Online Shopping: Urban Original and ModCloth

My husband and I lived in Wyoming for a season of time and, as you would assume, living in Wyoming means one of two things for a self-proclaimed fashionista: driving really far to find a decent clothing store or learning how to shop online. I vacillated between both options, but once I got the hang of it, I found shopping online for clothing very rewarding, especially if you hate having to try everything on in a store and would much rather hate something in the privacy of your home! Today we are going to talk about two of my favorite online stores: Urban Original and ModCloth.

Urban Original appears to me a spin off of one of my favorite store, Forever21, except with more shoes and a better website. UrbanOg, as they refer to themselves on their website, is a warehouse based fashion company out of Chico, California. I stumbled upon this website after a text from my sister, who loves clothes as much as I do, and ordered my first piece from them in September. The quality of the products are not high end, but, I do really feel that I received the quality that I paid for. The sizing for my item was true to fit, I ordered a small and it fits great. I am looking through their many, many, many shoe options as I write and hoping to snag a pair soon so that I can see how they fit as well.

As for their website, I love the category options they have available acros

s the top for you to search. It reminds me of the convenience of Anthropolgie’s site because you can scroll across the top and shop by trends. For each different category they have a Lookbook which, for those of us who are visual, helps you learn how to piece together the individual pieces available on their site. Currently, they offer free domestic shipping on orders over $50 and their return policy is pretty basic with an unworn, original condition statement attached. They do have international shipping. The best part: sign up for their newsletter and get a $5 off promo code for any one purchase!

ModCloth. I discovered ModCloth on Facebook, in that creepy way both Mark Zuckerburg and Google seem to know your every thought process, it popped up on my sidebar advertisements, so I clicked on it. Instantly I was in love and have turned many to this fantastic website to look for pieces they need or great unique gifts. ModCloth is a unique combination of vintage pieces and newly made retro looks. They have worked hard to develop a great online community of customers that review and vote on pieces they would like to see available on the site. You can see the interaction and care this company has taken to get their customers what they want!

In celebration of Thanksgiving, I purchased my first item from ModCloth: a great, little, cobalt blue dress for only $30! I was really nervous after I ordered the dress because I didn’t read the reviews on the product beforehand, whoops! But, I was very impressed with the dress when it arrived. The material was true to the description they had on the site and the fit was perfect, for this product, I completely disagree with the reviews. I received my order quickly, 3 days, and they tossed in a little gift, three cute pins, with it. Extra gifts always win extra points with me!

Cardinal Rules of Online Shopping

1. Read the reviews before you buy

2. Look for PROMO codes

3. Try to get free shipping

4. Leave a review after you receive your order

5. Try, try again! If you don’t love their shoes, try their pants, you may find a favorite when you shop around.

Rebecca Alexander Pickrel, Fashion Contributor and Editor