Tips for Shopping Online with Modcloth for International Customers

People often ask me where I buy most of my clothes, and their hunch is usually correct: online. Online shopping is a big challenge, especially if you are shopping from Australia and most of your favourite shops are in America or the UK and there is no chance to try something. One of my absolute favourites is Modcloth. Today I’m going to give you some tips on how to shop with Modcloth and get things you love, such as the above sunny, yellow blouse. (If you want to see that outfit, find it here).

Modcloth stock clothes from a range of awesome brands, such as Lazybones, Closet, Bettie Page, Chelsea Crew and Miss Patina. They also have their own label, which is designed in response to what their community is loving. It gives you access to a range of clothing styles, as well as a range of prices for clothes. 

A favourite skirt and shoes I bought from Modcloth. Outfit post here.

The first thing you need to know is that Modcloth prices are in American dollars. If you’re buying from Australia, like me, then this means that almost anything you purchase will add up very quickly. I remember one magical time in 2012 when the Australia dollar reached parity with the USD. For the most part, when you’re looking to buy things, you should open up google and do a quick search for currency conversion. You can keep that in mind as you browse and add things to your cart. Doing the math will reduce surprises when the final total is converted.

Shop with the deals

You should always keep an eye on and take advantage of shopping deals. At the time of writing this, their current promotion is 20% off all dresses on orders over $100. You can also get super deals like a discount for your first purchase ($20 of an order of $100+), or a discount if you refer a friend who makes a purchase. If you have a Modcloth account you can make a wish list, where you get notified if something comes into stock, goes on sale or is about to sell out. You can also make a love list, which is a faster and less formal way to tagging what you love to look at later, without getting notifications like you do on a wish list. When they have sales, it’s easy to jump straight to your wish list or love list to scan the prices and see what you can get for a steal.

A cute crop top (sold out) I picked up for a bargain! See the outfit here.

Know what works on your body 

This is a key part of how I shop online successfully. I very rarely buy trousers online because I struggle to get those to fit even when I’m shopping in a physical store. Most often, I buy dresses, skirts and blouses (you usually only need to know one measurement to make sure a skirt fits and that’s the waist). To do that I need to know what works for me. This is where looking in detail at the photos is really important. This helps you to see how long things like sleeves and hemlines are, how tailored the cut is, what sort of material it is. Look for things like elastic in the waist, whether the material has stretch and how translucent it is. This will help you decide what sort of season it would work in, how well it will wear and how comfortable it will be.

Read the Details & Measurements section

This lets you know what material it is, what the sizing is, what the size of the model in the photo is and a bit about the brand. If you have further questions about it, you can ask the Modcloth Customer Care team and they can check the product out for you.

Look at reviews

Modcloth has a brilliant feature where other customers can leave reviews. They can put in their measurements and defining body characteristics and talk about how it worked for them. Busty ladies may recommend sizing up. Tall ladies may have something to say about a hemline. Booty ladies might find those capri pants are really comfy because of their stretch. Each review allows a rating of fit, length and quality, and they all contribute to an overall rating. Reviewers can also put up a photo so it’s easy for you to find someone with a similar shape to you to see how something fits.

Go in with a friend

To reduce shipping costs, it’s handy to go in with a friend. Modcloth sometimes has international shipping deals where you spend a certain amount and then get free international shipping. Even when this deal isn’t on, it can save you money to combine your purchase with friends to save you both paying separate shipping costs. Plus, unboxing with a buddy is really fun.

A blouse and dress I fell in love with from Modcloth. See the outfit here.

Don’t be scared to take the plunge

The first time I purchase from a new online store is always the toughest. It took me years before I made my first ever purchase with Modcloth. When I finally did, I got a lot more confident which gave me access to so many pretty clothes. I also got better at knowing what would look good on me and what might not. Modcloth offer extended returns for international customers, so you can even change your mind and get some of your money back (you will have to pay to send the items back). On the rare occasion that I’ve had a faulty item, Modcloth have been amazing! They have refunded my money or sent me a new item free of charge. Their customer service is excellent.

Got a question about shopping with Modcloth? I’ve got loads of experience shopping with them (I’ve just counted. I’ve made 36 orders since 2012). Ask me any questions you might have and I’ll do my best to answer them.

– L

Follow: bloglovin| feedly| instagram| pinterest| facebook| tumblr| modcloth