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12-12-2008
Style
Posted on December 6, 2007 12:00 AM

Shopping sites range in convenience, variety

It seems the internet is continuing to conquer every aspect of our lives -communication, music, money management and even recreational shopping. Despite a struggling economy, last week's Cyber Monday generated $733 million in sales according to ComScore Inc., up a whopping 21 percent from the same day last year. Online apparel shopping sites seem to be popping up by the minute, encouraging online purchases with elite designers, exclusive sales and free shipping. To help with the search for whatever it may be you're looking for, here's a guide to the best of the best online shopping sites.

Bluefly.com

Bluefly is slowly becoming a household name thanks to its infamous and awkward advertisements depicting a woman with literally "nothing to wear" going about her daily business. Now, as a new affiliate of Bravo's ultra popular Project Runway, Bluefly's popularity is sure to grow even more. Self-proclaimed to be "the ultimate hook-up for the fashion obsessed," Bluefly offers designer names and styles at great prices, frequently marked at 50 percent off. Featuring shoes, apparel and accessories one can shop by style, designer, price or trend.

Designerexposure.com

For the high-end girls out there, Designer Exposure features top designers including Miu Miu, Christian Dior, Balenciaga and Marc Jacobs, frequently discounted a considerable amount. Shoes, handbags, apparel, evening wear, accessories any other piece other clothing imaginable is available, and the site tends to feature classic looks rather than ultra-trendy styles. However, that may actually be a good thing - if you're paying designer prices, you might as well get longevity out of the pieces.

Endless.com

Endless.com specializes in shoes and handbags, with a selection that will appeal to any and all ages. The easily navigated sight features reasonably priced brands like Report and Jessica Simpson, as well as high end designer lines including Betsey Johnson and Calvin Klein Collection, all of which are fairly discounted. Endless frequently offers special promotions like $20 off a $100 purchase, and pays for overnight shipping. Yes, overnight shipping actually takes $5 off the total purchase price, which helps make up for the site's moderate selection.

Flipfloptrunkshow.com

Don't be deceived by the name - flipfloptrunkshow.com has a wide variety of every style shoe out there, as well as handbags, apparel, and intimates. An accredited online business by the Better Business Bureau, the site offers foreign size conversion charts, conveniently sorts items by designer and style, and notes how a shoe runs, suggesting a move up or down in size if necessary. Still have questions? Ask the Flip Flop Guru, and receive a personal email in response. Join the mailing list to be notified of special sales, offers and new designers.

Piperlime.com

One of the most popular online shoe sites, Piperlime.com offers one of the hippest and trendiest inventories in the world of shoe Web sites. The site is divided into cleverly named categories such as "Fantastic Finds under $75," and "Boots We Love," which makes it feel as thought a close girlfriend is offering advice. Owned by Gap Inc., Piperlime purchases can be made with any Banana Republic, Gap or Old Navy Card, and reward points earned at these retailers can be used towards your purchase. Free shipping, free returns and 100 percent price match provide ultimate shopper safety.

Rustyzipper.com

As the first vintage online site, Rusty Zipper has been going strong for 11 years, offering one-of-a-kind items from the '40s to the '70s for men and women. Each piece can be viewed with a full description, time period and measurements. Rusty Zipper marks each item with a condition rating (good, very good, excellent, new) to insure quality satisfaction. While many vintage sites can easily be overwhelming, Rusty Zipper's items are specifically categorized by style, making it easy to maneuver and find what you're looking for. Most items cost between $20 and $40.

Zappos.com

Eight years ago, Zappos was born when a frustrated, shoe deprived shopper just couldn't find what he was looking for. Zappos has since grown into one of the largest online shoe retailers, and also carries handbags, apparel and accessories. The site boasts one of the widest varieties of designers and brands, and allows shoppers to search for the perfect shoe by heel height, color, price, style or size. Despite its busy, fairly overwhelming design, the biggest appeal and goal of Zappos is quick delivery -overnight shipping is free, essentially cutting out all the hassle of shopping online.

The Daily Collegian