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How to shop for the best clothes on Amazon
Amazon isn’t some secret website your friends have never heard of—virtually everyone knows about it in today’s day and age. But there are still little-known departments to the behemoth website.
For instance, Amazon has been ramping up its fashion offerings, and last year, it launched Prime Wardrobe, which lets you try on clothes and accessories before committing to buying them. The try-before-you-buy model is great, but for those who don’t want to use Prime Wardrobe, can you really shop for good clothes on Amazon?
Here are a few tips to help you find the best fashion Amazon has to offer, including the best quality, brands, prices, and even a few “secret” sections of Amazon that you might not know existed.
1. Shop the brands you know and love
Credit: Amazon From Ann Taylor Loft to Carter’s, you’ll have no problem finding brand you’re familiar with.Some shoppers see Amazon as a place where no-name brand apparel is in abundance. They’re not wrong, as there’s dozens, if not hundreds of results from sketchy-sounding brans when searching for virtually any apparel. But the site is also home to major brands you’re undoubtedly familiar with. We’re talking Adidas, Timberland, Levi’s, Calvin Klein, Ann Taylor, Crocs, The Children’s Place, and so many more.
If you frequently shop a popular brand, chances are you know what size to select, too. This takes the guessing game out of choosing the proper size, which means cutting down on returns. The only thing you should watch out for is the seller. Look for listing with the official brand as the seller. Third-party merchants may be hawking knock-offs or items with defects, so pay attention to who you’re actually buying from.
2. Try Amazon’s own top-rated fashion lines
Credit: Amazon Amazon’s in-house brand, Lark & Ro, is full of quality work classics for less than $50.Did you know Amazon has its own in-house brands, many of which are fashion-focused?
If you tick the “Our Brands” checkbox in the left sidebar when you’re browsing on a desktop, you’ll be taken to a list of almost 50 Amazon-owned labels offering clothing, shoes, and jewelry for men, women, and children. They’re not household names—not yet, anyway—but they do offer quality, affordable gear. Here are a few of our favorites:
Lark & Ro: Women’s wardrobe and work basics like wrap dresses, wide-leg trousers, and cozy tunics.
Goodthreads: Top-rated button-downs and chinos for men.
Amazon Essentials: Described as “basics made better” and includes everything from jackets to t-shirts to underwear, all of which have pretty solid reviews.
3. Search reviews the right way
Credit: Amazon This is the most important part of the reviews where you can search by star rating, features and view customer photos.Speaking of reviews, they probably play a major role in your decision to buy or pass on an item, but are you using and reading reviews the right way?
If you scroll to the bottom of a product page, you can click on each individual rating to see the number of people that gave the item 4 stars, for instance. It’s always a good idea to click on the 1-star reviews and see if there’s a common thread among them. You might notice there’s an echo chamber that says the material is flimsy, the sizing is off, or the garment doesn’t hold up well. You can do the same for the 5-star ratings and read exactly what makes the item a winner.
Also, take a minute to browse customer images, which are right above the reviews. Look for shoppers who have a similar body type to yours so you have a better visual of what the garment looks like on a real person—not just on a model.
4. Browse bargains in this little-known section
Credit: Amazon Search this bargain “bin” from the comfort of your home.For anyone who hates paying full price, the clearance section of any store is your friend, and luckily, Amazon has its own version of the clearance rack. Called Bargain Finds, this page isn’t easy to find via the app or homepage, but you can get there through a quick Google search.
In this “secret” section, you’ll come across a wide variety of items—not just clothing—typically priced less than $15. Of course, the real question is whether these items are high quality. To make scouring this virtual clearance rack easier, items have their rating directly under the image and name-brand products are easy to spot, as they have a colorful banner highlighting the low price.
Shop Amazon’s Bargain Finds
5. Visit another hidden treasure trove of brand names
Credit: Amazon The Outlet features overstock brand name fashion items, including this number one bestseller Tommy Hilfiger down jacket and Levi’s skinny jeans.Similar to Bargain Finds, Amazon also has its own Outlet page that features thousands of overstocked products, all offered at a discount.
To make shopping much easier—especially if you’re on the hunt for name-brand gear—tick the box in the left sidebar that reads “Top Brands.” This weeds out the random (and possibly low-quality) fashion pieces and gives you results from recognizable brands like Hanes, Perry Ellis, Zappos, Carter’s and more.
Shop Amazon’s Outlet
6. ‘Clip’ those coupons
Credit: Amazon Keep an eye out for those little orange coupon banners, which can help save you money!Another option to save money on Amazon involves clipping coupons—virtually clipping them, that is.
Most of Amazon’s coupons are for home, beauty and food items, but there are a few fashion savings, as well. You can browse coupons by department on the Today’s Deals page, and we’ve found most of the discounts are for five or 10 percent off. Not bad!
To stay on top of the best Amazon sales—both clothing and otherwise—you’ll definitely want to bookmark our Trending Deals page. This may be a shameless plug, but it’s also a great resource because we update it daily with the best sales on our favorite products and brands from Amazon and other popular shopping spots.
7. Meet Amazon’s virtual sales associate
Credit: Amazon StyleSnap is like having a sales associate at your fingertips.Finally, if you’re looking to emulate a certain style or recreate a specific outfit, StyleSnap is a must. Available through the iOS or Android Amazon app, StyleSnap lets you upload a photo of any outfit and will offer suggestions for similar garments. Amazon launched the feature this summer, and it seems to be pretty underutilized by most shoppers.
I tried StyleSnap by uploading a picture of a white dress that I converted into a skirt, and the results that came back were pretty spot-on. The products were similar to what I wore in the photo, down to the nude sandals. When it came to my bandeau top and earrings, however, the algorithm didn’t provide any options, maybe because the details were too tough to make out.
Bottom line? This feature can come in handy when you know what you’re looking for, but don’t feel like wading through dozens of white skirts to find the right one.
The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.
