Check it Out: Luxury Shopping Online (Shhh! Keep It a Secret)

The sites also offer specials to their members. Ruelala.com members, for example, receive a $10 Rue La La credit when each new friend places a first order. Rue La La also launched an iPhone app to make it easier for members to make purchases while on the move.

But don't look for them on search engines. These sites apparently shield themselves from spiders to add to their exclusivity. What's more, affluent brands aren't interested in working with these sites if the heavily discounted merchandise they hope to sell — because it didn't sell elsewhere — pops up in response to online searches for their brands. Too tacky.