ebay dresses for everyone - part one

i recently had a cookout for my friend's birthday. i wore one of my many maxi sundresses i got from ebay (you know i'm obsessed, right?) and when i told some of my girlfriends that it came from ebay, i got the usual response of shock and admiration. things were said like:

"how does it fit you so well?"
"i can't find anything, ever, on ebay."
"did you get it altered?"
"i can never find things in my size."
"i just get nervous about buying something without seeing it."
etc.

i spoke with one of my girlfriends specifically, and at length, on the subject of buying for a more voluptuous girl on ebay. today, i am here to demystify the art (yeah, i'm proud) of finding the perfect dress on ebay (in part one) and to offer my voluptuous lovely several options i found for her (in part two). so...here we go.

the how-to of ebay dress shopping

1. know what you like. there are thousands and thousands of dresses on ebay. it can get overwhelming fast. have an idea in mind before you start looking.
   
2. use the search bar to your advantage. once you have a dress/shape/color/era/size in mind, search for that. most people are very descriptive in their titles so you won't lose a lot of viable options when searching. (my recent search terms have been "maxi" and "psychedelic", separately.)
   
3. know your range of measurements exactly. this is really the most important bit because you aren't going to be able to try on this dress until you own it. you can use this incredibly brief, but instructional guide from vintagevixen.com to help you figure out how to measure yourself correctly. (make sure you have on the same undergarments you would when wearing a certain dress. i have a few sets of measurements depending on whether or not i'm wearing a bra with a dress and even which bra i would choose to wear.)
4. really look at the details. again, since you aren't going to be able to touch the dress before purchase, make sure the seller's photos give you a good idea of the quality of the fabric and the craftsmanship of the dress. always ask for more photos if you are intrigued but not yet convinced.
5. read the fine print. most sellers will only let you return a dress if they can agree with you that they described it incorrectly. some people list measurements in a funny way, have rules about paying by a certain method or time period, or may not mention the flaws or overall quality of a dress. once you have found your virtual vintage dream dress it can get expensive if you're bidding against many others who feel the same love and adoration you do. cover your ass and know all the details so when you finally win your dress it will be an amazing investment and not an unreturnable mistake.

that's the basics. once you start doing it more often (honestly, the hunting becomes addictive) you will hone your craft. you will learn exactly what you like and what looks great on your body and will feel damn good with the barrage of compliments that will follow your new vintage dress around town. with the single link below, i open the door to an exciting new world of clothing to you. be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid.

ebay>women's vintage clothing>dresses