Online shopping is great because you don’t have to leave home to purchase a new wardrobe. But there are some downsides to online shopping for clothes, the most prominent being that you can’t try it on or even touch the item before you buy it. People on an online fashion forum share tips for online shopping with minimal returns or troubles.
1. Check the Model’s Pose
You must be discerning when you look at photos of the clothing item online. Often, stores will photoshop the images to look better or have models pose in specific ways to hide flaws in the clothes. One commenter suggests paying attention to models in contorted poses. If every photo of a model wearing a dress shows the skirt draped over a chair, chances are, in reality, it’s an awkward length or way too poofy.
2. See Through Shirts
Brands sell see-through shirts to people without the customers realizing it by photoshopping the model’s bra out of the photo. Make sure to look where the shirt hangs over the pants to see if you can see the color peak through to prevent this common mishap.
3. Check Consignment Sites
Suppose you fell in love with an expensive item online but don’t know whether the photo on the brand’s website is accurate. In that case, one commenter says you can try looking for the same item on second-hand sites like Poshmark and ThredUp. Even if you plan on purchasing the item new, this can be helpful because resellers post more realistic photos and detailed measurements of the piece on their profile. That way, you can get a better look at the item before you splurge.
4. Look Through Instagram Hashtags
Another way to find actual photos of the clothing you’re considering is to search for the item in Instagram hashtags. “ A lot of regular people will tag the clothing item they’re wearing, and you can see what it looks like on a non-model, non-photoshopped body,” says one user. This works better with popular brands, but it never hurts to try.
5. Read the Reviews
Always read the reviews, both positive and negative. If there are a ton of low-ratings complaining about the fit or material quality, you may want to avoid this item. Sometimes, people even post photos in the reviews, which can help you get another angle on the piece.
6. Watch YouTube Try-on Hauls
Getting other people’s advice is critical, so searching for specific items or brands on YouTube can prevent you from making a huge fashion mistake. People provide detailed video reviews of clothing items. Plus, you get to see a normal person try on the clothes in a video, which gives you many more angles than are available from a set of photos.
7. Find Out the Return Policy
One of the most important steps of online shopping is to determine a store’s return policy. If you fall in love with a jacket on a site that doesn’t offer free returns, you need to do some extra digging before deciding to hit purchase. But if the shop provides free, easy returns, you don’t have to be quite as discerning–as long as you’re willing to take the time to return things you don’t like.
8. Know Your Measurements
Knowing your measurements is vital to a successful purchase since you can’t try on any of the clothes you look at online until you buy them. Ask a family member or friend to help you measure yourself so you have everything written down. Then, compare your measurements to the brand’s size chart and the photo model’s measurements, if available. It will help you see if an item will fit you correctly.
9. Examine the Fabric
The first thing I do when I walk into a clothing store at the mall is feel an item’s fabric to see how soft and durable it is. But we can’t do that while online shopping. The best way to overcome this hurdle is to know your fabrics. Look at your favorite clothes to determine what they’re made of, and list your favorite–and least favorite–materials. That way, you can look at the materials listed on the shop’s website to decide whether or not the piece is high quality and comfortable.
10. Google Images
When all else fails, turn to Google for help. Google the name and even size of the item you’re considering and visit the images page. There, you’ll see pictures from the brand, resellers, or people posting it on social media to understand how the piece fits on different bodies.
Source: Reddit.
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