Amazon Fashion: Best Items + Shopping Tips
This post begins with a cautionary shopping tale.
Y'all know those cheap fashion sites that have beaucoup de pricier knock-offs for an absurdly low amount of money? The ones that take like a month to ship to you because they're all made overseas and then when you get your order it's nothing like the picture online? Yeah, those. SheInside and Romwe come to mind, and now I know to add Boho Beach Queen to that list.
Here's the long-and-short of it: I saw a dress I liked on Instagram, did my best to vet the site, went ahead and ordered said dress, got it three weeks later and it's more of a tunic and terribly overpriced. Worth about half as much as I paid IF that.
This is the dress. I wore it as a cover-up and will have to style as at tunic moving forward.
But. Then I went on Amazon and started shopping for some budget-friendly dresses to wear on vacation. (After Labor Day is too late to spend good money on summery clothes IMO.) One dress led to another to the next and THEN all of a sudden I saw bascially the SAME DAMN DRESS from Instagram available on Amazon for half the price!!! ANNNND I can get it in two days with my Prime membership. Mind: blown.
The bottom line is before you shop any of those cheapy sites check Amazon first! First of all, Amazon actually sells and fulfills pieces from SheInside and Romwe. (Don't get it, but whatevs.) And yes, you may have to do some digging.
KEEP READING FOR ITEM RECOMMENDATIONS AND AMAZON FASHION SHOPPING TIPS!
After searching, general perusing, and reading reviews, these were the items I ordered and kept. I wore them all on vacation and may even want to buy some of the same pieces in more colors.
Like this boho maxi dress. It's so, so good and very on-trend for fall. It's comfy and the front slit makes it a little bit sexy but not too revealing to wear or walk in. It comes in nine colors -- I'm wearing a medium in the green print. I also love the brown and plum colors. Oh, and it's $20.
This lacy yellow dress was a last-minute add-on I'm glad I got. By itself it looks nice and summery but with a jacket and ankle booties goes right into fall. I'm wearing a 6/8 but could've gone down a size. It also comes in white, pink, and mint.
Truth be told, the button on the back fell off immediately but for $26 you forgive that sort of thing. Truth be told 2.0, Mike will have to sew it back on because he can and I cannot do anything with a needle and thread.
LOVE this fitted tank dress with the flattering ruched detail on the sides. It looks so much like the pricier Nordstrom version but only costs $20. I'm wearing the olive color in a medium. It comes in seven colors in this sleeveless style and is also available with sleeves in six colors. Options, peeps. You can wear a dress like this year round and it's a FAB piece for expecting mamas. My necklaces are by Twine and Twig.
MORE FASHION FINDS BELOW MY SHOPPING TIPS!
aMAZON FASHION SHOPPING TIPS
TIP #1 | Read reviews. Amazon's customers are not shy about reviewing products and will give you their honest opinions. See what they say about quality, fit, and sizing. I have found I typically order one size up (a medium for me) to err on the safe side and it's usually a smart move. But sometimes something may run large so read those reviews to find out!
TIP #2 | Look for customer photos. A written review gives you a lot of information but a photo will really let you know how the piece looks and fits. This is really helpful when shopping bathing suits or a printed item. Sometimes the print looks way different in person than on the model's photo. Also, if the item is a knock off you'll be able to tell how good it is.
TIP #3 | Only some colors and/or sizes are Prime eligible. Okay, this one is confusing. Some items, like shoes, that come in different sizes or maybe a dress that comes in different colors can vary in their Prime eligibility depending on which one you've chosen. For example, a dress I liked was not Prime eligible in the purple or pink print in any size, but the green print in size large was available via Prime. So weird. Sometimes the eligibility restrictions change from day to day. Also confusing and aggravating. So I would say you either A) wait and see if your first choice comes back on Prime, or B) choose any Prime option if you're not totally committed to just one color.
TIP #4 | Dig, dig, dig. Search for what you're looking for by keywords, then explore the 'items related to your search' or 'customers also bought" suggestions. You'll probably find what you were originally looking for or something close. Or better!
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Disclaimer! Just because Amazon sells it does not mean it's Grade-A quality or that it's not going to have a flaw in it; that's what happens when you shop the cheap section. High risk, high reward. BUT when it's backed by Amazon, if there is an issue, you can return it and get your money back WAY more easily than if you try to go through those mysterious overseas companies that are notorious for never responding to customer service emails.
Here are some more super cute affordable finds I scoped out on Amazon Fashion!
Fall Trend Alert: Prairie Dresses
Ever wanted to frolic through a field of wildflowers? These are the dresses for you! Americana-inspired floating, dreamy dresses full of flowers, paisley, and patchwork prints are the thing this fall. Wear now with sandals, wear later with booties or sneakers and a great jacket or sweater. You can dress them up with strappy heels, too!
Style tip: A white, lacy maxi dress is seasonless. With a few styling touches you can wear this beauty late into fall. Toughen it up with a leather jacket and boots or strappy sandals. Also try layering an olive military jacket, fedora, and boots with it. Whatever you do, don't feel limited by the Labor Day rule!
Easy Cotton Dresses
We all need that cotton dress to throw on for one reason or another. Sometimes it's a loosey goosey dress that's meant to hide a burrito baby bulge. Other times it's of the stretchy, fitted variety that's the right balance of sexy and comfy...and happens to be good at showing off a baby bump. (Seriously, they make the best pregnancy dresses!).
*This dress is highly rated, comes in six colors, and has flattering shirring down the sides. Definitely a year-round option: sandals now, boots and a cardigan layer.
Jackets
Jackets and outerwear in general afford you the BEST opportunity to marry fashion with function. They keep you warm while acting as the "third piece" to up your outfit's stylishness. Some jackets are worth investing in, truly. But anything that's more trend-based or that you might tire of after one season shouldn't take much of your shopping budget. It just doesn't make sense. I found some of my favorite fall fashion outerwear trends on Amazon for a steal!
aND THIS ONE TOP...
Throwing this one in here because Adidas tanks are the rage in the blog-o-sphere. This one comes in eight colors and costs anywhere between $18-25.
Alright, that wraps up today's post! Hope you're all having a fabulous Friday and looking forward to a fun-filled weekend!
Be back Monday with a post on my favorite healthy snacks featuring one simple ingredient. Quite the cliffhanger I'm leaving ya'll with LOL!
xxBrooke