Online Shopping
Shopping for clothes has changed a lot in my lifetime. When I was a kid, you had to physically drive to a store, look for clothes, try them on, and then decide if you were going to purchase them. It was pretty straight forward.
When the internet came to be, online shopping quickly followed.
I first started dabbling in shopping online when Brian was in medical school. We had little kids, only a little money, and it seemed to be a good fit. I tried it. I searched up stores I knew and trusted. Eddie Bauer, an old favorite, was my first. The shirts I bought looked great, and I was so pleased. It was sooo easy! I could definitely get used to shopping this way. Encouraged, I decided to try new stores.
Brian found a red dress that looked beautiful. I was in. We ordered it and waited. About a week later, the dress arrived. I tore into the package and ran back to our bedroom to try it on. It was...underwhelming. I didn't look fun and flirty. I looked like Dopey.
I sent the ugly dress right back. All of a sudden, I wasn't loving online shopping quite as much as I had been. In an actual store, clothes not fitting is just part of the experience. It's expected. Usually you can still find something that fits and looks great, so the trip is successful. I ordered one dress. It came, it looked horrible, and I sent it back.
Lame.
It took me a while to get back into online shopping again. But I did, and I'm super grateful, especially when it comes to swimming suits. Oh, thank the heavens above that we can order swimming suits online, and try them on in our own home! Hallelujah!
I have been a Lands' End loyal customer for many years. I love their suits, I love the fit, I love the quality, I love it all! However, a few years ago, I wanted to branch out a bit and try something new. I ordered a new one-piece swimming suit from a new online store. I couldn't wait for it to arrive!
Several days later, my swimsuit came. I waited for my kids to go to bed, so I could try it on. I stepped into the suit, and shimmied it up my thighs and over my bottom. Something was instantly wrong. Where was all the material? My bottom felt much more exposed than normal. I twisted from right to left, trying to see what was happening with my backside. I couldn't see it. I asked Brian to come take a picture so I could see what I really looked like.
Click.
The two of us could not stop laughing. Oh, there was a good reason I felt more exposed...half of my bottom was uncovered, free as a newborn babe! On purpose! Again, it made me wonder what had happened to the rest of the material?!
Needless to say, I didn't keep that particular swimming suit. I have learned a few things regarding online shopping that have really helped.
Order several things at once, especially if there are free returns. This way most closely mimics going inside the store, and you are sure to find something that fits well and looks amazing.
If you order a dress that only costs $18, it’s probably going to feel like $18. I'm not saying that's bad...just know what to expect.
Don't equate your self worth with how certain clothes fit (or don't fit) your body. They are just clothes. You may look like Dopey in a dress, but it's the dress...not you. Keep trying things on, and get them altered if needed.
If you take a picture of your backside in a derrière-be-free swimming suit, make sure you delete it BEFORE your kids take your phone and look through your pictures. Just trust me on this one.
I'm not going to post the picture of my swimming suit fail. You're welcome.
Happy shopping, y'all!
