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The case for The Mall: If fit is everything, then shopping online is far from easy. It’s tough to try something on through your computer monitor. Plus, online pics can be awfully misleading. In-store sales and clearance racks can differ from sale sections/discount codes online, and often they’re even better than their website counterparts. Plus, despite the proliferation of free shipping, no one charges you to get your purchase from the register to your car at the mall.
The case for Shopping Online: Some of us will gladly put up with the shipping costs and fit risks if it means we can avoid a trip to our local mega shopping center. It’s not quite as bad as Walmart or getting on a flight to Las Vegas, but it seems like 90% of patrons wolf down a double portion of idiot casserole before hitting the mall. You feel like your IQ drops a few points just by walking through those large glass doors. What little brain cells you have left are instantly killed upon strolling past any store with a sub 21 year old target demo, and those belches of Cabo ready cologne overwhelm your senses. Maybe if they moved the overaggressive salespeople hawking bath salts from kiosks out to the parking lot, and you were allowed to wing them with your car, then the mall would go from barely tolerable to somewhat enjoyable.
There’s the case for each side. Are you a mall shopper? Are you strictly online? And if you do a combination of both which do you prefer? Leave your pick for the superior way to get what you want and need in the comments below. Above Photo Credit
Mall clearance sales, ftw, but otherwise it’s not that fun. This probably won’t help most of you who have full-time jobs, but I find that going at 10:30 a.m. on a weekday is much more tolerable than 4 p.m. on a Saturday.
It also depends on where you live and how good the stores in your local malls are. Where I live the best stores in the mall are Macy’s and Lord & Taylor. If there were Nordstroms, Saks, Neiman Marcus, etc. nearby I’d be more likely to check out the mall.
Well Joe I’m not sure… But I’m getting the sense you have a clear preference haha. As much as I hate the mall this is a tough one.
I say online, since I already know my sizes and I’m not too picky about the fit. But some deals you just cant find online, like a pair of Sperrys for cheap at Nordstrom Rack. Then you gotta get out there.
If I know how a particular brand fits me and shipping is reasonable (price and speed) then I’m going online.
I guess I’m going against the grain here, but I kind of enjoy the mall. Mainly because it means I get to eat bourbon chicken, sure, but it’s fun to walk into places and check out clearance racks. Also, I like trying clothes on because I will sometimes just not wear something if the fit’s off.
Alot of times I can’t find sizes in stores or they dont have the style. With online shipping almost free most of the time and free exchanges/return postage its been more than worth it to shop online (blazers exempt). I fit perfectly into any trim/slim mediums anyways.
Should note I typically forget to return ill-fitting online orders.
Try it on in the mall, then order online. Worked swell for me so far.
Bourbon Chicken is glorious. Also I really enjoy the mall too because I can be as picky as I want about fit and all the small details of picking out clothes that fit right. It was a no brainer choosing to buy my most recent suit at the mall rather than online (despite all the raving about indochino suits etc.)
I prefer online. Shopping online makes it easier to be in denial about your disgusting consumerist ways, while going to the mall forces you to face them head on – the junk food, the bags, bringing the crap to the cashier, hauling it to your car, hauling it to your home etc. With online shopping, I can pretend it never happened, except for an inexplicable dent in the checking balance and inexplicable empty boxes around the trash can.
I enjoy both. I love to shop online, for hours I can browse through sites and just shop. Doesn’t mean I purchase online often, just shop daily. I’m more inclined to purchase an item in store, fit is everything to me. I’ll not purchase an item depending on the fit. I also do enjoy walking up and down the mall shopping at different stores just to look around.
My wife hates it lol, its like the roles are reversed. She likes to dress prim and proper, but she is a get in and get out kinda girl.Macy*s is my weakness when it comes to droppin bills. I always seem to find something on sale worth purchasing.
Nothing beats being able to try things on and physically feel fabrics, heft, weight, etc. Not to mention clearance is always WAY better at a physical store than online. Sure it takes more work, but the discount is better. The problem I have with online shopping is with pants, depending on cut, you never know what size to buy. I’m one waist size and length in this cut and another in this cut and it differs between brands and within them. Too damn annoying. And I’ve bought some stuff online like jackets/sweaters only to be somewhat disappointed with the fabric heft/weight/feel. That doesn’t happen at the mall…..
It really depends on the mall. I lived for five years in the Twin Cities – so the Mall of America was a constant presence. Even though it was often totally insane to shop there, it was always kind of an interesting experience. And really, second-to-none people watching. Until the bubble tea shop closed down, my friends and I would often go there just to drink bubble tea and watch the crowds go by. Plus they get pretty intense with their holiday decorations. MOA was also just across the street from IKEA, which is always worth a look-through as well.
Now I’m living in Colorado for grad school and I avoid the mall like the plague. The closest mall is this massive, suburban sprawling monster in a massive, suburban sprawl of fake little neighborhoods. The mall itself is filled with loud, obnoxious teens and retail associates who don’t seem to get that their job is to help the customer, not to spend their time chatting with their co-workers. Plus I never seem to be able to find any good deals. The only good stuff I’ve ever gotten were a couple of shirts from Eddie Bauer’s on clearance for $12 each. Mostly I just use the mall to return online orders I make from Express or the Gap stores.
Online shopping is really my preferred method of shopping – you can always find the best deals there, and trying stuff on isn’t a big worry when it’s a brand you’re familiar with.
I’m torn. I really need to try things on because I’m in between sizes (typically a 41 in suits (sometimes R sometimes S), a 33 in jeans, and sometimes a M is too tight in the chest (but a L is too big everywhere)). But I hate dealing with people. Hate it. I’d do all my shopping online if it wasn’t a hassle to return items. If you order something and it doesn’t fit you sometimes have a restock fee and sometimes have to reorder 2 times to figure it out. “Am I a 41 or 42? Do they have a 41? Does the 40 fit? How do I fit in a R vs a S?
Best of both worlds would be a good mall within 10-15 minutes, but alas…I’m stuck with Kohls, Penneys and Jos A Bank…
I always have the opposite experience. I find the best deals online. The real-world clearance racks never even seem to have anything wearable in my size, and on the rare occasion they do, the “clearance” price always seems to be about 15 or 20% off full retail. Only once or twice have I found really good deals in mall clearance racks. I have a way higher success rate (and level of overall satisfaction) digging through the racks at thrift stores.
For me, it’s brick & mortar over online every time. I browse online all the time. Buying online is extremely easy, and therefore I don’t shop that way. I feel if I make the effort to go out and buy it then I truly must want it. Plus, I like interacting with people.
I think online shopping actually drives me to be more frugal. When shopping in store I usually lose track of my items and use a bit of heavy under estimating so that the final ring up is always more than expected. Online I’ll see my cart and exactly what I’m gonna pay, how much, etc.. and I usually am good about trimming the fat or deciding I don’t really need such and such,
I work Tuesday through Saturday, so: this.
My problem is that like, say, for Express’s recent clearance sale…all the same styles were available online and in stores, but in the stores, the clearance was sorted into giant bins by size. Pretty damn hard to find the shirt I wanted, in the fit I wanted, when online I could find it instantly. I went to the store, looked in the bins for about 60 seconds, then went home and ordered it online.
I really don’t have a preference. It’s nice to be able to try stuff on, especially if I don’t know the fit of the brand, or if they have several fits and it’s hard to distinguish. Shopping online is great for stuff that you know exactly how it fits.
Also, I hate returning stuff I bought online; I really prefer to just return it to the store.
Luckily, my local mall is pretty great and there are even better malls not too far away.
For me, that’s a morally questionable act. If I went to the brick and mortar to figure out sizing/texture/etc, then I feel I should buy at least the first one there. Subsequent purchases can be made wherever. I certainly think I’m on the fringe with this, but there ya go.
I don’t really discriminate over one or the other. I am perpetually shopping in the background at work as well as cruising blogs for new style stuff. The mailman actually cracks a joke whenever a package comes for me, “must be more shirts”, but I probably shop at the mall or freestanding stores just as much as I shop online.
One of the best things ever though, is ordering a TON of stuff online, multiple sizes, from a store with a good return policy. I did this recently when I found out Zara started selling online (because I hate shopping in that store but like a lot of their clothes). Ordered about 8 items, almost all doubled up in M and L and was able to try it on in my house, try outerwear on over my suits, etc… They even included the return shipping label inside the box but I opted to return in-store. Turn around for the credit to hit my account was about ten days I think.
You ‘n me oughta date, brotha. 🙂 I can almost always find something at Macy’s too…Macy’s and JCrew. Oh…and the jerk store. I shop there a lot.
Well, the Express sale bins have always been foolish in my opinion. It’s one thing to flip through the hangers on a rack, and quite another to literally have to go sorting through a bin like a dumpster diver. To me, it’s Express saying, “We just wanna get rid of this crap, so you all can worry about sifting through it.”
Maybe it makes work easier for the sales associates but it shows an almost startling degree of contempt not just for the customer, but also for the products being sold. You’d think they’d take some pride in their wares.
Now I do ratchet up the strength of my opinions just to play both sides in these debates :). That said, if you’re used to shopping online, it’s tough to have as bad of a shopping experience online when compared to the worst mall shopping experiences. I mean some days… the mall… damn.
Yup. A strategy I employ often as well.
Pretty much with you, there…but, then, I think you’re in/near Orlando? We’ve got some pretty great malls…if I was in another location, I don’t think I’d enjoy the mall experience nearly as much. Millennia FTW; and I don’t mind Altamonte (now with 100% more H&M).
If more online retailers behaved like zappos.com does with shoes, I’d probably never buy anything in the mall.
I shop online exclusively. Being able to find the lowest price for a specific item using Google Shopping or similar plus being able to use coupon codes found on the web, makes it much cheaper than the mall. Plus no tax a lot of times.
If it’s something I don’t know what size to get, I can usually find the product in town to try on and then order it online for less and without tax. I will usually buy it from the local store if it’s an independent shop though.
Also returns are free in-store, like at BR. I wish AA was this way.
And I don’t have to go to the awful suburban sprawl mall; I like when boxes show up at my door. I can try on the clothes with my existing wardrobe to see if it’s a piece that will work for me.
Ben I’m in the twin cities. Off topic but did you ever find a good tailor here?
I’m with you on forgetting to return online orders.
I have a closet full of stuff I was supposed to return but never got around to doing so.
No, I didn’t, sorry. I spent my time in the Cities being one of two things: A broke full-time student, or a broke full-time stipend volunteer. I was lucky to be able to find dirt-cheap clothes on the clearance racks at Target, H&M, and the various thrift stores. (The GoodWill outlet in Saint Paul, while tempting with its clothes-by-the-pound pricing scheme, is not worth the effort, for the record. The Mpls Salvation Army that sells Target samples, on the other hand, is a total slam dunk if you’re a size small or medium.)
Tailoring wasn’t really in my budget. Still isn’t now in grad school, to be honest, though hopefully a career with a salary (!) awaits me at the end of this long academic tunnel….
I wasn’t aware that people had the choice of shopping locally. That must be strange.
I live in a town with a macy’s. Or I should say, only a Macy’s. Though I hardly remember the time before the internet, I am assuming that men had the choice of wearing the same shirt as every other bro in town or just going naked.
I figured that everyone had to put up with ordering 4 pairs of shoes from Zappos to find one that was likeable with the proper fit.
Millennia’s really a fantastic mall. I’m not in Orlando anymore; I’m up in the capital now. Shopping isn’t too great in B&Ms but we’ve got a few options. We could definitely use an H&M though and really, with two huge universities, the stuff would be eaten up.
Online from JCrew (love their Liquor Store stuff but I’m not in NYC), LEC, thetiebar.com, and LastCall.com. Brick and mortar at Club Monaco (I hear they’ll be online soon, fingers crossed), Banana Republic (haven’t quite figured out their sizing), Nordstrom, and BlackbirdBallard.com (boutique store 3 blocks from my house – I drool over their custom Alden’s).
Heheh… this was the way things were for us when I was growing up in a medium-sized town in Montana. My mom (who is a lawyer) would pack us kids up every couple of months and we’d take a daytrip to the “big city,” Billings, so that she could go shopping for non-JCPenney clothes (and we could go to Toys R Us).
By the time I went off to college, though, we had at least gotten a Gap and an Old Navy. Rumors persisted for years that J.Crew was coming to town, but they have yet to do so. It’s funny that the shopping is so bad, because while we may be a small-ish town, we’re actually something of a resort town for wealthy tourists. My mom still visits me largely as an excuse to go shopping at stores that actually sell professional women’s clothing.
Great deals on line but nothing compares to being able to try it on seeing how it fits your frame and also seeing how it feels. Until we get hologram shopping, the mall.
Hologram shopping. I need to get the research and development division of Dappered on this.
Greg: I’m also in the Twin Cities and went on a hunt for a good place to get things tailored – here were the recommendations of friends (which I haven’t personally tried out), but should at least help get you started:
Tom’s Tailor – 672 Grand Ave – St. Paul, MN – 651-222-5953
Heimie’s Haberdashery – 400 St. Peter St.- St. Paul, MN – 651-224-2354
Top Shelf Clothiers and Consultants – 3040 Lyndale Ave S – Minneapolis, MN – 612-824-2800
Hubert White – IDS Center – 747 Nicollet Mall – Minneapolis, MN – 612-339-9200
Hope this helps!
-Brian
Not sure if you’re close to the northwest side of the cities, but Osseo Tailors in downtown Osseo does a great job, and very reasonably priced.
Good to see a fine showing of Dappered followers from the TC!
If it’s a store I’m familiar with, I’m usually fine with online ordering.
If not (or if I’m just concerned with making sure it fits) I’ll do a bit of online research and then try it on in-store. I do love browsing the clearance racks, but it’s annoying when I find something I like but it’s not in store. It’s also interesting to see price differences between the two, I’ve found better deals in both situations.
Thanks Jason…will have to check it out!
Hey joe, lol at the bath salt mention.
They are really aggressive, even going so far as telling you you’re from this country and how the girl you are with is from that country and that you should buy the salt.
i doing this to try on the same styles of clothes to see how the fit is, cause sometimes certain colors are only available online
I understand this as a realistic debate. I really do… However, if any of you actually care about good advice, real communication, and honest opinions, I suggest going into actual stores. I understand a lot of them are bullshit. I have been in them. I know. I work in one, as well. Not going to lie, a few people I work with are full of it. They will sell you anything.
I won’t.
There was a time when clothiers would sell to you based on knowledge, honesty, and personal opinion. That has been lost since the application of the entry level sales job that anyone can do, to which a high school kid is now responsible for selling you clothing that you may wear to the most important meeting of your life, or just to look good in front of others.
I am trying to change that. I invite you all to test your local salesman, and ask questions. Ask anything. They should know about current fashions, where their brand is made, how it should be worn, etc. If they can’t help you and don’t send you to a place that would, they are shit.
Please, I, as a high end mens clothing salesman, ask you to ask more. Make companies hire more knowledgeable people. Make them realize they can’t hire some guy that has a few months retail experience vs. a man that understands what a Goodyear stitch is. Make this argument one sided. Those of us that work in the industry that enjoy what we do would sincerely appreciate it, as much as we would appreciate meeting you in person.
I thoroughly love the mall, but almost none of my reasons are clothes shopping. I just hate trying things on there, I don’t like how messy and in my face they can be, and I generally don’t like other shoppers that I can see handling the clothes. I like the food court and electronics stores mainly.
I’m going with the mall because I can peruse stylish items while eating Cinnabon and a ginormous pretzel which is being washed down with an Orange Julius. You just can’t do that at home.