How To Get Awesome + Affordable Clothes From The Comfort Of Your Own Home

I recently wore a new dress to church, and was surprised to receive multiple compliments. So I wore the dress to a wedding, then to another church. Each time, at least one person complimented the dress.

I’m not the kind of person who gets compliments on clothes, so this was noteworthy.

Perhaps the reason I don’t wear compliment-worthy clothing very often is that I don’t particularly like clothes shopping. You end up going through racks of clothes, trying on all the ones you like that you think will fit, and then end up leaving the store with maybe one thing if you’re lucky.

And even with all that headache, do you really end up with clothes you love?

Sometimes, but not a lot, as evidenced by the fact that most of us have a closet full of clothes and yet wear the same thing over and over every day – this is so true for me in fact, that my beloved black Pinterest t-shirt, which I’m wearing right now, has made an appearance in two of the five total Facebook Live videos I’ve done.

But… I’m great at shopping online. Buying everything from coconut oil to the kids’ bunk bed frame from the comfort of my living room couch.

But clothes? No. I mean, you can’t buy clothes that you haven’t tried on, right?

Silly me.

Here’s How To Get Awesome + Affordable Clothes From The Comfort Of Your Own Home

Amazon

That dress I mentioned a few paragraphs ago? That came from Amazon.com. So much for having to try things on – I just saw it, liked the way it looked, and ordered according to my measurements.

Here’s the beauty of shopping on amazon for people who hate clothes shopping:

• You can search the type of clothing article you’re looking for and then browse in a relaxed environment, taking as much time as you want to. There’s no pressure to impulse buy.
• It costs you nothing to look, you don’t have to drive anywhere, make multiple trips to the dressing room to try things on, or get distracted by the kids who’ve disappeared under the clothing rack again…. just sit on your couch and look.
• Add a few things that look interesting to your cart, step away, and come back later and look at your collection with fresh eyes, read reviews, follow the rabbit trail of “customers also bought”, and then cull out the less-than-perfect items, leaving only the best in your cart.

The great thing about Amazon is that there’s usually free shipping on returns policy, so you can get the item, try it on in your own home, and either keep it or send it back. I once bought a skirt in the wrong size and sent it back.

I bought a backpack with a faulty zipper and sent that back, too (I know, not exactly clothing, but a problem that clothes sometimes have).

Tips for finding clothes on Amazon: Type in what you’re looking for, click on a likely candidate, and then look down in the “related” and “Also bought” sections for more pieces similar to it. That’s where you really find the good stuff!

I’m finding that Amazon is a really great option for kids’ clothes too! Since we live in such a rural area, it’s hard to find nice clothes for my little girl without driving to the city. It’s nice to sit on the couch with her and pick out a new dress for church (she loves clothes!), and it seems a lot easier to find Bermuda shorts online too.

The only drawback to shopping on Amazon is that they know what I like now, so they’re always showing stuff that makes me go “I need that!” (spoiler alert: I don’t need that).

Facebook and Instagram Groups

My favorite Facebook group by far is Cici’s Children’s clothing, where I’ve been able to pick up adorable, inexpensive, lightly used clothes for my kids.

There are also some great groups for us moms, but keep in mind that the return policies are not usually as flexible as Amazon’s.

Here’s how it works:

The easiest way to find clothing shops is to search hashtags on Instagram.

Some Tag ideas: #Shopmycloset#shoponline #shopig #shop #instashop #instafashion #instastyle #instasale #modest #modestfashion #getthelook #forsale #instaboutique #igshop #fashionblogger #thelookforless #momlife #momfashion

Often, you’ll turn up Instagram accounts with links to Facebook groups in their profile, which you can request to join. The Facebook groups seem more organized and easier to deal with for me, so I much prefer them, but they are more competitive!

I used to follow multiple Instagram and Facebook shops back when I was trying to figure out my style. Seeing all those clothes on the dress form, and then later on the people who bought them, helped me make the connection between how the outfit looked and what it would look like on a person.

But now that I’ve kind of figured out what I want and need, I’ve unfollowed all Instagram shops, and left all Facebook shops except Cici’s Children’s Clothing, and Darby’s Dresses. (<— click the links to request to join). 

Subscription boxes

This may sound crazy, but having a subscription box has done wonders for me.

Because I’m not willing to spend a lot of time trying on clothes in a store (and my kids aren’t big fans of me doing it either), I genuinely can’t venture outside of the box of what I know to work for me.

With a subscription box, I get a shipment of clothes that someone else picked, which forces me to try on things that I probably never would have otherwise – all in my own home, in a relaxed atmosphere (if you consider Octonaughts playing in the background relaxed. ;)).

99% of the time, I send everything back, but occasionally, I get a gem.

My favorite subscriptions are

• StitchFix, because they assign you a personal stylist and work with your personal style needs and budget.
• Letote, because I get to try on dressier clothes than I would normally think of myself wearing, and it’s kind of fun!
• GainzBox. This isn’t clothing specific, but it usually does have at least one item of clothing in it, and since I’m a bit of a gym rat, I love it. I’m not necessarily recommending it (unless of course, you’re also a gym addict), but it’s worth mentioning since it’s the only one I currently subscribe to – as a reward for hitting certain strength goals a few months ago. 🙂

Bottom line: You don’t have to go out and spend half a day trying on clothes to look nice. Do it from the comfort of your own home!

P.S. What are your best tips for clothes shopping from home? I’d love more ideas!