#ProTips: Hack Your Online Fashion Shopping with These Strategies

Are you still gunshy about shopping for fashion online? Don’t be — you’re cheating yourself out of the best fashion deals around. I was scared too, but once you know how to save, you’ll be addicted. Jump in: the water is warm and the discounts are flowing. 

• Spend on classic, scrimp on trend. Classics don’t go out of style, and you’ll get more mileage out of a higher-quality piece. Conversely, you can buy cheaper trend pieces (think gauchos or ponchos or anything that ends in “-os”) since they won’t get nearly as much wear.
• Don’t buy without a coupon. Seriously, you should never pay full price. Coupon sites like ChameleonJohn.com offer daily deals at the hottest retailers’ online sites. There’s some great ones at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and more right now.
• Don’t buy what you don’t love. If you get hesitant, don’t pull the trigger. If you see an unseemly seam (har) in one of the product angle shots, don’t let it go. Trust your instincts.
• Make use of online auctions. eBay isn’t the only option anymore: there are even fashion-specific sites and local pickup options like Craigslist. Be sure to sort your search by what’s most important to you *cough*price*cough* and pay attention to shipping charges – they’ll sneak up on ya!
• Subscribe via email to your favorite brands. Often retailers will offer exclusive-to-subscribers discounts. Just be selective about which lists you end up on, or you’ll find your inbox spammed daily.
• Take care of your garments. This seems simple, but it’s so important. Once you have a piece you love, you’ve got to take care of it.
  • Don’t wedge dirty clothes back in closets – it can create mildew and affect your other clothes as well. Keep closets moisture-free and pest-free with cedar and baking soda.
  • Clean the right way. Never ignore the laundering label. Get a suede cleaner and some delicates bags and use them religiously. When possible, skip the dryer and line-dry.

What are your favorite online fashion shopping tips?