Authored by Neal F. Litherland in Clothing
Published on 09-14-2009

We’ve all been surfing the Internet and looking for great deals on stuff. Electronics, books, bedding, whatever you were looking for. Since we all need clothes, and since the net offers a way to reach hundreds of thousands of merchants where you can get a good deal, why shouldn’t we buy our wardrobes off the Internet as well? While it’s not a bad idea, take a step back and think about what you’re doing first. You may thank yourself later.

The biggest problem with buying clothes online is that you can’t try them on. Sure you can see what the models look like wearing them, and you can order the exact color and size that you think you need. But let’s be honest, who has ever bought their clothes out of a catalog and looked as good as the model who was wearing it? Beyond that, while you know you wear a large, different makers may have different sizing, so what you really needed was an extra large. If you can’t physically try the clothes on, chances are pretty good that you can end up getting something that just doesn’t look good once you get it mailed to your door.

The upside of buying clothes online though is that they’re usually a lot cheaper than buying them in the store. There’s no sales tax on the net for one thing, and since there’s no physical store to maintain, online stores can afford to sell their merchandise at cheaper prices. Good deals are always something that people will eat up, especially when they think they’re really coming out on top.

But another downside, before everyone gets too optimistic, is that ordering clothes off the Internet usually comes with a shipping cost. This can be pretty heavy, especially if you’re buying clothes that have to be shipped from overseas. England is particularly pricey, though I have no idea why. Even if you get the bare minimum shipping (or even better you get free shipping), you still have to wait quite a long time to receive your purchase. 2-6 weeks is the average span of time it takes to get the clothes that you order from the Internet, unless you pay extra for overnight or expedited shipping.

Using the Internet does mean that you can save in other ways too. There’s no driving around and looking for the clothes that you want. There’s no dealing with pushy salespeople who’re desperate for a commission. And lastly, if you don’t find what you’re looking for, you never even left home if you shop for clothes online, so all you spent was time and energy. These very same advantages can boomerang around on you though. If you need to exchange an order for an item purchased off the net you have to mail it back to the company, get in touch via telephones and e-mail with your complaints, and generally work against a distance barrier, if not a language barrier. For every up there is an equal and opposite down, the question is just what you’re willing to give up in the pursuit of a decent outfit.