For some women, shopping is virtually a pastime – for them, nothing beats roaming the racks at your nearest mall or perusing the just-out-of-the-box merchandise that’s being debuted at your favorite boutique. But for others, shopping is more of a necessary evil that gets overwhelming and stressful the instant a saleslady approaches you and asks if she can start a fitting room for you. But for the savvy shopper and the not-so-savvy shopper, it seems that shopping can present so many options, but (at least for a Collegiette) so little time. Or maybe you’re just not in the mood to try anything on but you’re in need of a formal dress. Maybe they have every size, but yours. And if you’re anything like me, perhaps you have mall-induced anxiety. And the biggest problem, still, remains campus-bound Collegiettes with no easy access to stores or malls. The new-age solution for this (an either productive or unproductive way to use the Internet – it’s debatable) is invariably online shopping.
There are almost unlimited options when shopping online. Every store has a website, where you can find all of the retail they have in stock, and usually even more than what’s in the store itself. There are also exclusively online stores that have a huge variety of choices.
When online shopping, it is very important to consider shipping and return costs, especially if you are unsure about how the item will look or fit. Also, always check out the websites return policy, as many websites will only give you a credit to the site and not a full refund. Some websites offer free shipping and even free returns, while others don’t offer either.
Exclusively Online Boutiques:
Stores like Nasty Gal and ShopBop don’t have physical stores, but they often have an extensive variety and broader selection than regular stores. Online stores are organized by the article of clothing, designer, and some will even let you customize your search, whether it’s by color, price, size or style.
Nastygal.com: NastyGal offers everything from trendy tops and dresses, to outerwear and funky shoes, to vintage clothing and great jewelry. The prices range, but for the most part the items are relatively inexpensive. Possibly the only negative things about NastyGal are that there is a minimum order cost to get free shipping and there are no free returns. Oh, and brace yourself for a strange look from the guy in the mailroom when you go to pick up your package…
Asos.com: Asos is a UK-based website that now offers free shipping to the US. They feature their Asos in-house brand as well as European exclusive brands and well-known American designers.
Shopbop.com: ShopBop features an array of designer brands and sells clothes, shoes, bags, and watches. ShopBop is definitely pricey, but they also have something for every price range – not to mention great sales. ShopBop has amazing customer service; not only do they have free shipping AND free returns, but your order will probably arrive two days after you place it.
Deal Sites:
Deal sites that have flash sales like Gilt and Hautelook are growing in number. They offer short-term “flash” sales on designer clothes and accessories and other products. These sites are often invitation-only or you have to sign up with your email. The deals are often up to 50% off (sometimes more!) and extremely enticing. The downside with most of these sites is that the items are usually final sale, or if they are returnable, you can only get a credit to the site.
Hautelook.com: Hautelook mainly offers men and women’s clothing flash sales, however they often have jewelry and other accessories and home décor.
Gilt.com: Gilt has 36-hour flash sales for women, men and children’s clothing as well as food and wine and home décor, all up to 60% off. There’s also Gilt City, which curates restaurants, spas and other discounted local activities in certain major cities such as New York, L.A. and Miami. Similar to Gilt City, Gilt Jetsetter offers exclusively curated vacations that provide insider access and discounted rates.
RentTheRunway: This site is unique because it allows shoppers to rent clothing (the rental price is significantly less than the retail price) items for a certain number of days. Particularly helpful if you’re shopping for a specific event, RentTheRunway will conveniently provide you with your dress of choice along with accessories and a backup size for free. You can rent current styles from lots of different designers whose looks would otherwise be way out of a Collegiette’s price range.