Last week’s blog discussed things I consider before purchasing clothing from overseas sellers. I thought it might be fun to explore this with some examples so I put in an order with a new company I had never ordered from before.
You may not be familiar with Gethetry. I had never heard of them and I’m honestly not even sure how to pronounce the name. I was attracted to the very simple clothing structures they offered. I made a point of selecting only those things that looked pretty simple. I figured it would be less to screw up.
I’m going to start with the fails, because there were actually only a few of them. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the clothing was fairly spot on to what I ordered.
The Fails
Kimono Dress
Let’s start with this cute little Kimono dress. I selected it in small light green and paid $33.69. It’s a little more pricey than you often see for overseas sites but I hoped that maybe the slightly higher price would result in a slightly better quality item. It’s a mini dress though I suppose you could use it as a robe as well.
Pro: It looks pretty much like the color in the photo. The description says it is cotton linen and it is.
FAIL: The small measurements indicated that the length was 33″ long. That’s still mini on someone who is almost 5’7″. However when I measured it, it’s only 31″ from the top of the shoulder. Those 2″ are the difference between wearable and not. I actually really like it and I’m bummed this one didn’t work out. Just looking at the photos side by side, I think the sleeves might be longer in the photo than in real life. This is getting sent to my 5’2″ sister. It should be perfect on her.
Blair Long Sleeve Dress
Next up is this simple long sleeve tunic dress. I loved how it looked on the model and I thought the simplicity might be good. I sized up on this one based on the measurements. I ordered a medium in maroon and paid $34.59. If it worked, I figured it would be pretty affordable.
Pro: I would say the color is pretty close. Unfortunately, that’s all I can say.
FAIL: The material is much thinner than I think it looks in the photo. It’s a lightweight cotton that would be see through if I could get it on. Mind you, I followed the size chart and confirmed that I received an item with a Medium tag in it. However, I couldn’t even fit into this one. For starters, by the website, the bust should have been 38″. Plenty of room. It’s actually 34″. That should still be okay for me, but it was the first sign of issues. Next, the dress is supposed to be 54.7″ long. It is only 51″ and I would argue that the one in the photo is even longer – unless she is a very slight model who just looks taller than she is. The real issue on this one is the shoulders a measurement not even provided. The shoulders are a scant 14″ across. Mine are 19″ as best as I can tell. I do have wide shoulders but it never occurred to me that I might not be able to get a dress over my head! This one is going to my very narrow shouldered mother to see if it works for her. She’d probably even have to get it hemmed!
V-Neck Wrap Dress
Finally, the last fail item was a beautiful v-neck wrap dress. I ordered it in a small burgundy color (I was a little obsessed with burgundy that day) and paid $36.69. Now I’ll admit that I have a love hate relationship with wrap dresses. They are allegedly universally flattering. I find they fly open. But I was optimistic with this one because it’s a stiffer fabric and it has pockets. I’m a sucker for a dress with pockets.
Pro: The color of the fabric is pretty spot on. I would say it’s a little brighter in person than the online version but lighting changes colors so I consider this close enough. The design is exactly what the photo shows as well. It’s a really nice heavy material with great weight.
FAIL: Now in fairness to the site, it does say that you should order a size larger than you usually do (that’s my bad). It also says that there can be a 2-3cm difference based on manual measurements. However, if I went up a size, it would have only added an inch to the waistline. The issue is one in perception I guess. Technically the waist is supposed to measure 28″ and it does. I assumed (incorrectly) that this meant it would fit someone with a 28″ waist. Rather, it was a literal measurement. On a wrap dress, you have to have overlap. So to fit a 28″ waist the dress needs to be 30″ to 34″ wide. In the online photo, there is no obvious opening. I estimate this is about a 4-6″ overlap. On the dress I have if you have a 26″ waist you could have a 2″ overlap which still isn’t quite enough for modesty. I’m truly bummed about this one because it’s a gorgeous design. I’m chalking this one up to my own fault. With the original note about the variance in measurements AND the note to size up – I should have walked away. I have paid the price for falling in love with the style and not paying more attention to the details. I hope this fits my very petit mother and we can shorten it to suit her.
You win some, you lose some. Fortunately with this haul, I generally came out better than I expected. However, it was a $100+ lesson that I took so you don’t have to. I think you can find some good bargains shopping off-brand and overseas, but it is still buyer beware.
