Online Shopping - The Conundrum

I hate to shop for clothes. An entire day of my Week in hell will be devoted to shopping for clothes. Being a weight fluctuator for most of my life, clothes shopping is akin to a modern-day version of old-school Chinese Water Torture. The itch to buy the clothes is there - constantly gnawing at me but the energy and know-how needed for me to feel confident in the decision I make when I clothes-shop seems impossible to come by. Losing weight provides the motivation to update my wardrobe but I feel lost once I get into the store. Online shopping seems like the answer but am I just creating more work for myself if what I purchase doesn't fit or doesn't look the way I thought it would based on the website photos? Now I have to return it (cost to me) or take it back to the store which begs the question, "Why didn't I just go to the store in the first place?!" I have 2 small kids so those of you out there that also have small kids know that taking children with you when you try to shop for yourself is like trying to get cats to come when you call them. It seems like a possibility at the time and then, when in the actual throes of shopping, you realize it would have been worth it to just hire the babysitter (or go pick up the stupid cat) in the first place. So, online shopping - good or evil? It remains to be seen.