Learn to Shop Smart for Best Selection and Savings

"You buy clothes online? You've got to be joking!" My wife and I were having dinner around this time last year, and I was looking over our latest Visa bill. Several of the charges were from women's clothing catalogues I'd seen around the house in recent weeks.

My wife assured me she was not joking, and that, furthermore, she would continue to buy clothes online, since---

"But how can you know what you're getting! What if the size is wrong?  Don't you have to pay for postage and 'handling' when you buy clothes online?" And  don't you remember that genuine leather-look" bomber jacket I bought a few years ago on my first and only buy clothes online venture---the fake leather was as thin as saran wrap! Didn't that teach us a lesson?!"

My wife nodded. "Yes, you do know what you're getting when you buy clothes online these days. The sellers are meticulously specific about sizes. Photos and virtual modeling take the guesswork out. And you can ask questions via e-mail before you buy. "

But what about those bogus "handling" charges when you buy clothes online?!" This one was always my pet peeve.

"Think about it," my wife said, smiling patiently. "If you wanted to buy a jacket, would you rather pay $5 or more in gas and parking, plus fight the crowds, plus wait in line at the store, or pay $3 or $4 postage and handling?  Besides, when you buy clothes online and order more than one item from the same place, the postage is much less per item, and many online clothiers will give FREE postage and handling with a minimum purpose."

"But the bomber jacket---"

"That was years ago, and we didn't check for the return policy. Nowadays, many merchants have a 'no questions asked' free-return-postage policy when you buy clothes online. Those that don't---like the creeps who hawked that bogus bomber jacket--don't stay in business very long. At least they don't get my business any more."

My wife is disabled and going to the store is a hassle for her anyway, so I adopted a wait and see attitude. After a few months, I had to admit that the buy clothes online method was the way to go, even for actively mobile folks. I've since bought several catalogue items I could never find in stores, and I've become quite a vintage clothes shopper on E-bay. I never thought I'd ever find fifties-style flap pocket shirts with pearl buttons again, and now I have them in several colors and materials.

Sure, we've had a few problems with sizes and an occasional customer service person who was less than helpful. But the net gain in convenience and the net loss in aggravation we've garnered from staying away from the mall more than makes up for the little glitches.

In short, a year after my little tirade, I buy clothes online more than otherwise, and I recommend it, especially to those who like taking the initiative and see the notion of  "Let the buyer beware" as a positive challenge.

If you're ready to take the buy clothes online plunge and would like a list of specific tips for smart online purchasing, I couldn't do better than direct you to this site, which runs it all down masterfully:

Happy hassle-free shopping!

Lance LaHara has a 100% positive feedback on his E-Bay clothing purchases. He writes unique opinion pieces on life topics for PulseMed.org. His formal education was literature and anthropology, but his real world background is civil rights and intercultural communication.