Shopaholics around the country let out a collective sigh of relief when it was announced this summer that popular high street retailer Zara would be launching its online shop this September.

The large majority of high street, and indeed various high-end brands, have long provided online shopping to accompany their retail outlets. Zara, and H&M were, for a long time, the two brands sticking out like sore thumbs in their lack of an internet base, frustrating shoppers around Europe as the chance of finding a coveted item was very limited as time to search through rails and rails of clothing was not always available.

Thankfully, the launching of the www.zara.com website has made finding that just-seen-in-Vogue trench a lot easier! The website is wonderfully simple to navigate, and the pictures provided show the items on real models: a problem with many sites is that the garments shown are simply photographed on a stand or on their own, so you have no idea how it might hang on a real body. The clothes are well categorised within the usual sub-headings, for example, ‘Jackets and Parkas’ and ‘T-Shirts’. It’s nothing snazzy, but it’s exactly what you need from a retailer whose clothes are famed, and therefore loved, for their usual stylish simplicity.

Alongside womenswear, the website has the Menswear, the Childrenswear and the TRF diffusion line collections, and also a monthly lookbook option which showcases some of the suggested outfits one can create with your purchases.

I personally have always really loved the collections that Zara produces each season, but I must confess that I often shy away from shopping there, as I have often found their stores to be under-stocked and with a very sparse selection of the styles available. I am most definitely not ashamed to admit that I have spent several (quite productive) hours browsing the website, and each time I have been looking for something specific; for example, the quirky equine printed dress above, £49.99, (which I had seen on a girl I stopped frantically on the street), I have been able to find it quickly and easily through the website with its simple navigation tools.

I am not all for turning to technology for helping with everything in our lives today, but my gosh this move to online shopping availability by Zara is most definitely an acceptable and happy use of the ever expanding techno-possibilities!