So you've probably already dipped your toe in shopping for fashion online. Maybe you have already cultivated a set of brands and know your sizes in these brands. Now you are ready for the brand aggregators. That's just a fancy way of saying Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Macy's, Amazon, etc. All the same rules from my first shopping entry apply (See original post) - don't forget to sign up for emails to watch for sales. What is different about shopping at department stores online?
1. Much broader brand selection allows you to shop one store.
2. A variety of price points across the store allows you to shop high and low.
3. The integration of online and in store is typically better than the single brand shops.
4. They typically have better selection of special sizes like petite and plus.
So let's review a few stores today that span the experience.
Nordstrom - Free shipping and free returns all the time. Nuf said. You can use the online shopping like your dressing room. Nordstrom legendary customer service carries over to its online space. I can also purchase online and pick up in the store. This lets me secure the item and determine if I need alterations when I arrive. Nordstrom also lets me shop by familiar in store department names like TBD, Savvy, or via C. This helps me orient price point and quality quickly. The site is aesthetically beautiful, which makes me happy to shop there. I can shop moderate (like Adidas) to designer (Prada). I can shop for a full season at Nordstrom if I need to. The one thing I don't like about Nordstrom is the lack of multiple views of items. Many other online retailers shot 3+ angles of a single garment. Nordstrom regularly only has one. This makes it a little harder to make a purchase decision.
Macy's - Just like the in store experience, the online shopping feels transactional. The site is functional. You pay shipping fees on purchases less that $100. You pay to return items, as well. Macy's doesn't have bridge or designer collections. I can shop moderate (like Adidas) to contemporary (Rachel Roy). Macy's doesn't allow me to pick up at the local store, but I can return at the store for free. I find Macy's great for filler pieces, but rarely shop a full season there.
Amazon - This is a bird of a different feather. You really need to know how to shop on Amazon to be successful with fashion there. Once you figure it out, it can be a great place to buy brands you love. First thing to consider here is Prime membership. This gives you unlimited, free shipping on products sold by Amazon. In costs $79 a year. For those who buy electronics and household items all year long, this makes a lot of sense. Moving on. While most people browse other clothing sites, many people search on Amazon. This can result in catastrophic results. Just type in evening dresses and you can giggle at the results. So instead of searching, please browse to clothing! Use the left hand navigation. Select clothing or shoes and wa-la. Ok, not quite. Select women. Now you are there. Select the category you want to shop. Once you are here, you gotta refine to get a manageable set of results. Are you tired yet? Let me tell you my trick. I just shop the contemporary shop. These are closer the brands I like and once I find an item I like, I can easily find other similar items on the detail page. And there are great brands, too - Joie, Winter Kate, Robert Rodriquez, Halston Heritage, etc. Amazon offers discount to bridge brands. I always select "Prime" as a filter to ensure my two day delivery applies and I get free returns. The last thing to know about Amazon fashion shopping is that Clothing and Shoes are two separate departments with two different return policies. On clothing, Amazon as the sellers offers free returns. On shoes, when Amazon is the seller, returns are not always free.
That's all for me today. I'll review more stores with each purchase.
Yours truly,
Style Illiterate
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