In today’s day and age, online shopping has reached an all-time high! I must admit, I’ve always been a big online shopper. Nothing tickles me more than seeing something online, the anticipation of it’s arrival, and the notification that it’s on my doorstep! So, imagine the pain I feel when that beautiful dress won’t button or I can’t get the skirt over my thighs. Or how about when something fits perfectly, but it just doesn’t look good now that I’ve tried it on.
I quickly learned how to stop this from happening (or at least make it less likely to happen). I know lots of ladies have had this horror, so I figured I would share my tips to online shopping.
So, without further ado, here are:
5 Tips to Always Buying the Perfect Clothes Online: Foolproof Online Shopping
Know Your Measurements
This is probably the most crucial key that I have. How many times have you seemingly bought your size, only to finally get it and try it on, and not be able to button the blouse, zip up the jeans, etc.
Been there more times than I can count!
This is why knowing your measurements are so important. I make sure to know the measurements of my bust, waist, hips, and inseam. While I often wear a size medium in shirts, depending on the brand I may have to size up to ensure that I have enough room for the girls. Whenever I see something that I like, before adding any size to my cart, I go straight to the product details/measurements and compare them to my own. This has stopped me from ordering the wrong size many times. Because sizing can vary from item to item (even within the same brand), this is a practice that I look to do almost every time until I get a good feed for how a particular brands clothing fits on me. It’s a bit cumbersome at first, but now I always get the right size!
Know Your Budget/Price Points
You know what hurts? Buying something really cute, absolutely loving it, but not being able to actually go out wearing it because you’ve spent your last dime on said item.
That’s why it’s important to know how much you’re willing to spend before you start shopping. Knowing your budget could be how much you are willing to spend total on this shopping occasion, or how much you are willing to spend on a particular item. Having a budget and knowing price points allows you to not have any surprise at the end of your shopping spree. It also will help you when you are tracking sales and knowing when you are actually getting a good deal! This helps to remove all possibilities of buyers remorse.
Know Your Color Palette/Season
This is a tip that I recently learned from non other than Christalyn Karazin. Depending on your skin’s undertone and overtone, certain colors will compliment you more than others. This concept initially triggered me as a dark-skinned woman who had been told once before that I couldn’t/shouldn’t wear certain colors because of my complexion. However, when I put my emotions aside and really looked into color palettes (and gave some thought to my own personal experiences), I had to admit certain colors did look much better on me than other.
The issue is that telling someone that they shouldn’t wear a specific color all together (ie darker skinned women shouldn’t wear pink, yellow, etc) is rooted in colorism. Color palettes and seasons are a bit different in that they tend to focus more on color saturations. Understand that when you find your most complimentary palette, it will include ALL of the colors. What will differ however is how deep/saturated these colors are.
I look my absolute best when I am wearing jewel-toned (or fully saturated) colors. No matter how cute some of these muted colored clothes are, I know that they will wash me out, make my skin look dull, and simply not look very good on me (especially if it is closest to my face!). So when I’m shopping online, I skip them all together. To find out what your color palette or “season” is, click here.
Know Your Style/The Style that You’re Looking For
This step is one that can take some time, and trial and error to develop. For the most part, we all have a certain style that aligns with our personality. If you tend to be more laid back, then you may not want to fill your cart with a bunch of button up shirts and tailored pant suits. Knowing your personal style will help you to save time and money because you’re not buying items that you won’t wear. Sure, it’s cute, but will you wear it? Knowing your personal style will help you answer that.
Now, there will be times were you have to differ from what you’d usually wear, but your style still plays a major factor. A lot of times, we tend to think of a style as one look, and its not. Remember that style is more than just specific items and is actually more about who you are as a person.
An example of this is my grandmother. My grandma never bought a pair of jeans or sneakers in her life. Her style was what I would call Southern Belle chic. She always had on flowing dresses, cute heels or sandals, her hair perfectly coiffed, and makeup perfectly applied. Her take on Southern Belle was more eclectic, always opting for a gypsy skirt over a pencil, and never wearing less than 6 pieces of gold jewelry. When she got older, she would opt for a light washed pair of Levi’s she took from my Grandpa’s closet and a cute flat for her airport trips. She would still pair it with a beautiful blouse, and sparkling gold jewelry, because she still maintained her style. The pants and flats were out of her norm, but she could have easily taken them off and put on a pair of heels and a skirt because she still looked like “her”. Her style didn’t necessarily change, but was modified for the occasion and the necessity. No different than turning your daytime makeup look into a nighttime look. Your personal style will always help you find anything thing that you are looking for.
Know Your Body Type
This is a tip that is not a steadfast rule of mine, but has become very helpful when shopping online. In the world of fashion, there are standard body types, and then more detailed body types. A standard body type comparison would be the hourglass shape versus the rectangle shape. However, ther are also other body typing systems such as the Kibbe Body Types. While I think that it’s always best to try something on to know exactly how it will look on you, the body typing system definitely helps when that’s not an option (ie online shopping). The body typing system can definitely help to pick what will be the most flattering.
I have more of an hourglass shape or a romantic body type (or a natural body type when I gain weight) because of my fuller bust and rounder hips and bottom. I love baby doll dresses and often look at them when I am shopping. I think they are so cute, versatile, and effortless. But because of my nunga nungas being so voluptuously and all, I know that something so loose and triangularly shaped will look like a tent on me. The body typing systems have shown me that my shaped is most flattering in items that gracefully flow over and accentuate my curves, not hide them. Sure, I could probably modify and jazz up a baby doll dress to look okay. But it won’t be the mot flattering and best fashion choice for me. Knowing my body type (and measurements!) really help to find the best cuts and styles for ME.
Do you use any of these online shopping tips? What tips do you use when shopping online?
