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With the number of women buying clothes online increasing by 40 percent since 2006, it stands to reason that the pros of shopping for dresses online outweigh the cons. The number of websites selling clothes in general is mushrooming as are those specializing in womens dresses and even those targeting specific types of dress, such as those little black numbers. Even top high street chains are pushing to keep up with this trend by investing more and more into their online businesses. As such, shopping from the comfort of your armchair is getting easier and easier. So what are the best things this has to offer and what are the potential pitfalls?

The Pros

 

Convenience

As with all online shopping, you do not need to traipse around a crowded mall or shopping center to find your dream evening dress. You can save the drive to and from the shops, the hours spent moving from shop to shop as well as the cost of petrol and parking. You will never be frustrated when the shop has every size but yours or by annoying shop assistants and hoards of other shoppers. You can avoid having to go out in bad weather and you can shop at any time of the day or night. Just sit back and relax in your comfy home with a cup of coffee and click your way to your favorite online stores.

For those shoppers living in remote areas or abroad, being able to buy dresses online is more than just a more convenient choice, it is a life saver. You no longer have to make do with what you can find locally, the online world is your oyster.

Overwhelming choices

No offline shop could stock the thousands of casual and evening dresses you can find online with a few clicks of your mouse. Add onto that the matching shoes, handbags and other accessories you can find and you are truly spoiled for choice. And with so many options, you are sure to find something to suit your body shape and size. If you a non-standard size, the internet is even more useful to you thanks to all the niche stores making their presence felt. Top online retailers, Amazon and alone, have over 1.5 million dresses currently listed, never mind the many other more specialized fashion retailing websites.

The only trouble with so much choice is that it can be overwhelming. You will need to refine your search to save time whilst doing your online shop. If you search by color, size, style or brand of dress you will find what you are looking for much more quickly.

As well as your in country suppliers, you also have access to international retailers. Have you noticed that when you go on holiday the dress styles differ immensely from country to country? Well now, you can grab yourself one of these unique little numbers quite easily. The chances are you won’t run into anyone else wearing the same dress as you that way.

And say you fancy something a little bit different, you can even order custom dresses online. The internet has made the world of custom dresses available to all and has helped lower the associated prices.

Best prices

With so many sites out there selling dresses, if you shop around, you will find a bargain. Clearance sales are especially worth looking out for as are ‘worn once’ items on Ebay where you might find some good prices on things like prom dresses.

Dress trends tend to change more slowly than other fashion, so you can pick up prior season stock cheaply without looking out of place. The fall is often the best time for this if you are prepared and can plan your shopping.

Coupons are another good thing to be on the lookout for with online shopping. Sometimes stores reward loyal customers with great offers so get on some mailing lists. Try and narrow down your favorite retailers and bookmark them for future use. This will save you time in the long run as once you know where to look, you will be clicking ‘Add To Basket’ in no time.

One of the downsides we will cover later is that some dresses bought online may not fit flawlessly. However, if you got the dress at a bargain price it may be worth getting in touch with a local tailor and having it altered slightly.

The Cons

 

Fit & sizing

Shopping in a normal store has the advantage of you being able to try your dress choice on before purchase. You can even try on a number without buying them and see which one looks best. This is more of an issue online and trying before you buy does not happen. As such you need to ensure that what you are buying is going to fit and look good on your body shape.

Tips to ensure your purchase is the right one:

• Know your size and any conversion if you are buying from a foreign country. Use the website’s size guide to double check.
• Ensure the color you are considering will suit your skin color.
• Ensure the style of dress suits your body shape. Now is probably not the time to try a new look.

• Curvy or full figures – should stick with empire waist or drop waist dresses.
• Hour glass or pear shaped figures – should stick with a dress with a nipped in waist or a sash but should avoid empire waist and A-line dresses.
• Tall or lanky figures – should stick with sheath, empire, A-line or ballgown styles and use their height to show off great looking shoes.
• Petite or short figures – should stick to sheath or empire waist dresses but should avoid large ballgown skirts and floor reaching dresses unless they are body hugging. Mid calf or knee length dresses work best.
• Slender or thin figures – should stick to empire or A-line dresses to give the illusion of curves. Column dresses should be avoided as they will emphasize your slimness. You should also be looking for bright colors and patterns.

Color & quality of fabric

You cannot pick up and feel the dress to gauge its quality, nor can you see its true colors. The best way around this problem is to try a few online stores to find those where you are happy with the merchandise. This way you are more than likely going to receive what you expect when the goods arrive.

Shipping costs & returns

With some but not all online retailers you will have to pay shipping costs. These are sometimes removed if you buy goods that cost more than a certain amount. However, such costs are usually quite competitive these days and are unlikely to exceed what you would have spent driving to and parking at a shopping center.

Returns are a hassle and can be an expense depending on your online store. Some do offer free returns, while others only do if the dress is faulty or the wrong item has been shipped. It therefore pays to avoid returns if at all possible. When shopping somewhere you have not used before, make sure they are a legitimate online store and that you read the returns policy in detail to avoid any issues later.

So there are many great reasons for you to shop without dropping from the comfort of your own home. It is way more convenient, the choice is much larger than you could find at a mall and the prices are often better. Just make sure you know what you are buying and that it is going to fit well to avoid any returns and your shopping for dresses online experience will be a positive one.

Original content from Gr8 Free Articles.

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Filed under: Fashion