Piperlime
★ ★ ★ ★
$-$$$
The day that Piperlime started selling things other than shoes was the best day of my life (mild exaggeration, but it was a pretty great day). Shopping at Piperlime is like having your own personal stylist, and her name is Rachel Zoe. Sound familiar? She is potentially the most famous celebrity stylist (…and designer…and editor) out there, and she even has her own show, The Rachel Zoe Project. Zoe works closely with Piperlime and has her own section on the website called, “Rachel Zoe’s Picks.” This is so incredible that I feel like I need to summarize: If you shop at Piperlime, you can have Rachel Zoe, the most sought-after stylist in Hollywood, pick out your clothes…for free! Like I said, incredible.
Look for: Shoes, obviously, handbags, outerwear, jeans, sweaters, and tops.
Ignore: The dresses are casual and kind of “eh,” for lack of a better word.
www.piperlime.com
Francesca's
★ ★ ★
$-$$
I like to think of Francesca’s as the ultimate knock-off store, which is both a good and a bad thing. It’s a good thing because Francesca’s has $30 versions of clothes that normally cost $300. It’s a bad thing because sometimes there’s a reason those clothes cost $300—not everything is meant to be cheaply made.
Look for: Basics, outerwear, leggings, and jewelry.
Modcloth
★ ★ ★ ★
$-$$$
If you have alternative, eclectic style, Modcloth is the place for you; if you have traditional, classic style, Modcloth is still the place for you. Modcloth sells recognizable brands, like BB Dakota and Seychelles, but it also has a vintage section, which offers one-of-a-kind pieces (careful, they sell out fast!). At Modcloth, the customer always comes first. It has a “Be the Buyer” section, where you can vote on pieces for the website to sell, and it also pays careful attention to detail, individually bestowing ironic names upon each of its items (like calling a blue dress covered in flower appliqués the “Blue-ming Beauty Dress”). Modcloth is adorable, fun to peruse, and always reliable. Best of all? It’s cheap.
Look for: It has a little bit of everything, but its tops, sweaters, and outerwear are typically fantastic.
Ignore: You may have trouble finding a formal dress, most of their dresses are daytime appropriate.
www.modcloth.com
Lulu’s
★ ★ ★ ★
$-$$
Lulu’s is a lot like Modcloth, but without the eccentric, eclectic feel. It offers a wide variety of well-known, affordable brands, with the addition of a few newcomer brands and vintage pieces to spice things up. Like Modcloth, Lulu’s also pays close attention to details, individually naming each of its items. It feels a little boutique-y and is easy to navigate, which is a nice change after dealing with overwhelming sites like Forever 21. It’s cute and fun—definitely worth a look…or two.
Look For: Going-out clothes (dresses, skirts, tops, heels)
Ignore: Most things are really, really good, but few things are amazing.
www.lulus.com
Amazon
★ ★ ★ ★
$-$$$
Isn’t Amazon a bookstore, you say? NO! It’s an everything store, and I truly mean everything. Amazon has and does it all, and is perhaps the most reliable online shopping site out there. All of Amazon’s products have buyer’s reviews—some long, some short, some good, some bad, and some absolutely hilarious (check out the reviews of the “Three Wolf Moon” t-shirt). You’ll know what you’re in store for when you make your purchase, which is something that is both rare and extremely valuable. Just a tip: you can narrow down your search by price, color, and customer ratings, which makes the options much less overwhelming.
Look for: Anything. If it’s not on Amazon, then it probably doesn’t exist.
Ignore: Nothing, but definitely, definitely read the reviews before you make a purchase.
www.amazon.com
Don't forget to look out for "Annie Takes on the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Affordable Shopping: Part Three"!
-Annie Wazer
