My Favourite Online Shopping Destinations

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Angie is co-founder of YLF and its resident fashion stylist.

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My Favourite Online Shopping Destinations

— by Angie

on June 7, 2011

Talking to Michael about Karen Kane’s upcoming online store last Friday got me thinking about what I look for in an online shopping destination. Although my online shopping is quite limited compared with some people I know (I bat for Team Store), I do have some strong opinions on the topic. Here are my favourites and I’d love to hear about yours in the comments below.

Zappos.com is hands down my favourite online shopping destination. The assortment of both their footwear and clothing is right up my alley (which includes goodies for Greg). Their footwear reviews are meaningful. The site is fast, easy to navigate, and the product images are clear and fairly accurate. Also, their customer service cannot be beat. Shipping is free, and the return process is extremely uncomplicated.

My next favourite is Nordstrom.com for similar reasons. They take the best photos of their products on bodies (not mannequins), which is important to me. Their online assortment is a little different to what you see in brick and mortar stores, so I’m always browsing through the site. There is often more size availability online. One thing they have over Zappos is that you can return online purchases to any one of their physical stores without a fuss.

Coming in third is Amazon.com. It’s amazing how many of my favourite footwear, handbag and clothing brands I can purchase here. Amazon is not my first choice online shopping destination, but if I’ve seen something elsewhere that I love and the colour and sizes are sold out, I usually check Amazon next.

Scarpasa.com, an online footwear store specializing in flat and low heeled footwear, also has my keen online interest because their items are quite unique. I reviewed Scarpasa several months ago and my experience was stellar.

Finally, I like Asos.com and Yoox.com because they sell Euro brands that I adore but battle to find in the US. I absolutely LOVE how Asos shows their items on models in motion. That way you get a great sense of how the garment drapes and fits. Neither of these stores has the best customer service and shipping costs a pretty penny, but I’m willing to pay the price once in a while just because the product makes my heart sing.

Of course, there are many other good online shopping destinations, but Zappos and Nordstrom set the bar so high that they suffer by comparison. I don’t find the product images on Endless.com and Piperlime.com to be all that clear (although this has improved over time). Zappos also has them beat in ease of navigation, shipping time and smoothness of the return process. Since I am not a bargain hunter by nature, sites like 6pm.com, Smartbargains.com and eBay are less enticing to me. I used to like shopping on Bluefly.com, but the magic wore off after too many (expensive) items didn’t work when I received them at home. Sites like Gilt.com, theoutnet.com and netaporter.com are great eye candy and I generally like their offerings, but 99.99% of the time they don’t have my size in the items that tickle my fancy.

Team Online rules the shopping roost here on YLF, so lets hear it. Which are your favourite online shopping destinations and why? In the US and Canada you can purchase virtually anything online, but for the purposes of this poll, we’ll stick to favourite online shopping destinations for your wardrobe.

Shopping Strategy

49 comments · Add a comment

Michael Kane

(website)

Active Member

I completely agree regarding Nordstrom.com – it is so clean & easy to use that it’s a joy to shop there. However, I go back and forth with Amazon. It’s an amazing marketplace for just about anything (which makes it an easy one-stop destination many times), but I get so easily confused by items being sold by Amazon directly and being sold through a third party on their site…it also seems like their product assortment spans a much greater period of time (i.e. you will only find products as old as Fall ’10 on Nordstrom, but you can find items from Spring/Summer ’08 on Amazon — and not always marked down that significantly). I think that comes from the third parties selling on there, but it’s been a source of confusion for me in the past. And ASOS — that is my not-so-best-kept secret! I love that site so much – you can search by color, size, price, shape, etc. It’s easy to shop as an American (the currency conversion is done for you upfront), and the shipping costs are often minimal and sometimes free if you check for promo codes online. They also provide a copy of their ASOS print magazine in shipments of $100 or more…it’s a great site! And the magazine is great too!

June 7, 2011 at 4:12 am

Fernanda

actually, ASOS has had free delivery worldwide for some time now. they say it’s a limited time offer, but it’s been that way for quite a while (months, really).

June 7, 2011 at 5:00 am

Laura

(website)

Veteran

Zappos does pretty much ruin it for all other retailers. The overnight shippng satisfies my need for instant gratification and the returns are super easy. Have you ever called them? The people are ridiculously nice. I’ve gotten upgraded to VIP, although I have yet to figure out what the benefits are – even without being a VIP, I was always given overnight shipping.

I also order from Nordstrom.com, because my store doesn’t carry a lot of the best items. Has anyone else found their shipping times to be uneven? Sometimes it takes days for them to just put the item in the mail, and other times it goes fast.

Gap.com is a good site, too, and I order for the boys there because for kids, GAP sizing is consistent year-to-year. I’ve gotten myself a GAP silver card, which gives me free shipping.

June 7, 2011 at 5:21 am

nancylee

Veteran

Since I live in a small college town without access to good shopping, I’m definitely on Team Online. I have to agree with you Angie: Zappos is the absolute best when it comes to convenience and service…especially for shoes! Whenever I find something I like online elsewhere I always check to see if it’s available on Zappos.

Second would have to be Nordstrom.com as well. Their selection, photos, and reviews are excellent. I do agree with Laura that their delivery is uneven and unpredictable, and their return process is not very quick….but these problems are not enough to keep me away.

I sometimes find items on GarnetHill.com. They have reliable reviews but the shipping costs are steep. I also order from JCrew.com. I’ve looked at Yoox occasionally, but since I’m unfamiliar with the sizing of European brands I’ve hesitated to buy from them. (Maybe you could write a blog on some of your favorite European brands? hint..hint)

Angie, I’ve had the same disillusionment with Bluefly.com, although I did buy a fabulous Cole Haan coat from them this year!

June 7, 2011 at 5:37 am

Sihaya

Veteran

I am definitely team store. And my top and only 3 online store preferences are exactly in line with yours Angie!

June 7, 2011 at 5:51 am

valleycat1

Zappos, for sure. Lands End for basics. And, since 6pm is Zappos’ clearance site, if I don’t find the shoe I want on Zappos, I head there next. I’m going to check out Scarpasa next time I’m shoe shopping! Long Elegant Legs (since I’m, um, long-legged) – their long pants, even pj/casuals, are fitted better than just regular sizes with longer inseams – & the few tops of theirs I’ve bought fit like a dream. And TravelSmith has some nice quality blouses & tunics, in particular, that wash and wear (I don’t like dry-clean-only tops).

June 7, 2011 at 6:09 am

k-t

as a WOHM, my shopping hours tend to be late at night, which means online.

For my 6 yr old, I do most of my shopping at landsend.com (always check the overstocks section for great deals), gap.com (and oldnavy.com) and hannaandersson.com. Shoes and boots are from endless.com or zappos.com.

For me…bodenusa.com has become a top contender for clothes. They frequently have free shipping & returns plus discounts. I will occasionally buy stuff for myself from Gap/BR/Old Navy, but the quality of the adult clothing isn’t what it used to be. I pretty much refuse to buy anything at anntaylor.com anymore b/c if I returned it to a store, I got a store credit that I couldn’t use on the website, which seemed like a major penalty to me.

I like nordstrom.com’s customer service, but I’m never certain about the fit of the clothes they carry, so I’m less likely to purchase from there.

Endless.com and zappos.com are neck and neck for shoes. I do prefer the endless.com for browsing though, as I can qualify the search with multiple items per category (such as red or brown for color, and low and mid heel height, instead of just red and mid heel). If I find something somewhere else, I will frequently check zappos to see if they have it b/c of the free shipping and easy returns. I bought a liner for my ski jacket from them b/c they had the best pricing once shipping was taken into consideration. And I really like the return policies for endless and zappos, as it can take me quite a while to box things up and get them to UPS.

June 7, 2011 at 6:11 am

Lisa

Veteran

I’m not a huge fan of shopping online. When I do my go to site is Zappos. I don’t usually use Amazon for clothing or shoes, I’ll have to keep them in mind. I do like JCrew because I can return to the store and the bulk of their cashmere items are not carried in stores near me. I also will order from: Gap, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor or Ann Taylor Loft if I have already seen the item in the store but not in my size. And I order from Brooks Brothers since I love their non iron shirts and again my size is often not in stock in the store. It seems a lot of my online shopping is for sizes. When I want to check out something new, I’m fortunate to have easy access to brick and mortar stores to do so.

June 7, 2011 at 6:14 am

Diana

Veteran

I love both Zappos and Endless – Zappos wins for customer service and good product details, but Endless has better prices. I also shop a lot on Amazon.com, since prices can’t be beat there and the selection is amazing. A lot of people don’t know that Amazon has free returns on clothing and bags (but not shoes, sadly) for items sold directly through them. Also, I love that Amazon allows you to track prices for things saved in your shopping cart.

I think I am in the minority here, but I actually do not like the Nordies site all that much. I don’t find it all that easy to navigate (especially the sale) and their inventory management leaves much to be desired. And this is specific to me only, but since going to brick and mortar Nordies is very difficult for me, I have to pay shipping both ways which can get expensive.

I also have to put in a plug for Boden.com, although I do not shop there too much (I find the price point a bit high, although the clothes are pretty). They are one of the few websites that lists numerical garment measurements for every size of every garment they carry rather than a generic size chart, which to me is like the holy grail of online clothing shopping. I also like that they provide an availability chart right on the product page for each size/color so you can see right away if your size is available.

June 7, 2011 at 6:19 am

Joy

Veteran

I’m fairly new to online shopping and only tried it after reading of so many on YLF using it. By far my favorite is Nordstroms.com. They have much online that is not in our local store and I love being able to return to the store.
Second is DSW.com for the same reasons. They often have free shipping for loyalty card holders and you can enter several codes on a purchase.
I often look at Zappos for reviews but have not ordered very often from them. I probably will in the future.
I’ve ordered several times from 6pm.com but have never had to send anything back. I’ve only ordered a brand and size that I know. Their prices are fantastic if one can find what they want in the correct size.
I agree with Michael Kane about Amazon being confusing. DH orders books and things other than clothing from them all the time butI’ve yet to try them.
I’ve ordered successfully Angie recommended things from a couple of other sites that have worked well but found that sometimes things I picked on my own were not always the best quality. An example is Express. Their turtlenecks last winter were great but the scarf and a couple of drapey sleeveless knit tops not so much.
Over all, while still Team Store, I see myself doing more online shopping in the future and will look at ASOS especially. Thank you for a very helpful blog entry.

June 7, 2011 at 6:26 am

Jonesy

Veteran

Since I am in a relatively small university town, I buy about 75% of my apparel and footwear online. It’s really outrageous! We get back to Chicago maybe two times a year, and I tend to go a little nuts shopping on those trips, but generally I buy stuff online for myself and the kids all the time.

For shoes for the kids, it’s Zappos. For my footwear, it’s Endless, Zappos, Yoox, and Nordstrom. I actually prefer Endless to Zappos–somehow I find their search capabilities easier to use, and their shipping is usually overnight or second day, and free, just like Zappos.

Re. apparel: I buy lots of the kids’ school clothes from Gap and Old Navy online. I have a BR card, so I always get free shipping, lots of discounts, etc. Now that my son is older, I buy stuff for him from places like Tillys.com (sort of a surf/skateboard type of place).

For winter gear and clothes for my son and SO, it’s Department of Goods (excellent stuff at reduced prices). I buy my apparel from Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack (I’m quite addicted to looking at the Rack online–amazing deals!), Gap, BR, Loft, Bloomingdale’s, J. Crew, Madewell, Mikkat Market (love this site!), Target, and Amazon (love the Mango line available here). Probably other sites too, but these are the ones off the top of my head :).

I would so love to bat for Team Brick and Mortar store, but sadly I am on Team Online out of necessity.

June 7, 2011 at 6:30 am

rute

Veteran

I don’t like to buy online. I like to try the clothes, to feel the fabrics, to see the decoration of a store..

June 7, 2011 at 6:35 am

JayS

Veteran

Love, love, love, Scarpasa!! I’m so glad Angie turned me on to them. I’ve ordered from them 4 times and the shoes are amazing. I also appreciate that they let you know if the shoes run small, tts, or big. Customer service is excellent, too. Hint: around holidays they run 30% off specials
I also like Amazon. Being a prime member, I always check them. It’s also a good place to look for reviews for an item. I find reviews extremely useful for online shopping.

June 7, 2011 at 6:40 am

rae

(website)

Veteran

1 – Ebay, of course. I can find all my favorite brands at a fraction of the cost. Ebay is better than other resell sites because of their extended sort features. You can really drill down and find what you want, and it’s easy to contact a seller for extended details.

2 – Amazon. My favorite for when I want a specific item. They usually have the best prices & free shipping. No free return shipping, but I usually use them for shoes, which aren’t that hard to fit for me.

3 – 6pm.com. Great selection of my favorite brands, low prices, low shipping, and easy sorting by the categories I care about.

June 7, 2011 at 6:56 am

Sarah

(website)

Veteran

My top two are the same as you!
Zappos is my favorite, hands down. I order shoes, athletic wear, bags, and sometimes even clothing. They can’t be beat. The search features, customer service, overnight shipping, and selection can’t be beat.
Nordstrom is a close second because I just love Nordstrom. It’s easy to track items once they’ve shipped, and their online customer service (chat) is great.
I like Piperlime for the selection, but they are no where close to Zappos. Endless is usually less expensive than Zappos, but I rarely have the patience to use their search features these days.
I’m excited to experience Asos. I just ordered my first item from them and I haven’t received it just yet. But I do love seeing items in various forms, including on a model.
I also bat for team store, but sometimes online can’t be avoided so it’s nice to have a list of great places to go.

June 7, 2011 at 7:05 am

patti

(website)

Active Member

I’m a mixer – I love Zappos, eBay and Gap for online shopping. With an occasional dip into Anthropologie (on sale!), Banana Republic and Ann Taylor. Our city is small, but I do love thrifting and shopping in local consignments, for the sheer physical pleasure!

June 7, 2011 at 7:25 am

Maya

Veteran

Actually, ASOS has free international shipping AND return shipping (to a US address), and even has tracking available. The poor customer service only seems to kick in when something goes wrong, but so far I have had nothing but positive experiences with them.

Endless, Amazon, and Zappos are all favorites. I love Endless because I actually find them easier and more reliable to filter and sort, and they carry several brands that Zappos does not. Their customer service is as good as their parent company’s (Amazon) and their shipping is fast and free.

Sometimes I will see shoes on Endless but order them through Amazon instead. For some reason it is often cheaper, and since I am a Prime customer they ship just as fast.

But the most precious thing about Zappos is the video feature. It’s SO important to see shoes on actual feet! I have a hard time visualizing how a pair of shoes look when they are disembodied from an actual human in still images. There have been so many times when I almost bought a pair of shoes, only to see the video, and realize I didn’t really like them after all…OR, I wasn’t crazy about a pair of shoes until I saw them in action and decided I should buy them when I otherwise wouldn’t have. I don’t know why more shoe retailers don’t do this.

I love ASOS for the same reason: the runway feature. ASOS has more options that are my style at my price point than any other store.

I shop around a lot online and actually do purchase fairly frequently from Urban Outfitters, Modcloth, Nordstrom, and other stores. But the ones I mentioned still win for the reasons stated.

June 7, 2011 at 7:26 am

MNsara

Veteran

1. Nordstrom – so easy to return in person and they are so sweet to deal with online and in person. However their online site is often slow to load for me.

(mini rant: Why on earth don’t online retailers work at quick, efficient sites – so we don’t give up and go to another site. . . ?)

2. Amazon – I appreciate their reviews on products. I like the update on pricing changes on things I’ve left in my cart. I agree with Michael Kane on their odd assortment of old merchandise – like it’s time for a thorough mrchant ‘house cleaning’. I get a kick out of our orders that include shoes, oil filters for the car, lip balm, water bottles, you-name-it.

3. then a mixed bag of online retailers: Urban outfitters, 6pm.com, Endless.com, Express.com – any place where there might be that YLF pick I can’t find in person. I usually like to order from sites where I can return in person, or at least don’t spend $$ to send it back.

I don’t think I’ve ever ordered from zappos.com! I have used their reviews though. After reading everyone’s comments, I may have to. . .

June 7, 2011 at 7:46 am

Sammi

I really like Zappos and Amazon for online purchases. I’ve used Endless too and will usually check all three of these before I order a pair of shoes.

I really dislike paying for shipping unless I absolutely have to…especially if I may need to return the item! There are so many stores that offer free shipping/returns that I sort of expect it now. I know these stores probably include it in the cost of the item…but I like that I’m fully refunded if I need to return.

June 7, 2011 at 7:54 am

Cynthia

(website)

With the exception of cheap cardigans and tees picked up at Target, and a little thrifting here and there, I’ve been doing all my shopping online for years. I used to live in Blacksburg VA, and if I’d been limited to what I could find locally it would have been pretty rough.

For shoes, Zappos has the best service, but Endless is nearly as good and they often have 20-30% off coupons on top of good discounts on EBates (Zappos doesn’t do this at all). For clothes, I regularly order from Boden. I know their colorful style isn’t for everyone, but it is for me! I can generally order from Anthropologie, Talbots, Garnet Hill, Territory Ahead and Athleta without problems. I do occasionally get something from LOFT or Gap/Old Navy, but I consider those risky because sometimes the quality is just so bad.

June 7, 2011 at 8:05 am

vava

I find shopping to be a very tiresome way to spend my time and so I do tend to take advantage of online shopping when I need something. It’s especially great to read the reviews – and you’re right about the video feature that Zappos now has! You really can’t tell what something will look like until it’s on a body. I guess if I had a Nordies and JCrew here in town, I’d go to the store rather than buy from them online. But, choice retail stores in Eugene are rather limited. I do buy my shoes at Miss Meers, a local boutique, and have also found a few things at White House/Black Market from time to time. Most of my wardrobe though is from JCrew and some things from Nordies, and an occasional pair of shoes from Zappos and Endless. I usually only buy online when it’s a free shipping situation.

This is an interesting topic of discussion! I’ll have to take a look at ASOS and Scarpasa, those are new places to me! Thanks for the info!

June 7, 2011 at 8:19 am

Carole

Veteran

I’m not a huge on-line shopper. I really need to try things on with my “fit” issues. But having said that, I do order from Gap and Banana Republic for their “Tall” jeans and pants. Sometimes I can find my 34″ inseam in stores, but they are hard to find.

June 7, 2011 at 8:30 am

sherrykay

Active Member

I am the ONLINE SHOPPER…I will do anything to get out of going to the mall. I live in a small university town and the few exceptions to this are my local, independently owned stores (some of whom have their own online websites).

Since I graduated from catalog shopping to online, I have learned that it takes time to ‘get’ a store’s vocabulary (describing items). I sometimes go to several sites to see if there are better pictures or more information, and I compare the catalog pictures with the online ones.

My pet peeve is when stores do not give length measurements for tops and dresses (e.g. Gap: “below hips”-I think, whose hips? or ‘tunic’ @ J.Jills-for me a tunic needs to be at least 29 inches). I cannot count on their models to show me how it will look on me.

I have gotten used to how online stores operate; including shipping costs and taxes. Those pre-paid labels are convenient, but they are not free. If you are returning something because the description was inaccurate or the item was defective-call them and they will usually take the shipping off. Even if they give you a return bag/shipping label, it eats your time to return things, call customer service to aska question or make a complaint.

Also-some of the larger companies have call centers for orders, but their employees do not have any of the actual products-just the same online pictures-better to call the actual store for real information about an item.

There are also several sites that aggregate prices: my favorite is Shopstyle. Pronto give you photos, and Ping lets you know when the exact item you want has dropped in price.

The best: Nordstroms, Amazon, and Zappos. I also use the online sample sites-I keep an eye for things I have tried on or know I want. Most of them have loosened their return policies to give back the money, not just a credit, and some have reduced their shipping charges. Nordstrom Rack is online now as well. I think I have used nearly all of the well known shops: Lord & Taylor, Macys, Bloomingdales, Victoria’s Secret, Land’s End, L. L. Bean, etc. They were ‘o.k’ in for a particular item and so I bought it, but they all lacked in at least one other aspect: apparel description, size, customer service, etc.

I order the most from Amazon and Nordstroms. One thing I do not like about Nordstrom’s-they changed from a central shipping warehouse to using the actual Nordstrom store closest to the customer’s location with that item. That means the store staff are packing and shipping orders, and some of them have put little thought into it. I have gotten a few shop worn pieces that I returned.

June 7, 2011 at 8:56 am

Jjsloane

Veteran

I am of course team online shopping mainly because I have limited time to shop in stores and I prefer to be able to sort by size, color, price etc.. I am in the minority here and have not ever bought from Zappos (I find their prices too high – but do sometimes look for reviews there) I am also team bargain so I have to get free shipping, a discount and a rebate of some sort (ebates, mrrebates etc…) along with free returns. It just doesn’t seem to be comparable instore and I can usually wait for the delivery.

I do not like the new design of Nordstrom.com but shop there still because I llike their selection, find deals occasionally and can return to store. For me, DH and kids I like Boden and Gap (always with a discount and free shipping/returns of course) Endless is my favorite for shoes – also love the save your sort feature and their 365 day return is excellent if you buy shoes ahead for kids and they outgrow them before you ever try them on. I only buy amazon shoes if I am certain of the brand/size due to the cost of returns.

June 7, 2011 at 8:57 am

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Your comments are fascinating. Thanks for sharing.

Michael, you are so right about Amazon. The ease of purchase and return depends on whether you deal directly with Amazon, or a third party. If you deal with Amazon, things are fab. I have also noticed that they receive some of their products late. I do get the sense that they discount their goods fairly fast. Does anyone else have the same impression?

Quite right, Endless offers discounts that Zappos does not. Zappos still has a better site in my opinion. Everything about it is just SO EASY.

I preferred the old Nordtrom site too, actually.

I did not know that Asos ships for free! Good news.

Btw, Amazon sells lots of footwear! You should take a look.

June 7, 2011 at 9:26 am

judy

(website)

As well as some you all mentioned…Nordstrom’s, Zappos… I also love Revolve. They have excellent photos of jeans, showing the correct shade of wash and back and side views too! They ship out very quickly and do free USPS (and free returns) so it arrives in two days or three days…much faster than places that do free UPS ground.

June 7, 2011 at 9:39 am

Antje

Veteran

This is really interesting to read. I’m a big online shopper and keep returning to the same sites again and again, just like other posters. My reasons for preferring specific sites vary quite a bit:

I love Zappos for the amazing customer service they offer, for the free shipping both ways, and the speed with which my items come. I don’t like the actual shopping experience, though. Their inventory is huge, which is wonderful, but I wish they offered more and better ways to browse through it and filter. It’s very hard to find something when you have a certain idea of a shoe in mind. It’s also a utilitarian site and not very compelling in terms of the design. It doesn’t draw me in. But still, for the reasons mentioned upfront, I use it all the time.

A shoe site that does some things much better than Zappos, in my humble opinion, is Piperlime. While their selection is limited and they are not the fastest, I like that the offerings are highly curated and that you can browse shoes by trends. It’s a more visually pleasing site to me. I often use it for inspriration, and then find the shoes I like on Zappos.

Amazon is a whole other category. I love and hate Amazon. Yes, you can find pretty much anything on Amazon. I order more and more things on Amazon – from books and household items to clothes and shoes to now also my groceries. But I really don’t like their site for clothes and shoe shopping at all. The goods are not well presented, you get way too many results for your searches and many results are not super relevant. To me it is clearly a site that was built for books (and works super well for that scenario, where you either know exactly what you’re looking for or you use the great recommendation features) and then expanded into clothes and shoes without translating the experience to the fashion shopping experience, where you want to do more browsing, look for items by trends and styles, etc. It’s just not optimized for that. But yes, I use it quite a bit, because the inventory is large and because now that I have the Prime account and shipping is free, they got me locked in It’s never a starting point for me, though – always more of a last check, for price comparisons or if another site doesn’t carry my size.

I do love the Nordstrom site. I find it very well designed, and the clothes and shoes are presented so well. It’s a very tempting site I like that there is more of a catalogue feel to some parts of the site. And I love the “comfort shoe” section, where I always find beautiful shoes that are also comfortable. I don’t like that they charge shipping (unless you order above a certain amount) but I like that I can return things in the store.

June 7, 2011 at 9:43 am

mamark

I shop online for over 50% of my purchases, but I try to streamline it to just a few retailers.

For clothing, the vast majority of my online purchases are at Nordstrom or Talbot’s. I like that I can return to a brick and mortar store, I like that they don’t hassle me about the return, and I can almost always get free shipping. For Nordstrom, I am a “level 2” based on my annual spend, so my shipping is always free. At Talbots, they run free shipping and % off promotions frequently enough that I can always hit it at the right time.

For shoes, I’m a little less loyal. I’m a “VIP” Zappos shopper so I get 1 day shipping upgrade automatically (but this was true before they started having me log in as VIP, so I think the VIP thing is mostly a gimmick.) However, I don’t find Zappos to consistently have the lowest price, so I shop around, and will buy from any well-known shoe e-tailer that has the same shipping and return policy.

I make an exception to this policy for 6pm.com, when there’s a shoe I already know my size in and am quite sure I won’t have to return. They are Zappos’s clearance center and they do charge a small amount for shipping, and a large amount for return shipping.

For accessories, I find katespade.com and hayden-harnett.com to be wonderful sites with plenty of bargains to be had.

I get on these e-tailer’s mailing lists and tend to strike when they’re having a sale.

For all non-wardrobe related purchases, I default to Amazon. It has been worth it to me to buy the Prime membership where shipping is free and 2-day for an annual fee. This is how I send birthday gifts to my many, many relatives all over the country. It’s worth the Prime for the birthday gifts alone, but we also buy many of our household and technical items there – not to mention books!

I agree with Michael that Amazon is mostly too confusing for clothing shopping. I do occasionally buy shoes there, but like 6pm, only in a style and size I already know.

June 7, 2011 at 10:02 am

Auburn

Veteran

Zappos sets the gold standard. Period.
I also like the online version of many of the bricks and mortar stores because the selection may be larger (and/or different) but returns are a snap because I live in an area where I have physical access to all these stores: Nordstrom.com, Bloomingdales.com, Jcrew.com, Neimanmarcus.com, Saks.com. Of these, I will note that Jcrew.com is my least favorite for customer service because of how quickly things become out of stock, even after you’ve ordered.

But I also want to plug 2 “local” sites. These are both websites of bricks and mortar stores located in my hometown of Madison, Wisconsin. I haven’t lived in Madison since high school but I am a loyal online customer of both sites:

1.) Shopbop.com: Angie often has affiliate links to shopbop and I have long been a fan. The selection is HUGE (their physical store contains but a mere fraction of what they have online) but they have enabled so many search options that I don’t feel overwhelmed the way I do on amazon and etsy. You want to find a black, one-shoulder above-the-knee cocktail dress for under $250? Done and done. Love that. They tend to feature very fashion forward designers but they also have some well cultivated basics, including an extremely large denim selection. They always offer free shipping BOTH ways and are excellent with their customer service (including price adjustments). I can’t say enough good things. When I have a formal event coming up, I often spend some time perusing options, order 4 or 5 dresses and know that I’ll have at least one winner on my hands. The rest can just be popped back in the original packaging and returned for free!

2.) Shoptwigs.com: Twigs is another tiny boutique that has a very nice online component. The inventory and selection is MUCH smaller relative to shopbop.com and the style may not be everyone’s cup of tea (a lot of Nanette Lepore, Tory Burch, Marc Jacobs, Splendid, etc) but it’s right up my alley. But the absolute BEST, BEST thing is the customer service and attention to detail. They do not outsource to some foreign land; you call and you get a woman in Madison who knows the products. Same with email. Not only does your order come with a handwritten thank you note from the sales associate saying she hopes you enjoy your purchase but when I’ve ordered gifts for friends and had them sent directly to that person, I STILL get a handwritten note, telling me that they hope ____ (fill in name) enjoys her gift of ________. As someone who thinks thank you note writing is becoming a lost art, this makes my heart soar. Seriously. And it’s just one of the things that keeps me coming back to shoptwigs.com again and again. Check it out!

June 7, 2011 at 10:10 am

Mamapicklejuice

Veteran

Wow, I love the new Nordstrom’s site! So easy to search and navagate!

For shoes, it’s Zappos. I do not buy clothing through Zappos…don’t know why.
For apparel or shoes, it’s Nordstrom’s. LOVE their customer service.

Amazon is too overwhelming to me do shop for anything other than books, really. If I google search for a particular shoe and Amazon comes up with the best price, I’ll try it, but I don’t like all the 3rd party stuff. It’s confusing.

June 7, 2011 at 10:11 am

Irene

(website)

Active Member

I’m proud member of team Store, but I have some favorite online shopping destinations.
First and the most important – Etsy. Vintage scarves and jewelry which is most important part of my outfits.
Second favorite – 6pm.com. Mostly my shoes coming from this site, because I like their prices and assortment.
Occasionally I buy some things from department stores websites, especially with free shipping codes.

June 7, 2011 at 10:45 am

nancylee

Veteran

A few other online sites that I’ve had good luck with are: Shopbop.com (like Auburn said, it has free shipping both ways and superfast delivery), Saks.com, and Peruvian Connection. The items I’ve bought on Peruvian Connection are few and far between (it’s a very particular “look”), but the quality is exceptional.

Just as a warning: I had a particularly bad experience last fall with Searle.com. The shipping was fast but the return process was horrendous. After many phone calls (there isn’t really a phone number you can call…I had to call a brick and mortar store and get the number of some guy named “Rick”) and e-mails I finally got my return credited after almost two months! I would advise anyone to stay away from that site as I’ve never experienced such bad customer service.

June 7, 2011 at 11:12 am

Scarlet

Veteran

In terms of stores I actually buy from, they would be Zappos and Amazon, in that order. I am team store, so any other online purchase is usually inspired by something I saw IRL, but couldn’t find my size, etc. Some stores I like to visit to see how they put their lookbook together, etc, but I really need a hassle-free return for when things aren’t quite right.

June 7, 2011 at 12:18 pm

Scarlet

Veteran

Just adding that most of my amazon purchases are not fashion-related, although sometimes they do carry hard to find fashion items.

June 7, 2011 at 12:19 pm

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

I am on team on-line bargain. I live in a town with less than 250 people, and I have a low income. And I like to shop (what a challenging combination!) So naturally, my favorites are:

Ideeli.com (like Gilt but more inventory and less expensive. They have great customer service!! But you do have to wade through the poor merchandise and wait a while for things to arrive.)

eBay.com

I have also purchased from (in order of frequency): Naturals.com, Barenecessities.com, Hautelook.com, Gilt.com, Nordstrom.com, Amazon.com, Herroom.com, and RueLala.com. I stopped shopping at RueLaLa due to their bad customer service.

I love the reviews on Herroom and the service!

June 7, 2011 at 12:25 pm

Karen

(website)

Active Member

Couldn’t agree with you more on the first 2. What did I do before Zappos? With my hard to fit feet, Zappos and Nordstrom are a life saver! My criteria is free shipping both ways and/or easy returns in store. (I see too many clients with returns they never got around to)
I keep trying other sites, but I can navigate the above two so easily and find them to be incredibly user friendly. I also liked the previous Nordstrom site but I’m adjusting. Great post!

June 7, 2011 at 12:51 pm

ShopMerah

(website)

Active Member

I love Neiman Marcus’ http://www.Lastcall.com site! I’ve found some great deals there.

June 7, 2011 at 1:08 pm

MsLuna

Veteran

I’ve been batting for Team Online for a little over a year now due to my limited time to shop and basically how I could not seem to find anything interesting here in Toronto (which is really unusual!). I’d shop at Zappos if they shipped to Canada, but sadly, they stopped :(.

So here are my picks
– Hautelook.com (nice brand name stuff for less)
– BeyondtheRack.com (Similar to Hautelook)
– eBay

I like looking at Nordstrom as well, and am happy to see that they ship to Canada! I might give it a try. I recently nabbed myself a Karen Kane dress for the first time (on eBay) and I’m in LOVE!

June 7, 2011 at 2:58 pm

Michael Kane

(website)

Active Member

Hey MsKatieKate – so happy to hear you gave Karen Kane a try and are loving the dress you bought! You made my day

June 7, 2011 at 7:59 pm

rosee

Veteran

I browse a lot online and “windows” shop but I have only ordered from a few sites: mostly ebay, Amazon, JCrew, and Land’s End.
I search Zappos a lot and read reviews but I haven’t ordered. They also stopped delivering to Canada. Endless, 6pm and many shoe e-tailers don’t deliver to Canada, or some do for ridiculous shipping charges. I then end up on ebay or Amazon for the purchase.
I like to look at the online sites for B&M stores, but prefer to buy locally if the item is in stock (I call the store to make sure they have it), and then go military mission style to acquire the pieces. I order when they don’t have the color /size /style.
Thanks Nancylee for the positive review of Peruvian Connection — I am eyeing a few items there, but haven’t yet taken the plunge (mostly b/c of shipping to Canada).
AND I LOVE ETSY!!!

June 7, 2011 at 8:37 pm

sophiespal

Active Member

As Rosee said, it is disappointing that Zappos stopped delivering to Canada. It is ridiculous — lots of Canadians up here who enjoy shopping!

I have been a fan of landsend.com for years for kids items, towels and linens. Love everything about their seamless order/return process.

Tried Boden but very costly to return. Good service however.

I like Amazon for shoes. Shipping and duty is still a little high, but not too bad.

I would love to buy from Nordstrom’s but I find the shipping to Canada too high for me.

June 7, 2011 at 8:58 pm

yublocka

(website)

Veteran

From a non-US perspective, I adore sites that have free,or reasonable international shipping. Sites like shopbop, asos, boden, amazon and urban outfitters get props in my books for that. Although I have caught the nordstrom bug from everyone here at ylf, that is one big area they fall down in, in my eyes. Same with zappos!

June 7, 2011 at 10:07 pm

Fathenry

I love shopping online because I’m much more likely to stick to my list with no impulse buys. I prefer amazon, although most places offer pretty easy returns. No to Ann Taylor though – it bugs me when brick and mortar stores won’t accept returns from their online outlets. So frustrating.

June 7, 2011 at 10:40 pm

Lena

Zappos and Endless are running neck and neck for me. I prefer Zappos for wider availability in brands I’m interested in, customer service and product pictures; I prefer the search options at Endless (plus they frequently have enticing discounts).

Nordstrom is great for the reasons we all know. I even swallow their $6 returns shipping. I’m not very fond of their site redesign, but I grudgingly tolerate it. Yes, their shipping is random, but it doesn’t bother me, and in fact I find it fun to watch where different items are coming from. I do wonder how they manage to keep their shipping costs down because separately packaged items seem to be coming in from all over the country, b&m stores and warehouses.

I like browsing Shopbop, but don’t frequently shop there. I like how Shopbop and Piperlime have curated lists, so I don’t feel overwhelmed.

I’m tempted by Asos, but haven’t tried them because I don’t have reference points for sizing and etc.

I use Amazon a lot, but not for clothes and shoes. I do appreciate that they have older items. And yes, I suspect they share some stock with Endless.

Every once in a while BR or GAP tempts me with something like a good basic. I’m not fond of their pictures and product descriptions at all, so I’m thankful for in-store returns. Similarly, I know AT has good items, and I’m tempted, but their descriptions and pictures are lacking (sometimes they don’t even list fabric content), and I’m kind of gun shy with their sizing for me. I wish we had an AT store in my town.

June 8, 2011 at 12:09 am

Susan Davies

ebay and amazon both do well for me we get most or almost all products there so i dont actually go to other sites to shop online so as per me and my needs ebay and amazon are the best destinations

June 9, 2011 at 3:52 am

Beth

Veteran

Based on my shopping habits of the last year, Nordstrom and Zappos are running neck-and-neck, with Piperlime and Endless not far behind!

June 9, 2011 at 4:00 am

Inge

Zappos and Endless are very user-friendly and I love the video feature on Zappos, unfortunately neither store ships internationally yet, I’m really hoping that might change soon?

Asos and Amazon are two of my favourite sites to shop. I’ve bought books, beauty products and shoes via Amazon. If I can’t find an item I love anywhere else it is sometimes still available via Amazon, so it’s always worth a look.

Yoox is great too (have bought from them) and I adore Shopbop as well (not yet bought anything there).

Nordstrom has a very good selection of items I love, but I’m not really a fan of the new website (e.g. most pages don’t seem to have “place holders” anymore, so when you click on the back button you are always taken to the top of the previous page instead of the item you last clicked on). Also international returns are very expensive via Nordstrom, definitely something I think about before buying.

June 9, 2011 at 1:06 pm

Melinda

Active Member

Ideeli.com has become my secret addiction. You do have to wade through a lot of crap, especially crap designed for very young women, but sometimes there’s a gem! I’ve bought several “label” dresses for less than $50, and a nice trousers suit for less than $100.

June 10, 2011 at 3:37 pm

Darleen

Since I moved from the available shopping stores in Seattle area (Federal Way) to the “wilderness” of Eastern Washington where it is a full hours’ drive to the nearest mall, I have really become an online shopper. For real basics, I find Landsend is a good store to get nice quality, and they have a “return anytime,” policy, which comes in handy. For fun different styles, I find that Cold water Creek has some interesting items and the prices can be fairly competitive if you watch for sales. I am an avid e-bay shopper for handbags, I like quality, but (on SS) I don’t and can’t pay the normal retail prices. But I have also found that sometimes with sales, you can even beat e-bay at Macy’s. Just have to know when and how to shop! (This is a great time of year for all winter clothing sales.)

January 18, 2014 at 1:11 pm

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