How to Shop at Online Stores

I'm obsessed with shopping online. The truth is, I don't usually have time to go to the mall or walk through small stores. At the end of the day (and the beginning and the middle of my day), I like to relax by looking at clothes online.

I see my wardrobe as my art gallery and each piece of clothing is an artwork that I chose to add to my collection. Putting an outfit together is creating a masterpiece. 

Most of my collection is a product of online shopping. Let me share the secrets of finding a good online store.

Traits of the Best Stores: 

• Security: Make sure the site is secure (https://) so that your billing information won't get stolen.
• Return policy:  Check out the site's return policy before making a purchase. If they don't allow full refunds, see if they offer a store credit option. Be familiar with how long you have to make a return and whether you'll need to email the site asking for return authorization number. Forever21.com will give you refunds by mail and store credit in the store, so be sure you'll shop at the store again if you opt for store credit. It's a bad sign if everything is final sale. A good online store will even let you return sale items.
• Shipping: Most GOOD boutique online stores offer free shipping on all orders or orders between $50-$75. In a sense, the cost of shipping is what you're paying to try on the clothes, so be comfortable with the amount and check the size chart.
• Size Chart: Sizes charts will help you narrow down your size, but you never know if the medium would've looked better than the small. Go with your instinct a bit. There's no need to stay inside the boxes of the size chart.
• Features: Look at what the site lists under "features." The best way to get a feel for the site is to look at its "shop by outfits" feature. The outfits the sites put together will give you a sense of how versatile or narrow the store is. It'll also let you know if the store inspires your fashion forward creativity.
•  Does it have a "fabulous finds" or "steals and deals" section for bargain shopping?
• Does it focus on selling clothes by trend?
• The site's features will tell you what the stores goal is. You'll know right away if the store aims at selling trends, selling trends at low prices, or selling classic clothing.