Fashion Guide Netherlands: Practical Shopping & Wardrobe Advice

This plain, hype-free guide is for anyone shopping fashion online in the Netherlands, with usable tips you can try today.

Start with fit, not trends

Many people reach for the model photos first when browsing clothing. That is backwards. When you shop online, check size notes before you look at how the piece looks on someone else. Where the maker gives it, the product page shows finished garment measurements, not just general size labels. Always take 2 minutes to measure one item you already own that fits well, then compare. Do not guess your size. Use our size calculator to input your own garment measurements, not just your body numbers. This one step will stop almost all unwanted orders. You can also save the items you are considering, then come back 24 hours later. Almost always, the ones you still want after a day are the ones you will actually wear. The ones you forget about? You would have forgotten them in your wardrobe too.

Try clothes before you buy online

You do not have to wait for delivery to see how something will look on you. On our clothing product pages, tap the Magic Mirror button where the tool is available. You can try the piece on your saved avatar. Build your avatar once in the Avatar Studio with your actual height, build and usual fit preference. You can try whole outfits, not just single items. It works on the items where the tool is shown. For example, if you are looking at Everyday Clothing, you can layer a cardigan over a dress, try boots with trousers, and check how the hem falls at your actual height. You do not have to imagine based on someone else's body. You can also send the preview to a friend if you want a second opinion, no screenshots needed.

Plan outfits from what you already own

Many people buy new clothes and then never wear them because they do not go with anything they already have. You do not need to do that. Add everything you already own to your Virtual Closet. It takes a little time the first time, and makes later shopping quicker. When you are looking at a new top, you can pull it straight into your closet and match it against every skirt, trouser and jacket you already own. This is the simplest way to stop buying duplicate items, or pieces that will hang unworn at the back of your wardrobe. You can also use the Mix & Match Studio to build full outfits for work, weekends or travel before you buy any new piece. Browse Mix & Match Wardrobe for base pieces that will work with almost everything you already own.

Calculate cost per wear before you click buy

Price alone tells you almost nothing about value. The number that matters is cost per wear. This is very simple: divide the price of the item by the number of times you expect to wear it. For example: a €60 coat worn 60 times costs €1 per wear. A €20 top worn twice costs €10 per wear. That lower priced top is 10 times more expensive. Before you add anything to your basket, stop and ask yourself: how many times will I actually wear this? Be honest. If you can not name at least three different occasions you will wear it in the next month, do not buy it. This rule works for every single item, from socks to evening dresses. It works just as well for items on sale. Lucy's Picks is a good place to start.

Care for clothes so they last longer

Once you have clothes you like, small regular care will keep them looking good for years. Wash items only when they are actually dirty, not after every single wear. Most knitwear, jackets and trousers can be aired, not washed, between wears. Close zips before washing. Turn everything inside out. Wash on the coolest suitable setting. Hang or fold items correctly the same day they dry. Do not leave clothes crumpled in the washing machine or dryer. When something gets a small tear, loses a button or comes loose at the seam, repair it straight away. Most simple repairs take 5 minutes, and will give the item another year or more of use. You can find full instructions in our fabric care guide.

Shop for your daily life

Most wardrobes are full of clothes for occasions that never happen. People buy fancy evening dresses, formal blazers and holiday outfits, and wear their same three old t-shirts every single day. Build your wardrobe starting with the things you wear most often. If you spend 5 days a week working from home, start with good loungewear and soft tops, not office suits. If you walk the dog every morning, start with comfortable boots and waterproof layers. You do not need a separate outfit for every possible one-off event. You can dress up almost any good everyday item with different accessories. Browse Workwear, Elevated Loungewear or Women's Boots for pieces you will reach for every day. 5% of each sale goes to a cause you choose.

How giving works when you shop with us

5% of each sale goes to a cause you choose. After your order you pick one of three causes: CARE International, Cool Earth or Project Zero. The donation is paid out through PayPal Giving Fund UK. Those three causes, together with how we run our own store (honest product data, fair prices), are matched to 11 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

That is the heart of the 1% Movement: small choices × millions of us = change. It is a giving promise we can show you, and it is the only promise we make on this page.