The Golden Rules of Shopping on ASOS, From a Seasoned ASOS Veteran

I’ll be the first to confess it: I consider myself a shopping-averse introvert who primarily enjoys spending an ungodly amount of time sifting through the sea of e-racks on some of my favorite clothing sites like Missguided, House of CB, Mango and Zara. After all, one of life’s greatest pleasures is standing by and watching the UPS or FedEx man deliver your packages. But the love I have for these e-tailers is nothing compared to the love I have for ASOS, and the joy I feel when I see a big white and black plastic bag arrive at my front door is unmatched.

ASOS (As Seen On Screen), a popular British-based e-commerce behemoth and mecca of all things fashion and beauty, serves up a wealth of new products daily that are just too good to ignore. For me, a “brief” perusal of the site almost always ends in a purchase, or at least a gang of new products in the bookmarked section of my Google Chrome bar.

So what’s all the hype about? Well, for starters, ASOS has over 80,000 products coalesced into one destination and searching for something as simple as a pair of jeans yields over 700 results. It also serves as the middleman between American shoppers and European fashion labels who have not yet expanded their reach to the US by not only offering its own namesake labels (ASOS White, ASOS Design, ASOS Curve, etc), but also a plethora of European gems–Bershka, Pull&Bear, Stradivarius, Monki, etc.–nestled in the site’s often overlooked “brands” section.

But with such a huge selection, navigating through ASOS can seem like a daunting task. Luckily I’ve picked up a few tricks along the way that can help speed up your shopping experience. Ahead, seven tips on how to shop ASOS’s 80,000 offerings to find the best stuff, regret-free.

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#1. Know Your Size

Online shopping comes with a lot of risks and receiving the wrong size after waiting days for your package to arrive is probably more hurtful than any heartbreak. Truth be told: ASOS’ in-house labels tend to run slightly bigger than normal US sizing. It’s best to reference the model’s measurements on each product page before dumping a bunch of clothes in your cart. If the measurements don’t help, watching the catwalk videos can help you to see how a product moves IRL.

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#2. Know Your Discount Options

If you’re a student or know a student who would be willing to share their discount code, sign up for UNiDAYS, which offers students 10% off of any order every day, no minimum purchase necessary. You can also take advantage of ASOS Premier delivery, which offers customers unlimited two-day shipping for the whole year for only $20. And each package comes with a return label, so you can easily return something if it doesn’t fit.

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#3. Figure Out Your Favorite Brands

Once you get the hang of ASOS, you’ll start to gravitate towards certain brands. Aside from my favorite European labels, one of my go-to brands on the site is ASOS’s own ASOS Design. ASOS Design has over 12,000 women’s pieces that run the gamut from everyday wardrobe staple -to special occasion dresses, handbags, and shoes, that give off a luxe feel but at a super affordable price.

If you’re feeling really fancy, head to ASOS Edition where you can find all the sequins, glitter, satin, and lace you need to turn heads at your next party, wedding, or club.

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#4. Keep Up With ASOS on Social Media or the App

ASOS doesn’t have a massive following of 7.6 million (and counting) followers for no reason. The retailer’s Instagram account is basically a shoppable mood board. If you look closely, almost every photo is either accompanied by a product skew number and/or the search name for the clothing pictured, making it easier for followers to find items more quickly than they would searching on their own. ASOS also features a tag of its diverse crop of influencers called ASOS Insiders (influencers, really). Each insider’s page is filled with pictures that demonstrates how the models put their own spin on ASOS clothing. You can also follow the hashtag #AsSeenOnMe to see what other ASOS customers purchased.

For the tech-savvy shoppers, ASOS’ app is another way to view all the retailer’s products right from your smartphone. If you’re an impulsive shopper with no discipline, maybe you should sit this one out.

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#5. Learn to love ‘Save For Later’

The “Save For Later” page is basically ASOS’ very own Pinterest board. With just a click of the heart button, all your saved items can be found on one page and will remain saved for up to 60 days. It’s the perfect feature for when you’re unsure about making a purchase and need a few days to consider how bad you really want that Lost Ink Faux Fur coat. (Seriously, I NEED!)

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#6. Don’t Sleep on the Men’s Section

Have you ever heard a man complain that his shirt is showing off his bloated stomach, post-food binge? Exactly. While many women practically breeze past the men’s section and beeline to the ladies’ side, I’ll shamelessly admit that I love thumbing through the racks of men’s clothing, especially when I’m on the hunt for a cozy, oversized shirt or hoodie. If you’re up for the task, there are a heap of hidden gems tucked deep into the ASOS men’s section that’ll make it look like you raided your boyfriend’s closet, whether he’s real or imaginary. What’s great about ASOS is that the women and men’s sections are in completely separate tabs, so after I’ve filled my cart with a few ultra-femme pieces, I can easily journey over to the men’s side to balance out my picks with roomy, tailored pieces. Even better, ASOS curates different style edits based on current trends or upcoming holidays that can be found on the women’s and men’s homepages to help you get to the good stuff faster.

Oh, and shopping in the men’s section means you’ll never have to worry about an outfit face-off with another female at an outing.

My picks:

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#7. Head to the ASOS Marketplace for Rare Vintage Finds

I love the idea of ransacking through boxes and racks at a local thrift shop, but in reality I prefer to shop for vintage goods from the comfort of my bedroom. It’s easy to miss the tab for ASOS’s Marketplace on the site–it’s located on the main bar next to “Outlet”–but once you enter the site, you’ll understand why it’s hard to leave. You can find vintage tracksuits and jerseys from Adidas, Nike, Reebok and Champion, or even rare designer pieces from Versace or Gucci if the new “logomania” trend tickles your fancy.