Where to buy going-out tops for less: outlet, sale and resale in 2026

Where cheap going-out tops actually are

A going-out top is a short-life purchase for most people. It gets worn to a few parties, a birthday dinner or a concert, then sits in a drawer. That makes it a good item to buy marked down, and there are three places to look:

• Sale sections of online fashion stores. Lulus, ASOS and similar stores move party styles to sale quickly, often within a season.
• Off-price stores. Nordstrom Rack sells name-brand and Nordstrom overstock at a discount, with extra clearance events.
• Resale. ThredUp, Poshmark and eBay sell secondhand tops, many barely worn, for less than the sale price of new ones.

The trade-off is the same everywhere. The lower the price, the stricter the return rules, so the sections below cover both.

Lulus sale and Deals sections

Lulus is a California-based online women's fashion store best known for dresses, and its tops section leans toward going-out styles: satin camis, corset tops, bodysuits, one-shoulder and sequin tops.

Two parts of the site carry the lowest prices:

• Sale. Lulus runs a sale section with styles up to 70% off. Lulus also keeps a tops under $20 category, where search-indexed listings show tank, knit and long-sleeve tops around $10 to $18, marked down from original prices up to about $49.
• Deals. A separate Deals category holds discounted styles that are not always final sale.

Most sale items are final sale. Lulus marks them that way on the product page, and final sale items cannot be returned. Lulus's full return window could not be confirmed on its own site in October 2026, as third-party guides give conflicting figures, so read the Lulus returns policy before you buy a full-price top you might send back.

How to pay less at Lulus

• Shop in the app. Lulus app orders ship free to US addresses with no minimum. On the website, free shipping starts at the minimum shown in your bag.
• Open an account before your first order. New customers who create an account get a first-order discount of 20%, reported working in October 2026.
• Text sign-up. First-time text subscribers get up to 15% off. Terms and exclusions apply.
• Love Rewards. The free loyalty program earns points on purchases, with double points on the first purchase, plus member offers.
• Verified discounts. Lulus offers discounts for students, military members and healthcare workers after verification.
• Category codes. Some codes apply only to the Sale or Deals category, and most codes cannot be combined. PickedBox lists the current ones on the Lulus coupon page.

Lulus takes major credit cards, Lulus gift cards, Klarna and Afterpay. Splitting a $20 top into installments rarely saves anything, so keep those for larger orders.

The row below is the same row as on the Lulus page. The code appears after the click; Lulus opens in a new tab.

40% off Extra 40% off sale items Items in the Sale category only. Listed to end Oct 15, 2026. Code · Worked Oct 9, 2026 · listed since Oct 2026 Show code Opens Lulus in a new tab. The code appears here.

When going-out tops go on sale

Party tops follow the party calendar. They sell at full price before the holidays and drop after them. Based on past promotions listed on the PickedBox store pages:

The cheapest window for sequins, satin and velvet is late December into January, after the New Year's Eve rush. If you need a top for a December party, buy it in November during Black Friday or from last year's leftovers in the sale section.

Nordstrom Rack and ASOS for outlet prices

Nordstrom Rack is the off-price arm of Nordstrom, selling discounted clothing in stores, online and in its app. Its Clear the Rack events take an extra 25% off clearance prices, roughly every other month, with early access for members of the free Nordy Club. Rack returns are generous for an outlet: 40 days, free in any Nordstrom Rack or Nordstrom store, or $9.95 for a mail label. Purchases made between Oct 5 and Dec 24, 2026 can be returned until Jan 18, 2027. Free standard shipping starts at $89. See the Nordstrom Rack coupon page for current offers.

ASOS sells its own labels plus hundreds of other brands, and its sale section is large. New US customers who sign up for emails get 20% off a first order of $50 or more, and students get 10% off full-price items after verification. Returns are accepted within 28 days of delivery, except Final Sale items. Standard shipping is $10 unless you pay $19.99 a year for ASOS Premier. Current offers are on the ASOS coupon page.

Select Lulus styles are also sold through Nordstrom, so a Lulus top occasionally turns up at Nordstrom Rack later at a lower price.

Resale: ThredUp, Poshmark and eBay

Going-out tops are one of the best categories to buy secondhand, because many were worn once. Search a store or brand name plus the style, such as "Lulus satin cami", and filter by your size.

• ThredUp is an online consignment store. It runs its biggest discounts around Black Friday and offers a first-order discount to new customers. Shipping is $8.99 bundled or $10.99 standard. Returns must be postmarked within 14 days of delivery and carry a $3.99 restocking fee per item, and final sale items cannot be returned. Offers are on the ThredUp coupon page.
• Poshmark is a person-to-person marketplace. You can send an offer to the seller, and bundling several items from one closet saves on shipping.
• eBay has a steady supply of used Lulus and fast-fashion tops. Check the item specifics for measurements, since brand sizing varies.

On any resale site, ask for measurements across the chest and length, and read the return terms before paying. Most private sellers do not accept returns for fit.

Checks before you buy a cheap top

• Read the fabric line. Satin and sequin tops in polyester often need hand washing or dry cleaning, which adds cost over time.
• Check for final sale. On Lulus, ASOS and ThredUp, final sale items cannot be returned, so buy only if you know your size in that brand.
• Count shipping. A $12 top with $10 shipping is a $22 top. The Lulus app, Nordstrom Rack's $89 threshold and ThredUp's bundled shipping all change the math.
• Compare per wear. A $35 top worn ten times costs less per wear than a $15 top worn once.

How we checked this

In October 2026, PickedBox checked the facts on its Lulus, Nordstrom Rack, ASOS and ThredUp store pages against official sources: the Lulus shipping article and Lulus promotions page (read from a search summary because lulus.com blocked automated access), the Nordstrom Rack shipping and returns policy (read Oct 18, 2026), the ASOS returns policy and the ThredUp return policy. Lulus tops-under-$20 prices come from search-indexed listings. Sale dates are past promotions, not announced 2026 dates. No product was bought or worn for this article.

• Lulus shipping costs and free shipping
• Lulus tops under $20
• Lulus returns policy
• Nordstrom Rack shipping and return policy
• ASOS US returns policy
• ThredUp return policy

How we test codes and what the labels mean: How we verify coupons.