This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Erin Galioto. Find her on Instagram at @eringalioto. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
Imagine this: you’re shopping and you see THE perfect top. It’s the top you’ve been looking for your whole life, an exact match to your aesthetic, a top that would make you squeal delight in every time you see it. The price is higher than you’d want, but this doesn’t happen every day, so you fork over the cash. You’re so happy with your purchase until you do a little research and… your heart drops. It’s half the price at a different store.
If your shopping addiction is anything like mine, you know this story all too well. Sometimes the heartbreak happens before you even get to purchase that perfect top. Maybe it’s not your size, it’s got a stain on the sleeve or a hole in the armpit. Maybe it’s not at a store at all, but instead on a Pinterest board, your favorite influencer, or TV show character. How do we avoid these devastating pitfalls on the road to our dream wardrobe?
Google’s reverse image search is the answer. With Google image search, I can find that top for $30 cheaper on Depop. Those perfect jeans at the thrift that are just a smidge too small? I can find them a size up with a Google image search. That one-of-a-kind dress Jane Birkin wore in the 90s? I can find one similar to Google image search. And no, this is not a paid advertisement! Google’s reverse image search technology has truly changed the online and in-person shopping game for me. I’m here to pass on my wisdom to you and reveal my insider strategies to find those too-good-to-be-true steals.
Buyers Remorse Be Gone!
As a fashion-obsessed 20-something, a large portion of the people I follow on Instagram are cute girlies I’ve never met, but love their style. I also follow niche pop culture accounts like @velvetcoke that often post inspiring and iconic 90s and 00s fashion content. Through either of these channels, I find clothing pieces to covet. But where to begin finding similar pieces for myself? I could try to describe the item in my Google search bar, but the algorithm never quite gets the vision. Fortunately, a picture is worth a thousand words…
How to:
For a streamlined search for similar products, screenshot your inspiration.
Download the Google app on your photo. Click the camera icon in the search bar.
Allow access to your camera roll.
Personally, I don’t care to have Google all up in my business, so I limit access to just the goods.
Go back to the Google app. Select the gallery button on the bottom left and find your photo.
Crop the image to focus on your desired garment or accessory.
Scroll your results!
Secondhand apps like Depop and Poshmark all have a very unique upseller culture. If you were at all tuned in to the phenomenon of the $200+ “vintage” Charlotte Russe sequin leopard shorts, you know things can get out of hand quickly. Notorious upsellers will use attractive styling and misleading buzzwords to validate inflating their prices to sometimes over 300% of the item’s original, new-with-tags value. So how do you find that perfect vintage dress you saw on Depop for a more reasonable price? You guessed it, Google image search. The above reverse image search strategy can find identical pieces on posts that don’t quite make the explore page, for lower prices!
This also works great for items you’re buying new. A pair of Levi’s 501 jeans may be full price on levi.com, but half-price on a third-party retailer like Revolve, Shopbop, or Nordstrom. Use Google image search to compare sites and find the lowest price available!
Find Your Perfect Match
I love thrift shopping, but there are many rookie shopper mistakes I often fall into. To my second-hand and vintage apparel lovers, these experiences may sound familiar:
- Buying a garment with a permanent stain thinking, “I can probably get this out.”
- Purchasing a clothing item that’s a size too big or too small because you love it and that’s the only size there is.
- Taking home something that isn’t exactly what you wanted or love but it’s “good enough.”
What if I told you that reverse image search could be the solution to all these problems?
Instead of settling for jeans that are less than perfect because of their style, size, or condition, try this first:
- Open up the Google app (download on the App Store if you don’t already have it).
- Select the camera option on the right of the search bar.
- Allow camera access.
- Position the piece of clothing or accessory in the square on your screen.
- Press the button with the magnifying glass to snap a pic.
- Scroll your results!
I am a fully radicalized image search user. Using Google image search to help fine-tune my shopping experience and allows me to reduce overconsumption tendencies. Instead of collecting five different white skirts that aren’t quite “the one,” I can refine my quest and buy just one that ticks all the boxes. Additionally, image search helps me ensure that I’m finding the lowest price available to me. I am a deal-loving girl and I love feeling like I outsmarted the system to get the look I love for less. For me, the satisfaction of using this little tool to be an ultra-savvy shopper is unmatched. I hope you learned some tips and tricks for your wardrobe journey!
Have you used any of these reverse image search shopping techniques? Let us know how you optimize your shopping in the comments below!
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