Do you want to know the correct way to shop for clothes online? These easy strategies will teach you how to shop for clothing you’ll actually wear, stay within your budget, and prevent all those bad purchases!
It’s so easy to shop for clothes online today. A few taps or clicks and voila! You’ve made a purchase and it arrives within a few days.
This type of “magic” makes it all too easy to make purchases without any logic or reasoning besides “I want”, “I need”, or “That’ll do”. Before long, we end up overbuying and overspending and still have absolutely nothing to wear because our clothing doesn’t fit our size or personality.
This post will teach you the exact strategies for how to shop for clothes online successfully. You will learn how to shop for your style, needs, and budget without the added stress online shopping can sometimes bring.
Master these strategies and your wallet, wardrobe and self-esteem will thank you.
This post is all about how to shop for clothes online.
Best Strategies to Shop for Clothes Online
1. Shop For Clothes Online When You’re In A Good Mood
Your mindset is extremely important when it comes to making decisions, especially financial ones.
Every time you make a purchase, it’s for a specific reason. However, if the reason is to feed an emotional need, it’s the wrong reason and it usually leads to something you don’t truly want.
Impulse buying and retail therapy do not solve emotional issues. They may allow you to temporarily feel good in the midst of the purchase and the “unboxing” because you’re getting something new.
However, if you didn’t need (or want) the item initially, you also unboxed a list of things to deal with besides the invoice. There’s the logistics of the return policy if there is one. Often the item just sits in your closet collecting dust. Another bad purchase that slowly eats away at your soul.
Do not shop for clothes online if you’re dealing with any of the following:
- Stress
- Hunger
- Sadness or extreme grief
- Anger
- Feeling needy or like something is missing
- Intoxication
Putting this strategy into practice has literally saved me thousands of dollars. Now, when I shop for clothes online, it’s a conscious decision. I make sure I’m in a positive mindset where I feel good about myself and my intention for shopping.
This is one of the keys to finding pieces you truly want that express who you really are.
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2. Know Your Intention Before You Start Shopping
When I shop for clothes online, it’s for one of two reasons: shopping to browse or shopping to purchase.
First, you’re shopping with the intention of browsing or online window shopping. This is where you have a look to see what’s currently available in the online stores. You could be looking to see what the latest trends are or you’re looking for something specific from your wishlist (next section) and weighing the options.
I like to call this “doing research” because your intention is to see if there are any potential items you may want to purchase later (later being the keyword). Rather than “adding to cart” you add items to your wishlist or Pinterest board.
Second, you’re shopping with the intention of making a purchase. You’ve already done your research and have a good idea of what you need. The focus is to find the item(s) you need and purchase them.
This activity shouldn’t turn into browsing because it’s all too easy to fill up your cart with other items and blow your budget. If you start to stray from your intention of shopping to make a specific purchase, quickly redirect yourself back to your purpose.
If you’re anything like me (a recovering shopaholic), this can sometimes be difficult. I’ve learned to say aloud to myself:
“No, you’re not buying that. You’re here to purchase a pair of white jeans (replace with your item of need).”
It may seem a little strange at first, but trust me. This exercise is about retraining your brain to shop with intention. You’re in charge of your mindset and speaking aloud will help you break old thought patterns and make better decisions.
Remember, the best way to shop for clothes online is to be conscious of what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.
3. Make A Wishlist And Only Shop From That
Making a wishlist seems very straightforward, but if you’re shopping for yourself, you need to be more strategic than just jotting a few items down.
Purchasing a pair of black pants is not just purchasing any pair of black pants anymore. It’s purchasing one pair out of a million other pairs of black pants. There are so many styles, lengths, and fabrics to choose from.
Because you’re shopping through a screen, more research is required to ensure you’re purchasing the pair of black pants that are right for you.
You know that you want a pair of black pants, but for what purpose?
- Will you be wearing them to the office, to run errands, to go out at night, or for laying around the house?
- What weather and temperature do you need to wear the pants in?
- If you prefer a higher-quality fabric, do you have the budget and time to have them dry-cleaned?
- Do you already own a pair of black pants that will fit your need?
Your wishlist should include the purposes and features you need in that item. You don’t want to buy a pair of black pants because they look cute for your everyday work uniform and then find out they’re “dry clean only” and now you need to buy another pair that wash easily.
Once you identify the item you need on your wishlist you can now begin researching or “online window shopping”, as mentioned in the section above.
I do this by creating a board on Pinterest for each specific item on my wishlist. I curate my Pinterest board with potential items to purchase or inspirational items (items over my budget that I will find lower-cost dupes for).
Making a strategic wishlist is extremely beneficial in helping you determine what you truly need and want when you shop for clothes online. Setting aside the time to do this will pay off in the long run. Ditch the “that’ll do” mentality by keeping your wishlist and Pinterest boards handy while you’re shopping.
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4. Set A Timer When Shopping
When you shop for clothes online, treat it like it’s a personal appointment, with a start time and an end time.
I don’t know if it’s just me, but I sometimes get carried away with online shopping. Before I know it, it’s 2:00 AM, my browser is 30 tabs deep, and I’m nowhere closer to finding something than when I started.
I call this crazed shopping syndrome (and it sure feels that way, too).
If you find yourself in the same place, my advice is to close the browser (all 30 tabs) and get out. Don’t save anything, just break away from the experience. You need to clear out the bad energy and reset your mind. Refer to strategy #1 regarding not shopping when you’re stressed.
Remember, the clothes will still be there another day and anything that is sold out isn’t meant for you anyway.
Avoid crazed shopping syndrome by setting a timer when you shop for clothes online. I personally think two hours is a good stopping point as I start to get stressed out after that amount of time. This will help you focus and make shopping more enjoyable and less draining.
5. Know Your Budget When You Shop For Clothes Online
Budgeting needs to be at the forefront of your mind if you want to shop for clothes online successfully. We live in a world where the price of clothing is rising while the quality is going down.
Starting a budget and maintaining it is extremely important. Your favorite brand’s prices have raised, but that doesn’t necessarily mean your budget for purchasing their clothing has.
Budgeting takes your mind out of the fantasy world of material things and into a healthy economic reality.
Just as making a wishlist helps to define what you really want and need, a budget helps to define what you actually have and can purchase.
Budgeting also gives you peace of mind.
My budget includes a category for clothing and accessories. Each month I allocate a percentage of my income to this category. This way I can see how much money I have to spend on clothing and how long it will take me to save for an item on my wishlist.
A beautiful thing I realized after I started budgeting was it really helped me narrow down my wishlist to what I truly wanted and needed. I only had a limited amount of money I could spend on clothing, which meant I had to play favorites with my wishlist.
It also feels a lot better when you make an intentional purchase from your wishlist that is within your budget. Frivolous spending leads to shame and who wants to wear items associated with shame? Not me any longer.
Delayed gratification is the way to true happiness and a beautiful wardrobe of clothing you love.
Want to learn more tips and tricks? Check out How To Shop For Clothes Like A Professional Buyer.
This Post Was All About How To Shop For Clothes Online
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