You’re scrolling through Facebook and you get a notification that your friend tagged you in a Live. You click to find out what it is about and you see someone presenting clothes and the comments going. At the beginning of the pandemic most small fashion retailers had to close because they were not deemed as essential. Therefore, they found themselves in a tight spot and quickly learned that they had to pivot to selling online. Clothes boutique owners have turned to Facebook lives to present and sell their items. The owners will set a time for their live and present their items one by one following each item they share the sizes available along with the cost. If you like the item and want to purchase it, all you have to do is comment to let them know. For Styl Chic, my preferred online boutique, you message them afterwards and arrange to pick up the items or have them mailed to you if you are not local. Since they are local to me, I pick them up. Just kidding, my sister also shops with them, so I have them sent with her, so it is extra convenient. What I also love about them, is that you can still try on the items and see if they fit you, if you have already paid for them, you can return them for store credit. For additional need-to-knows see below.

Pros

*Shop from the convenience of your home, all you need is an electronic device to connect to FB
• *Pick up when it is convenient for you; after the live is over you can arrange a pick up time that fits your schedule
• *Usually the seller will try on the items, so you can get a better idea of what the item looks like on a normal person and not just a 5’9” model.
• *They usually have a variety of items and styles to pick from and even jewelry and shoes!

Cons

*If you live in a small town, where the shop is located, then you risk family and friends wearing the same items at the same time
• *You have to be on during the live. You can watch the video later, but by that point items may be sold out
• *You have to decide quickly. There are ladies that don’t even wait for the full details of the item, before they are putting their name on it, so if you think twice, then it might be claimed by someone else
• *You have to be online for a couple of hours. Since they show each of their items on their own, you have to watch the whole live to see all of the items. For this reason, I like to have it playing while I am doing something else because two hours is a long time to just sit and watch it. 

Happy Shopping,
Mely