fashion

Buyer beware: tips for ordering from international online stores

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Shopping online is one of my favorite past times. Especially since having kids and having less time to head into an actual brick and mortar store. Online shopping is easy and seriously, sometimes the deals are better than going to an actual store anyways.

With so many choices, how do you decide where to shop? Of course you can shop your favorite chain stores online, along with speciality stores and boutiques. But what about these stores you see all over your Facebook newsfeed? Choies. Shein. Oasap. Stores overseas as that offer extremely affordable clothing, so affordable it almost seems too good to be true.

Is it really true good to be true?

Another fabulous blogger and Instagrammer approached me and asked if I wanted to do something fun and different with her. We each ordered a few items from one of these sites and wanted to share our experience with you. This isn’t a sponsored post but even if it was, we’re going to chat about the good, the bad, and the ugly.

I ordered 5 items (one not pictured) and used a 40% off coupon. My total? $62.30. So not bad for 5 items right?

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I absolutely loved this blue top. It’s a lot thicker than I thought it was going to be but not to the point where it was bulky. As I’m sure you know, off the shoulder tops are huge this season so I would definitely recommend this top. I ordered a medium because I’m always afraid of sizing when it comes to these types of places. Normally I’m a small so I will say I probably could have ordered a small but I’m sure this will shrink over time.

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To be honest, I wasn’t a huge fan of this lace top. This is also a medium and I loved how it looked when I tried it on but when I saw these pictures, I really didn’t like how it looked. It could be the shorts or the bra I was wearing but this is an instance where this is a medium and so was the other one and this fit way smaller. Always pay attention to the size charts and make it a point to actually measure yourself.

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I was a little worried about this dress when I tried it on because it seemed pretty big. I definitely could have gotten away with this in a small. But I washed it and it shrunk a little and I love how it felt and looked after that. It’s actually like an off white with white trim which I didn’t notice right away but like how it gives it dimension.

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This may be the shirt I was most disappointed with but that may be my fault. Again, it’s a medium and it felt a little big. But if there’s one thing I hate, it’s sending things back, especially when it’s from a website like this. So I am hoping it shrinks a little once I wash it. I felt super chic when I wore this outfit but looking at the pictures, I don’t think I look that chic. Maybe it was how I styled it, who knows. But definitely not my favorite item and I expected it to be.

I didn’t get a chance to shoot the last dress but I bought it mostly as a coverup for the lake or something to throw on while hanging around the house after the pool or something. It probably isn’t something I would wear out. But it’s cute!

So what did we learn from this?

Always read the size chart. I did and ordered mediums because I was scared smalls would be too small but I should have trusted the size chart.

There’s nothing wrong with the quality. People always warn you that the quality may not be very good but I thought all of my pieces were well made. Of course it could be hit or miss depending on the items but I was very pleased with all of the pieces I ordered.

It takes awhile to get your shipment. It took a few weeks for my order to come so that was super annoying. But if you don’t mind waiting, you’re good to go.

You can’t beat the prices. I paid less than $15 a piece and while I know this is a touchy subject because of the small business owners who hustle everyday to make a living and feel undercut by this, hear met out. I support both sides. I support big corporations and I support small businesses. I believe there’s a customer for everyone and that some people just can’t spend the money others can. My wardrobe is a good mix of big and small business and I feel like that’s what works for me.

Order different sizes/pieces and send back what you don’t want. Sending things back in a hassle, yes. But if you order different sizes or pieces and decide what works and what doesn’t, it will be worth it to send back more than just a few pieces. I think I would have been a lot happier overall had I done that.

So what do you think! How do you feel about stores like Shein, Choies, Oasap, Sammydress, etc. Love ’em or hate ’em? What experiences have you had? 

 

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