Tips for online clothes shopping

      I know shopping online is nothing new and many of you out there have it down to a science and are masters at clicking that checkout button. My online shopping journey only began three years ago and was really founded on necessity. I was living overseas and the clothing options were limited especially when you are 5'10 and living in Japan. I have always felt intimidated by online shopping, and was a firm believer in needing to touch, smell, see, and try on the item several times before I can purchase it. My mind has been opened and now that I am stateside and have the ability to shop in stores I keep finding myself snuggling up with a cup of coffee on my couch and shopping my favorite stores online. There are some helpful tips to keep in mind when shopping online that will hopefully make your experience more pleasant and rewarding. 

1. Know your size
    This may seem like common sense, but we all have a handful of go-to stores that we love, but that does not mean I wear the same size in each store and that all size 4's are equal. I know this can be super frustrating and can be discouraging, but once you acknowledge this your online shopping experience can be much smoother. For instance I know roughly how Gap sizes their items compared to J.crew and that influences what sizes I put into my cart. If you are unsure what size you would wear in that store .... go shopping! Physically go try on some items and take note of the fit and how often you are having to size up or down.

2. Read Reviews
     This helps me A LOT, that being said you can't always believe what you read. Look for reviews that have a lot of people commenting on the clothing that you are interested in. If that particular item has 5 stars and 42 reviews you are looking at an item that will most likely work for you. Read through the reviews focus on the comments by women your height, body type. Read the ones that give that item only 1 star and see why, was it a size issue, material quality, maybe they thought they were getting a different color than was advertised. I have been swayed both to purchase an item and to walk away from it based on the insight of other shoppers.

3. Wait for the Sale
      A huge plus with online shopping is the promotions and sales they offer which you might not even see in store. Now that you have a handful of go-to stores you can sign up for their email service and you will get notifications on all their online sales. This does not mean you can't shop ahead of time when you have a free weekend put the items you "can't live without" in the cart and wait for the sale to hit. I find it a wise practice for myself to shop put the items in the cart and walk away for a couple of hours and then come back and revisit my items before purchasing. 

4. Careful!
     I know you can get swept up in the fun and ease of online shopping, but you are using real money and you do have to pay for shipping so be consciences of that and you will be able to see your actual final bill before you click the purchase button. Many stores will offer free shipping if you purchase a certain amount of merchandise equalling a set price. Example would be free shipping when you spend $50.00 or more. Also, make sure you read the fine print with items that are labeled FINAL SALE. I don't want to discourage you from making a purchase, but just be aware that you might have to eat the cost if the item does not work for you. 

I would love to hear some tips from you on how you successfully shop online. Here is a website that looks awesome and might help you with your shopping

ENJOY