Shop for Clothes Online: How To Find Stuff You'll Really Love

Do you dislike shopping online for clothes? Is it hard to find clothing you like when you try shopping on the web? Clothes shopping online can be frustrating. Not having in-person service or not being able to try things on can make clothes shopping more difficult. But there are so many benefits for you when you shop for clothes online.

• You'll save time by not having to travel or stand in line.
• You don't have to deal with traffic jams or finding a parking spot.
• You can avoid crowds.
• You're not limited to what's available locally.
• You'll save money on gas.
• You can find sizes, colors, or discounts you wouldn't get in the brick-and-mortar store.
• You get to try on clothes in the comfort of home at your leisure.
• You won't get worn out by a day of shopping.
• You can save money by using online deal finders like RetailMeNot, Honey, and PriceBlink.
• You'll have more control over your spending – see the total cost (with discounts) before you buy.
• You can see how clothes fit on various models in pictures or on video.
• You can view entire outfits or other clothing, shoes, or accessories that go with the clothing item you like.
• It may help you avoid impulsive purchases because you can leave your items in a cart or bookmark them for later. It's easy to go back after you've given it some thought.
• Many retailers offer excellent price protection and price matching policies for online shoppers.
• You can have your clothes delivered where and when you want -- the next day, the same day, expedited.
• Online search tools make it fast and straightforward to find the clothes you want.
• You can often view ratings or read what other customers have to say about an item.
• Once you create an account with an online retailer, checkout is a breeze.

Here are the tips to help you find clothes you'll love when you shop online.

Find Fabulous 50+ Fashion

To find clothes you want to buy, focus on retailers catering to middle-aged and older adults. No doubt, you have your favorite clothing stores. Work on expanding your list of go-to online clothes stores, and you'll have more options for your closet.

To find retailers catering to your age group:

• Search online for lists of boomer-friendly fashion retailers.
• Find and follow boomer fashion blogs.
• Use social media sites like Pinterest and Instagram to find ideas.

Stores have web pages, blog posts, and lookbooks dedicated to fashion for boomer men and women.

To find clothes and outfits for middle-aged and older adults:

• Sign up for newsletters with stores you like.
• Set up your profile with retailers to get fashion ideas sent to your inbox.

• Use a store's search box to find the resources devoted to boomer fashion. For example, search for:

  • "clothing for women over 50"
  • "clothes for men over 60"
  • "fashion for baby boomers"
  • "outfits for senior women"

Filter Your Clothing Choices to Find the Best

Sometimes you want to browse when you're shopping for clothes. But when you have something specific in mind, filters are one of the online shopper's best friends. After you've landed on a web page, find the filters, usually on the top or left side. Adding one filter narrows down your choices in an instant. Use as many filters as you can to find clothes that match your needs and taste.

Filters can help you:

• Find best-selling clothes.
• Find items with the highest customer ratings.
• Sort clothing by price.
• Narrow down your choices by categories like style, occasion, size, inseam, or color.

Another way to filter your clothing choices is to use the specialty links from the main menu. There might be several specialty links listed. What you're looking for are links that will let you shop for things like:

• a certain look
• all the newest items
• only sale items
• best sellers in a category
• special features
• specialty sizes
• online exclusives

Make the Most of Online Customer Reviews

Always read the customer reviews. Many customers supply helpful information in their online reviews.
Here are some helpful ideas for using customer reviews:

• Look for any consistency in positive or negative comments about an item.
• Try to find reviews from people who are close to your size. Some customers will include their size information in their product reviews. This can help you decide what size to order. Sometimes ratings about the size, fit, and other categories are shown in a summary chart. When possible, use this chart to find helpful information and reviews.
• Search customer reviews for specific information. For example, you may have a hard time finding pants that are long enough. Search to see if you can find somebody else with the same issue to see what they have to say about the pants you're looking at. If you want a shirt to be extra soft, search for "soft" to see any reviews that mention this characteristic. You might be amazed at how many times you'll find the exact answer you need.

Tech Tip: If it looks like there are reviews or other information for an item, but you can't view it, try switching to another browser. Another idea would be to experiment with turning off the browser extensions you've installed. Turn off one at a time to try to find any browser add-on that may be causing interference.

Take a Close Look at Everything

Use every tool available to get a good look at the clothes. Inspect the clothing up close and at different angles. Look at all the images. You might need to use a different browser or device to access all the viewing features.

1. Look at Every Picture

Sometimes there are pictures of a model in more than one pose. Or there could be more than one clothing model. It's good to see how the clothes look on different people. If a shirt comes in seven patterns, or a pair of pants comes in five different colors, go through each one's pictures. Sometimes an article of clothing will appear significantly more or less appealing in a different color or pattern. You might end up picking something that you weren't drawn to at first after you closely look at all the options.

2. Zoom in for a Look at the Details

Use the zoom feature to get an up-close look at the fabric, buttons, stitching, and other details. If you can move the picture around for different views, do that too. When you read something in a review about a specific feature, zoom in to get a better look for yourself. Sometimes a closer look will make or break it for you. Zooming gives you another perspective on the garment and a better feel about whether it's for you or not.

3. Watch Every Video

Watch any videos about the clothing. A retailer's videos may:

• give information about the making of the garment
• point out special features
• supply a model-in-motion

Find the Right Size for You

Don’t go by what size you think you are or automatically order according to what you have in the past. Sizes change over time and can vary from brand to brand. Here are some ideas to help you find your correct size from store to store.

1. All About Size Charts and Fit Guides

Many online stores supply a site-wide fit guide or size chart. These guides and charts are useful resources, but check the fit guide and size chart on each clothing item's page. Sometimes the information for an item will vary from the store’s general fit guide or sizing information.

Always use the size charts and fit guides provided by the retailer. You need to see what their measurements are for their sizes. Also, retailers sometimes give special instructions on how to take your measurements. Where you place the tape measure can make a big difference. Follow the retailer’s measuring instructions for your best chance of ordering the correct size. If you don't know your measurements, take them. If you haven't taken them in a while, retake them.

2. Exceptions You Should Know About

Keep an eye out for any exceptions about sizing and fit. Check for any special notes from the retailer. Sometimes there will be a note about an item running large or small. Or they may give directions about sizing up or down. And again, refer to your fellow shoppers, many of whom will provide information on size and fit.

3. Use the FAQ for Help

Find and read the clothing retailers FAQ. A FAQ is another place to look for tips and information on fit, sizing, and more. But again, as with the site-wide fit guide, check the fit and sizing information included on the page of each item.

Make the Most of Your Clothing Order

Some online clothing retailers offer free shipping and returns. When you find favorite online stores that offer this perk, make the most of it. Here's how. When you're unsure of the fit or between sizes, order a clothing item in more than one size. When your order comes, you try them on and send back the one that doesn't fit and keep the one that does. There’s no more waiting when you do it this way. Order shirts, pants, jackets, etc. that you're not sure about but would like to try. You can't lose with free shipping and free returns. Before you order, make sure you understand a retailer’s policies and prices on shipping and returns. 

Always Ask for Help When Need It

If you can't find the information you're looking for about the clothing, ask for help. Usually, an online clothing store will have many ways for you to contact them: email, phone, text, or chat. If possible, real-time conversation is a great way to get fast answers to your questions.

Happy Online Clothes Shopping

Not every clothing purchase works out. There'll be returns and some frustrating experiences. But online shopping for your clothes is convenient, and it's one more thing that you can get done from home. May you find many things you'll love to wear and keep in your closet for years to come.