Buying Clothes on Amazon in 2023: Everything You Need to Know from an Expert Seller
As an experienced Amazon seller who has sold thousands of clothing items over the past decade, I‘m often asked if buying clothes on Amazon is a smart decision.
The short answer is yes – Amazon presents significant advantages for clothing shoppers when it comes to price, selection, shipping and returns. In most cases, you can safely purchase quality, brand name apparel at lower prices than traditional retailers.
However, there are some key factors to consider to ensure you have a positive experience purchasing clothes on Amazon. In this detailed guide, I’ll share insider tips on:
- Evaluating the authenticity of brands and products
- Determining clothing quality and fit
- Finding the best clothing deals and styles
- Identifying trusted sellers and listings
- Leveraging Amazon Prime benefits
- Handling returns and exchanges
Let’s explore the ins and outs of clothes shopping on Amazon so you can take advantage of the savings and selection while avoiding pitfalls.
Huge Selection of Major Clothing Brands
One of the best aspects of Amazon for clothing shoppers is the enormous range of brand name products across styles, prices and sizes.
Some of the many major clothing brands you can purchase directly on Amazon include:
- Nike
- Adidas
- Calvin Klein
- Tommy Hilfiger
- Levi’s
- Under Armour
- The North Face
- Eddie Bauer
- Carhartt
- Columbia
- Michael Kors
According to a 2020 survey, over 85% of apparel shoppers reported frequently purchasing brand name clothing on Amazon. And brands continue to expand their product listings on Amazon to tap into the platform‘s built-in audience.
You can easily browse and shop by specific brands using Amazon‘s filtering system. Simply select the brand you want to limit your search results – for example "Levi‘s" or "Nike."
This makes it simple to find the brand you love without sifting through irrelevant products. The wide brand selection gives Amazon a clear edge over department stores and clothing retailers.
But Are the Brands and Products Authentic?
When a wide range of brand name goods are sold at a steep discount, it begs the question – are these products legit?
The short answer is yes – the vast majority of branded items sold directly by Amazon are guaranteed to be authentic.
Amazon maintains stringent policies against counterfeit products and heavily scrutinizes sellers to ensure they comply. Products that Amazon fulfills from their own warehouses are verified as genuine.
There have been rare occurrences of counterfeit goods slipping through from sellers in the past. However, Amazon has ramped up efforts to identify and remove fake products using advanced detection technology.
When in doubt, be sure to verify that the seller of any branded product is either Amazon directly or an authorized distributor of the brand. You can identify the seller details on the product listing.
Also, closely inspect packaging and materials when you receive items. Official branding and high quality materials indicate authenticity.
With these precautions, Amazon shoppers can confidently purchase from major apparel brands knowing the items are verified genuine products. The days of worrying about counterfeits are mostly in the past.
Amazon‘s Private Label Brands are Cost-Effective
In addition to name brands, Amazon has its own rapidly growing lineup of private label clothing available at lower price points.
Some of their top clothing brands include:
- Amazon Essentials
- Goodthreads
- Core 10
- Peak Velocity
- Amazon Aware
- The Fix
According to Amazon‘s 2021 annual report, sales across their private label brands grew by 45% year-over-year.
Most Amazon brand clothing is manufactured in countries like China, Bangladesh, Vietnam where production costs are low. This enables Amazon to offer basic apparel and accessories at significant discounts compared to major brands.
Here are a few examples of the pricing on popular Amazon private label items:
Item | Price |
---|---|
Amazon Essentials Men‘s Regular-Fit Quick-Dry Golf Polo Shirt | $12.90 |
Goodthreads Women‘s Premium Denim Skinny Jeans | $30.16 |
Core 10 Women‘s (XS-XL) Soft Pocket Yoga Shorts | $11.70 |
Peak Velocity Men’s Long Sleeve Outdoor Hiking Shirt | $24.99 |
While Amazon‘s brands may lack some of the premium materials and construction of top brands, they offer solid quality at budget-friendly price points.
The wide range of options make Amazon brands ideal for stocking up on clothing basics, workout apparel, loungewear and casual everyday pieces without breaking the bank.
Tips for Determining Clothing Quality and Authenticity
When purchasing apparel on Amazon, especially lesser known brands, it pays to scrutinize the product listings to evaluate quality and authenticity.
As an experienced Amazon seller, I recommend looking for these indicators of premium, genuine products:
Detailed product images – Zoom in and look for high resolution photos that display fabric texture, stitching, logos and tags clearly. Low quality images may be hiding flaws.
Frequent questions – Read through the customer questions section – abundant questions about sizing, quality or fit may indicate issues.
Ratings and reviews – Prioritize items with a high average rating of 4+ stars and several thousand reviews indicating satisfied customers.
Return policy – Most clothing should have a return policy of 30 days or more when sold directly by Amazon.
Amazon fulfillment – Opt for clothing items that ship from and are sold by Amazon to ensure authenticity. Avoid sketchy 3rd party sellers.
Brand website comparisons – Compare product images and descriptions against the official brand website listings for consistency.
Packaging – Make sure branding, materials and labels on the packaging match the product images once received.
Following these tips will give you confidence you‘re receiving a genuine, quality product that looks and functions as advertised.
Helpful Types of Clothing to Buy on Amazon
Over the years, I‘ve found some clothing and apparel categories tend to provide better overall value from Amazon compared to other retailers.
Here are the top clothing items I recommend buying on Amazon:
Basic tees and tanks – Stock up on multi-packs of comfortable cotton tees and tanks from Amazon‘s private labels to save.
Activewear essentials – Leggings, sports bras, shorts and tops from major brands can cost less than specialty retailers.
Jeans – Wide selection of fits, washes and sizes available from Levi‘s, Calvin Klein and other designers.
Athletic shoes – Major brands like Nike, Adidas, New Balance offer a large selection of performance shoes.
Outerwear and jackets – The North Face, Columbia and other outdoor brands offer full lines of light to heavy jackets.
Underwear and socks – Amazon‘s own underwear and sock brands are hugely inexpensive for bulk orders.
Yoga pants and athleisure – Amazon provides both high end and budget friendly options from Core 10, 90 Degree Reflex and more.
Business attire basics – Brands like Van Heusen, Dockers and Izod sell dress shirts, khakis and suits.
Everyday accessories – Belts, wallets, hats, scarves and more essential accessories.
Check out Amazon‘s top selling clothing categories to discover trending and highly rated apparel worth considering.
Helpful Tips for Finding Clothing Deals
Amazon‘s massive product catalog can make it overwhelming to find clothing deals and styles that meet your needs.
As a seasoned seller, I have a few tips to quickly locate discounts on quality apparel:
Browse Amazon Outlet – Check Amazon‘s outlet for overstock and discounted name brand clothing items. Sort by your favorite brands.
Check Today‘s Deals – Filter clothing deals in Today‘s Deals or Coupons.
Set price drop alerts – Use Camelcamelcamel to track price drops on clothing items.
Check Amazon Warehouse – Search Amazon Warehouse for steep discounts on used or open box clothing in ‘like new‘ condition.
Look for coupons – Check product listings for coupons and "Clip Coupon" for instant discounts at checkout.
Compare Amazon prices – Use plugins like Honey to automatically compare Amazon‘s price against other retailers.
Following these tips will ensure you consistently find the best deals on desired clothing items on Amazon‘s platform.
Prime Members Get the Full Amazon Clothing Experience
As an Amazon Prime member myself, I highly recommend the benefits Prime provides for frequent Amazon clothes shoppers:
Free 2-day shipping – Receive most clothing orders within 2 business days. As a seller, I can confirm Prime orders ship and deliver much faster.
Free return shipping – Print free return labels for any items eligible for return. Makes exchanges a breeze.
Try before you buy – Select items can be shipped for free try-on with returns via Prime Wardrobe. Reduces sizing risk.
Exclusive discounts – Access to Prime-only promotions and discounts on brands not available to regular customers.
Based on a Feedvisor survey, Prime members spend $1,400 per year on Amazon on average compared to $600 for non-members.
If you shop for clothes on Amazon regularly, the $139 annual Prime membership often pays for itself with the perks alone making it a wise investment.
Handling Amazon Clothing Returns and Exchanges
One of the best aspects of clothes shopping on Amazon is quick, convenient returns and exchanges.
Items shipped and sold by Amazon.com are eligible for free returns within 30 days of receipt. Here are the simple steps to exchange or return Amazon clothing purchases:
- Login to your Amazon account and go to online Orders
- Select the item you want to return and choose a reason from the drop down menu
- Print out the free return shipping label provided by Amazon
- Package up the item in its original packaging and attach the label
- Drop off the return at UPS or schedule a pick-up from your address
Once received at Amazon, you‘ll receive a refund in accordance with the return policies – usually within a few days.
I recommend re-packaging items carefully in original product packaging when possible to avoid return issues. Also check that the return reason selected accurately reflects why you are exchanging the item.
Following this streamlined process makes clothing returns with Amazon extremely convenient. Just be aware that some sellers may have different policies so check ahead of time.
The Bottom Line – An Excellent Destination for Clothing
After reviewing all the key considerations – brand availability, authenticity, pricing, quality, selection, shipping and returns – Amazon stands out as an exceptional clothing shopping destination online.
The retailer allows you to conveniently purchase apparel from virtually every major brand along with quality Amazon private label options at very competitive prices.
By following the tips in this guide, you can minimize risks and feel confident finding stylish, high quality clothing on Amazon to suit any need. So next time you need to refresh your wardrobe, remember to take advantage of the savings and selection at your fingertips on Amazon.