For my inaugural blog post, I thought I’d write about a subject that is very near and dear to my heart … online shopping.  It goes without saying that the Internet has transformed fashion.  No more trips to the mall where you’re limited by what’s on offer.  There are so many great designs from all over the world that are now available with the click of a button!  And with free shipping and free returns for a number of sites, it’s easy to order multiple sizes and options to find what works best for you (of course, it’s crucial you make sure you send back what you don’t like; otherwise, shopping online can be a financial disaster).

Almost all of what I buy I get online.  In fact, I have three computer screens in my office, one of which I turn away from my office door (a privacy screen works too) and use liberally for keeping up-to-date on new arrivals and sales at my favorite Websites.  A lot of my friends have asked me about the Websites I love, so here are a list of the top five sites I visit (with one honorable mention) and some tips for navigating them.

1.  http://www.net-a-porter.com.  Net-a-Porter is probably the 400 lb. gorilla of online high fashion.  I think it was the first Website (besides the online versions of luxury department stores) that offered premier designers over the Internet.  And if you build it, they will come.  Net-a-Porter now seems to be doing so well that most sizes of the most popular styles are often sold out by the end of the day they are posted, so … definitely log on and browse through new arrivals when they are posted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  The site offers free shipping and free returns (28 days to return, but you should request the return in 14 days) and, unless you’re located in New York, does not charge sales tax for purchases from the US.  Sales take place only twice a year — in November around Thanksgiving and at the end of May around Memorial Day — and are discontinued after a couple of months or so.  Perks are offered to frequent buyers on the site, including early previews of new arrivals, early access to sales and use of an assigned personal shopper.

2.  http://www.theoutnet.com.  Since Net-a-Porter has sales only twice a year and then discontinues them, it has a partner year-round discount site called The Outnet (so if you didn’t scoop something up during the Net-a-Porter sale, it will likely end up here).  You can get some great bargains on this site, especially during clearance times, although items are usually heavily picked through by then, so if you really love something, you should probably pull the trigger immediately and not wait for the super-bargain.  The Outnet also has a proprietary brand called Iris & Ink that offers a designer look at more reasonable prices.  The site offers free shipping and $7.95 returns (same return times as Net-a-Porter) and the same sales tax policy as Net-a-Porter.  New arrivals are posted every weekday except Wednesday, although Friday new arrivals are relatively new, so there might not be as much inventory posted as earlier in the week.

3.  http://www.matchesfashion.com.  MatchesFashion is operated out of the UK and carries many of the same brands as Net-a-Porter BUT usually does not sell out of popular styles as quickly and can be a little less expensive at times (presumably due to currency exchange calculations).  The site offers free shipping to the US (duties are included in the price of the item and refunded if you return the item) and free returns (same return times as Net-a-Porter).  Returns are with DHL, however, which is a little harder to arrange than UPS, FedEx or USPS.  New arrivals are posted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and sales take place only twice a year around the same times as the Net-a-Porter sales.  Unlike Net-a-Porter, MatchesFashion keeps its unsold sales merchandise available for purchase year-round.  Perks to frequent buyers of the site include a pre-sale discount if you don’t want to worry about availability when the sale starts and access to a personal shopper.

4.  http://www.farfetch.com.  Farfetch is essentially a clearinghouse for boutiques from all of the world.  Rather than ordering directly from the boutique, shoppers purchase through Farfetch, which coordinates shipping and returns.  Because so many local boutiques are on the site, you can find some really interesting designers and styles that are not available on the larger sites, and you can also do some price comparison since different boutiques will have different prices or mark their sale items at different discounts.  Returns have always been free; shipping has been costly at times, especially if you’re ordering from a non-US boutique, but Farfetch has had more free global shipping promotions and seems to be moving towards free or flat shipping rates that are very reasonable.  As with MatchesFashion, returns are with DHL.  Duties for non-US purchases are included in the price.  New arrivals are generally posted every weekday, and sales take place only twice a year around the same times as the Net-a-Porter sales, but like MatchesFashion, unsold sales merchandise is available for purchase on the site year-round.  Perks to frequent buyers of the site include early previews of new arrivals, early access to sales and use of an assigned personal shopper.

5.  http://www.modaoperandi.com. Moda Operandi gives shoppers access to trunk shows from various designers so that you can order styles right off the runway and not worry about whether a store’s buyer will choose to carry them.  Because you’re ordering merchandise before it’s gone into production, you’ll have to wait sometimes four or five months for your order to be filled, but it’s worth it if you see something on the runway you just fall in love with.  A 50% deposit is required at the time you pre-order the style, and the remainder is due when the item ships.  Shipping is free, and sales tax is charged in most locations.  Most items are returnable at no charge (15 days to return).  Moda Operandi also has a boutique with items you can buy today, and sales take place only twice a year around the same times as the Net-a-Porter sales.  That being said, I’ve found that Moda Operandi’s sales start a little earlier with bigger discounts, so it’s always a good site to monitor during sale time.  New arrivals are posted once a week on Wednesday or Thursday.

Honorable Mention — http://www.fwrd.com.  Forward by Elyse Walker is an LA-based site that combines the high-end of a Net-a-Porter or MatchesFashion with some of the “hipper” designers you may see from a Shopbop (http://www.shopbop.com, which may be the honorable mention to the honorable mention).  They do a great job of showing off the clothes, so I always check the site for styling ideas, although I also double-check an item I like on another site to make sure it’s really great and not just being shown off really well (which, frankly, I recommend for any online purchase … I think the online site for Saks Fifth Avenue is a pretty good baseline test).  New arrivals are posted every Wednesday and Thursday, and the site offers free shipping and free returns (30 days to return).  Sales are staged a little more than the other sites, although you can expect the most sales inventory twice a year, a little after the Net-a-Porter sales.  Perks for frequent buyers include early previews of new arrivals (which are probably the most sophisticated of anything I’ve seen since you just click on a link and reserve an item with the click of a button, instead of having to email a personal shopper directly), early access to sales and the use of a personal shopper.

Of course there are a ton of other sites out there.  I’ve focused here on the sites that offer a variety of designers because they’re the best for giving me an overview of where fashion is headed that season and ideas for what I want to buy.  I haven’t focused on the online department store sites, but they’re great, as are the direct sites from the designers themselves (which are always the place to follow up if what I want is sold out on the broader sites).  There’s only so much time in the day, of course!  My recommendation if you want to be a success at online shopping is to find a handful of sites that work for you and get to know them, maybe build some loyalty so you get some of the perks, which really pay off at sale time.

Happy shopping!