This morning she navigates over to the section, and her hand momentarily stops, milk dripping off the spoon. “Vest scarves with fringe boots. Mmm, yum.”

The website has gained popularity for a variety of reasons; one is the superb user-friendly experience it offers. Lindsay Caputo, a Chicago native who has been living in Los Angeles for the last 11 years, says she loves Shopbop.com because she can search through the massive collection in a variety of ways – by designer, trend or category.

Sara Ciabocchi, a University of Wisconsin-Madison student and Bop fan, looks at a feature called the “Look Book” when she is bored in class, because it shows whole outfits and accessories. She also loves to use the tailored search to shop by trend, which, she says, includes “sequins or fur or fun things.”

Another popular feature is the denim guide that tutors users on which jeans work best for them, whether they are tall, curvy or have a “flat rear.” A video version of the guide has been posted to YouTube.com and plays on a flat screen in the store. It is also one of Schulman’s favorites.

“I have a big waist, and so they’ll tell me which jeans will fit me the best,” she says enthusiastically.

But watch any Bop devotee explore the website, and it’s evident the appeal is not just the website’s easy navigation. The clothing elicits excitement and awe in many shoppers. “Cuuuute, I want those!” Ciabocchi exclaims while clicking through. “Gray leggings with little bows on the back.”

According to Caputo, the clothing offered on Shopbop.com has a youthful, trendy vibe and reflects the style of Los Angeles. “The brands are spot on,” she says.

The apparel is often so ahead of trends that even students studying retail like Greenwald struggle to keep up. “They have this new trend to have vest scarves, some of them have hoods; they’re like hooded scarves,” she attempts to explain. “They’re cool.”

Another new trend to Shopbop.com is the addition of Earth-friendly designers to the list. Although eco-friendly blogs have been abuzz about the new offerings, it might not be the biggest selling point to fashionistas.

“I don’t really know what that means,” Ciabocchi says. “You’re not going to recycle your necklace.”

Bop is also set apart from other stores and websites for the sheer amount of clothing options it offers. The website sells clothing by more than 150 top designers and sometimes receives more merchandise than the designer’s own stores.

“For example, Juicy comes out with 10 different colors [of track suits] each season; Shopbop gets every color,” Greenwald says. “Even the Juicy stores don’t get all of them; it’s really strange.”

Whether it is the high price or the high fashion, many Wisconsinites may feel more comfortable cruising over to the local mall. But taking a chance at Bop may surprise some, for between the designer jeans and coats, sits a stack of vintage-style Green Bay Packer T-shirts, and for $40, anyone can become a truly fashionable “Sconnie.”

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