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I’m all for shopping local and thrifting when I can, but I also realize that sometimes, there are trade-offs in time doing the things I really want to be doing, price, gas, and availability of options.  When you can’t find something near home, shopping online can be a great way to balance these trade-offs.

• Selection – Nearly all major retailers offer online shopping these days, and there are many, many more independent children’s boutiques, and even children’s clothing brands that now offer their clothes online.  You can find pretty much any style or type of children’s clothing you want, from any store, any designer or brand, within your budget on the internet.  In fact, this past week Carter’s launched e-commerce sites for their two brands www.carters.com and www.oshkoshbgosh.com.

• Find deals on kids clothes – Using the internet lets you compare prices for children’s clothing items across stores and brands without leaving your home.  Sometimes you might even do price comparison at home before going to a local store to buy.  And, many retailers offer coupons that can be redeemed online.

• Shop in your pajamas and spend time with your children – What better way to look for kids clothing than in your pajamas surrounded by your kids, enjoying being at home where you can take breaks, rather than traipsing around the mall until you’re all worn out?

• Explore - Sometimes the local stores don’t carry kids products or designs that you can find elsewhere, particularly if you are looking for something unique.  Shopping on the internet lets you find new kid’s clothing designers and stores that are anxious to clothe your child in something fun.

• Get the right fit for your slim or plus/husky child – More and more retailers are limiting the size ranges they carry, making it hard to find extended sizes at brick and mortar stores. To make sure that customers are still able to find sizes that they can’t get at their stores, they now make extended clothing sizes available online, and many small clothing companies are focusing on kids’ slim, girls’ plus and boys’ husky clothing in these sizes.

• Returning clothes has never been easier – Many department stores will let you return products you buy online to a local brick and mortar store.  Retailers that only sell online are also beginning to offer better and better return policies to make sure you are happy with what you buy from them.

With all of the benefits of shopping online, there are still some challenges.  One of the biggest is finding kids clothes that are the right size.  Every brand has their own sizing guide.  The sizes on the labels are not necessarily “true to size“, meaning they don’t always match up with your child’s age.  Basically, children’s clothing sizes can be a bit confusing and clothing might not always fit as you expect it to – especially when you can’t try before you buy.

To make sure that the great deal you find on the internet will fit your child properly or that you can return it if it doesn’t, here are some tips to help with your online shopping adventures:

Know your child’s measurements. Having these on hand – say, on a 3×5 index card or in your SizeTracker account – will let you read size charts quickly and easily.  See this earlier blog post for information on taking common measurements.   Update your child’s measurements regularly

Always read the brand’s size chart. Whenever possible use brand-specific charts to get the best fit, rather than a generic size chart.  If you want help in finding this information, see SizeTracker for size charts from more than 300 children’s clothing brands.
Find stores with return policies you can live with. Large online retailers might provide you with an easy return label you can you to return items; some even offer free return shipping.  Smaller stores might ask you to call in and request a Return Authorization Code (RAC).  Either way, most retailers want the products returned in good condition with the tags still in place.  Read a store’s policy before you buy, though, to make sure you can live with their return time frame, product condition requirements, and shipping costs.

Buy before you need something. Sometimes you need an item now or you don’t want to wait for it to be shipped.  Find retailers with quick shipping practices (I am loyal to those that are), or use SizeTracker’s Crystal Ball to figure out what size to buy today so it will fit well when it arrives or right when you need it to.