If you want to buy good clothes on a budget, check out these five steps on how to find good quality women´s clothing online.
With the rise of cheap, fast fashion, we’ve got used to being able to stay on trend even when our finances are a little bit tight. But the idea of being able to buy quality clothes on a budget still feels like an unachievable goal.
However, it doesn’t have to be. Buying affordable clothes that are well-made, using good quality fabrics, can be done. And being able to buy and wear clothes that fit well and look good, makes us feel a whole lot better.
How do we save money without compromising on quality, when shopping online for a new wardrobe?
1. Go for quality over quantity
So, let’s tackle the first question. Why would you want to go for quality over quantity? Well, there are plenty of good reasons. First, ask yourself – do you have a wardrobe full of clothes you’ve never worn, or have tried on and decided it doesn’t look as good as it did on the hanger? If the answer is yes, ask yourself – would you have bought these items if they weren’t so cheap? A wardrobe that’s littered with clothes you don’t wear, isn’t cheap. Basically, you’ve paid out money for something you’ve barely worn.
Secondly, have you bought clothes that start to come apart or lose their shape after just a few washes? If so, you probably haven’t got your money’s worth out of them, no matter what you spent.
That’s just a few good reasons for choosing quality over quantity. If you pay out more for a dress or jeans, but get far more use out of it; wear-for-wear, is it really more expensive?
2. Buy versatile clothing
Buying quality clothing could reduce the items in your wardrobe. But it doesn’t need to reduce the number of outfits you have. You’ll simply need to shop with versatility in mind.
What clothing items can be worn in more than one way? Could it work as a smart office outfit by day, and with a few tweaks as a party outfit for the evening? Worn the right way, could a smart jacket work with a suit, jeans, and a dress? When shopping online for new clothes, think about how it may work with items that are already sitting in your wardrobe.
3. Always compare prices
If you are buying the best quality items you can afford, you’ll want to get the best price. So, it’s probably wise to compare and track prices online before you buy. Handy price comparison tools such as Google Shopping and websites such as PriceRunner, will help you find the cheapest price for an item. You don’t need to search for a specific brand either. Just typing in ‘black and white maxi dress’ will bring up lots of options, which you can narrow down using style, size and brand filters. Meaning you can compare the prices of similar and rather than identical items.
Although Google’s tool usually includes the shipping cost, it’s always wise to double check the full cost of your shopping basket. And beware of buying from outside the country you live in, as there could be tax or customs charges to pay too.
4. Find good quality clothing online by Using every tool you can
Apart from comparing prices using websites and other comparison tools, what else can you use to get the best deals when clothes shopping?
Well, there are a variety of useful free apps that are designed to help you shop wisely. So, why not use them? Apps such as Gilt and ShopStyle can be used to track discounts, end of season sales, and flash sales. Set up an alert and all the hard work is done for you.
The thing you cannot check with price comparison sites, is of course the quality. And that’s where checking reviews on retail websites is useful. Look for comments on how accurate the sizing is and what the customer service is like, as well as the quality of the clothes. Reputable companies should have a good customer service standard and an easy returns policy.
If you have questions that aren’t answered on the website, such as the type of fabric, don’t be afraid to contact the customer services or use the live chat facilities to find out.
Finally, marketing techniques used by companies to sell us products, can be used to our advantage too. Signing up to emails can often be rewarded with discounts on your first shop, whilst leaving your online purchases in the basket overnight can prompt emails offering you money off for completing your purchase.
Retail and brand websites are just one place to buy clothing. Don’t forget to check clearance sites, online factory outlets, secret sales websites and online catalogues. These don’t always show up on comparison sites but could be another place to find good quality labels without the full price tag.
5. To find good quality clothing online on a budget, Embrace vintage and preloved clothes
New clothes are nice to have, but there’s a lot of positive reasons for embracing vintage and second-hand clothes too. And if you’re keen to carve out your own unique style, this is a great way to do it. Far from needing to head to your local thrift store, you can shop quite easily online.
Etsy, Depop, eBay, The RealReal, thredUP, Poshmark and Swap.com are just a few of the places where you can get quality used clothes, from top designers to classic vintage. A quick look on Poshmark reveals you can pick up a floral Anthropologie summer dress for around $30 and on Depop a 1970s vintage boho dress will cost you from $20. It’s not just dresses you can pick up either, you can get anything from designer wedges to classic sportswear at reasonable prices.
The other perk of using these online stores and marketplaces if you want to find good quality clothing online, is that many of them will let you open an account, so you can sell clothes you no longer need and put the money you make towards the outfits you do.