We are all in the digital age where almost everything can be gotten online. Technology has immensely improved our comfort levels, such that we don’t have to do too much to get what we want. Gone are the days when we write shopping lists and wait for the weekends to go to the market to get what we need. We don’t need to spend hours in the sun, walking from store to store looking for the best items and getting them at the best prices. We can now sit at home, scroll through online stores’ catalogues and shop whatever we want. No more long hours in the hot sun, bargaining prices.
As we mentioned at the beginning, we can shop for everything online. This includes clothes, shoes, bags, food, accessories, kits, electronics, household essentials and so much more. In this article, we are focusing on shopping for clothes online. We are discussing how to choose the right size and quality. Sometimes, shopping online does not give you exactly what you want, so it is best you do all the research you can before you buy an item online. You don’t just shop online because it is comfortable, you shop because you want to get the right stuff.
Let’s discuss some tips you should look out for when shopping for clothes online, so you can get the best quality and the right size.
Come on!
How to choose the right size and quality when shopping for clothes online.
Let’s divide this article into two sections, so you can understand the tips easily.
How to choose the right size when shopping for clothes online.
1. Know your true size and fit.
The first and most important thing you should know when shopping for clothes online is your real size. You might think you know your size by just looking at the clothes but it doesn’t work that way. Make sure you know your original measurements for any particular cloth you are shopping for. Different clothes have different sizes. If you are shopping for dresses, you need to know the measurements of certain parts of your body like your hips, bust and waist. If you are shopping for pants or shorts, you are also need to know the key parts that form your fit. You need to know if you are a size 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 or not. You have to take proper body fittings to know your true size.
The best way to do this is by shopping with the sizes of your most fitted clothes. This means that if you want to shop for clothes online, you can use the same size of an outfit you already have that fits perfectly. If you think that wouldn’t work, retake your measurements according to the size chart available on the website.
2. Check the Size Chart.
After knowing your true size and body fit, you can proceed to checking out the size chart available on the store’s website. Depending on the country you are shopping from, there are different type of size charts. UK stores run a different chart from US stores and other countries. For instance, most US stores run in sizes from 0-24 and more. Some other countries run theirs in sizes from S (small) to XXL (extra extra large).
Some use other numbers that are common in their locality. What is important is that you must check the size and find the one that applies to your body size. The good thing about most of these modern online stores is that they try to use either US or UK sizes or both. They make use of international size guides so that everyone can understand it.
If you want to choose the right size for your clothes when shopping online, you have to check the size chart for that store. Don’t shop with your discretion alone because it might not work out all the time.
3. Understand the Size Chart.
Checking the size chart is one thing, understanding it is another. When you check the chart, don’t make assumptions for your size, especially if you see a model wearing an outfit you think should fit you. What you see in photos might be deceptive, so it is best you understand the size chart well before buying. If you see a model that seems to have your body type advertising a dress, don’t be quick to pick the same size s/he is wearing because it might not be your size.
You need to know all your body measurements and compare them with the measurements on the chart before you pick. The model might be a size 10 like you but with a smaller waistline, so you need to check all the waist measurements for size 10 to see which fits you best. While the model might be wearing medium, you might need a large due to the width of your waist.
Some websites make their size charts easy to understand while others might be slightly complex. Some have videos that explains better. For the ones you do not understand, ask Google or check sites that would explain better. The most important thing is that you are clear on the sizing before you make purchase, to enable you get the right size delivered to you.
4. Take your Measurements.
This is very important, especially for stores that deliver Ready to Wear outfits. You must take your measurements and have it handy whenever you are shopping online. Don’t guess your measurements, especially if you haven’t shopped online for a while. You may have increased or reduced in weight, so it is important you take recent measurements before shopping. If you don’t know your measurements, you shouldn’t really be shopping online. You would do better trying out clothes in a department store than ordering what you won’t wear from Nordstrom. Before you embark on any shopping spree online, take your measurements. You can ask someone to do that for you for accuracy. You can use any trusted apparel website’s measurement guide to take yours. As earlier mentioned, it is very important if you are buying from a Ready to Wear store. They would require you to send in your measurements so that they can make your exact size. Even if they don’t request for the full details, send the most important ones, so that there won’t be errors. Don’t just say, ‘make a size 10 blouse’, send them your main blouse measurements.
This is to ensure that you get the right clothes size.
5. Take your body type into consideration.
This is one place many people make mistakes when shopping online. If you want to buy the right size of clothes online, you have to first consider your body shape and type. We all have different bodies. No two persons can have the same exact size, not even twins. You should take a good look at yourself, appreciate your body type and see what kind of clothes would fit you best.
When you have understood your body type, you would be able to choose the right clothes in the right sizes. For instance, there are some outfits that are best suited for slim women and some have better fitting on plus size ladies. The fact that you like it on a plus size lady should not make you buy it as a slim lady. It would not fit right. Except it is a general outfit that can work for any body type, don’t shop for it for aesthetics purpose. Be sure you can wear it. Cloth fitting comes with body fitting. If your body shape doesn’t fit into an outfit, the chances of you looking good in it is zero.
Understanding your body shape would only make your shopping easier. You won’t waste time looking for an outfit in the wrong place, only to realize that your size is not there because it doesn’t fit you. The best way to get your right size after taking your body shape into consideration, is to shop from stores that stock up on your size. This means that if you are a plus size, shop from stores that sell only plus size wears and if you are a small size, shop from small size stores. This saves you a lot of time and energy.
6. Read Reviews; positive and negative.
Another good way to choose the right size when shopping for clothes online is to read reviews from those who have shopped from that store you intend to shop from. You can read the reviews that are left by customers on the website or reviews that have been written on other shopping guide websites. Read all the reviews, whether positive or negative.
You can make your decisions after that. On the store’s website, you can scroll down to the bottom part where most stores keep their customers’ reviews. Read all the reviews, especially the ones that have to do with size. There, you can know how many people returned outfits because the size was not right, how many people shopped bigger sizes because the size chart is a few inches smaller, how many people shopped smaller sizes for certain materials and a lot more. You would get an overview of what their sizing is like.
If you are not reading reviews from the site where you want to shop, you can read other general reviews online. For instance, if you are shopping from B n’ B, you can just Google search reviews on B n’ B stores and read everything that pops up. This is to know more about where you are about to shop, especially if it is your first time shopping with them.
7. Consider the Texture of the material.
Another point you need to consider when choosing the right size of clothes online is the material used in making the outfit. If you are buying a bodycon dress made from a stretchy material, the chances that you would need a smaller size than your regular free dresses are high. This is because the texture of the material differs from other types. Most knitted materials and elastic materials are usually stretchy on the skin.
In this case, you don’t particularly need your regular size. A smaller size may fit better. Before you proceed to choose a size, check the type of material used in making the clothes. Is it spandex, polyester, rubber, leather, cotton or nylon? When you find out, check out the qualities of that material online. Does it stretch? Would it stretch more after the first washing? Would it shrink?
Find out answers for all these questions and more before you buy that cloth. One size doesn’t work for all materials. Different cloth textures requires different measurements. You might find yourself buying extra large when you would usually buy large because the material is not stretchy.
Considering the texture of the material would help you choose the right size of clothes when shopping online.
8. Shop from Trusted Retailers.
Trying out new stores is a good thing, especially because you need to help businesses grow. If you don’t patronize them, who will? If everyone keeps shopping from only popular stores, who would patronize start-ups? It is good to explore but in cases where you are not so sure if the store would deliver as well as your favorite store, it is best you leave them for the time being. Maybe, next time when you are not in a hurry to buy the right size or you just want to really indulge that new store, you can patronize them.
If you already have stores that have been delivering excellently well for you, stick to them. If you don’t have, buy from popular brands or ask friends to share their good stores with you. It is best you ask friends you share the same size with, so that you can be rest assured that you would get something good. Shop from trusted retailers that have good policies, so that you can be able to return and get refunds when necessary.
This is also another reason why you should read reviews before shopping. When you read reviews from other people who have shopped from the store you want to use, you would know if it is a good idea or not. Trusted and popular stores always have good size charts, making it easy for their customers to shop.
You would be able to choose the right size if you are shopping from a trusted store because they are better organized.
9. Choose Bigger Sizes.
When in doubt of your size or measurements, choose bigger sizes. This is an easy way to choose the right size when shopping online. The chances are the clothes are either slightly bigger than you or just your perfect size. If you are not sure of the sizing method, you don’t know your measurements or you just don’t know if you have added weight or not, just choose a big size.
The good thing about choosing a big size is that you can always reduce the size. For instance, if you are buying a polo shirt and you don’t know the size to get, you can just get a big size. Since it is a free fit, it won’t look so big on you.
Even if you are buying pants, dresses, blouses and you are not sure of the size, just take a big size. You can easily adjust an outfit when it is big than when it is small. Ready made clothes don’t come with allowance, so you can’t loose it to bring out any material. You can reduce a big cloth to your size conveniently.
Another reason why choosing big sizes would be beneficial is because they are quite comfortable. You have less to worry about.
10. Be sure you can return the outfit.
In all of these, make sure the brand has a good return and refund policy. This is to avoid instances where you buy an outfit that is not your size and they do not allow you return it. Since it is not a physical shopping, research the return policy and be sure it allows easy return.
A store with a good return policy is likely to have accurate sizes to avoid customers returning outfits. They would also want to put the policies in place so that when you return, they can send you your exact size instead of refunding. Read the site’s policies very well before making a purchase because some sites might insist on you choosing your right size because they won’t refund for size mistakes.
It’s best you read everything about them before you start shopping. You can save yourself the return and refund stress by shopping from a brand that would allow you return items.
How to choose the right quality when shopping for clothes online.
Here, we would discuss tips on how to choose the right quality when shopping for clothes online. The quality of your clothes should speak volumes when you step out. To avoid wearing tacky pieces because you shopped wrongly online, read these points on how to get good quality.
- Read Reviews.
You must read reviews. You shouldn’t escape it, especially if you want to get the best in town. If you want to know the brands with the best quality, the stores with the right materials or the trendy outfits that would last for years, you just have to read reviews. Reading reviews would not just keep you updated, it would keep you in check. You won’t find yourself buying trash if you read what others have to say about that cloth.
Before you pay for clothes online, do a random search to see places where that cloth has been posted or talked about. You may want to take a few minutes to see what people have to say about it, especially in terms of quality. Is it original? Are there fake versions? How do you spot the fakes?
How long can the material last? And much more. Just take the time to read up, so you can be informed. You cannot know if the clothes are of good quality if you don’t read what others have to say about it.
You can read the reviews on the website you want to buy from. You can also read reviews from other fashion stores that do general reviews. Those ones are most likely to tell you the truth because their views are independent. You might be able to decipher if the clothes are quality or not from the customers’ review on the site you are shopping from but if you can’t, read reviews elsewhere.
- Buy from well known and trusted brands.
Another easy way to choose the right quality when shopping for clothes online is by buying from trusted brands. One thing about shopping from known brands is that you have less things to worry about.
The fact that the brand has been well established limits the errors they would have. They have established a brand that provides good quality, has good customer service, has great shopping policies and knows how to deliver. Even if there are faults within, they won’t be as much as that of an upcoming brand. Also, the fact that they are popular would help you get better public opinions on the quality of their clothes.
You can easily ask questions about their clothes quality from those who have shopped from them and you would get answers. If there are issues with the clothes and the brand refuses to take action, you can call them out and get backup from those who have used their services before.
The main reason why people shop from popular brands is because they trust their services in terms of quality, production details and customer service. Instead of shopping from unknown brands that you can’t trust, go straight to the brand you already know would deliver. It saves you a lot of stress.
- Check the material composition.
Another way to choose the right quality when shopping for clothes online is to check the material composition before you purchase it. Since you are not buying from a physical store, you can’t touch the clothes to feel the texture or know what type of material it is made from. Therefore, you should read everything about that cloth before you buy.
For many online stores, they write our the full description of the clothes beside them. Some give full details while some just give hints, but the most important compositions are always written out. In some instances, you could see descriptions like 20% spandex, 50% cotton and 30% polyester. They could also go on to describe other components used in making the clothes.
You could also see warnings or directions on how to use. For example; ‘do not wash with washing machine’, ‘allows 50% heat application’, ‘hand wash and machine wash’, ‘do not dye’ and much more. From these instructions, you can tell what kind of material was used in making the clothes. It would also tell you how good the quality is and how long it would last.
- Pay attention to all the tiny details.
You have to pay attention to tiny details if you want to buy good quality clothes online. The fact that you can’t see what you are buying does not mean you can’t sample it. Start by checking out the photos and videos that have been displayed for you. Pay close attention to all the seams, buttons, edges, folds, neckline and more. Look out for rough edges, missing buttons, disjointed joints, unequal trimmings and more.
Don’t just look at the beauty of the cloth, without checking for details. Re-watch the videos as many times as possible with the intentions of looking for loose ends. Zoom in pictures to check out the collars, arm rounds, necklines and other strategic places. Try not to focus on the aesthetics alone, do some extra FBI research to find out more. If you are lucky to have someone close by, who has shopped from the brand before, ask for a live photo or video, so you can have an up-close view.
- Compare Prices.
Another way to choose the right quality when shopping for clothes online is by comparing prices. Most times, the higher the price, the better the quality. If you notice well, even in physical stores, items that are more expensive are usually the ones with the higher quality. They divide the items into various categories, according to their prices. This also applies to their quality too.
On Amazon for instance, items are divided into: less than $50, $50-$100, $100-$200, $200- $500 and more. You can easily tell that the higher the price, the more quality you should expect. It is same for all stores.
If you see two same clothes with different prices at the same store, there is a possibility that the one with the lesser price is inferior. How else do you explain the price difference? Even if it is a retail store that displays items from different sellers, the price difference should not be much, so if you notice there is a wide price gap, just go for the more expensive one. It has better quality.
You can check other stores to compare prices. Just do a random search on different websites before you settle for the best. This would help you get the best quality.
- Shop from stores with brand varieties.
Yes! This is also a good way to choose the right quality when shopping online. You don’t have to stick to that brand that you know just because you are used to them. You can try out others with good reputations, especially multi-brand stores. You can shop from stores that sell clothes from different brands. In this way, you have a wider selection range. You can explore other brands in the same store.
You can compare prices, material composition, durability, texture, return and refund policies and more. Since there are many options for you to chose from, you can easily look for the best quality. A good way to know the best quality is through price, as mentioned in the last point. By the time you check all the brands and their prices, you should able to know the ones that are high-end fashion or luxury brands. Amazon and eBay are examples of brands with multiple brands. These kinds of brands also give you numerous options to choose from in terms of styles, designs and colors.
- Shop from stores that have good policies.
Make sure to shop from stores that have good policies, so that you can hold them accountable for whatever you buy. Don’t buy from random stores that allow loopholes in their payment and delivery services. You might think that because they allow you pay on delivery, the clothes should be of good quality or because they allow installment payments, they are a good brand. It is not always as it seems.
Read through their shopping policies very well, so that if there are any faults, you would notice before buying. Be sure that they would take responsibility if there are errors with the clothes. Brands with strict policies are most likely to deliver high quality because they know their worth. They may allow for few exceptions but they stand their ground when they need to. You would easily know that they know what they are doing and they can be trusted. They won’t have strict and strong policies if they don’t plan to deliver. From their policies, you can know how good their clothes would be.
- Shop from eco-friendly and sustainable brands.
Another way to choose the right quality of clothes when shopping online, is to buy from eco-friendly brands that sell sustainable wears. These brands are usually more expensive than the regular brands because of their mode of production, but their products can be trusted. Their clothes are made from natural and organic resources. They barely use artificial materials to create their products.
They make products from recyclables, so that the planet is protected. They hardly make use of plastic or nylon materials. They try to use materials that are eco-friendly and would not cause harm to the environment.
The materials are hard to get and even when they are gotten, they are quite expensive. Therefore, it is understandable that their end-products are usually expensive too. If you are looking for good quality clothes, shop from sustainable brands. They offer durable products that can still be recycled after many years. In this way, you are contributing to saving the planet and wearing high-quality clothes.
Summary
Whether you are looking for the right size or quality or both when shopping for clothes online, you have to do your research about the brand and its products before you make purchases. It may not be only about their prices or materials used for production, what people who have purchased and worn them have to say is very important. A first hand review would save you so much stress. Whether it is an Instagram store or a website store, ask questions, do your research, find out how good their customer service is and know how much experience they have before patronizing them. Above all, follow your instincts.
I hope this article is useful to you. When next you want to shop for clothes online, you might want to keep these points in mind, so you can choose the right size and quality.
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