Exploring the underworld: Saving (lots!) by buying lingerie online

Note: most of the stores mentioned, while they also sell men's underwear, are geared primarily towards women. Depending on your place of work and your/their personal sense of propriety, many of the sites may also be considered NSFW. Just don't say I didn't tell you :-) .

Possibly one of the more expensive items of clothing many of us women wear at any given time is our bra. This is especially true if you're the well-endowed type, are pregnant or nursing, or have had a mastectomy. Such bras purchased locally can each cost several hundred Shekels.

Women who need shapewear have a similar problem. Good quality shapewear, which, in my humble opinion, is the only type worth wearing, can also run you several hundred Shekels bought locally. Or you could take your chances with an as-seen-on-TV bodyshaper via Groupon. 

Fortunately, there are other excellent options with reasonable, fast shipping from abroad, so you shouldn't feel you need to compromise on quality at the expense of a decently-priced item.

Buying clothing and shoes online for less, Part 2

In Part 1 of how to save on clothing and shoes, we discussed local Israeli and British websites where you can find clothing at a significant discount and at equal, or even superior, quality than what's offered in the mall. Now we'll discuss a few American stores with similar qualities.

Unfortunately, many US-based apparel websites like to play petty games with their international shoppers. When they offer international shipping, it's often quite expensive, the Dollar /Shekel exchange rates they use can be significantly higher than the Bank of Israel's, and you often can't take advantage of online coupons and special offers available for Americans. There are a few US sites, however, which are, in my opinion, worth shopping at.