OMG, good life in Russia.  For buy clothes, you use a stylist that "costs only" $45-75 for hour or two.

Dear English teacher and tutors close your eyes on this, or you all will move from teaching to become a style guide.

This is very interesting to read. I work for a company that sells clothing for women (US and Canada.) We have seen tremendous shift of customers buying online instead of going into stores. Customers are more and more expecting the cheapest prices online and that she will have it within two days -- we call it the 'Amazon effect'. It is very challenging to compete when you wish to also offer quality products and personal service to help her.

Personally, I try to buy all that I can from local, small merchants (not big chains.) If we don't support them soon our towns will be empty of businesses.

I like buying clothes. It takes time, but I enjoy it.

The key to making clothes fit together is to wear one accent piece and one neutral piece. Having two accent pieces looks too outrageous and is often difficult to fit, and having two neutral pieces looks too plain. So if you wear a colourful blouse/shirt, you need a neutral bottom (black, grey, or white), or vice versa. I have a lot of neutral tops because my pants are usually not neutral (red, burgundy, green, etc.). This comes off as stylish, because most people wear plain pants.

It’s easy to look stylish as a guy, because the standard is so low. Most guys don’t care what they wear or how their clothes fit them. I wear form-fitting clothes, and if I buy a pair of pants that’s too long, I get it hemmed.

@GregS

I completely agree with you about small business. We really need to support them. Some of my friends and colleagues tried to buy in the internet footwear, but they failed: they received footwear that doesn't suit them. I have never bought any clothes or footwear on the internet.