To shop or sit?

Regardless of which Hemisphere you’re in, fashionista’s all over the world are constantly on the hunt for the best deals. And I would know a thing or two about that! I recently caught up with my fellow fashion blogger Savannah Charles founder of “The F Word” (seriously you need to follow her blog here) to discuss which we thought was better, to shop in store or online. Whether you’re a flee market huntsman, a department store junkie, or an online bargain finder, here’s some of our thoughts on the pro’s and con’s of each!

	Pros	Cons
Online	The Internet never closes; its open 24/7. 365 a year, baby! There are definitely more choices! In one single website I can pick up both the Louboutins I’ve been saving for, and the basic H&M turtleneck I need as a layering piece! Saves on gas, queuing (Waiting in line for all of my American readers) and time. Avoids driving in difficult weather! And come on, a great hair style is worth it to protect! Can be more economical as it is easier to do price comparisons and look at multiply stores simultaneously. Variety, variety, variety!	Cannot get a real feel for the product and its tactile qualities. And sometimes you just need to feel a fabric! Its hard to tell what simply is and isn’t your size. Especially when shopping internationally! The whole shopping experience is lost. We can just hear you shopaholics sobbing!
In store	The complete package; see it, feel it, try it and buy it! You also get to enjoy shop’s buying atmosphere. The feeling of instant satisfaction; no waiting for delivery and no waiting to wear that trendy piece you just scored! A social experience. It’s great to have a fabulous support system! More effective “pick me up”. I mean come on! What better feeling is there than knowing you just got a great deal on an item you’ve been spying on for weeks! No delivery or shipping charges. Oh yah!	Shops are not open all day, everyday. And sometimes, a boy or girl simply needs to make that midnight splurge! It means additional expenses and time spent traveling to the store and then queuing for the purchase. Preventions to your purchase through road delays or poor weather. Can you say “snow”?!

Whilst the Internet is a fantastic tool and the fact that its 24-7-365 is amazing, when it comes to shopping for fashion, we most definitely enjoy in store shopping. To really see our purchases. To touch them. To hold them and feel them! Don’t get us wrong; We do enjoy clicking away and filling up my basket in the comfort of our own homes, but there is not as much of a sense of satisfaction in that!

Of course there’s that moment when the door bell rings and it’s the post man, who for those 2 minutes just so happens to be your favorite person. All just because you had been waiting the entire day for that one special package, which had an ETA between 10am-4pm; and obviously it arrived bang on 3:58pm! Yes, that rush of excitement and adrenaline is fantastic, but why put yourself through the wait, if you can feel that excitement 3-5 days earlier; minus P&P?

It is about the instant satisfaction shopping on the high street, a mall or department store brings. Its that silly grin you have on your face when the cashier hands you your bag(s). It’s the joys of retail therapy; socializing, singing along to background music, sometimes dancing (especially if you’re Joshua), spending hours in and out of fitting rooms and carrying all those glorious shopping bags!

I mean seriously, if we didn’t actually go out and buy a lot of our clothes, where would we wear them?

(Contributing writers were Joshua Schaberg from the Metallic Dapper and Savannah Charles from The F Word)

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