Fashionable boomers are wistful for the era of personalized customer service. Like the time when your favorite independent boutique called enthusiastically about a pretty periwinkle dress in your size that just arrived. And, of course, you got to try the dress on before you bought it.
But online buying is a way of life that you must learn to master. Today’s marketplace is teeming with an oversupply of apparel, including all those everyday fast-fashion bargains. Online shopping is a streamlined way for retailers to do business by shipping more goods directly to consumers from a central warehouse. Stores still serve a purpose, but they tend to be stocked with the merchandise with the fastest turnover. There is just no room for all the shoe colors in every size at every branch store. You will get the broadest array of merchandise from online merchants and save yourself the hassle of driving from store to store in search of your size.
Master the tricks of online shopping. Use every tool on the Internet—from the likes of Pinterest to Shopstyle.com as well as all the trendy style blogs—to locate the latest fashions and fresh ideas. Develop a skill set on how to buy clothes that you can’t try on first. Get out your tape measure, carefully cull the customer reviews and direct the rest of your questions to customer service.
Yes, the downside of not seeing an item before you buy it is that the fabric may not be so great or the fit may be off. But proper tailoring can work wonders on budget as well as designer garments.
I guarantee you’ll soon become adept at buying more accurately. I am especially proud of the terrific frocks I bought online from new fashion brands that I’ve never heard of. I applaud Net-a-Porter and every fashion retailer that includes the five-second videos of models walking in each outfit. And I patronize stores with free round-trip shipping because trial-and-error is always going to be a factor when you’re buying online.
If you really want to try before you buy, use a personal shopper at a store. It takes time to find the right shopper who really understands your taste and needs. You may have to visit several shoppers and stores before you forge a relationship that works.
