Text: Jeremy Whitaker
For some, online shopping is a casual pastime, for others, it is only done out of sheer necessity. In my case, online shopping is like an Olympic sport, and I usually walk away with something shiny as a reward for my efforts. Shopping Italist was one of the most exciting shopping experiences I have had in a long time, and I walked away with all the lustrous Summer essentials I could ever need (until I opened Italist again.)
Luckily, this is a website suitable for all types of shoppers. The first thing that struck me about Italist was its organization. This was before my attention was quickly directed at the sheer number of luxury brands on the site.
The site boasts over 2500 brands from HUF to Chrome Hearts, and they are all categorized alphabetically under the "Designers" tab. The site encourages luxury lovers like me to explore the old and the new, and explore I did. I started with the A's and by the end of my shopping experience (and many hours later), I found my way down to Z.
At first, the names of global labels jumped out at me. Miu Miu, Alaïa, Jacquemus, Cartier Eyewear, Dior, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, DSquared, and Diesel were the beginning of my extensive search. As I continued to peruse, I discovered just how expansive the Italist roster really is. Niche labels that were only slightly familiar started grabbing my attention. Brands like Fiorucci, Drôle de Monsieur, Sunnei, Kidsuper, and Botter had me exclaiming, "No way!" This is a direct-import platform that contains inventory from 250 of Italy's best independent luxury boutiques and this level of quality is felt when you look at the selection.
The shopping list just kept racking up. In order to keep track of the snowballing, I registered for an online Italist account and I began adding all of my favorites to "My Italist" which is a clever wishlist for future shopping endeavors.
To make the shopping experience easier for me, I filtered results by my sizes. This decision turned out to be vitally important, as I discovered that the Italist does not offer free returns. With a little brainpower, there is a way around this. Before I made my purchases, I researched the sizing of similar items on the brand's website and I made the effort to go to nearby retail locations of the brands to try things on beforehand.
I had narrowed my search to a pair of Birkenstock's Boston Clogs, a pair of J.W. Anderson jean shorts with a matching tank, a pair of lounge pants from Tekla, and a shirt from Wales Bonner. I was able to size the Birkenstocks at a nearby shoe store, but the J.W. Anderson shorts and the Wales Bonner T-shirt drove me to a creative solution. I simply dialed the number of the nearest retail establishment for the brands and asked the opinions of the store associates. They were nothing but helpful and steered me in the right direction.
Normally, I would not go through the trouble of calling, size fitting, and researching, but the price points on Italist are unbeatable. The amount of money saved in this shopping experience is worth a little extra work. Where else can I get Birkenstocks, Wales Bonner, and J.W. Anderson in one go?
The best part of the shopping experience was receiving the garments. With 4-day express DHL shipping, I blinked and my packages were at my door. Each item was shipped individually which meant five times the excitement when it came time to unwrap (immediately). Each item was packed with an exquisite level of care that made the garments feel as precious as I had hoped.
My garments arrived just in time to spend my summer in style, and I couldn’t be happier with my Italist experience. With world-class garments at my fingertips, I’ll be prepared for whatever comes my way this summer.