Every time I visit ASOS.com’s clearance section (a serious bargain basement), I notice something in the top left-hand corner: ASOS Marketplace. I’ve never actually… clicked on it until recently. From what I could tell from afar, it seemed like a place for independent sellers to set up shop via ASOS and share their fashion inventory.
The idea conjured up cluttered images of a global fashion Ross store. I struggle to shop on Etsy because I crave consistency when I shop online, and every other item on Etsy is literally a photo from a different camera in the hands of a different person with different aesthetic standards. Call me a snob but… that bugs me.
As far as ASOS Marketplace is concerned, I was half right and half wrong. I’ll give you a long answer and a short answer, the short one first for those of you without patience: ASOS Marketplace is like Etsy for people who are dead serious about their vintage offerings and original clothing collections. It’s a great place to go for actual one-of-a-kind designs and styles from all over the world.
You know that feeling when you’re browsing Etsy and you come across a clothing designer that has great photos, cool designs, and makes your size for an affordable price? It’s like finding a diamond in a sea of cross-stitch period panties and knit beanies. If you gathered all of those sellers and put them into a lucite box lined with fluorescent lights and neon, you’d have ASOS Marketplace.
The standard that ASOS Marketplace has for their sellers is comparably astronomical. Even the product photos have to meet and exceed ASOS’s rigid design standards. Whether it’s a 1940s vintage sheath dress or a brand new, laser-cut jacket, the product photos are going to be equally high quality. How sweet is that? Those of you who are marketing nerds like me can attest to the fact that product photos can make or break an online shop – this is a smart move for everyone.
Their product photography guidelines are more strict than some college entry requirements.
A heavy respect is paid to vintage wares at ASOS Marketplace. You really can’t tell what is or isn’t vintage by the photo, but you can search by vintage era spanning from the 1920s to the 1970s.
ASOS Marketplace is also cooler than your average vintage shop because of the locations of the participating boutiques. What if you could get a 1940s shirtwaist dress from Tokyo, or a knitted sweater from Iceland? There is an extra special feeling you get from clothes that have traveled a distance – both through space and time – to get to you.
The Marketplace is organized just like any other online fashion store. There’s so much unique clothing in the Marketplace that it can be somewhat overwhelming, the front page helps bring what you want to the forefront with straightforward categories like dresses and shoes alongside featured shops and new designers. Or you can use the Boutique Directory if you know exactly who you’re looking for.
As you well know, the ‘net is loaded with coupon codes for nearly every store online. ASOS almost always has a great discount code floating around, and while they don’t always work for the marketplace, it’s good to familiarize yourself! In ASOS Marketplace, store owners are allowed to create their own discount codes, so keep in touch with ASOS and be sure and check sites like Codesium for coupons!
If you’ve been scouring independent designers who are both affordable and legitimately indie – look no further than ASOS Marketplace! Here are some of my favorite pieces:
Bookmark ASOS Marketplace for your next indie or vintage shopping trip!