Shopping for apparel online is awesome, but you must be careful that you are dealing with a reputable site and company

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If you would rather not go to the mall, order apparel online!

Online internet shopping may be the best invention ever. If you hate crowds, despise standing in line and detest traffic, online shopping is the route to go. Yes, there are those of us who would rather undergo Chinese water torture than hit the sales on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. You can find everything online -- order apparel, find gourmet foods, have furniture delivered -- shopping on the internet is fun, but it's important to get it right!

When shopping for apparel -- or any item -- online you can go at your own pace, flit from site to site, comparing prices and bookmarking the pages you want to return to. You can read about the apparel, zoom in to see the various views and the details of the fabric, and you can and should read customer reviews.  

Now, of course you cannot feel the material, and you cannot try on the item but the beauty of Internet shopping is that reputable companies make returning merchandise quite easy. Furthermore, you can cover an amazing amount of territory online. There is no way, unless you are an Olympic sprinter, that you could visit that many stores in person in one shopping session.

When you order apparel on line, look at the sizing chart. It may be very different from what you are accustomed to. If you always have problems finding clothing that fits properly, online shopping may not be your best choice; however, if you usually fit into a size medium sweater with no problems or a size six pair of pants, buying online should be a breeze. Carefully measure yourself before making an online apparel purchase or get someone to measure you so that you know what your specific measurements are and can match them up with the sizing chart.

Do business with apparel sites that give you loads of information about their clothing and provide lots of pictures. Some sites such as MyVirtualModel.com allow you to customize a virtual model to your size, height, weight and body shape, and you can dress the virtual model in the outfit that you are considering purchasing to see how it looks on your virtual self, before buying it.

When shopping online, determine that you are shopping at a reputable and secure site. Look at the top of your computer screen at the web site address. You should see https://. The s means that the web site is secure. Sometimes you cannot see the s until you go to the order page. If you see a closed padlock at the bottom of your screen this means the site is secure. However, if the lock is open this is not a secure site. If you see an unbroken key on the page this is the third way of determining that a site is secure. When a site is secure your information is encrypted (scrambled) which keeps hackers from snatching your information as it is in the process of being sent to the company.

Take the time to read the security policies and privacy policies. Do not give out your social security number. Do not reveal your password to anyone. Generally, the reputable sites require that you log in before placing an order, which requires a username and password that you set for yourself.

Before you order apparel online, read the customer reviews. They are very helpful. You might decide not to proceed with the purchase once you read them.

Prior to dealing with an online merchant, know what the policy is on the return of damaged items. Understand the return policy and watch out for shipping charges that seem excessive. Opt for ground delivery.  

Make a folder, either on your computer or a literal fold and save and/or print out your online shopping receipts. Furthermore, save any information that you receive from the vendor about purchase verification and shipping.

Check out the websites for brick and mortar stores and get an idea of what they have to offer and then go to the actual store to make the purchase if you are afraid to purchase the item without first trying it on.

Resources:

MoneyCentral.msn.com