5 Things You Need To Know To Make Online Bikini Shopping a Success

With Alexa taking orders without your lifting a finger and Amazon delivering with lightning speed it’s so tempting to purchase just about anything online these days. “Alexa, reorder sunscreen” is all you need to say to have your sunscreen ready for that upcoming beach vacation.

But what about buying a cute new bikini online? If you are busy like us, the idea of getting yourself to a boutique to try on a dozen bikinis sounds overwhelming. Can the internet really replace the minimum 2 hour boutique commitment?

Yes - we think it can if you follow these 5 tips:

1) Check the return policy. Before you start shopping on any site, make sure that you can return the item(s) for a full credit. Not every site will refund the shipping charges, but they should refund you for the item after you send it back. Don’t get stuck with store credit as that ties you to a specific site.

2) Spend time on sizing. Don’t assume that because you normally wear a medium you should order a medium. Look at the size guide and actually read the product descriptions – bikini sizing varies greatly across manufacturers and the manufacturer’s sizing guide will help you find the best size. It’s in their best interest to minimize returns and exchanges so most spend a lot of time to refine their sizing.

3) Look at pictures of real women wearing the bikini. Go to the vendor’s instagram or facebook site and look at real customers wearing the bikini to get a better sense for the fit. We have seen photoshoot bikinis varying greatly from the actual end product. We have also seen much custom sewing and pinning during photoshoots and photoshop corrections after so you cannot assume the bikini will look and fit exactly as in the picture. And let’s face it, we don’t all have bikini model bodies and it’s nice to see how the products fit on real people!

4) Ask questions! Contact the vendor with questions before you purchase. More often then not, they will happily give you advice to help you find a great fit. And if they don’t then take your business elsewhere!

5) Order more than you want to buy. Order some additional sizes if you are unsure or usually have a hard time finding a good fit. Shipping one or two bikinis back within the US is less than $5 so it’s worth ordering some extra sizes or styles to make sure you get that perfect fit.