In-store vs. Online: Staffers debate between buying Homecoming dresses in-store or online

In-Store

Late-August and early September is what I like to call the “Homecoming Craze.” Everyone is asking who’s going with who and what is the after-party theme and oh God, I have to buy a boutonniere. But the most popular question — that I have already been asked at least twice in every class — “What dress are you wearing?”

Half the time when someone asks this question, the girl will go straight to their camera roll to show off the mirror selfie she took but the others hesitantly respond with “It actually hasn’t arrived yet…” 

Homecoming dress websites, such as HelloMolly and Lucy in the Sky, are known for taking an abnormally long amount of time to ship, therefore making them less reliable. This is why in-person dress shopping is superior.

I know what you’re thinking — who even goes in person to look for homecoming dresses anymore? While online shopping has taken over most of our generation, the more practical choice for a stressful event — such as Homecoming — is to go to a physical store.

Going in the store to buy a Homecoming dress means that the stress of finding the right size disappears. When you order a dress online, you really never know what the fit of the dress will be. Dresses look different on everyone. You don’t know if the dress runs too small, too big or if it will even look like the picture. Ordering a dress that doesn’t fit means taking longer to find another dress and ordering that one and then waiting for that one to get here. Purchasing a dress in-person allows you to try on the dress, make sure it fits and see if you like the style of dress on your body type.

Buying the dress in the store reduces the stress of yet another hassle — the delivery date. Everyone who has purchased something online for a certain date has had the worry of “What if it doesn’t get here in time?” But with in-person dress shopping, this is not a factor. You can even go dress shopping the week of Homecoming because it doesn’t matter — you will have a dress either way.

In-person dress shopping also creates a fun activity to do with friends. You can act like you’re in your own version of the “Clueless” fashion show montage while you come out of the dressing room to show off your new dress. Going dress shopping with your Homecoming group can also reduce the chance that the girls will accidentally match — the unspoken cardinal sin of Homecoming.

Homecoming is definitely a stressful time but the next time you need to buy a dress, try going to a physical store because the only thing a Homecoming dress should do is make you feel beautiful — not anxious.

Online

Homecoming season: a time for me to embark on a quest to find the perfect dress. For me, I eagerly wait for the start of September so I can begin my search for a dress.

The correct way to find a homecoming dress is to shop online. According to an Instagram poll, 170 East students agree with me.

When you search for dresses online, websites like Hello Molly, Princess Polly and Lucy in the Sky have hundreds of dresses with varying styles and colors. The chances of having the same homecoming dress as someone else are slim to none. On the other hand, shopping in person at a store like Etiquette, you’re destined to find your “ideal dress” on someone else, or perhaps the whole student body. 

Shopping online is far more convenient than taking time out of your day to drive to one or multiple locations, go in and physically try on dresses — which is practically impossible with the already slim and picked over options. When shopping online, all you have to do is add the dresses to your cart, punch in your credit card information and hit confirm order. It’s as simple as that. 

What happens when you are shopping in-person and find the ideal dress —  a low possibility — and uh oh they don’t have your size? You head straight to the website, which tends to always have more sizing and color options and you purchase the dress then and there. You could have saved yourself the gas and the hassle by ordering online in the first place.

Once every blue moon, the dress comes in and it doesn’t fit the way I wanted it to, which is completely normal. Online dress shopping has the option of shipping the dress back in exchange for a refund or, more commonly, store credit. With store credit you can order the same dress but in a different size — thanks to the larger online clothing stock.

While I do love spending my time and money online shopping, at the end of the day I just want a homecoming dress I am going to love. I don’t want a last minute, ‘they-had-nothing-else-in- store’ dress. With many different online stores and websites, finding the perfect dress is simple. When the package arrives at your doorstep, just think of how much time you saved yourself by buying your dress straight from your own home.