The risk of buying a thing that won’t fit you is especially high when making purchases online: the masterful skills of sellers, models, and photographers make even the most lackluster thing look high-quality. We don’t realize our mistake until we try the item on and oftentimes this happens when we buy things that can’t be returned.

We at Bright Side like to buy new stuff with the help of new technologies. In order to help you save money and time, we compiled some of the red flags you should pay attention to before making internet purchases. The bonus at the end will tell you about a couple of curious tips we discovered while buying things online.

The item from the online store is presented without a model.

It’s unlikely that an outfit that was created especially for tall girls will fit shorter curvy girls. In order to avoid disappointment when trying on an item from an online store, pay attention not only to the height but also the type and color type of the model — something that suits one person perfectly can look absolutely different on a person with another body type.

A model is covering details of the outfit with her hand.

© Depositphotos.com, © Depositphotos.com

The clenched postures of a model in a photo can tell a lot about the quality of the clothes on display. Hands covering the neckline or the waist can be hiding an unsuccessful neckline, wrinkles when the fabric is stretched, and issues with the cut.

The outfit is shown with a background that is “too beautiful.”

© Depositphotos.com, © Depositphotos.com

Luxurious interiors and many layers of Photoshop are also used by the sellers of budget online stores for a reason — they can visually turn even the most low-quality goods into nice ones… At least on their page.

When distracting our eyes with interesting interior details, experienced retailers heat up our interest in the photo where the clothing item is shown. That’s how a poor-quality item ends up in our mailbox.

The photo of the outfit is too cropped.

© Depositphotos.com, © Depositphotos.com

Badly cropped photos not only cause confusion but also help the seller hide the old-fashioned cut and design of the item from us. A suit depicted above the waist or the hips in these photos can simply be concealing trousers that are too short or the presence of an old-fashioned cut.

The item that you like is shown together with something too bright.

© Depositphotos.com, © Depositphotos.com

Sometimes the fashion decisions of stylists from online stores can be very confusing: they overlap the boring or irrelevant design of one thing with the bright color or print of another. In this case, we begin to like not the piece of clothing we intend to buy but the image as a whole. It will only be possible to repeat this look by purchasing the entire set of clothing in the photo.

Bonus: Several personal observations and tips from the Bright Side author when buying clothes online

In addition to all the things mentioned above, as an avid fan of sales in popular online stores, I decided to share a couple of my personal observations about online shopping.

© Depositphotos.comTip # 1: Don’t go for clothes that the model shows in a half-turned position only. I have noticed that if an item looks good from a side angle, it won’t look as good in front if you buy it.© Depositphotos.com, © Depositphotos.comTip # 2: When comparing 2 outfits, it’s better to opt for the one that goes together with a catwalk video.
Sometimes an item that we liked looks absolutely different in a photo than in real life. Knowing this, big online retailers attach short videos to the description of the item where you can thoroughly look at the blouses, dresses, and trousers that you want to buy. Don’t neglect this useful option — it’s the thing that oftentimes helps us make the final decision about the necessity of a spontaneous purchase.

How often do you personally buy things online? What type of shopping seems more convenient to you: online or traditional, where you can touch an item?