These days, anyone with a smartphone and a wifi connection (read: pretty much everyone) is doing the bulk of their shopping on the internet. Amazon Prime and Asos have made it easier than ever to fill a closet, and the options on the world wide web are quite literally endless. Here are the sites that set themselves above the rest.
The Big Multi-Brand Retailers
From Net-a-Porter to Moda Operandi to Shopbop, here's where to go when you want a ton of options (and are ready to splurge a bit, too).
Barneys: Barneys's website gives you the same experience you'd expect at its flagships: impeccable curation, exclusive designer collaborations, and eyes on emerging talent. In recent years, the brand has added an editorial section called The Window, but the best online asset might be Barneys Warehouse, where you can snag crazy discounts without having to sort through any crap.
Farfetch: One site, a zillion international boutiques. That means exclusives, rare finds, and obscure designers you'd have to travel to Mumbai, Tokyo, or Berlin to shop, all in one URL.
Net-a-Porter: Net-a-Porter is the OG of luxury online shopping, with over a decade of delivering the world's top-tier labels through the magic of the web. Gorgeous designer gowns, jackets, and bags float on a white background like little works of art to scroll through. For men's, head to the just-as-glossy sister site, Mr Porter.
Matchesfashion: The UK-based high-end retailer Matchesfashion is another solid option for shopping the big-name designers all in one space, from Gucci to Saint Laurent to Vetements. The site carries both men's and women's and also offers cool digital trunk shows, collaborations with designers that are exclusive to the site.
Moda Operandi: No one does pre-order quite like Moda Operandi, but the site has grown considerably from its early days of order-and-wait. MO now includes a boutique section where you can shop dozens of big designer names year-round, with curated-by-category shops and inspirational editorial content to boot.
SSENSE: The Canadian-based retailer stocks a hearty selection of high-end ready-to-wear and accessories for men and women with a unifying principle of crisp, minimal, and forward. The site's design mimics that ethos with little clutter, hyper-clear images, and not a serif in sight.
Shopbop: The selection here is great for mid-range and everyday (think lots of denim and loungewear from brands like MOTHER and James Perse,) with accessories-only offerings from higher-end brands like Gucci and Prada. What sets the site apart, though, is its thoughtful editorial and styling content that, in addition to being aesthetically pleasing, makes navigating through the huge selection a lot easier.
Spring: Spring carries a huge selection of brands, from mainstream labels like Urban Outfitters, cool contemporary brands like William Okpo and Veda, and high-end designers like Aquazzura and Valentino. In total, there are over 1200 labels on its roster, spanning the categories of women's and men's clothing, accessories, beauty, home, kids, and lifestyle.
Totokaelo: The web extension of a Seattle store — which now has a beautiful outpost in New York City as well — is all things airy minimalism. The designer roster includes a great in-house label plus heavy-hitters like Comme des Garçons, Issey Miyake, Jacquemus, Marni, Vetements, and so much more.
The Best Indie Sites
The sites supporting independent and up-and-coming designers.
Creatures of Comfort: This boutique's New York and LA storefronts are must-shops if you find yourself in either city. If not, the online experience will certainly do. Designers here are pretty mid-range (Acne, Carol Callahan, Mansur Gavriel, Robert Clergerie), but the tight edit and clean e-comm navigation set it apart from the rest of the pack.
The Dreslyn: From Rick Owens Lilies dresses to Kowtow printed jumpsuits, The Dreslyn carries a huge range of pieces by of-the-moment designers, including lots of new discoveries. The LA-based site always seems to have some sale or promotion going on, rendering out-of-reach items suddenly attainable.
Garmentory: Almost like an indie-er version of Farfetch, Garmentory represents hundreds of small stores and designers from across the globe, including some of the coolest boutiques in Portland, San Francisco, Brooklyn, and beyond. The style skews minimalist, and the "make an offer" feature for items on super sale really sweetens the deal.
La Garçonne: Despite its new Manhattan storefront, this boutique's roots are in e-commerce, and its excellent online presence is an homage to restrained luxury in a palette of black, white, and maybe cream. Dozens of up-and-comers saddle up with major fashion houses for an edit that's heavy on forever pieces styled in a forward-thinking way.
Lisa Says Gah: Lisa Says Gah, founded by former Nasty Gal buyer Lisa Williams, is known for its thoughtful selection and editorial-like product photos. The shop stocks a tight edit from indie heavy-hitters like Rachel Comey and Maryam Nassir Zadeh as well as of-the-moment newcomers like Loq, with tons of new discovery brands in-between.
Need Supply Co: Need Supply is one of the best true boutiques online (its brick and mortar is in Richmond, Virginia), offering a host of brands at a variety of price points, starting off with relatively affordable picks from brands like Black Crane, C/MEOCollective, Stelen, and Toit Volant. Launched this past spring, the brand's in-house line Need is a great bet for wear-everyday basics.
Of a Kind: Of a Kind knows which designers to watch out for before anyone else does, and has them create limited-edition capsule collections. This is a foolproof place to lock down a thoughtful gift, especially in the home and accessory departments, but the clothing and jewelry is definitely not to be missed, either.
Opening Ceremony: Once simply a quirky boutique, now a fashion force to be reckoned with. Find brand-new designers, niche lines from around the world, exclusives from big-name brands, and the store's own in-house line in the expansive mix that's never, ever boring.
That Sweet Spot
The brands to shop when you're willing to spend more than a hundo, but still less than two.
Aritzia: The Canadian boutique chain mostly sells in-house lines like Wilfred and Babaton, and the edit errs on the side of simple tops, pants, and dresses that do just as well at work as they do a night out. Prices can feel a bit high for certain pieces, so your best bet is to wait for the sales.
COS: H&M-owned COS (an acronym for "collection of style") launched in the US a few years ago with an online shop and several brick-and-mortar spots, accelerating the heartbeats of art directors, gallery owners, and conceptual architects across the nation. The aesthetic is minimal but forward-thinking in fabrics that last and at prices that aren't astronomical.
Eloquii: The women's clothing, shoe, and accessories brand has been a game changer in the plus-size world, offering a wide selection of merchandise for sizes 14 through 28 that are on-trend and affordable. The "Style and Substance" portion of the website is dedicated to editorial photo shoots, interviews, and style tips, and spotlights members of its constantly-growing fanbase through an Instagram carousel.
Everlane: One of the early pioneers of the cut-out-the-middleman movement (also known as the hot buzz-phrase direct-to-consumer), Everlane has grown far beyond the basic tees it started out with. Its successful strategy of slowly rolling out new products has cemented the brand as a go-to destination for classics; the company's shoe collection is especially good, with made-in-Italy leather loafers coming in under $200.
Frank + Oak: Menswear brand Frank + Oak finally launched a women's line in mid-2016, and it's every bit as wearable, cool, and actually affordable as the men's collection (sweaters start around $55, dresses at $65, and jackets around $145). The style of the clothes is minimalist meets preppy without trying too hard; it sort of looks like Everlane, American Apparel, and Gap had a baby.
Genuine People: San Francisco-based newcomer Genuine People seems to have something in the new arrivals section everyday. The husband-and-wife-run brand skews slightly more conceptual than your average fast fashion brand (while still being totally wearable), with prices hovering around $100 per piece.
Lou & Grey: Another ampersand brand, Lou & Grey makes great basics with feminine touches. The brand has you covered with everything from workout clothes to clothes for work to party dresses; the sweaters are particularly great. While clothes start at under $20, most items fall in the $50 to $100 range. Always-free shipping doesn't hurt, either.
Universal Standard: Though only a year old, this clothing and accessories brand is also making a name for itself in the plus-size category, with a size range that begins at 10 and goes up to 28. The collections are centered around neutral-colored basics in quality fabrics — think black, gray, olive, and white button-down shirts and tops, vegan leather skirts, dark denim jeans, knit capes, jackets, and more in the $60 to $230 range.
Zara: Okay, real talk: Where would our wardrobes be without Zara? The Spanish-based retailer turns out thoughtful iterations of trends quickly and is always reliable for statement outerwear that looks grown up and a really solid selection of shoes and work-appropriate dresses.
Resale and Vintage
The top (legit) online consignment shops and discount destinations.
The Outnet: From the people behind Net-a-Porter comes one of the best places to shop for marked-down designer — if it weren't for the reduced prices listed under each garment, you probably wouldn't even notice you were on a discount site. Plus, crisp product photography, trend-based styling guides, and a reliable customer service desk are all there to guide your purchases.
The RealReal: The site's tagline of "authenticated luxury consignment" sums it up pretty well: This is the number one spot to shop pre-owned designer goods on the web — we're talking Prada, Louis Vuitton, and Chanel at up to 90 percent off.
Vestiaire Collective: Sébastien Fabre's hyper-curated resale marketplace doesn't just stock verified designer goods in perfect condition, but they're all right on-trend, too. It's like eBay for people with good taste.
Yoox: Yoox is a massive luxury brand discount site, best navigated with many filters and plenty of time to click around. There are hundreds and hundreds of brands to shop — seriously, check out this designer index — making it nearly impossible to leave without a full cart.
Looking for menswear? Check out our list of the best online stores for men.