If you haven’t shopped online already, you must.  Quite often stores will have discounts online but not in store.  And there are websites that are online only, sometimes selling designer labels with steep discounts.  And why not get access to those discounts?  Before shopping online, I always wait for a sale.  That’s important in saving money: have patience, and wait for that sale.  Also, I always check retailmenot.com for online coupon codes.  To really save money, I wait for a sale, AND search for a coupon.    If I can, why not save some money?  There might be a coupon code out there that’s floating around.  Some of these websites that I’ll be mentioning might have memberships that you have to sign up for, but don’t worry, they’re all free.  And always check out the rates for shipping!  Most websites if you spend a certain amount of money, shipping will be free.  Always read the fine lines for some websites shipping is always free.

Net-a-porter.com: A website based in NYC, with a play on the french expression,pret-a-porter, which means ready to wear.  Quite an expensive website, actually that only sells high end designer labels.  However, they do have sales/discounts.  If you find something you like; bookmark it and wait for that sale.  They will sell it cheaper than your local Saks Fifth Avenue.  They are so chic & well informed into fashion that they have their own online magazine.

Ideel.com and Hautelook.com:  I’ve mentioned these sites before, and they are highly addictive.  They sell almost everything nowadays: clothes, accessories, things for the house, makeup, jewelry, and even art!  For clothes they sell boutique like items, labels you would find in your local department store, to the high end designer labels that most of us dream of affording.  I’ve also mentioned before that Ideel.com always has eveningwear on sale, and now they offer bridal!!  Keep in mind, that there are some items that are ‘final sale’ and not returnable.  READ the fine lines before buying.

Piperlime.gap.com: a part of the Gap family, this online only store has a lot of fashionable finds.  They do have ONE brick and mortar store that opened recently, however, it’s in NYC.  If you don’t live near NYC, then you will have to shop online.  They sell more of the bridge sportswear, i.e. Michael Kors, Marc by Marc Jacobs, BCBGMaxazria, Theory, and many more.  They also feature a line of clothes designed by celebrity stylist, Rachel Zoe.  Sign up for their email and get 30% off, and they have free shipping and returns!!

Zappos.com: They’re primarily known for shoes, (they have thousands of shoes!!!) and they have free shipping & returns as well!  They offer lots of other things besides shoes.  Now they offer clothes for women, men & children!  In terms of women’s clothes, they run the gamut from tops that cost $20, to brands like Catherine by Catherine Malandrino, Cosabella, Desigual, Diesel, Emporio Armani, Nicole Miller, and many more.

Baublebar.com: a website that’s also based in NYC, that’s popped up recently, selling statement jewelry.  Think of them as almost an online boutique store that has lovely jeweled necklaces, cuffs, and hanging earrings.  They special thing about them is that they only sell a certain number of a particular item, & once it’s sold out, it’s gone.  If you love costume jewelry, take a look!  You can get pieces that are exclusive, that no one else seems to have.  And they’re not expensive; they have things starting at just $10!!  I bought a necklace on there that was only $30.  Sign up for their email & get 15% off.

YOOX.COM: a website that’s actually based in Italy, that also ships to the US.  They sell clothes at all levels, from the very inexpensive all the way to the designer labels.  They have tops that start at $12 and go all the way up in the thousands.  They feature designers such as Balenciaga, COMME des Garcon, Gucci, Roberto Cavalli, and many more.  If it’s not in your budget: don’t be afraid to look!  They have sales all the same & they have a flat rate of $9.95 shipping to the US.

Groupon.com and Livingsocial.com: Ok, this is not really for fashion, but they practically have everything else!  Originally started as websites that offer discounts at local restaurants, now has ballooned into selling all kinds of things.  You can find discounts also for gyms, spas, hotels, laser hair removal, sporting event tickets, museum tickets and many more.  If you click on ‘Goods’, it’s a special section where they sell all kinds of electronic gadgets, household items, jewelry, fragrances, skincare and many more online!  (They do sell some clothes)  They do require you to sign up for a membership, (you can also sign in through facebook) & get emails about deals in your local area.   If they have it, why not take a look?

Renttherunway.com: This website has also grown in the past couple of years.  This is really meant to rent something for special occasions.  And you can get your favorite designer label (for a week) for maybe $40.  They now range from cocktail dresses, formal, bridesmaid, black tie dresses and they recently started bridal!! And why not?  If men can rent tuxedos, why can’t women rent clothes?  i.e. if a Marchesa dress is going for $1,300, but you can rent it for the weekend for $200, why not go for it?  You are saving yourself a lot of money.  I think this is particularly great for weddings.  You don’t have to worry about the expensive price tag on the dress, the dry cleaning, and return shipping is free.  Sign up for their email & get $25 off your first rental.

Amazon.com: Everyone has heard of Amazon.  Originally started by selling books, now they virtually sell everything online.  Everything, any item that you can think of, you can probably find it on Amazon, mainly because they sell things at wholesale prices.  They have become famous for the ultimate go-to-website.  A couple years ago they started a special section on dresses.  Now they sell clothes for the whole family!  If you are expecting, they have maternity clothes, too.  If you have an Amazon prime membership, this is even better because you can have it shipped to your house/job in 2 days.  Nowadays, the Prime membership is a hefty $100 a year.  But the great thing is that you can split it with a couple people.  Ask you friends/family/coworkers.  If you have prime membership quite often you can get their products shipped to your house in 2 days, for free.  And there’s no limit to how many times you can have things shipped to your home/work.

Bluefly.com: another website that sells department store labels like Michael Kors, DKNY, all the way up to high end like Prada, Christian Dior, & Christian Louboutin.  Not everything is expensive, though, their tops start at $10!!!  They have $25 when you sign up for their email, they have sales, & sometimes have free shipping.

Etsy.com: a phenomenon that has popped up recently, for (mostly) women to sell things online.  Yes we know there’s ebay and craiglist, but Etsy is special because almost everything on there is handmade.  They’re usually women who make things & sell them online at Etsy.  You can find handmade jewelry, hair pieces, clothes, figurines, tea sets, and much more!  If you love to be unique, or if you have something you made that you want to sell online, then this is site for you.

Revolveclothing.com: a great site for shopping, that has their own online blog and magazine.  They tend to sell more brands that are of a boutique-like variety.  But they also have brands like BCBGMAXAZRIA, Cosabella, Diane Von Furstenburg, 10 Crosby by Derek Lam, Diesel, Love Moschino, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Rag & Bone, and many more.  Sign up for their email and get 10% off.

Venus.com:  Not a lot of people know about this website, but I find them quite resourceful.  Think of them as a cheaper version of Victoria’s secret.  They primarily sell clothes, & bathing suits.  They have lots of dresses, from the formal dresses you can wear to work, to the dresses you can wear to go clubbing or to the beach.  In the fall/winter they have lots of cute tops, sweaters, & jackets.  The quality is not extraordinary (think H&M quality) but they have lots of good deals.  i.e. for the past couple of seasons they have featured a few bandage dresses for around $60-$70 range, when a real bandage dress by Herve Leger could cost $2,000!  Now that’s a good deal!  I have a few dresses from them & I love them.

Outletbound.com: not actually a shopping website, but great for listing an outlet near you.  Outlet shopping is so much fun; you see a lot of people get caught up in the excitement of shopping at discounted prices.  People really do get caught up in the craziness; not far from me there are bus services that take people to an outlet.  I can’t say for all outlets, but as far as I can tell they’re very popular among tourists.

I hope I have excited you enough with online shopping!  Now go out there and search for those coupons!  Be fashionable.  Be economical.  Be unique.