Clothing & Accessories Buying Guides

Our Methodology

More than ever, consumers are buying clothing online. From bathing suits to bras to bridesmaids’ dresses, there’s nothing you can’t have shipped to your house. But when you can’t touch the fabric or try on items in a dressing room, you need more than a professionally-taken photo using a model to make a decision.

Don’t Waste Your Money is here to help. We know how challenging it can be to decide on a blouse or jacket or pair of shoes. We also know there’s more to a clothing item than the way it looks or how comfortable it is. If you’re investing your hard-earned money, you probably want to know that it will last through multiple wears and washes.

Our team of experts take a look at a wide range of products in each subcategory in order to help you find the absolute best. We consider the type of fabric, as well as the quality of construction in the products we review. This helps ensure that when you buy an item, you won’t have unpleasant surprises once it arrives in the mail.

With fashion, it’s also important to consider factors you might not think about when you purchase it. If a coat is both insulating and compact enough to store in a suitcase, we’ll point that out in our review.

In addition to our own observations about a product, we also spend time researching what other people are saying. We scour online reviews and gather information from other experts, as well as the customers who have bought and used the various items we’re reviewing. If professional reviewers love a pair of pants but customers report it as being uncomfortable or that the size runs small, we weigh that data heavily, as consumers are the ones using these items long-term.

You’ll also probably want to know about value before you buy an item. Is that $150 pair of shoes really any better than the $30 pair from a less-well-known designer? If the answer is, “yes,” we not only let you know that, but we give you reasons to consider spending a little extra for a product that’s more durable or simply far more comfortable.

We also understand that fashion preferences can be very subjective. When we look at products in the fashion category, we aren’t reviewing which item we like best. However, if one clothing item has better-quality material than another, we’ll mention that. We’ll also highlight convenience features like zippers and pockets.

Being able to add items to your wardrobe from the convenience of your sofa can come in handy. However, you also may need a little extra expertise as you’re shopping. Our team looks at factors like fabrics and construction to provide as objective a review as possible. When combined with research into what other experts and customers are saying, this information can be very helpful when you’re searching for a clothing item that will not only look and feel great, but last through many washes.

Our Trusted Process

Our team of expert reviewers know fashion. We believe that a quality garment or accessory is well worth the money, especially if you want it to last more than a year or two. It’s our mission to track down the best fashion products to stock your closet, looking at everything from accuracy in sizing to fabric quality.

When we set out to find the best products in a particular fashion subcategory, our team of reviewers tracks down up to 15 of each item type. Our experts look closely at each item to narrow it down to the top four for each subcategory. In addition to how a piece of clothing looks and feels, we’re also paying close attention to details like weather resistance or how easily it folds to fit in a suitcase while you’re traveling.

The Don’t Waste Your Money team realizes the importance of gaining a comprehensive view of how a product is performing. We not only review each product ourselves, but we also research other reviews on it. That means taking a look at what other expert reviewers are saying, as well as what consumers who have bought the product have reported. In the fashion category, this 360-degree view of a product can help you make a decision.

Once our reviewers have thoroughly researched each item, we narrow it down to the top four for each subcategory. So if the subcategory is blouses, you’ll see the four that made the cut for all the criteria we outlined. We do this by assigning a rating between 1 and 10, which factors in what we found through our own review process and by researching other reviews.

The 1-10 score not only allows us to narrow down each subcategory to the top four choices, but also to assign a Best Overall and Best Bang for Your Buck award in each of those subcategories. Occasionally, both awards will go to the same product, but usually you’ll see two different products getting those distinctions. The Best Overall refers to the product that has the best features of all the products we’ve reviewed in that subcategory, all things taken into consideration. The Best Bang for Your Buck, on the other hand, refers to the great value you get for your dollar when you buy that product.

To make our site even more helpful, our team also issues something called a DWYM Review Seal of Approval. When you look for this designation, you can quickly identify great products. These items have been tested and verified by our reviewers to be among the best across all categories on the site. We work hard to maintain the integrity of our reviews by making sure you’re always satisfied with the products we recommend.

When you consult Don’t Waste Your Money before buying a fashion product, you’ll have confidence in your purchases. Our review process will help you enjoy the convenience of shopping from home while also buying products you know will last through multiple wears. When you can shop from home without wasting money, you get the best of all possible worlds.