Imagine finding the perfect shirt for a party you’re attending. It will go well with your skin tone, you have the rest of the outfit to match it, and you’re running out of time to buy it. You see it online shopping, maybe you pay for express shipping, and wait 1-3 business days until you get an email saying it has arrived. You open the package and eagerly try it on, except something’s wrong. The neckline doesn’t sit well, the sleeves are too short, and you already know it’s not the right size. The party is in two days and now you have to find something else to wear; thanks online shopping.
Unfortunately, we’ve all been through this at least once when online shopping. It’s too convenient: no check-out lines, no missing sizes, and you can shop anywhere. I will never be opposed to online shopping, even though it seems to burn a hole in my wallet, but the experience of being in a store and finding something you love will always beat its online counterpart.
Going back to our previous shirt dilemma, online shopping can’t give you the experience of trying on clothes. This is an issue I’m too familiar with and the return process can sometimes be a hassle. In-store shopping allows you to go to dressing rooms and you can try on several items or multiple sizes of one item. This also brings me back to when my mom would take me and my sister back-to-school shopping and I would dread going to Target or Old Navy to buy new clothes. For those of you who have shared this experience, you know that the try-on process can be long if you can’t find anything, but it’s worth it to go home with well-fitting clothes.
Of course, there’s the actual shopping experience. Whether I go with my friends or alone, I always enjoy shopping when there’s no pressure or stress. Maybe you grab a drink beforehand, or during, to accompany you on your shopping journey. I personally love seeing everything stocked up and colorful, and just looking around a store is fun. Yes, I fall into marketing tactics, but at least I’m aware of it! Target and TJMaxx have me in a chokehold if I want to go shopping because there’s always a bag charm or stuffed animal that I HAVE to have. Then the haul afterwards is amazing because it feels like you’re going all over again. Sometimes if my sister and I go to the mall, we forget some of the things we buy so it’s like a fun surprise.
One of my favorite parts of shopping is finding things I never thought to buy. When you’re in a store, you might have a product in mind but find alternatives that are cheaper or better suited to your needs. Online shopping prohibits that to an extent because you can look something up and within 10 seconds, you find exactly what you wanted. I still find cute decorations for my apartment even though I’ve lived there for a while, and that’s something I wouldn’t necessarily look for online.
After reading this, hopefully you’ve found that ideal shirt for your party, and learned how the sizing chart fits you at the store you shopped at; I certainly have.