Written By: Beyzanur Türkoğlu 

Online shopping! Some love it, some hate it, but we all should admit that it's the easiest and at the moment only way to buy certain items. However, it can sometimes be quite overwhelming to shop online - especially in a conscious way!

 

image credit: jessicacomingore 

 

 

Here's our guide on how to shop online consciously; these are our top tips to not only better your own shopping habits but also help the environment! ;)

 

 

#1 Measure Yourself

Knowing how to measure your body correctly will make your life so much easier when online shopping. And it's easier than you think: just take a measuring tape and pop in front of a mirror (or ask for a friend to help) and wrap it around the fullest part of your hips and bust. For your waist, measure just above your belly button.

 

It's best to measure when wearing just your underwear, and be sure not to hold the measuring tape too tight. If you don't have a measurement tape, that's okay too. Just take a piece of thread and use it as a tape. Then measure that thread with a ruler!

 

After you have the measurements, just look at the table your brand provides to you on their website. If they don't have one, write them about it or look at universal sizing guides to find yours. As a last resort, consider buying a size up and alter it later. Better loose than small! Here's our step-by-step video on how to measure yourself

  

#2 Know the fabrics

Knowing what fabric that piece is made from will save your life when online shopping! It will help you to understand the quality of the piece and give you a clear understanding of how it will look on you when you wear it. Find the fabric information on the product page and use fabric guides to learn about the fabric in detail. Luckily, there are million simple guides on fabric types online. Here's an example guide to begin with

 

#3 Read reviews

Reading honest reviews of real customers will help you to understand the piece better. Also, you'll have an opinion about the brand, customer service, packaging, and shipping.

 

#4 Don't afraid to ask away!

As we always say at OhSevenDays, when in doubt, ask away! Chances you'll get the answer you need (and maybe more) right away! When you're not sure about the measurements, the fabric, or if you have anything else on your mind, just remember that the brand usually knows everything about the piece. You can even ask for custom sizing, depending on the brand you shop from (wink wink we offer custom alterations free of charge!) . Don't be shy to ask!

#5 Buy things that will combine with your current wardrobe

It's not only about finding the right size and fabric; buying a piece that will match your wardrobe is a crucial part of conscious shopping too. Try to match your current clothes with the piece you want before you buy them. You can use Pinterest and Instagram to find similar clothes and how people match them!

 

 

#6 Scroll through Instagram to see the piece you want on real people

When in doubt, Instagram won't let you down! We, too, love to take inspiration from other people when deciding to buy a piece. Just look at how they style similar pieces, and if you can, find the exact piece you want to buy and check it out on other people. If the brand has an Instagram page, chances are they already posted a lot of people on their feed. Tracking down people who've tagged the brand and seeing how the piece fits on a variety of body shapes will also help your decision process!

 

 

 

#7 Think twice

Don't rush! It's easy to fall in love with a piece, but it's harder to change your mind after you have it. When you buy something from across the world without thinking about it twice, the consequences could be hard on the environment. Most people don't even bother to return their clothes if they think they buy them cheaply; they either dump them in the trash bin or put
them in their closet just to never wear them again. (let's avoid this at all costs folks!) If you can, return it. But don't use this option as an easy way out and buy without a second thought. Also, shipping and shipping again stuff harms the environment because of all the carbon dioxide it produces on the way.