How to Shop for Clothes Online: The Ultimate Guide
Shopping IRL is fun, but as soon as I had kids it became pretty much impossible. I had to learn how to shop for clothes online and how to do it fast!
Sure, I always shopped online, but now I almost exclusive shop for clothes online. If you are too or haven’t had good luck I’m going to let you in on a little secret: it’s not you, it’s just somewhat of a skill. But it’s one you can learn!
Here are my best tips for how to shop for clothes online so you can add to cart, even if you’ve got a baby on your hip!
The Ultimate Guide on How to Shop for Clothes Online
Know Your Best Online Clothing Stores
Not all online clothing stores are created equally, know your stores and know them well! By this I mean the ones with the most favorable return policies and with sizing that you understand.
My favorite online clothing stores for moms are:
- Nordstrom
- Nordstrom Rack
- Revolve
- Amazon
- Shopbop
- Trunk Club
- Rent the Runway
- Lulus (read my Lulus review here)
- Abercrombie
They have easy-to-understand and flexible return policies and I love the brands that are carried. They also have pretty good sales, too!
RELATED: How to Find Cute Clothes on Amazon: 11 Insider Secrets!
WHAT ABOUT CHEAPIE SITES? There are a zillion cheap online websites like SheIn, but I personally don’t love when return shipping isn’t free. That’s why these are the stores I consider the best for online clothes shopping.
Understand Your Body Type
Out of all of my tips for clothes shopping online, understanding your body type and how things fit is probably the most important. You need to have a good understanding of what fits and flatters you to avoid the headache of having to do a bunch of returns.
Honestly, this is a bit of a trial and error process, or you could work with a stylist who can help you identify what’s best for your body type.
RELATED: If you like the idea of a personal stylist, you may like Trunk Club, which matches you up with a stylist and sends clothes to your door!
If you don’t want to do either, go through your closet and shop for pieces with similar cuts. There are many things I see online that look supercute, but I always take a second look and ask myself, “Will that look good on me and my body type?” This is also where tip #3 comes in…
Read Reviews
Read, read, read, read the reviews! This is so important so you can see if people loved or hated it and what they loved and hated about it. I pay especially close attention to anyone who mentions their body type and what fit them or what didn’t.
Another place this is especially useful is if you’re shopping Rent the Runway. Rent the Runway allows users to upload photos of their outfits so you can see exactly how certain things fit! Again, I pay special attention to those with body types like mine and see what works best.
Sign Up for The Email Newsletter
One of my favorite things about shopping for clothes online is the sales! There are always online-exclusive sales and newsletter-only opportunities. TJ Maxx, for example, offers free shipping for newsletter subscribers and exclusive sale alerts for their designer collections!
Try LiketoKnow.It
If you love to follow bloggers online, the easiest way to shop their looks is with the free LiketoKnow.it app. I post all of my looks there and follow bloggers there, too! I’ve made several purchases through the app and it’s really simple.
Again, whether you’re buying something because a fashion blogger recommended it or it has rave reviews, always ask yourself how it will fit and flatter you and your body type.
Order Multiple Sizes
When in doubt, order multiple sizes. I do this All.The.Time. Is returning a pain? Well, let’s just put it this way: It’s far easier to do a quick return with kids than it is to do a try-on and purchase session. This is another reason I like to only shop retailers with free shipping and returns so I can do a big haul and order in one big haul.
Ok, phew! That was A Ton.
Are you a big online shopper? What are some of your favorite tips for clothes shopping online? Share your best tips below!
Like this post? Pin me, please! It helps others find this guide and you can easily re-visit the tips!
