Picking out clothing from web catalogues can be difficult and unsecure if you don’t know what you’re doing. Having said that, travelling all the way out to department stores and going from shop to shop just to find what you’re looking for, in your size, at affordable prices can be even worse. This is why it is probably a good idea to figure out the art of shopping over the internet and to stick with it. With the following tips, you should be a pro in no time.
Being Secure
The internet is full of scams and threats to your personal information and identity. This is why it is crucial to know how to shop safely. This is the most important tip on the list because without this, all the others will be of no use. To make sure you are shopping on secure websites, there are a couple of things you need to do. First, make sure you choose known stores. Check for customer reviews if the site is unfamiliar, but avoid ones that you haven’t heard of as far as possible. The stores that are secure will either have “https” at the front of their URL (the link you see on your browser when you open the website). If it says “http”, avoid using that site. On some browsers, you should see a locked padlock icon. If the padlock appears open, avoid the site.
Measurements and Sizes
It can be extremely tough to find your size over a website, and some items like mens jackets online can be especially difficult to get in a good fit, as you cannot try them on before purchase. This is why you should get smart and have a tailor or someone you know take your measurements and create your own chart. Depending on the shopping site, you may have to check these measurements against sizing charts to find American, UK, and European sizing. To make it easier, compile all these common sizing types as they correspond to your measurements. This way, you will never have to worry about getting a bad fit or the wrong size again!
Check the Return Policy
One of the mistakes that many people make when shopping over the internet is that they fail to check the return policy. It is important that you do this in case you end up with a damaged or incorrect item of clothing. If something doesn’t fit, or if it doesn’t look as great on you as you had imagined, you need to know that you have enough time to send it back. This is one of the reasons that it is best to shop from local or national online fashion stores as well, as you won’t have to spend much money or time on a return.
Create a Designated E-mail Account
There are plenty of stores on the internet that will offer special discounts and offers from time to time, especially for loyal customers and e-mail subscribers. Unfortunately, if you do most of your shopping from a few stores on the internet, your inbox can get overloaded with these e-mails, or you might miss offers simply by not subscribing. Create a separate account for all your internet shopping and use this address only for e-mail lists. This way you can get the best of your online shopping while not making a mess of your usual account.
These few tips alone will go a long way to make your internet clothes shopping a total breeze. As long as you make sure you have a secure payment option and computer, have your measurements on hand, know the store’s policies, and keep an organized account, you will never need to shop for clothes in person again!