Some people refer to me as a shopping addict because of the insane amount of time I spend on the Internet surfing fashion shopping sites. There really is nothing better than finding that perfect sweater or pair of boots that will look oh-so good with your new jeans. And there is really nothing worse than realizing this great new item is about four hundred dollars over your budget. In spite of being the stereotypic broke college student, 85% of my procrastinating time is spent on shopping websites that sell items way over my budget. However, shopping websites are not just about buying things, surfing clothing websites is about seeing what is out there. I love fashion as an art form and enjoy seeing what the high-end designers have produced and how the commercial designers help to perpetuate certain trends. So when I see a piece I love but simply do not have the means to purchase, I am not bothered because I view it as someone might view a sculpture or painting. I frequent around twelve different shopping websites but the top four I cannot live without are netaporter.com, luisaviaroma.com, singer22.com and shopnastygal.com only two of which sell things I can actually afford.
Charlotte Olympia Shoes Image from: Google Images
For those of you who love design and high fashion and appreciate clothing as an art form, you should probably stay away from luisaviaroma.com if you ever want to have time to get work done. Now if you are like me and you just like to see what the creative masters like Giambattista Valli, Emanuel Ungaro and Charlotte Olympia have come out with, visit luisaviaroma.com. This website features designers that create pieces way out of the box and sells items that department stores just don’t carry. The items sold here are mostly trendy statement pieces that you might not be wearing a few years from now but will love forever as excellent pieces of craftsmanship and design. However, if you have just won the lottery and have tons of cash to spend and need that purse for fall that no oneelse will have, I highly suggest that you pay luisaviaroma.com a visit. You won’t regret it.
Balmain Leather Jacket Image from: Google Images
If you are trying to see what the high end commercial designers like Herve Leger, Balmain, Oscar de la Renta and the other high rollers have come out with, netaporter.com is the place to be. Netaporter.com is a website that sells all genres of apparel and accessories. Each category—purses, shoes, jewelry, jackets, and dresses—is loaded up with all the latest items. Depending on what you are comfortable spending on clothes, there are pieces sold in all price ranges. You can find a beautiful leather Balmain jacket for a jaw dropping $13,400 and on the same site find a $40 super comfortable Splendid tank top. Most of the pieces sold are in the $200-$300 range but there are plenty of shirts well under $100 so nearly anyone can visit netaporter.com because of the huge variation in prices. This site is not for the bargain hunter but if you are looking for the pieces of the moment, netaporter.com carries them. The clothing sold on netaporter.com differ from luisaviaroma.com because they are targeted to a wider market. Netaporter.com is aiming to appeal to the trendy and chic customer while luisaviaroma.com focuses on the customer with a very experimental style. Therefore, if you’re looking for a non-budget breaking dress for date night, a black tie ball gown for the event of the year, or a pair of killer heels that will literally stop traffic, netaporter.com is God’s gift to you.
Rachel Bilson Image from: Google Images If you are someone who is always wondering where your favorite celebrity got their latest scarf, hoodie, pair of jeans, dress, boyfriend (just kidding), top, necklace, you need to be aware of singer22.com. This website features tabloid shots of celebrities—such as, Ashley Tisdale, Kate Moss, Alessandra Ambrosio, Rihanna, Nicole Richie—what they are wearing, and . . . drum roll please . . . you can buy exactly what they are wearing right off the website. We all know that celebrities have way too much money for their own good, but a big chunk of the pieces they wear are surprisingly affordable. That is, if you have the will power to save up for a few months then splurge on that one great item.
And finally, for those who see no need to follow the latest trends and dance to the beat of your own drum (or whatever instrument you find pleasing) shopnastygal.com is the place for you. With a name as interesting as that you know the clothes are going to be funky enough to match. Shopnastygal.com is a more recent discovery of mine with two insanely great qualities. The first is that it sells both new and vintage clothing and accessories. The second is that nearly every item is completely affordable. Shopnastygal.com’s prices for their new clothes range from $12 bracelets up to $168 for an excellent 80s dress and the vintage items range more widely but you can find a great t-shirt for around $28. Shoes are a little more pricey and creep up into the $300 range, but this website is one of the few to carry the highly coveted Sam Edelman Zoe boots. (For those of you who don’t know, Mary-Kate Olsen rocked a pair of Balenciaga boots and Sam Edelman came out with a pair that look exactly like them but for an amount ridiculously cheaper). Shopnastygal.com sells great edgy dresses and unique clothes that you will struggle to find in stores. They are big on zippers and studs, slouchy t-shirts, and skin-tight skirts. Buy something from this site, and its nearly guaranteed that you will be the only one with this item, especially if you shop in the vintage section. If you love tie-dye, sequins, tiered dresses and you wish someone would hurry up and build a time machine already so you could live in the 1980s, the vintage section is your dream come true. Most pieces here are the only one in stock, so act fast because chances are it will be gone within days.
Sam Edelman Zoe Boot image from: Google Images
I apologize for this post if, like me, you have a spending or procrastinating problem because you will be addicted once you check out these sites. Happy shopping!
I loved your entry because of how well organized you made it, and that you supplied a website for every type of person. It was easy to bypass the websites that were of no interest to you, and find the ones that were. the use of pictures helped make it more appealing to the eye, and the basic font was nice too. You give great examples of each site, which really helps give a good idea of what to expect. You address the good and bad things about each site, which make it easier for the reader to find what they are looking for. Great job! i'm already about to waste time on a few of them now..
The way this review is written is great. I like how you list your top shopping websites and discuss each one. This allows for a little extra reliability in your writing as you are not just saying the pros and cons of one specific thing but instead you say who it is good for and why. Along with making the article reliable this also helps to take away some bias that could easily be created in your piece. The way you wrote kept me interested throughout the entire article as it was not bland but had nice little comments every so often which gave it character. This is a great article that I enjoyed writing.
I agree with Jessica that your organization was a strong point of your review. I also liked how honest and "human" you were in your review when you admitted that you have a huge weakness for expensive clothes that you cannot afford. This made me believe everything you had to say. That said, I do have some constructive criticisms. Here are some:
1. Within your review of each fashion website, you listed many of the designer brands offered on the site or the celebrities that have worn clothes offered on the websites. I thought that simply listing brands offered was a bit overwhelming and did not really convey the quality of the sites themselves.
2. The headings/titles for each of your sections do not reflect what is discussed within the sections. For example, the second section is entitled, "Balmain Leather Jacket," but you do not discuss the jacket at all besides naming its price. Instead, you talk about Netaporter.com. I think you should have made your section titles the names of the websites you discuss within each.
3. You should hyperlink your URLs. This way, you can take full advantage of the online review venue.
Every year when I was younger I would watch the Oscars with my mom. To us, it was the most important event on television and we scrutinized every red carpet gown. All the elegance and fantasy of the Oscars has instilled in me a love for fashion. Seeking out style ideas, looking at the latest fashion spreads, following trends and designers and examining runway shows has become an integral part of my life. For me, fashion is not just something I care about, it gets me through my day. It is a way to be whoever you want to be. Some people may think it's "just clothes", but fashion is a way to say something without words, have fun and feel good about yourself.
If you are someone who is always wondering where your favorite celebrity got their latest scarf, hoodie, pair of jeans, dress, boyfriend (just kidding), top, necklace, you need to be aware of singer22.com. This website features tabloid shots of celebrities—such as, Ashley Tisdale, Kate Moss, Alessandra Ambrosio, Rihanna, Nicole Richie—what they are wearing, and . . . drum roll please . . . you can buy exactly what they are wearing right off the website. We all know that celebrities have way too much money for their own good, but a big chunk of the pieces they wear are surprisingly affordable. That is, if you have the will power to save up for a few months then splurge on that one great item. 
Comments (3)
October 6, 2009 at 3:15 PM
I loved your entry because of how well organized you made it, and that you supplied a website for every type of person. It was easy to bypass the websites that were of no interest to you, and find the ones that were. the use of pictures helped make it more appealing to the eye, and the basic font was nice too. You give great examples of each site, which really helps give a good idea of what to expect. You address the good and bad things about each site, which make it easier for the reader to find what they are looking for. Great job! i'm already about to waste time on a few of them now..
October 6, 2009 at 3:50 PM
The way this review is written is great. I like how you list your top shopping websites and discuss each one. This allows for a little extra reliability in your writing as you are not just saying the pros and cons of one specific thing but instead you say who it is good for and why. Along with making the article reliable this also helps to take away some bias that could easily be created in your piece. The way you wrote kept me interested throughout the entire article as it was not bland but had nice little comments every so often which gave it character. This is a great article that I enjoyed writing.
October 6, 2009 at 3:55 PM
I agree with Jessica that your organization was a strong point of your review. I also liked how honest and "human" you were in your review when you admitted that you have a huge weakness for expensive clothes that you cannot afford. This made me believe everything you had to say. That said, I do have some constructive criticisms. Here are some:
1. Within your review of each fashion website, you listed many of the designer brands offered on the site or the celebrities that have worn clothes offered on the websites. I thought that simply listing brands offered was a bit overwhelming and did not really convey the quality of the sites themselves.
2. The headings/titles for each of your sections do not reflect what is discussed within the sections. For example, the second section is entitled, "Balmain Leather Jacket," but you do not discuss the jacket at all besides naming its price. Instead, you talk about Netaporter.com. I think you should have made your section titles the names of the websites you discuss within each.
3. You should hyperlink your URLs. This way, you can take full advantage of the online review venue.
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