Among teens, search is on equal footing with magazines for discovering new fashion brands, though most buy offline because they don't own credit cards, writes InternetRetailer, citing a Yahoo survey. Half of teens age 15-19 who had shopped for apparel at least once in the previous three months reported using search - more than TV ads and fashion websites - to find clothing, accessories, shoes and jewelry.

Some 68 percent reported using the web to find information on fashion trends and as a way to learn about unfamiliar labels. Half said they planned to use search the next time they sought information on clothes or accessories; 61 percent said they used Yahoo search to access fashion information online.