Confession! I now buy most of my clothes online.  This is something I would never have imagined doing a few years ago but, whilst I still enjoy the occasional browse around physical stores, I don’t have much spare time so it’s easier to shop online in short bursts.  Besides, there is considerably more choice online, particularly with so many brands having disappeared from the high street. For this reason, I prefer to shop for clients online too.

There are of course drawbacks, namely:

• Not being able to judge colours and fabrics accurately
• Not being able to try clothes on before purchasing
• Having to make returns

Here’s how to mitigate them:

Sizing

Always read the sizing and fit guide and, where measurements are given, check them against a similar well-fitting garment in your wardrobe so that you can gauge how good the fit is likely to be. If in doubt, order a couple of sizes. This is preferable to having to re-order and risk your size having sold out in the meantime.

Quite a few sites now give the height and size of the model, which can be useful when it comes to judging how the garment may look on you. Be aware, however, that for the most part, models tend to have short bodies and long legs so, even if you’re the same height, you may find that tops look shorter on you and trousers are dragging on the floor!

Having said that, helpfully, many brands are now showing styles on models of all sorts of shapes and sizes to give you a better idea of how they look on mere mortals!

Fabric

This is so important!

If you’re a curvy body type, make sure the fabric has some “give” so look out for some elastane/ lycra content. Some websites (eg Sosandar and Net a Porter) are very helpful in showing short videos of models wearing the clothes so you can see how the fabrics drape and hang.

Read the fabric description carefully. Is it dry clean or handwash only? If so, be honest with yourself as to whether you’re prepared for the expense and faff of cleaning it. If you’re anything like me, you’ll find yourself rationing when you wear it, which makes it expensive when considered on a cost per wear basis.

Details

Take a good look at the details; zoom in on buttons, tucks etc. This can be difficult when it’s a dark fabric, so if there’s a choice of colours, always look at the details on the lighter one as they’ll be far easier to see.

Wishlist

If you’re hesitating over making a purchase, add it to the site’s wishlist so that you can mull it over. If you’re still hankering  after it a couple of days later, then buy it. The exception to this is if it’s on sale, in which case you might be better buying it straightaway, lest it go out of stock.

Shipping & returns

Always check the shipping and returns policy before you buy. Many companies ship free of charge over a certain value, but you may find that returns are chargeable. This is another good reason to order several items at once. That way, you can meet the free delivery threshold and return all unwanted items together, incurring only one return fee and cutting down on trips to the post office.

Some companies will even collect the return package from your door so you don’t even need to venture out.

Customer reviews

Read them! You can often glean useful information about the accuracy of the colour depiction, sizing and fabric quality. Some sites such as Amazon even use AI to analyse and summarise reviews, so you don’t have to trawl through them all to get a really good sense of customer opinion.

Discount codes

Check whether there are  any discount codes available. Often, if you’re a new customer, you can get a discount if you sign up to the brand’s newsletter. You can always unsubscribe afterwards.

Be respectful

Don’t wear perfume, makeup or body lotion when trying on clothes as these may stain and mean the brand is unable re-sell them.

The acid test

The major drawback of shopping online is that you may be tempted to keep something that isn’t quite right. You must be disciplined though. Ask yourself whether, if you’d tried it on instore, you would have been prepared to wait in a queue to pay for it. If the answer is no then you must send it back, because you don’t love it and therefore the chances are that you won’t wear it.

Would you like my help?

My online shopping service makes finding clothes you’ll love easy because I do all the work for you! What’s more, I can show you how the proposed new garments will work with what you already have in your wardrobe. To find out more, please click here.