To say I’m a big fan of shopping on Amazon, would be an understatement. Over the years I’ve found so many amazing items. Everything from my favorite running headphones to magnetic eyelashes, and cozy winter sweaters to trendy shoes. At the same time, when I tell someone I got something from Amazon, at least half the time the response is something like. “You’re so brave to shop on Amazon. I wouldn’t know how to begin.”

It’s really not as difficult as it seems! I promise. (PS All the sweaters in this post have been recent Amazon finds just to show you it is possible.)

If you’re someone who has been wary about shopping Amazon for your wardrobe needs, let me shed some light on my process to make it easier and less painful for you.

Have a general idea of what you’re looking for. Since there are thousands upon thousands of fashion items on the site, weeding through all of them can be complicated. I find it easiest to go with a really clear idea of what I’m looking to purchase. For example, graphic band tees, or oversized sweater.

You might need to try different ways of wording the item you’re looking for. The search function isn’t as great as it could be, so this does take a little sleuthing and work on your part.

Once you have an item or items you think could fit the bill, here’s what you do next:

1:: Look at how many reviews the item has.

If it is only a handful - skip this item! It’s uncharted territory and could be a risk. If it has hundreds or thousands of good reviews, you’re usually in a good spot to proceed.

2:: Consider the reviews.

Is there a common complaint or concern that many are voicing? Consider if that complaint is something you should care about. For instance, sometimes you’ll see comments that the product arrives with holes or with a horrible odor that lingers - obviously, that’s a concern. Other times you’ll see comments that the product arrived wrinkled - seems an easy fix to me. Be sure to also note any sizing comments.

3:: Check out the user-shared images.

Does the product look the same on these real people, as it does on the model? If it seems vastly different in shape, texture, color, proceed with a lot of caution, if at all. It everything seems pretty comparable that’s a really good sign.

4:: Analyze the sizing chart.

EVERYTHING on Amazon seems to be sized differently. Plus, a lot of the look depends on what style you’re going for. You might want the sweater to be oversized on you, but it looks fairly standard on the user images - that will mean it’s important to size up. Other times the opposite is true, things appear huge and you can size down significantly. When in doubt about sizing, I suggest going up since many things come smaller than you think they will.

Okay, so you’ve done all of this. The item looks good, you’re ready to buy. But hold up!

There are two more things to look at before you pull the trigger.

1:: What’s the return policy?

Most things are REALLY easy to return. Pop them in the mail or head to your local Kohls to send it back for free. BUT… there are somethings that cannot be returned, OR you end up paying more to return than to just keep the item. I order shoes once, that looked nothing like the picture. To return them I had to pay more money on postage than I would have been returned from the seller, or they gave me the option to keep them and receive a complimentary $5. Weird! Now, I don’t purchase anything that doesn’t have an easy return as part of the deal.

2:: How soon will the item arrive?

If the piece will take more than a week to get there, that most likely means it is coming from outside the country. Not necessarily a bad thing, although I have noticed things coming from elsewhere tend to be less reliable and often frustrating. Now, I don’t order anything that will take several weeks or a month to arrive. That’s just a personal preference, but something to be aware of.