One of the problems with shopping for vintage clothing online is the wide variation in the way that computer monitors display color. Maybe that’s the reason that a CyberDialog research study showed that 60% of internet shoppers don’t trust the color of an item displayed on their screen and about 15% have returned an item because when it arrived its color didn’t match the customer’s expectations.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that this problem is going away any time soon. While there are software solutions available to e-commerce sites to help alleviate the problem, most vintage clothing companies are far too small for the investment to make any financial sense.
So what’s an internet shopping fashionista to do?
Well, for one, you can adjust your expectations a bit. Maybe that dress isn’t the exact shade of eggshell blue you had hoped for, but then again, it is pretty awesome, it is one-of-a-kind and it is something you never would have stumbled across if you weren’t trolling cyberspace.
Second, seek out companies who will accept returns for color. And even if a site has a no-return policy, it never hurts to send a polite email asking for consideration in this one case if the color of the item is extremely important to you. Perhaps you could even offer to pay return custom fees if it’s an overseas site since, in almost all cases, international sales are non-returnable.
Third, know your own color palette. If you usually look good in greens, buying a coat or dress in a shade of green is going to be a whole lot less risky than buying something in red.
And then there are items like today’s VPOD. This fabulous 1970s dress by Frank Usher has such gorgeous ruching, such interesting lines and such an interesting back cut-out that I would wear it in any color at all!
It’s a great way to usher in fall for a vintage fashionista!
Available at Freudian Slips Vintage.
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Technorati Tags: Fashion, vintage, vintage clothing, Frank Usher, 1970s, Dress
I have a problem with any vintage clothes website not accepting returns for color, fit, or any other reason. If a company doesn’t stand behind their product enough to take it back from a dissatisfied client, I wouldn’t give them my business.
Excellent advice for on~line vintage clothing shopping. A respectful, honest, hopeful email from a disappointed client would make it very easy to work out a solution. Good advice for every aspect of life! Oh, and that dress is divine!