Hi friend! Happy Sunday.
I hope you had a fantastic weekend. I spent a lot of my weekend catching up on rest, having quality family time and knocking things off of my to-do list. I love the satisfaction of checking things off, always makes me feel good!
One of my favorite ways to spend Sunday is by browsing my favorite stores online. My favorite places to shop are Nordstrom (especially right now when the #NSale is going on and there are amazing deals!), Forever21, H&M, JCrew, ASOS, Loft, Old Navy and Target.
I get the majority of the things I buy online and people always ask me HOW. Shopping online is a huge struggle for a lot of people but what is really a struggle – is spending so much extra time going to and from stores just to find they do not have anything you want in your size. There are a few ways to make online shopping easier and I listed them out below!
How to Successfully Shop Online
1. Know Your Purpose.
It’s a zoo in the online world if you do not know what you are shopping for. With so many options to choose from, you have to have a strategy. Start by asking yourself: What are you looking for? How much are you willing to pay? When do you need it by?
2. Use Online Filters to Your Advantage
At the top of each shopping page you will find many different filters to choose from, including price ranges, brand, item type. You can also filter by color, style, height (think shoes, dresses), honestly almost anything. Retailers have really found a way to make it as easy and convenient as possible. Using these filters can take your search from 1000’s to 10’s of options. Talk about using your time wisely.
3. Know your Body Type
I cannot stress this enough. Know what works for your body and what does not. I understand most of us want to make the skin-tight body con dress happen. Unfortunately, it was not made to work for all of us. When I first started shopping online I constantly found myself returning things and I blamed the item I purchased, when in reality, it was me. I did not understand my body type and was not purchasing items that flattered me.
4. Measure Yourself
I mainly stress this when buying dresses/skirts/shorts. I have loooooong legs. Not complaining. They are a blessing. However, things that look church appropriate on some women, look entirely too short on me. Look at the description of the item and see how long it is. To get an idea of how an item will fit you, measure an item in your closest and find something that is the same length. Put that item on and feel it out. You may be thinking, “This sounds time consuming”, well, so is driving 30 minutes to the mall and taking 15 minutes to park.
5. Shop by Category
I am a sucker for the “new arrivals” section on online retailers. While I typically find lots of good finds here, I also waste a lot of time. Remember your purpose and get going!
6. Go a Size Up
If you love something and cannot decide between sizes, go a size up. For $10-$15 you can take it to the tailor and viola, perfectly tailored to your body.
7. Do Not Be Seasonal
Start looking for items a season before they are in style. To go more in-depth, if it is January, look for spring pieces. Retailers put these items online and typically on sale, to get them moving and to get you shopping.
8. Think Ahead
Online shopping is not for people who are last minute shoppers- unless you can justify spending anywhere between $25-$50 for rush shipping. If you are a last minute shopper and need places to buy online and get shipping quick – ASOS has 2-day shipping for $19 a year, and Amazon Prime has 2-day shipping for $99 a year. I am members to both of these programs and utilize them a lot.
Now, onto the most fun part of today’s blog post – 50 items under $50! I was scanning through the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale this morning and kept seeing awesome pieces at low prices. You can find a roundup of pieces below, all under $50!
Additional Nordstrom Anniversary Sale round-ups: Unique Pieces, Blush Tones, Hot Items, Cozy Sweaters, Swimwear for All Year, Little Black Dresses, Day-to-Day Essentials, Work to Weekend Wear
I hope you have a great week ahead! As I emphasized in last Monday’s blog post, a new week is a great opportunity to set the intention for your week, your month, your year. Make it what you want it to be!
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