Good morning, lovely people! How was everyone’s weekend? Mine was definitely of a superior quality. Raven and I enjoyed some QT with his brothers and Dad as a bit of an early birthday celebration!

One activity that I enjoy, regardless of weekend or weekday (hopefully my boss is not reading this!), is shopping online. Sure, I miss the days of my mom dropping me and a friend off at the mall with a specified pick-up time and place, and nowadays I enjoy the occasional trip to H&M, Bloomingdales, etc, but really, I mostly just shop online. It’s instant, it’s cheaper, it’s faster, and when you are borderline reclusive like myself, it’s absolutely ideal.

If you are not into Instant, Cheaper, Faster, Ideal (it’s the remix of Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger) please allow yourself to be persuaded by my five favorite online retailers...

1. Shopbop

My tried and true, absolute favorite place to shop online, Shopbop is a wonder of the world wide web and I am always astonished when I mention this to friends and they have no idea what I’m talking about! At first glance you’re probably saying, thanks Allie, I’m now face to face with a nearly $1700 coat that is twice my monthly rent...I hate you. I know, I hate me too. Here’s what’s great about Shopbop though...near constant sales, items for every price point, free shipping and free returns (always!), and superior customer service.

red’s testimonial: a couple years ago during a particularly fruitful events season, I had my eye on the coveted Alexander Wang Rocco Bag but knew I could never afford it. I found it on Shopbop for nearly half price and when the strap broke from daily use, they had it fixed for me for free!

2. ASOS

H&M and Forever 21, who needs ya? I’ve been shopping at ASOS since college. Originally it started out as a website with knock offs of designer duds worn by celebs, hence the name ASOS (As Seen On Screen). Now they’ve got that formula down pat, but have expanded inventory and you can basically find anything and everything at very affordable prices. That $1700 coat above? Not an exact match, but darn close; lookie what I found.

red’s testimonial: It bears repeating - this website is my go-to when I’m on the hunt for a specific piece, but I’ve got a strict budget.

3. Etsy

I remember years ago when my incredibly crafty SIL turned me on to this amazing website. The premise and tagline are one in the same: Your place to buy all things handmade, vintage, and supplies. This is my source for treasures for my home as well as one of a kind gifts for loved ones. My vintage coffee table was a steal from here, as well as a custom painting for my brother’s wedding, and handmade greeting cards for my Mom. And it just feels good to support real, small businesses.

red’s testimonial: When I wanted to recover a chair for my living room, a thorough etsy search yielded just enough of the most perfect to the trade fabric at a fraction of the typical cost.

4. Biscuit Home

Speaking of small business, man am I glad this shop exists. The brainchild of my favorite blogger, Bailey McCarthy (Peppermint Bliss), Biscuit was created out of a need for beautiful yet affordable bedding. And satisfy that need she did. The prints are refreshingly gorgeous, and they feel wonderful! I never realized that threadcount made a difference, and I am sorry that I waited this long to find out. Their flagship store of the same name is in Houston, but if you’re not going deep in the heart of Texas anytime soon, their online shop boasts plenty of decor items for the home, furniture, jewelry - everything unique and special.

red’s testimonial: Peppermint Bliss was the first blog I ever read, at a time when I felt creatively stifled and a little sad about my life situation, so I'm very happy to support Biscuit!

5. Google

I always joke that if I had my druthers, I would love to be a professional googler. My friends and family frequently reach out for help finding certain items (clothes, products, furniture, etc), and I always jump at the chance! Maybe it was my summer as a production intern on a film set that sparked this love affair with internet searches, but I remember being delighted when presented with the challenge to find a “very comfortable but easily stowable cot for a man who is well over 6 feet tall.” Well, I crushed that challenge. To this day, whenever I find something that I want but either a) it’s sold out or b) it’s financially unattainable, I usually just Google it! Obviously this is not earth shattering information to some/most of you. But again, I’m surprised at how many people don’t think of it. The search can be as easy as the item name of a particular product, or you can get really creative. That jacket above? I searched for “women’s plaid jacket”, and when I came up empty-handed, “women’s plaid coat red.” A few clicks later, I found this beauty.

red’s testimonial: Google is also great to ensure you’re getting the best price. Quickly plugging the product into Google will show competing prices/sales around the web. Pinterest also works as a great resource for creative searches.

There you have it! What are your favorite online retailers? Any search secrets you'd like to share? I'm all ~~ears~~ eyes!