How to Online Shop Without Having to Deal With Returns

A particularly online shopping–savvy friend of mine asked for my opinion on a piece from an Australian site (Birdcage) that she was considering purchasing. I remarked that since the site is based in Australia, it would be annoying if it didn’t fit and she had to return it, which she quickly dismissed, saying that she orders from international e-tailers all the time. Her trick for never having to make returns? She always orders one size up and takes the item to a tailor who makes adjustments for a perfect fit. This trick is particularly useful when making a purchase from an international site, as an oft-complicated and lengthy returns process can be avoided, and international sizing has a tendency to vary from U.S. sizing as it is. That being said, this method is also quite handy when ordering from your own country's e-tailer, especially if you’re worried that a coveted piece will sell out if you end up needing a larger size.

While the cost of alterations can certainly add up, if a piece is special enough and you’d prefer the hassle of visiting a tailor to returning or exchanging (and possibly missing out on) an item, it’s definitely worth it.

Scroll down to shop some of our favourite pieces from international e-tailers!

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Do you have any favourite sites we haven't name-checked? let us know in the comments box below...

Opening Image: A Love Is Blind

Allyson Payer
Senior Editor

Allyson is a senior editor for Who What Wear. She joined the company in 2014 as co-founder Katherine Power's executive assistant and over the years has written hundreds of stories for Who What Wear. Prior to her career in fashion, Allyson worked in the entertainment industry at companies such as Sony Pictures Television. Allyson is now based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She holds a BFA in theater. Her path to fashion may not have been linear, but based on the number of fashion magazines she collected as a child and young adult, it was meant to be.