But I hate shopping in stores.  In NYC, I find shopping for clothes to be a waste of time. I’d rather spend the free time I have in NYC trying out new restaurants, going to Yankees games, playing basketball or enjoying an iced coffee at Saturdays Surf.

Thankfully, companies such as Bonobos and Warby Parker exist to allow me take in all of the sports action and caffeine I want without losing time shopping in small, cramped NYC boutiques.

Bonobos and Warby Parker (in no order!) are at the top of my list of “awesome companies making my fashion life easier”.  There are indeed new companies popping up each day which are making my shopping for clothes needs a pretty pain-free experience.  Aside from great branding, Bonobos and Warby Parker do four things particularly well throughout the actual shopping experience that any company in this space should emulate:

• Keep your online user experience clean and easy to navigate.  Let me search and find what I’m looking for without any hassle.  Despite the plethora of options I have on both the Bonobos and Warby Parker websites, I never feel overwhelmed or confused and can generally find what I am looking for right away.

• Make it a personal shopping experience. - I love that I can upload my photo and try on Warby Parker glasses online before purchasing.  Even if I am not shopping in a physical store, it is nice to feel like there is an in-store experience online.  

• Make the checkout process quick and safe, remember me when I come back. - This seems common these days, but you can never underestimate the value of a good point-of-purchase (and customer returns) system.

• Have an attentive, enthusiastic customer support system. - Whether it is the highly active (and stealthy) @BonobosNinjas or the awesome customer service team @WarbyParkerHelp (who create personalized YouTube videos for you upon you tweeting about your new frames), a responsive customer service team that interacts with the customer throughout the good (yay, I love your product!!) and the bad (I need to return your product because….) is key in building brand affinity over time.