It’s rare that I’m surprised. And it’s also rare that I shop online for clothing.

So when I bought a $7.25 dress from Amazon and was amazed at the fit and quality? Yeah, my mind was blown!

It’s sold by a company I’ve never heard of and the shipping took two weeks. But when the dress arrived I couldn’t believe how soft the material was and the size was true to fit.

The silhouette of the dress is pretty sexy, so I kept the shoes simple with a pair of Dolce & Gabbana t-strap heels I thrifted for $1 from Housing Works. The rest of the accessories were rounded out with beaded bracelets I scored from a clothing swap {check here for tips to host a clothing swap} and a purse from the Salvation Army.

So if you’ve ever come across items on Amazon that are super cheap {like, just a few dollars!}, but are skeptical about buying, here are a few tips:

[bctt tweet=”How to Shop for Cheap Chic Clothes on Amazon {yeah, those $5 dresses you see all the time!} ” username=”PatriceJWill”]

Read the Reviews
Sounds super basic, right? But you’d be amazed at how many people just look at the rating, but don’t scroll down to read the actual reviews. The reviews are where you’ll get the real deal on the product, including shipping time, fit, cut, etc. Also, check out the customer images to see what a product actually looks like versus the photos provided by the retailer.

Prepare for Slow Shipping
Many of the cheap products you see on Amazon are shipped from overseas so the delivery time is slow. That’s something you have to be prepared for. And I specifically say that because when you initially look at the item, you might just see “get is as soon as…” with a date range. But that’s only if you choose expedited shipping. And you know how much the shipping can cost? More than $42!!!! So the initial $7.25 dress now costs almost 50 bucks! It would be cheaper to find a more “expensive” dress that’s eligible for free shipping. So always take the actual shipping in to account.

Allow a Little Wiggle Room
This tip specifically applies to clothing. One complaint I constantly came across with some dresses was how sheer they are and the material is see through. To an extent that’s to be expected since the material is so cheap. However, if you absolutely love a garment, be prepared to wear a cami, slip or Spanx underneath it. Also, for items that are a bit more fitted {like my off the shoulder dress}, expect for hems to rise a bit. Though this dress was knee length, when I walked, it walked with me and rose a few inches. That was totally fine with me because it was still just above my knees. But if this would have been a mini dress, that would have been a problem. So again, take all these things in to consideration before clicking the buy button.

I can’t wait to get some more wear out of this dress before summer comes. And I’ve already ordered another cheap chic item from Amazon {these gold mirrored sunglasses!}. Fingers crossed they’re as amazing in person as they look online. I’ll keep you posted.

Also, if you’re not following me on Instagram, you might want to. I’ve started doing a weekly What’s In Store Wednesday where I take you inside your favorite stores and share cheap chic finds you’ll love. And on Fridays, I share my favorite affordable finds of the week. So yeah, tons of good stuff on IG stories.