If you’re anything like me, you pass stylish person after stylish person on Liacouras Walk every day and wonder, “Where did they get that top?” or, “How much did they pay for those amazing shoes?” Of course, there are probably people on campus that pay a lot of money for the clothes they wear, and that’s totally fine! But I have a different perspective on how to be a smart online shopper, but I’m not afraid to splurge once in awhile.
I love saving my money, but I’m also a gal who loves to spend. Online shopping is honestly one of my hobbies. My roommate and I make a Google Doc where we put cute pictures of things that we find from Urban Outfitters. It’s something fun to do while unwinding after class, and let’s be real, we all love pressing that “Confirm Order” button knowing that in 3-5 long days we will be getting our precious goodies in the mail. After talking to my friends about their shopping habits, I found that a lot of people spend the most money on their statement pieces. They go to Free People or Anthropologie and purchase something that they will wear to a fancy occasion once or twice. Then it ends up making its way to the back of their closet and…80 bucks down the drain.
I like to approach online shopping a different way. I spend the most money on loose flowy tees and sweaters from Urban that are versatile pieces that I can make numerous looks out of. Wear it with jeans? Looks casual. Wear it tucked into a skirt? Perfect for a dressy night out. These are the pieces that I love spending a little extra moolah on, because I know that they will be in the front of my closet for a long time.
When it comes to basic pieces that are great for going out on the weekends and casual clothes for class, I prefer cheaper sites like Boohoo and SHEIN. My roommate has her own blog and wrote a post about back-to-school outfits under $50. She bought most of the items from SHEIN, and whenever she wears one of the tops she looks super high-end and chic without the price tag that usually comes along with that. A lot of the things in my wardrobe are from H&M, because of the wide variety they have; you can find things for super cheap prices, but they also have a higher-end line that runs a little more expensive. A lot of my “going out” clothes are from there, and half of the things I bought were individually about $5. A lot of these stores are pretty well known, so to give you a tip of a hidden treasure online, Cotton On is a great one! It’s a lot like SHEIN, carrying lots of sweaters and graphic tees for a cheap price without being trashy.
Now, you may be feeling stressed out with all of the great places there are to shop, and how easy it is because all of the stores are right at our fingertips, literally. But I’ll let you in on a little tactic that works for me: When I find myself getting the urge to online shop, I go to a few of the websites of my favorite stores. I browse and put everything that I love in my cart, and then I walk away from the computer. I sign off and I do other things, and then come back to it a day or two later. If there’s one specific thing that I’m still loving, I’ll get it! But most times, I feel like I come back to my cart and have lost ‘feelings’ for a piece or two that I thought I loved. THAT is smart shopping. Sometimes we all get giddy on online shopping that we let our imagination run wild with all of the different pieces we want to add to our closet, but chances are, when you leave and then come back to your cart, you’ll want to remove a few things.
Styles are always changing, and so are seasons. I look forward to online shopping when seasons change, and even a good online ‘window shopping’ session without buying anything is good for the soul. But, ladies, we are in college, which means finding great styles for a reasonable amount of money is perfect for us! I hope that a few of these websites of ideas work for you your next time shopping on the web.