How to shop for clothes online
Last year 71% of the items bought online in the United Kingdom were clothes. The sale of clothes online far exceeded that of electrical items, computer goods or even food. It certainly seems that clothing is the one item more than any other the British people like to spend their cash on online, yet within that is an unusual paradox which does take some explaining.
Clothes, as we are all aware, are highly personalised items. Whether we are buying them for ourselves, a loved one or as a gift, we always try to make judgements about whether we will like the colour, styling and fabric of any said garment. Indeed, making judgements about clothing is a way of living for some fashion critics and many people are known to have very strong opinions on what they do like, and do not like, to the extent that they will not entertain wearing anything that is less than 100% perfect in their view.
Yet, when you buy clothes from the Internet, you cannot make many of these judgements. Yes you can read reviews of the item and see pictures, often from many different angles, but you cannot make a clear judgement as to how the item will feel when worn, how the texture feels against your skin and how it actually looks when compared and worn with other items from your wardrobe.
Despite this, online shopping is booming and for two main reasons, the first being value for money and second being the choice that is available online. The term ‘global marketplace’ has been used as a buzz-phrase for many years now, but the Internet has truly created it. Nowadays, consumers are no longer restricted by geography or what is available in the local shops; they literally have a world of options available at the touch of a button.
So bearing that in mind, and given to the constraints of online shopping, how can you successfully shop for clothes online? Well, that is what we are about to tell you below!
1. Take accurate measurements
The golden rule about clothing, whether bought in the shop or online, is that it must fit and to ensure that your Internet purchase will fit you, it’s time to break out the tape measure. Get up to date accurate measurements of your vital statistics, so if you are buying a shirt you can measure you chest, for trousers you need your waist and inside leg measurement. Women also need to know their vital statistics for any purchases, especially those that are going to be a snug fit.
Measuring accurately will help you pinpoint the exact size of item you need and avoid the annoyance of having to send an item back because it is too big or too small because you’ve forgotten to check what your current measurements are, compared to what you thought them to be!
2. Search intelligently online
If you have in mind a particular item of clothing you want to buy, then you can head to a price comparison site and find it for the cheapest possible price easily enough. However many people prefer to browse when shopping online and it is here when searching intelligently can save you a lot of time.
Try and refine your search down as much as you can. A search for “t-shirts” on the Internet will give you millions of choices to look through and it is an impossible task. Think about the colour and style you like, or a particular brand you may find of good quality. Reduce your search down by introducing parameters and you’ll find more of what interests you and less of what doesn’t.
3. Check out delivery costs
If you are buying online then you will need to have the item delivered to your home and as such, it is always wise to check out what the delivery costs will be. Some manufacturers do not charge for delivery as it is included in the cost, others may charge a flat fee, others may charge you based on the weight of the item.
Unscrupulous sellers may try to increase their profit by charging excessive delivery fees, so be wise to this and don’t expect to spend any more than a few dollars on deliveries at the most.
4. Always review the seller’s policy on returns/refunds
Occasionally, no matter how well you’ve researched the item and measured yourself up, when it arrives and you try it on there can be a problem. It may be too tight, or just not quite the quality you wanted, or there may be a defect in the material that hasn’t been noticed. As such, it is important here that before you buy, you know that any issue you have with a delivery will be dealt with fairly and expediently.
Check out the sellers terms on refunds, returns and replacements. Are they fair and acceptable to you? You may wish to check who will pay return postage if the item is faulty, some companies may expect you to pay for that, and any insurance for the item, when returning it to them, whereas others will offer a free returns service.
5. Try the item on immediately and deal with any issues immediately.
It is easiest to deal with any problems with an item immediately after receiving it when you and the seller have details available. So if you’ve bought a shirt for a wedding in two months time, don’t put the shirt in the bag away and leave it to then to find out it’s got a tear in the sleeve. Open the item immediately and resolve any issues immediately.
6. Leave feedback to help others seeking an item of clothing like yours
Lastly, it is good practice to leave feedback about an item if the seller allows you to. Not only does this provide hopefully positive feedback for the seller, but allows other users to know about your experience and the quality of item you received compared to the description. It is by reading reviews such as this that the next time you come to buy clothes online, you will be able to make a more informed and educated choice about what to buy!
