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August 7, 2024

The 10 Best Places To Buy Dresses Online: Reviews and Tips

Shopping for dresses online lets you browse endless options right from your phone. This is convenient but overwhelming—having so many choices means a massive amount of styles and prices to sort through.

Consider this your go-to guide to finding the best places to buy dresses online. You can also thrift many of these brands on ThredUp, saving money while shopping sustainably. Choose your ideal brand, find it on ThredUp, and send it right to your door.

What to consider when buying dresses online

There’s no “best” online shop for dresses—it depends on what matters most to you. To pick your favorite store, consider each one’s price, sizing, and sustainability practices.

Price range

When setting your budget, think about why you’re buying the dress. Casual summer festival dresses usually cost between $20 and $50, but it’s normal to pay over $100 for more formal events. Choosing your price range ahead of time can help you avoid shops that don’t fit the budget. 

If you have a tight budget no matter the event, thrifting from ThredUp is a great way to find designer pieces at discount prices. Our site offers outfits at up to 90% off retail prices, so you’re sure to discover the right ‘fit.

Sustainability

Fast fashion has a huge negative impact on the environment. These companies make clothes from cheap materials that don’t last and encourage people to buy more than they need. Plus, fast fashion often uses unethical labor practices to keep prices low.

So when possible, choose sustainable fashion brands that reduce water use, reuse fabric scraps, and pledge better treatment to humans and animals.

For most folks, the price tag is the main roadblock to sustainable shopping. Eco-friendly practices, like recycling materials, cost more, so these dresses are often more expensive. We recommend looking for affordable, sustainable clothing from brands like Girlfriend Collective and Kotn on ThredUp.

Size inclusivity

The best places to shop online for dresses cater to various body types, offering petite, tall, and plus-size items. Big box retailers may have limited sizing ranges like S to XL, with only a handful of styles available in smaller or larger sizes. On the other hand, inclusive stores offer a broader range, like XXS to 4XL. 

Style types 

When choosing a store, consider the kind of dress you want. Some shops specialize in specific designs, like athletic or work casual dresses. Knowing your ideal style narrows down your shopping options.

If you don’t have a specific kind of dress in mind, your personal style can help you pick a brand. For example, if you’ve got a hippie chic vibe, you can zero in on boho boutiques.

Shipping and return policies

Great dress shops are transparent about their shipping and return policies. You don’t have to think about these things when shopping in person, but simple, fair policies are a must online.

Say the dress you ordered isn’t quite the right color or size when it arrives. You can’t drive it back to the store quickly, so it’s a relief to know you can pack it up and send it back.

However, most shops don’t allow returns if the item is worn or damaged. If you’re in this situation, check out our clothing care tips to make your dress look spotless.

The 10 top places to buy dresses online

Know what you’re looking for, or just ready to browse? Review our best online dress boutiques to find your new go-to brands. Then, thrift them on ThredUp to enjoy high-quality dresses at a lower price.

1. ThredUp

ThredUp’s website home page with navigation buttons at the top of the screen. The middle of the page has four images of clothing, including dresses, denim, wedding clothes, and workwear. The page’s headline reads, “Thousands of new items daily. All up to 90% off."
Source: ThredUp

ThredUp is us—the world’s largest online thrift store where you can buy and sell secondhand and like-new clothing and accessories. We have over four million items and add 50,000+ new arrivals every day. And with shopping hacks like advanced filtering, you can find the perfect dress in sizes ranging from XXS to 5XL.

This is the best website to buy dresses sustainably since thrifting extends the life of each piece, keeping it out of landfills. Buying secondhand, lightly used, and like-new clothing on ThredUp is also the most affordable way to be eco-friendly—dresses average $20 to $30 but get as low as $5.

2. Asos

Asos’s website home page with a purple banner advertising a clearance sale.
Source: Asos

Asos is a British online retailer that offers stylish items at a great price. Most dresses are between $30 and $60. And the company has decent size inclusivity, with a range of XXS to 2XL.

This shop offers plenty of fun styles, from comfortable T-shirt dresses to classy workwear and warm fall maxi dresses. However, we rank Asos low on sustainability. Even though the brand uses some recycled material, it follows a fast fashion model and quickly cycles through trends.

3. Zara

Zara’s website home page with navigation buttons on the upper-left. The middle of the page features a woman in a white shirt and skirt running past a beige convertible car.
Source: Zara

Zara is a trendy retailer where you can get designer looks. Although less affordable than shops like Asos, Zara offers elegant cuts for $70 to $130.

However, sizes only range from XS to XXL, and the company doesn’t have a high sustainability rating. It set targets to reduce greenhouse gasses from production but didn’t share the results.

4. Nordstrom

Nordstrom’s website home page with navigational buttons at the top of the page. The middle of the screen has five small photos of people in casual summer wear. The bottom of the screen has the phrase “Anniversary Sale. Attention, All Shoppers: It’s On!”
Source: Nordstrom

Nordstrom is a great place to shop casual, semi-formal, and work dresses in various sizes. This store has an impressive size range of XXS to 4XL+, including petite and maternity sizes.

The price range is broad, with some casual dresses as low as $40 and more formal pieces reaching over $200.

We love Nordstrom’s detailed sustainability plan, which covers responsible sourcing, emission goals, and charity work. 

5. Shopbop

Shopbop’s website home page. The majority of the screen is an image of diverse women in dresses, shirts, and jean shorts. In the middle of the screen is the phrase “Top Sellers.”
Source: Shopbop

Shopbop is a great place to find gorgeous designer dresses, including looks from Casablanca, Veronica Beard, and Zimmerman. They also have a decent size range, offering dresses in XXS to 3XL.

We love that Shopbop partners with Amazon, which provides free shipping and returns and access to Amazon Prime-only deals.

However, Shopbob’s colorful designs come at a price, as most dresses range from $200 to $500, with some getting as high as $1,000. And Shopbop doesn’t list its sustainability goals on its website.

6. Free People

Free People’s website home page. In the middle of the screen is a series of images of women wearing dresses, tank tops, and blouses.
Source: Free People

Free People is the ideal place to find boho dresses, offering mini and maxi options in eye-catching colors. This shop sells the latest looks in XXS to XXL.

The brand is pretty eco-friendly, aiming to reduce waste and preserve resources. It even offers a Free-est line of swimwear made from at least 50% responsible material.

Although we love the eco-consciousness and hippie frills, this store sports an above-average price tag of around $150 per piece. If you’re in love with the aesthetic but not the cost, check out our list of brands like Free People for more ideas.

7. Abercrombie & Fitch

Abercrombie & Fitch’s website home page. In the middle of the screen is the phrase “Up to 30% off select styles,” and below are two images of a brown-haired woman.
Source: Abercrombie & Fitch

Abercrombie & Fitch was the best place to hang out when we were teens, and it’s taken a positive turn in recent years. Sporting sizes from XXS to 3XL, it supports a broad range of body types. 

We also like to see its sustainability efforts, like using recycled materials and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in its general operations.

Prices average from $50 to $80, which may be just right for fun office or summer looks.

8. Girlfriend Collective

Girlfriend Collective’s website home page. At the top of the screen are navigational buttons; the majority of the screen is an image of diverse people in activewear.
Source: Girlfriend Collective

Girlfriend Collective is one of our favorite sustainable brands, reducing waste by recycling water bottles and fabric scraps into new clothing.

At around $90 per piece, its collection of activewear dresses is a little pricey. But its commitment to sustainable practices and incredible size inclusivity—XXS to 6XL—make it a top choice for athleisure.

9. Anthropologie

Anthropologie’s website home page. The screen features six images representing dress categories, including wedding guest, casual, vacation, date night, party, and work.
Source: Anthropologie

Anthropologie has a wide variety of dresses, from colorful puffy-sleeved maxi-length cuts to sleek black fall pieces. It offers sizes from XXS to XXL and petite XXS to XL.

Keep in mind that they aren’t a budget-friendly option. Most dresses cost around $150, but you can find a few for $80 in its Dresses Under $150 section.

The company carries a couple sustainable lines like See Worn Kept jeans. But Good On You rates Anthropologie as “Not good enough” on its sustainability scale.

10. Boden

Boden’s website home page. At the top of the screen are navigational buttons; in the middle of the screen are a series of images representing categories, including midis, shirt dresses, special occasions, and vacation.
Source: Boden

Boden is a great option for modest dresses with a colorful twist, so you can bring bold patterns to the office and semi-formal events. It has a broad price range, with more casual dresses around $80 and designer looks around $200.

The size range is only 0 to 22 (roughly equivalent to XS to XXL), so Boden could make some improvements in size inclusivity. 

But we love Boden’s commitment to sustainability. The brand is carbon neutral, uses responsibly sourced materials, and offers a repair program.

Give your wardrobe a sustainable upgrade with ThredUp

When searching for dresses online, decide what you care about the most—price, sizing, sustainability, or something else. See what fits your needs, and keep your favorite boutiques in your bookmarks library for your next shopping spree.

If you value eco and budget-friendly looks, thrift a preloved dress from ThredUp. Our collection carries the above brands and more, so you’re sure to find something to suit your unique style, whether you’re looking for a comfy and casual outfit or a sparkling date night look.

Find your perfect dress on ThredUp.