Shopping can be a very relaxing pastime, but when you don’t have too much time to walk from one store to another, online shopping can be a fantastic solution. While it can save you both money, time, and a trip to the mall, reckless online shopping can actually end up causing you problems. Without knowing your size, looking at the size chart and shopping from a retailer that doesn’t offer a return policy, you can waste a lot of money and end up having to go to the mall after all. Therefore, check out the following few tips in order to have every next online shopping successful.

You’ll need to know your measurements

First and foremost, you’ll have to measure yourself in order to know which size will fit you. Take a measuring tape and measure your bust, hips and waist first. Wrap the measuring tape under your armpits and around the fullest part of your chest. When moving on to the hips, make sure the tape isn’t too tight against your skin, and wrap it above your belly button but beneath the rib cage. To measure the circumference of your hips, stand with your legs about 6 inches apart and wrap the measuring tape around the fullest part of the hips. You can always use a piece of string if you do not have a measuring tape, and just mark the parts that connect when you wrap it around you, and later use a ruler to measure the length between the two parts. If you’re not sure whether you’ll get accurate measurements, you can always go to the tailor.

Look at the sizing chart

When you visit an online store, make sure you check the sizing chart. That’s a great way for you to know if “medium” is actually the medium you wear or if you’ll need to get a size bigger or maybe smaller, according to the site’s size chart. Just by looking at the size chart, you’ll be able to find your measurements and know exactly which of the offered sizes will fit your body best. Just because you wear a medium size from one retailer, it doesn’t mean that others will have the same measurements for small, large, extra large and other sizes. That’s why it’s crucial for you to know your measurements and always rely on the charts to become familiar with the sizes.

Note down sizes from different retailers

If you’ve been through various online stores, and you are a different size for dresses, blouses and jeans in each one of them, it would be a smart idea to start writing down, which size you buy at which store. That way, the next time you visit an online fashion boutique, you’ll just have to look at your notes and do your shopping even faster. While this may sound like too much work, trust us, you’ll save plenty of time up searching for your size. Plus, if you find yourself walking in the mall, and you don’t feel like trying out clothes, you won’t have to if you know which size you are in every boutique.

Read the reviews

Another important factor in successful online shopping are reviews from real people. If you can see that people left pictures of the wardrobe and have discussed products in detail, you’ll know that the retailer is legit and actually sent the products in a timely fashion. Furthermore, be thorough with research and look in detail for all the possible setbacks. Delivery time, the condition in which the product was delivered, whether it’s the same colour as it appears on the website, and if the fabric fits the description are just some of the preconditions for you to order from a certain online store. Don’t forget to check the return policy as well, in case you need to exchange sizes or maybe colours.

Online shopping will save you a trip to the mall and let you shop for the latest trends in a matter of minutes, just with a few clicks. However, unless you know your size, and you’re not careful about which online store you shop from, you can end up with a tremendous headache. Therefore, make sure you measure yourself and check the size chart at the online store so that you don’t make a huge mistake. Don’t forget to check the reviews too, and know for sure that the store you’re shopping at is reliable.