Is Shopping Online Really Riskier?
How many times have you tried something on in a store, decided it looked great, bought it, brought it home…and never worn it?
Probably more than once.
So why do we act like being able to try something on automatically makes a purchase a good one?
Shopping online certainly has its drawbacks. You can't touch the fabric, see the color in person, or try something on before you hand over your credit card. But let's be honest: shopping in a store isn't exactly a foolproof system either.
You have to drive to the store, find a parking spot, walk around looking for something you might like, haul a pile of clothes into a tiny fitting room, get undressed under fluorescent lights, and try to decide whether something looks good while you're standing in front of a mirror that may or may not be doing you any favors.
Then you buy it.
And sometimes it still hangs in your closet unworn.
Online Shopping Isn't the Problem
With so many stores and malls disappearing, shopping online isn't just convenient anymore. For many of us, it's becoming the only practical way to find certain clothes.
And I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing.
In some ways, shopping online can actually make it easier to make a thoughtful decision. You can take your time. You can look at every photograph. You can read the description. You can compare it with other options. You can check the return policy without a salesperson hovering nearby asking if you need another size.
And perhaps best of all, you can try the clothes on in your own home.
That can be a huge advantage.
You can put on the new pants with the shoes you actually wear. You can try the jacket with the jeans in your closet. You can look at yourself in your own mirror and see whether the new piece actually fits into your life.
You're not trying to imagine how you'll wear it someday.
You can actually try it.
Don't Just Look at the Pretty Picture
The biggest mistake you can make when shopping online is falling in love with the photograph.
Of course the photograph looks good. That's the point.
Look beyond the model and pay attention to the garment itself. Look at all of the photographs, including the back and detail shots. Look for a video if one is available. Read the description and pay attention to the fabric, construction, length, and fit.
And then read the reviews.
Pay particular attention to the negative ones.
The positive reviews will tell you that someone loved the dress. The negative reviews may tell you that the fabric is much thinner than it looks, the neckline sits strangely, the sleeves are unusually tight, the color isn't what they expected, or the garment doesn't fit the way the photographs suggest.
You don't have to agree with the reviewer. You're looking for information.
One person's "too boxy" might be exactly what you're looking for. Someone else's "too long" might be perfect for you.
You're trying to spot patterns that matter to you.
Yes, Know Your Size
I'm not going to give you a lecture about taking your measurements.
You know.
Check the size chart. Know your measurements. Remember that sizing varies between brands and sometimes between garments.
The more important thing is knowing what those numbers mean for you.
If you know you need more room through the chest, hate tight sleeves, prefer a longer top, or don't like anything that hits at a particular point on your body, you already have useful information that a generic size chart can't give you.
That's part of becoming a better online shopper: knowing your own preferences well enough to look at a garment and think, That's probably not going to work for me.
Your Home Is the New Fitting Room
One of the biggest advantages of online shopping is that your fitting room doesn't have to be a fitting room.
It can be your bedroom.
Try the clothes on when you're not rushed. Sit down. Walk around. Bend over. Look at the garment from different angles. Try it with things you already own.
And don't just ask, "Does this fit?"
Ask, "Do I want to wear this?"
Those aren't the same question.
Something can fit perfectly and still feel wrong. It can look good and still be uncomfortable. You can technically find ten things to wear with it and still never reach for it.
You've probably experienced this in a store already.
You tried it on.
It fit.
You bought it.
And it still didn't get worn.
So don't give "I can't try it on" too much power. You can try it on. You just do it after you buy it.
Give Yourself Permission to Send It Back
This is where you have to change your mindset about online shopping.
Not every online purchase is going to work.
The goal is to make it easier to figure out when something probably won't work.
Before you buy, know the return policy. Then, when the package arrives, don't feel obligated to keep something just because you ordered it.
You don't owe a piece of clothing a place in your closet.
If you put it on and think, Eh…maybe, that's information.
If you have to convince yourself you'll wear it, that's information too.
And if you're already thinking about what you could buy to make the item work, stop.
Send it back.
Is sending something back a hassle? It sure is. But so is driving back to the store, finding a parking spot, and waiting in line to return pieces that you already tried on, but realized once you got home that you actually don't like it and won't ever wear it.
Online Shopping Can Be a Better Way to Shop
Online shopping isn't automatically smarter than shopping in a store. But it's not automatically worse, either.
Both methods have risks.
In a store, you can get swept up in the excitement of finding something, the pressure of the moment, a salesperson's opinion, or simply the fact that you've already spent an hour looking and don't want to leave empty-handed.
Online, you can get swept up in beautiful photography, endless scrolling, sales, reviews, and the fantasy of the person you imagine yourself becoming when the package arrives.
The problem isn't where you shop. It's how you shop.
Whether you're standing in a fitting room or standing in your bedroom with a box of clothes you've just opened, the same question eventually matters: Does this actually belong in my wardrobe?
And if the answer is no, that's okay.
Put it back in the box, send it back, and move on.
You didn't fail at online shopping.
You succeeded at not putting another unworn piece in your closet.
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