The Royce Lingerie guide to stress-free online shopping

It’s that time of year when we’re encouraged to buy, buy, buy. The Christmas adverts have started and Black Friday emails are clogging up your inbox – it can all feel a little bit…much. But if you do want to get ahead of your Christmas shopping or make the most of any deals out there, we’ve compiled a guide to stress-free online shopping* to help you buy considerately and buy better (without tearing your hair out).

*This guide is mainly for buying clothing (including underwear, of course) but some of these tips are universal.

Treat shopping like a work task

Mindlessly scrolling shopping sites on your phone while you sit watching TV may seem like a great bit of multitasking (pop a couple of gifts into your online basket and get to watch Strictly), but it’s also likely to result in more impulse buys.

Approach online shopping like you would a task at work. Sit at your laptop with a notepad to hand, and set a time limit (for example, thirty minutes). Next, jot down your objectives: do you want to buy a present for your sister, grab a deal on that kitchen appliance you’ve always needed, or select an outfit for the office party? List everything you want to do in that time period (remember, you don’t have to get ALL your shopping done in one go), and tick them off as you go.

It’s easy to get swept up in sale mania with so many offers being promoted right now, but is it really a bargain if you’re only going to use or wear something once?

Take a moment to consider the maximum you want to spend on each item on your list, and stick to it. If you’re looking for a specific item that’s sold by several different retailers, type “brand name” + “product name” into your search engine to see which retailer is selling it cheapest. But don’t just go by the listed price, always check delivery costs too so you can compare the total price.

Before you checkout, do a quick search for any promo codes that retailer may be running, either via a Google search or a look on their social media feeds.

Think about sizing

Online shopping is very convenient but the downside is not being able to try something on in a changing room before buying it. If you’re buying for you, measure yourself before shopping and jot down key measurements such as height, bust, waist and hip sizes – everyone’s size and shape fluctuates and it may have changed since you last checked. Also, different brands work to slightly different dress sizes so look for the table of measurements alongside general sizing on a product listing.

Carrying out an at-home fit (or preferably, an in-person fitting with a professional) is essential when bra shopping – general sizes just don’t work if you want to be properly supported and really comfortable in your underwear. Follow our ultimate fit guide, including how to measure yourself at home to work out your cup and band sizes.

If you’re unsure, or fall between two sizes, try ‘sister sizing’ – here’s our guide to how it works. This means that you can order a bra in your expected size plus another in a ‘sister size’ to try on at home to make sure you’re getting the closest fit possible. At Royce we offer free returns on full priced items so you can order alternative sizes, keep the ones you want and send the rest back.

Scrutinise photos and check written descriptions

We do so much decision making based on looks alone. A great image on a product page draws us in and sometimes even makes the purchase decision for us. But can you really tell what that item will look like in real life by a photo alone?

Always read the product description, particularly references to fabric – it may look like light, breathable cotton in the photo, but is it actually made from 80% polyester?

Check reviews

We’re being asked to review everything online nowadays, but that’s because ‘word of mouth’ remains one of the most powerful forms of endorsement. Check out reviews on product pages (usually near the bottom) and search for reviews of a particular product on other websites. The ‘tried and tested’ sections of newspapers and magazines can be a particularly credible source as they must follow thorough judging criteria and remain independent to give a truly objective view.

You can read all of our product reviews, click here.

Don’t be put off if a product gets the occasional one-star review (among a sea of great feedback) – read these properly and you’ll sometimes find the random low mark has nothing to do with the quality of the item and isn’t from a reliable source!