This pandemic has really aggravated the shopaholic inside of me that I have suppressed for so long. I use to spend nearly every weekend at the mall and since the malls shut down in March I have been buying clothes like crazy online (and returning just as much). The funny thing is that now that we’re all working from home for the most part there is actually no where to wear these clothes but that has not stopped me.
It also doesn’t help that there are so many great deals going on. I find that stores are being a little more lenient with their return policies which has been great during this time. I’ve taken this time to purchase workout clothes, underwear and basics. Although I have been very transparent with the fact that I am working on paying off my enormous law school loan, a girl has to live and its really important that you are aware of your spending and know where you money is going.
I also feel that if you just deprive yourself of buying clothes for a long time (as I have done in the past) when that is something that you love doing, you just end up purchasing a ton of clothes after your months of deprivation which is part of the reason why I have made so many purchases in the last few months.
In addition, I’m trying to buy less but better quality stuff (I guess this is part of adulting). I just cannot keep buying the same cheapo tops over and over just to buy replacements regularly. I think this is the best time to take advantage of sales and to make sure you understand store return policies so that you aren’t stuck selling things on marketplace when they don’t fit properly.
Here are my basic rules when shopping online:
1. read the reviews. I will always read the reviews for fit and quality and the less favourable the review or rating the less inclined I am to buy the item. Being a short girl, there are always things that will not fit right. I will always check the height/weight of the person reviewing the item as it is a great indicator of how an item will fit on me.
2. look at the material composition. There are certain materials that are simply not worth the money for example a 100% polyester top should not cost $300. I am very careful with the materials I buy and I also will look at the care instructions. If something is “dry clean only” I know that it will be something that I won’t wear all the time (i.e. a suit for work). The materials that are usually very itchy (i.e. alpaca or wool) I am reluctant to purchase online because it is hard to tell whether the material will irritate your skin without actually touching and feeling the material of the item.
3. use ebates and coupon codes. I am of course not sponsored but I’ve been using ebates when purchasing things because it is super easy and you can often get a significant percentage back especially when you are buying a lot online. Not every store is on ebates but for those that are not, always take the time to do a simple google search for coupon codes as this can save you tons.
4. colours. I am a very basic and boring with my clothes. I will buy the same black, white and beige colours and sometimes I will venture off into the colour world and buy something with colour. When buying online try not to make impulsive decisions with colour. Always look at the skin tone of the model wearing the item in the stock photos when deciding whether this colour will work for your skin tone. If the model is not the same skin tone as you, check to see if they are wearing something that is black or white and see how that colour compares with the colour of the item. This will give you a good idea of what the colour will be like in person. Of course this is not always 100% accurate but it is a good way to gauge colour when shopping online.
5. make use of the customer service chat/email. If you end up purchasing something that doesn’t fit or the colour isn’t as expected don’t feel bad about reaching out to a customer service representative and asking about what can be done. I recently purchased tights from lululmeon during their sale and the tights were too small despite my judgment based on the reviews. When I tried to process the return online the item was marked final sale. I reached out to a representative and explained my situation politely and patiently. The representative gladly issued a refund and I was able to purchase the correct size despite the item being marked final sale. It is important to always give the retailer a chance to remedy the issue prior to taking any further steps to resell an item.
Hopefully these 5 tips will help you the next time you make an online purchase. Happy shopping!
