Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with clothing and online

Finding proper fit in catalog/online shopping

frobozz — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:37:21 -0800

Is there any way to come close to guaranteeing a proper fit when shopping for clothes online/in a catalog? I would like to be able to buy more clothes online - more bargains, more styles, more choice in general than local retailers, etc. Buying pants without first trying them on is usually ok. But nearly every shirt or sweater I've ordered online has been a dismal failure - one retailer's XS seems to be another's M, things blouse out in ways not shown in the photographs, etc. Since finding things that fit me in stores is time-consuming enough (I guess I don't have a very typical body-type), I guess I was optimistic to think sight-unseen shopping could work at all, but I'm wondering if there's any sort of trick or insider knowledge I should know before giving up on online shopping entirely.

Great Ascot!

Viola — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:29:33 -0800

Lady mefites, what are your favorite online shopping sites for girly vintage wear? I hate shopping in stores, so I've gotten the trick of eyeballing dresses online down to a science. I click through Ebay, but I find it overwheming and time-consuming.

I love a lot of Etsy's vintage selections, and I'm looking for clothing in that retro vein: secretary dresses, ascots, cinched waists, A-line skirts. I'm not into graphic tees or the like.

My upper range for a dress (I exist almost exclusively in dresses) is $80 for a knee-bucklingly awesome piece, but I generaly stay more in the $10-40 range.

How much to help sell clothes online?

ottereroticist — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 18:23:01 -0800

I want to sell some used clothing online, and I'm trying to figure out how much to pay for help. I have a bunch of clothes and accessories that I want to sell online. I plan to list them on a specialized community website that allows sales posts, so there won't be any listing charges. From watching past sales, I think most of my items will move, and I think I'll be able to get an average of $20 per item.

I want to hire a friend to do the following: arrange and photograph each item, upload photos, combine them with descriptive text (which I will write) into a LJ post; package and ship items. I will provide camera, laptop, shipping materials, and postage.

I think it makes more sense for me to pay by the item than by the hour, since I want to give them an incentive to work fast. I'd like to make at least 50% profit, including supplies and postage.

So my first question is, how long would you expect all those tasks to take per item?

My second is, for a job like this paid under the table, what do you think is a fair hourly rate?

My third question is, what should I assume as an average postage cost per item of clothing, using the cheapest available shipping method? Assume US shipping only.

Thanks for your help!

Seeking women's clothing online

kmel — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 09:21:38 -0800

Seeking women's clothing online. Please help me get out of my Target / Old Navy rut. My stats - new mom (meaning I don't have time to thrift, go on leisurely mall trips, or read fashion magazines), in my 30s, size 12.

I wish H&M sold online in the U.S. I guess that's the kind of style I'm looking for. More colorful/interesting than your Gap diaspora, but not too much more expensive. Excellent return policy a plus.

I know of: Tulle (but their sizes run way small and I had a terrible customer service experience with them), Max Studio, the Skirt Spot.

Cool threads to buy online?

nickerbocker — Sat, 28 Jan 2006 09:56:28 -0800

Cool threads to buy online? I need some new cloths. I hate going to the mall because all the cloths there seem to be targeting teeny-boppers. Right now I have this really vanilla Mossimo meets New Navy look (like every other bloke my age), and I'm ready for something a little more eye catching, unique, and stylish.

I'd have a hard time spending more then $50 for a pair of jeans (but I have in the past). I'm also looking for a new watch. I really like those watches from fossil with the fat leather bands. What do you think?

What about a good place to buy shoes online?

Things were so much simpler when I was in high school and the only thing I needed to be "cool" was to wear a pare of JNCO jeans and a T. I wouldn't be caught dead wearing JNCO now :).

I've fallen out of style. Please help this 24 year old male. Thank you.

-nickerbocker

Where can I order basic sweaters online from Canada?

GleepGlop — Sun, 06 Nov 2005 10:35:51 -0800

Where can I order basic sweaters online from Canada? (You'd think it wouldnt be hard to find a plain brown v-neck sweater...) I dont want any patterns or logos or anything else unsightly to ruin the pristineness of a natural plain brown v-neck sweater. And I dont want any zombie sweaters, I dont want to become a sweater myself, or anything else.

Where can I make my own clothes?

petah — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 00:15:04 -0800

I want to make my own clothing. I want to upload a design to a website, and get a shirt/sweater/jacket/whatever. The two sites I know are cafepress and spreadshirt. Does anyone have any experience with this? I'd like it to be fairly inexpensive or at least have the quality be equivalent to cost. What other sites are there besides cafepress and spreadshirt? Is it worth it?