The Canadian dollar has been riding on par or higher with the American buck for weeks. Canadians, it is time to shop online!

I wrote last week of the some of the dire conditions of plus sized shopping in Canada. It really isn’t so dire and so lacking in real selection. You have to work all the angles to get the wardrobe you want. In case you missed it Susan Wagner wrote a post on WHAT to wear when you are in plus sized fashions. Go read her!!!

I forgot to write about Tabolts. We have had several Talbots in Canada for a while, but the one in my city starting carrying plus sizes about a year ago. I confess that I love Talbots. You can get some trendy things there that aren’t all about Grandma. Not that there is anything wrong with Grandma, but I am 37 and while I cannot wear hot pants, I like to keep up with what the “regular” sized clothing industry is putting out. Talbots also carries some classics. Great for a fabulous suit that will last you many seasons. They also have casual lounge wear items and nice denim. The quality is good, so the price points are a bit higher, than a lot of the chain boutique-ish stores. Before I could shop Talbots in real life, I did shop online. I always got my items, but the shipping was often very slow and quite expensive. I know shipping to Canada can be fast, easy and cheaper. Landsend, L.L. Bean (free shipping right now), and Eddie Bauer have been doing it for a while.

The first thing I do when checking out a site that sells anything I like is go to shipping information. I need to know IF they ship to Canada, how fast and how much? You have to decide if it is worth it. For me, I like to have some different items than the ones I can get in town. I also want to get pieces that I cannot get in town AT ALL. Lane Bryant, Torrid, ”J.Jill, Junonia, b&lu, IGIGI(they have great dresses), silhouettes, FashionOverdose, and probably more stores all the time will ship to Canada.

There are other tips to shopping online. I often email customer service to find out how long items are if it is not in the product description. I have a long torso, and have made the mistake of buying tops that are too short and I am too old to be pulling off belly shirts. Not to mention it is a style that does NOT flatter me. I have always had good luck with asking such questions. Some sites even have online chat customer service.

I have also had luck online at Neiman Marcus, if you can believe it. I go to the clearance stuff, not sale, but clearance. I bought a 350$ cocktail dress last Christmas for 40 bucks. Not even worth returning if it didn't fit, but it did! I have on occasion sold such an item to a consignment store for more than I paid for it. It helps to know what your size is in a certain brand. You also have to decide how much it is worth it to you if it doesn’t fit and you have to return it. You should also check on online shopping sites if they have a return address in Canada, a lot do. This saves on any duty or other weirdness that may occur. You can always contact customer service to streamline your shipping and returning process.

To supplement my shoppinf needs, I shop at the major department stores when I go to the states, which I know is not an option for some people. If you can, the big department stores are a goldmine Nordstroms, Macys, Bloomingdales. I head for the sale, or ultra sale racks. I find that American department stores mark down clothing faster than here in Canada, so in season stuff in on sale there when it is still regular price here. I can (and have) purchased a Ralph Lauren blouse that went 30%, to 50%, to 40% off last mark down. WEE! Sometimes there is only one or two, but I have found some nice singular pieces this way. I do pay full price as well, especially if I LOVE IT and know that I cannot find the brands here, like Nine West Woman, Michael Kors, Anne Klein, and Maggy London. I also hit Lane Bryant and Torrid, for some less expensive, trendy items. There is some nice workout stuff at Target, Danskin does a discount line for them that I like.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention eBay. Ooooh eBay, you online auction seductress, selling me a $260 Jones New York red cashmere cardigan for $50. Just like any other eBay purchasing. Check out your seller and their feedback, check their shipping policies and costs, and don’t be afraid to contact the seller for more information of even better photos. Myself, I only like to buy NWT (new with tags) merchandise off of eBay. Items are often from last year’s collections, but for red cashmere, who really cares???