confessions of an online shopaholic.

rumi is so rockin' that old school sweater.

i was reading fashiontoast, of the amazingly stylish fashion blogger rumi, and she listed a bunch of things she's learned from doing loads of online shopping, which i've pasted here verbatim:

• don't just blindly Google..Shopstyle delivers results from everywhere that matters
• buy two sizes, return the unwanted
• learn to gage an item outside of the box ie. what will look good oversized, if a dress can be made more casual with a sloppy shirt worn over it..pretty soon you'll be able to look at a piece and tell if it's the length you want just on it's proportions in the photo
  
• check often, as in before Topshop runs out of your size..again
• perhaps not specific to online shopping, but before you buy makeup, check Makeupalley's reviews..since I'd much rather spend money on shoes than lip gloss, I just do a quick scan for the highest percentage "would buy again" from a drug store brand I recognize and then trustingly purchase it..this works out pretty much always, to the point where I haven't had to even try anything new in ages
• sporadically make a really frumpy/weird/pseudo-ugly purchase - these often end up being my favorites..speaking of which, the sweater in the last post is indeed vintage..sorry!
• Yoox is the designer shoe whore's best friend..I get a lot of questions about my Chloe wedges and well, I owe it all to Yoox
• don't knock the not-so-obvious stores..who knew that Bebe made, put on sale, and sold out of a pair of sandals that weirdly channel Balmain ss09..or that Bakers has a pretty amazing pair of studded boots reminiscent of..do I even have to say it? PS Hot Topic has some of the most amazing selection of skinnies for like a cent..paint splatter, leopard print, lace-up..
  
• eBay is the eternal hotbed of standout pieces, even/especially for things like 70s camera straps and tiny magnets (look up "neodynium magnets") that will make your inspiration board that much better...randomness is key

i love how rumi says to always check even the "not-so-obvious stores" like bebe or bakers cuz i think true fashionistas are not snobby about labels (even ones that are often atrociously tacky can sometimes produce something shockingly cool). plus you can find the coolest stuff at target if you know what to look for. but maybe not at wal-mart. yeah, i don't like wal-mart. i know i said don't be a snob but wal-mart is no good.

aaaand i totally agree with rumi's attitude on makeup. i do the same thing with makeupalley, and i also check allure's best of beauty list religiously. some makeup items you really do have to get at a department store/sephora - i have yet to find anything that works as well as the shu uemura eyelash curler - but cover girl lashblast mascara is the frickin' best.

and as an obsessive online shopaholic myself, i have this to add:

• this is obvious but - invest in the stuff you will wear long-term (that oh-so-special-never-to-be-duplicated dress, those perfect pumps, the classic purse) but for the fun trendy stuff, hit up your local forever 21
• if you already know what item you want, always check to see what other sites are carrying the item and shop around for a better price, free shipping, different colors exclusive to each website, etc.
• retailmenot.com is an online bargain shopper's best friend
• bookmark all the stuff you like but can't afford so you can go back to it later, stare at it some more, think about how cute it would look on you, but more importantly, so you can check back to see if it goes on sale
• rumi says buy things in 2 sizes, i also say buy things in 2 colors if you can't decide
• notcouture is the best for finding random new things you might like
  
• in my experience, (cheaper?) suede shoes always stretch out, so keep that in mind if you are in between sizes
• sign up for all the email lists of e-commerce sites you like, because they send all their best promos to their email subscribers
  
• sometimes i lust for some super expensive dress or pair of shoes for like ever and i know i cannot/should not purchase it, and then i go to zara/h&m/steve madden and i find the most amazing thing that fits the bill exactly and costs 1/3 of the price and it's like my birthday
• but - don't scrimp on handbags, if you can afford not to. you can get away with cheap clothes and cheap shoes, but cheap handbags almost always look cheap
  
• which isn't to say you have to spend like $3000 on a purse (although if you did i would understand). you could get something amazing like this botkier chrystie on sale at shopbop and yeah it's over $300 but it's classic yet just edgy enough and you can dress it up or dress it down and you can use it foreveeer
• oh yeah and one last thing (i promise) on handbags. go to consignment stores, like decadestwo in los angeles and you'll find used designer handbags (as well as great shoes and clothes and jewelry) in amazing condition - like seriously, prada purses and chloe bags for half off or more
• keep in mind you can get things altered if you find something you really love but it doesn't fit perfectly - as long as it doesn't involve reconstructing the entire thing. why pass up something amazing when all you need to do is have it taken in a bit (especially if the item is cheap)? trust me, a reliable tailor will change your life

edit: some of these aren't exclusive to online shopping, but hopefully they are useful

anyway, i want a faux fur coat like this one rumi is wearing (except maybe hers is real)


happy holiday shopping

all pics & rumi's tips via fashiontoast.