but I can only wear it on weekends.
Description " Sporty mandarin-collared splitneck dress with cap-sleeves, white panels on both sides of silhouette, and built-in hip pockets "

Marchona Hot Pink. This dress hits my stomach in the worst place and makes my butt look like meatballs.  Somehow I still like wearing it, perhaps because it reminds me of the fun I had at the DvF sample sale. A wool blend. Not work appropriate (on me) but a fun going out dress with the zipper detail.
Description "Round neckline, Cap sleeves, Straight skirt; high waistline, Black-lined zipper adorns left shoulder."

Taran. Regetta weave blue.  I'm a sucker for pockets!  Barely work appropriate.  The scoop neckline is a little low.  Good for a warm day as it's 100% silk with cap sleeves.
Description "scooped neckline, sleeveless cut, banded waist, scooped pockets at the hips, pleated detailing, and a hem that should fall just above knee level."

Carpeena.  in Hazelnut. I got this dress in 10, but it's still a bit small for me.  I like the back zipper, but still haven't worn it. 

 "sleeveless, crew-neck dress features on-seam hip pockets and a full-length, exposed back zip. Darting at bust and waist. Vertical seam at skirt.  * 33" long, measured from shoulder."  

Helen. Navy Pinstripe wool. I got this for $97 from Neiman Last Call in a size 12, and I still haven't worn it. I feel like I'm all tummy as it's so clingy.  I read reviews on Saks of how "flattering" it is.  huh.  I love this dress in theory and it's my goal dress.
Description "Wide neck, v back, cap sleeves with vents, elasticized shoulders. Seam detail through front and back, concealed back zip closure"

New Domina. Ok, this is truly my goal dress.  It's basically a bandage style dress.  Very tight.  I got mine at the DvF sample sale for $20.  It was a true sample so no size.  someday, someday, I'll fit in this!
Description "square neck and back, capped sleeves, a side zip fastening and seam and stitch detailing "

Jori.  I don't actually have this one.  A lady at the sample sale took it off the rack right before me!  No big loss, when I'd tried it on (full price) it was tummyful. 

Diane von Furstenberg Linda wrap dress

Diane von Furstenberg has a few styles that come back season after season.  In a prior post I talked about Julian and Jeanne, which are a year round silk jersey.  Linda is a sweater wrap dress!

Cut
Linda is a true wrap style dress with a self fabric belt.  The neck is collarless.  The sleeves are long.  The skirt is not quite pencil, not quite A-Line.

Fabric
DvF usually releases Linda in heavier weight fabrics.  I have

• Cotton Club (100% Cashmere)
• Spotted Cat Neutral (80% cotton, 20% silk)
• Forest (100% wool)
• Large Cat (100% wool)

The fabric patterns are printed on the outside.  Linda is very cozy and warm, like wearing a blanket, or a classy Snuggie.  I can wear my Julian's and Jeanne's year round, but Linda is a winter and cool weather dress. 

Sizing

Linda comes in P (XS), S, M, L.  Because of the weave, I find the Linda runs a bit bigger than usual.  I usually wear an 8 in DvF, but my Linda's are small.

3 tips on how to tell a fake DvF silk wrap dress

Fake DvF tag

Here's some quick tips to avoid buying a Diane von Furstenberg fake.

1) If it's a silk dvF wrap dress, the pattern is printed on the outside (only).  The pattern shouldn't also be on the inside, unless the fabric is folded over at the collar or cuffs for example.

2) If it's a silk dvf wrap dress, Tag should say 100% silk.  NOT 100% silk jersey.

3) Tag should NOT say "Shell:" if it's a wrap.  This is a dead giveaway from fakes ~2008.  Wraps don't have a shell, they're one piece.

Diane von Furstenberg Julian vs Jeanne

Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress. You know you want one, but which? The classic DvF wrap dress styles are the "Jeanne" and the "Julian". Both have been part of the DvF collection for over 5+ years and multiple seasons. The wrap dress is her signature!

Fabric

Both the Jeanne and Julian printed wraps are made of luxurious, 100% silk jersey. Depending on the season, the patterns can be floral, animal, or logos. The weight and texture of the fabric is the same, the difference is just the pattern. This isn't a delicate, tearable silk. It's durable (I have dresses that are 7 years old) and packs very easily. Just shake your dress and it's ready to go! Also, depending on the pattern, stains can be easy to hide. DvF also offers a rayon Jeanne and Julian. These dresses are 85% viscose/15% polyamide, and in navy, chocolate and black.

Cut

The biggest difference between the Jeanne and Julian is the Jeanne has a collar, and the Julian is collarless. Both have a self-fabric belt that ties (wraps) at the waist. Both fall around knee (depending on your height). Both skirts are not quite A, not quite pencil, but comfortable.

Sleeves

The Jeanne has long sleeves which fasten with a metallic button at the cuff. The Julian has 3/4 notched sleeves. However, I have occasionally seen "Long Sleeved Julians". These have long sleeves, but no cuff.

Sizing

A wrap is a forgiving dress. Unlike pants or sheaths, you can be off-size. However, the arms can be very tight. I recommend trying on dresses at the store to get a feel for your true size.

Tags/labels

An authentic DvF dress will have a Diane von Furstenberg tag at the collar. It'll have a rectangular size tag also. The content should always say 100% silk, unless it's 85% vicose 15% polymide classic rayon wrap. The content should NEVER say Shell: 100% silk. There's no shell in authentic Jeanne/Julian. This tag is a sign of a fake. Along the waist seam, there's a small tag with the style name. On newer dresses, there will also be a hologram of Diane's face in the waist seam.

New vs Old

The Jeanne in stores now could be labeled as the "New Jeanne" or "New Jeanne Two". The "Jeanne" (old) had holdback French cuffs instead of buttons. I also found the arms in the old Jeanne to be tighter. Also, there's the New Jeanne and the New Jeanne Two. The New Jeanne had gold buttons, the New Jeanne Two seems to have NO buttons.

Love my Megan! Got pockets!

A total Ebay "win". My new to me Megan Petite Gaudi Wave dress came on Monday. I'd debated whether It had hip pockets. From the models pose with her hand half visible, it looked like it inseam pockets. None of the descriptions I found mentioned them. From the 2007 La Movida collection, so I could still see the old net-a-porter listing.

Wonderful thick silk, very flattering. The 8 fits perfectly, and I didn't really even Ned my "cleavage" safety pin. Had a mini string of Ebay dussapointments wih sizing being off--usually with 6 being just too small. So I'll factor in 2 bad buys for a net cost of $190 for one flattering fabulous dress.

NYC DVF Sample Sale!!!

Okay, I've crossed the line to DVF Addict. Let's not talk about the Ebay hunt for a minute. Let's talk about the DVF Sample Sale!!!

I found out about a very, very cheap limited time offer for NYC flights, and booked my flight before I was even sure there was a sample sale. In Thursday, out Friday, to hit the Friday sale (the cheapest day) as soon as it opened, and to try to minimize time off work.

The sale: Both bigger AND smaller than I expected. Rows & Rows of DVF. But most of it was late fall, there was far less summer than I expected, given the last sale was in June. The best clothes actually tended to be on the reject hangers coming out from the dressing room!

The clothes were roughly grouped by is, so I concentrated on 6, 8 and 10. Right away I found the Brush Strokes coverup I'd had my eye on. Online price-- $125 + shipping + tax, marked down from $215 Sample Sale price $20. Woohoo! Unclear though if I ever would actually pay $145 for a coverup! I grabbed the L I saw, figuring I could swap it later.

Quickly over to the "sample" rack, and I got a New Domino (ish) dress I'd never seen online or in stores. A true sample, it didn't have a size, material content or style tag. It did have a pink blotched DVF tag on the neck seam.

Then sorted through all the racks, coming up with my choices to try on. There was a limit of 10, and I ended up with 7. When I was waiting in line, snagged a pink Marchona off the lady carrying them back to the racks. I really, really wanted a brush strokes blouse I'd seen a lady take the last of, but couldn't find another one.

The dressing room was a shock--one big communal area, with a "slot" on the rail for your stuff. Oh.

Grattan: Looked ok, didn't love it.
Banker Black wrap: Not Ok.
Random gray dress with pocket zippers: ugh. Noone seemed to look good in this one.
Stirling in Purple Spotted Snow Pony (aka Cow). I'd had my eye on the Stirling in Wild Quail. Just didn't love it. I didn't feel I'd look forward to wearing it.
New Domino sample: Wow, I'm almost a sample size! (first reaction). Wow, I can't fit in this sample! Second reaction. The sales lady helped me zip, but I couldn't get it over my rib cage. "It's not flattering" she said. Then another customer said I could get elastic put in. For $20 and getting a sample, I decided to keep it! Black with pink trim.
Marchona in Pink. I liked! I'd tried it on before, but thought it was too snug. Still a bit snug, but another customer said it "looked great, I just needed a "skimmer"" I guess this is a NYC girdle. All around me I was getting a front row view of what NYC wears for undergarments (or at least to a sample sale).
Haro in Love is Life Graffiti. I'd tried this on at the Bloomingdales in Chicago and not really known where I would wear it…the skirt is tight and short for the office, but the blouse top too formal for a date night. Another customer (yes, a different one!) said "THAT looks good". But then I showed her how tight the butt was, and she said "but the front looks great".

I made my "get" stack of the Marchona, coverup, and the sample. Then I made another swing through the store looking for discards. I went back in to try...

Jessie Joan in Jungle Green. I thoughtt this didn't look bad, but I didn't think I'd look forward to wearing it. I really want to get dresses I look forward to!
Marchmont Quail another lady tried on, didn't like, and I asked for it. What were they thinking? Wrap dress with the skirt so short, top so loose. I really liked the pattern and the idea of a black wool skirt, but the execution was all sorts of wrong.
Then the heartbreaker…the lady in front of me in line knew the people running the sale, and got them to bring her a Jovita in 8. The lady was a size 0! and the 8 swum on her. But the attendant said "it's on the sample rack for $20 as the zipper is damaged, for that price, take it to a tailor and have it taken in!"

I made another pass hoping something would pop back, but then got in line to buy. Right wen I came to the checkout, I saw a size 10 Love is Life Haro. I grabbed it! I didn't want to regret NOT getting it.

So my final haul was two wear to work dresses ($75 each) one coverup $20, and one aspirational sample that I might fit into ($20). I got a nice surprise in checking out when they didn't charge tax, so $190, or less than the cost of ONE dress on sale.

Would I go again? When I was there, I was a bit disappointed, but I think that reflects my disappointment in the fall season overall. I get spoiled with Ebay where I see the greatest hits from last seasons, all at my fingertips. Now, I'm very happy i went. If I can get a cheap fare for June, I'm coming back!!!