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I love Forever 21, H&M, and Target as much as the next girl- but I hate it when I see five other girls on campus wearing the same shoe or skirt I have on. Originality can be tough to come by when everyone shops at the same places. Thankfully, there are some great online-only stores that every other girl on campus probably isn’t shopping at yet. Here are five of the best ones:
1. LuLu’s
Does your style have a boho surfer-girl vibe to it? If so, you won’t be able to get enough of LuLus. With its plethora of flowy tops, colorful dresses and funky jewelry, you really won’t be able to resist the merchandise. Even better, everything is priced around the same as the stuff at Forever 21 (I’m talking $20-40 for a top, $30-60 for a dress,) so it’s super affordable. They even have a vintage section! Bookmark this site to have your summer wardrobe needs taken care of!
2. NastyGal
Are you more of a trend-setting risk-taker when it comes to the way you dress? Look no further than NastyGal. Not only do they have some of the best vintage on the internet (yes, high-quality vintage-on the internet!), they also have edgy, interesting clothes that’ll make people stop you in the streets. By the end of the day, I’m sure you’ll be sick of saying ‘shopnastygal.com.’ Their tops sell for around $30-80 (leaning more towards the $80 side) and their bottoms are $40-$100. Don’t forget to check out their awesome selection of shoes- I can barely keep my debit card away!
3. Threadless
Looking for a gift for your brother, boyfriend or anyone in between? Threadless is your answer to the age old “What can I get them?”. These tees are some of the best I’ve seen on the internet. They range from funny to cool looking to just plain weird, and are priced at a reasonable $18-22. But don’t just look here for gifts- they also have a women’s section! If you’re looking for an off-beat tee shirt to spice up your jeans-and-a-tee shirt look, then you’ll satisfy all your needs (and more) here.
4. ShopBop
Obsessed with designer clothes and everything high-end? Need the latest “it” bag as soon as it comes out? You must visit Shopbop! While this store definitely isn’t obscure (it’s one of the most popular online clothing stores), it’s still a must-bookmark if you love fashion. ShopBop was originally conceived as the online offshoot of Madison, WI-based store Bop, but the online store was so successful that sales quickly outpaced those of the brick-and-mortar store! Nowadays, Shopbop does tons of business, selling everything from Alexander Wang bags to J Brand jeans to Marc Jacobs dresses. If you’re on a budget, don’t count Shopbop out – they have a fantastic sale section that’s constantly updated, and many designer pieces are under $100!
5. ModCloth
Does vintage-inspired clothing appeal to you? Do you have a girly sense of style but still love edgy pieces? Shop exclusively on ModCloth from now on! You’ll find colorful tops in flowery prints with great details- think ruffles, cowl necks and lace, and great high-waisted skirts. Modcloth has my perfect summer internship wardrobe- appropriate office-wear with fashionable details. Prices here are reasonable, too- $20-60 for a top and $30-90 for bottom. Plus, they have a really great vintage section, too! This site is a must-visit for any of you who love browsing thrift shops (and those of us who don’t have the patience for it).
Thoughts?
What do you guys think of these stores? What other online-only stores do you guys shop at? Tell me everything and more in the comments!
My god!!! I really love LuLu’s. Thanks so much. Reasonable prices there.
Does NastyGal accept debit card payment? I love their stuff there but on a different site it said that this store did NOT accept credit card payment, but on this site it was stated that a debit card was used.
Korean clothing rocks! American fashion is just getting…well..blah! European fashion is chic and safe, but nothing fun. I would say the best fashion out there is coming from places like soho, and stores like freepeople and ruche and occasionally lucky brand. But, nothing beats shopping korean brands. Most people get afraid from shopping from wholesale websites cuz they think the quality isnt so good, but trust me, that is not true! Try it and youll get hooked. Im from NY and im really bored of the fashion out here..time to move to Korea or Japan. The orientals reallyy know a thing or two about fashion!
Even though Korean and Japanese styles are cute, they are usually two sizes too small when comparing them to an American size chart. I’m a slim girl, but because I have some curves, a tall height, and big feet, the conversion charts rarely have my sizes. Like I love Romwe, but again, they never have my sizes.
can anyone please give me a list of online vintage style shops like modcloth and shopruche but that are not based in the US so I don’t have to pay more taxes than the price of the dress I buy! thank you girls!
i’m at modcloth all the time! koshka (shopkoshka.com) is pretty neat, too! they have a very different indie look from all the other stores. and ships free worldwide over $140…
These are great! One of my other favorites is an online site called Humble Chic. They have really cute clothes, bags, and jewelry and are reasonably priced.
thanks guys, for all the other websites, a handful i hadn’t even heard of until now! especially romwe as my favorite asian clothing website, cutiecode, went under. i’ll add another to the list for those looking for sites to try, pink ice. happy shopping!
I like http://www.gypsan.com. They sell bohemian clothes kinda like Free People but it is way cheaper. Quality seems to be the same from what I have ordered in the past.
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I love shopping online and each of these stores are amazing!
I love them all!!! There’s another store I found too that kinda fits into your list http://www.monaetjune.com. I was about to buy this one top that I’ve been eyeing forever but then they ran out of my size! But yeah I really like the stuff from there. I’m wondering if anyone heard of this store or maybe it’s new. I have no idea but I want to go to their store if they have one.
I love modcloth but they can be expensive. I didn’t realize this until I started shopping around and found that I could buy the exact same dress (BB dakota) for 62 at modcloth or 35 at karmaloop.com…. Karmaloop is kind of clubby and more rap-esque but they do carry freepeople and bb dakota…. It’s good to go look there before looking at MC because ALL the dress they have in common are cheaper on karmaloop.
I just want to note that sometimes Lulu’s and Modcloth both have the SAME (or very similar) items at the SAME time. In my experience Lulu’s prices were a little bit cheaper than Modcloth’s. So look around before you buy!
Also, I second the ASOS.com shop as well!!! I LOVE ASOS! Reasonable overseas shipping too ($6 I believe) compared to Topshop’s insanely overpriced $15 shipping.
This reminds me…I found JBrand Denim at TJMaxx for $20-$50 today. All sizes. Bootcut, skinnies, straight leg. Mostly darker washes. And go!
What girl in college can pay this much for clothes? I know I can’t… How about some realistic suggestions, especially since this is College Fashion.
LULU’s is my FAVORITE online shop!!!
Asos.com is THE best online shop. Do check it out – I don’t know how and if they ship to the US but for us Europeans, Asos is the best! All my girlfriends shop at Asos!
I would love to shop at many US online store but a) they don’t always ship to Europe b) we have to pax EU taxes when buying from the US which makes it a bit pricy. If you buy something that costs $50 you’ll have to pay almost $50 in taxes!
I agree that most of these stores have great stuff, but I don’t personally shop online very often only because of the shipping rates. Even if something is on sale, after adding in the shipping cost it ends up being more than i’d be willing to pay for a top or dress! So I stick to in-store shopping mostly… but to add a website to your list, cutesygirl.com has some of the best sandals and flats ive seen!
I love modcloth…and the fact that they update their new inventory all the time…i check back every hour. Is there something wrong with me?? 🙂
I love both ModCloth and Lulu’s. I’ve shopped at Lulu’s before and have to say, their shipping is very fast. My last order, I placed it on Sunday, and received the items by the following Friday. They also recently improved their return/exchange policies so that’s a definite plus.
I think both Lulu’s and ModCloth are pricier than Forever 21, like someone else said above. The difference is in the quality (well, at least for Lulu’s – I haven’t ordered from ModCloth yet). The Lulu’s items I’ve bought have been of very good quality.
i find modcloth to be a bit expensive..or maybe i’m just too cheap.. but i really do love the clothes on their site
The descriptions of ModCloth’s items are great. A lot of them suggest outfits that can be created with the piece you are viewing!
I adore Lulu*s.
I also think ModCloth carries some of the most gorgeous looking clothing ive ever seen, but the poorest quality. Seriously, $40-50 for thin, unlined, poorly made dresses?
I’ve known about and loved most of the shops you’ve listed here for years. Threadless especially. What I really love about it is that because the designs are user-submitted, you get a wide variety of artistic styles represented, and the artists also get a cut of the profit. One thing to keep in mind with them, however, is that thy frequently have sales, where either select shirts are as cheep as $8, or there’s a site-wide $10 shirt sale. (also, this is really just being knit-picky, but Threadless isn’t technically online-only. They set up a real shop in… Chicago, I think it is…)
I knew about ModCloth, but I hadn’t heard of the other ones until now…I love dresses and these sites have plenty of them that aren’t too unreasonably priced. Thanks for this!
I completely forgot to mention this, but another online-only shop I like looking at is Shop Ruche (http://www.shopruche.com). I’ve never ordered from this shop, so I don’t know what the quality is like, but the prices are in the Lulu’s/ModCloth range. I love the look of the clothes – Shop Ruche seems like a more affordable alternative to a store like Anthropologie (I LOVE the stuff at Anthropologie but can only dream of affording anything there).
OMG I love online shopping! Thanks CF
LOVE ModCloth. I always get sucked into their Facebook ads. Their shoes and dresses are fabulous.
great list elizabeth! even though i already know about these stores, i often forget about them or put them to the wayside so it was a great reminder and referesher!
Yep, the shop is in Chicago, and it’s AWESOME.
I agree with Nicole…. I find most of the sites you listed to be a bit pricey; sure if you search for a while you can find cute stuff for cheap or wait for sales (which is exactly what I do) but for the most part, the clothes are more expensive then stores like forever21 and Wet Seal. The price range for forever21 tops is actually much more like $10-20 than $20-40.
I think these stores are great, especially the sale sections…. just saying they aren’t that cheap. Especially with the shipping tacked on.
Great list, I love all of these retailers! I just got two shirts for $25 including shipping from Threadless last week. I always get compliments on their quirky t-shirts.
LuLu’s is AMAZING. Their awesome selection is only matched by their great customer service. I tweeted about a pair of earrings I was unhappy with (the only time I’ve ever been unhappy with a purchase from them) and they actually tweeted me back and offered a full refund. I recommend their site every chance I get.
I love ModCloth, and (on the off chance I have enough money to afford it) ShopBop! But thanks for telling me about Lulu’s, I just went on their website and they have adorable stuff for great prices! I’ll definitely be bookmarking their website.
Lisa, I completely understand what you are saying — but if you go to the Sales sections of these stores, you can find some cheaper pieces!
Great list! I’d love to see a list of stores with free international shipping. It’s a drag when you have to find a great online deal only to find shipping costs add up to the original value! 🙁
Kate – Good to know! I had no idea Threadless had a physical store. Very cool!
Dubai Stylista – Ah, yeah that is a pain, for us in the US as well – I love stores like Topshop but shipping costs and annoying returns processes really make me think twice before buying anything. Would be nice if more stores had the international shipping thing down, or at least had distribution centers in other countries!
Also for those of you concerned about price, I still think MC and Lulu’s have better quality than F21 and Wet Seal, but one thing you should know is that the online boutiques are always trying to get shoppers, so they offer discounts and contests frequently. My last order (that I mentioned above), I got with a one-day only 15% coupon code. If you sign up for their e-mails and follow them on FB and/or Twitter, you’ll be on the up and up on all the deals, coupons, and contests. That way, you can still get great-quality items for a slightly lower cost.
I love Lulu’s! I’ve been shopping there since 6th or 7th grade. They started out as a small, but incredibly cute, 2 story boutique in my hometown, and I’m so glad they’ve grown to be so huge. They started gaining momentum by having these cute shirts and tanks with a Lulu’s logo on them. EVERYONE around here had them. And if you wore them when you shopped at Lulu’s, you got a percent off your purchase. I know they stopped carrying them a few years ago.
I’m so sad though, I think they sold the boutique to another owner, but I know they changed the name. I’m pretty sure it was because they were getting so much revenue from their online store that they no longer needed a storefront. It’s a bummer though, because I like to try stuff on before I buy them. I can’t do that for Lulu’s anymore.
Hopefully in the future, they will open a chain of stores. Wouldn’t that be great?
🙂
I love Modcloth. I’m too poor to shop there, but I love looking at the clothes.
P.S. If you sign up for the email newsletter form Lulu’s, I think you get a $10 egift certificate. At least they did when I first signed up. But they have awesome alerts that are worth your inbox space.
I love Modcloth, but the clothes and shipping is just too expensive. Such a cute site to browse and get outfit ideas from though 🙂
http://shopruche.com is another great site, as is http://www.jijikiki.com -similar to Modcloth, but not so dear!
Alwaysallured.com is a good site to shop at kind of like nastygal but cheaper