You win some, you lose some.
This is basically my motto with purchasing from unknown, overseas retailers. Often the cost of the risk versus the reward sort of balances out. But no one likes to waste money.
A few weeks ago, I focused on the clear losses of the clothing haul. And I was bummed. I selected what I thought were pretty simple styles and I really, really wanted them to work. How delightful it would have been to tell you it was ALL wins. But now for the good(ish) news!
I have been so busy with work I haven’t had a chance to even take a photo in everything but I have tried them on and where I don’t have photos, I have comments! Let’s get into it!
The Wins
Hoodie Dress
If I’m being honest, this is the dress that caught my eye. I love a good racerback style that shows off shoulders and I love hoods. This is such an unusual looking piece that I kept coming back to it. The rest of my purchases were just things I stumbled on after I committed to making a purchase.
Though the color looks off in my photo, I think they are pretty similar. I attributed the color difference to cameras and lighting. I like how it fits, though I wish it fit a little bit loose but I did follow their sizing guide and purchased a small.
My biggest disappointment, though it may sound odd, is that it isn’t as long as they show online. The website says it should be 58″ long. I measured the one I got and it was only 54″ long. If I had the additional 4″ it could get close to being as long as I hoped it would be.
That said, I really like it. It’s a pretty simple design so I may try using it as a pattern to craft my own with slight modifications. It would be perfect on someone 4″ shorter than me. It has the unusual addition of being prettier when it is wrinkled. The cotton-linen blend is nice.
Green Shirt Dress
I selected this one because it is one of my signature colors. I also though the cut and style would be fairly forgiving with sizing. For this one I bought a small.
The color was not as bright as the photo, though it is still squarely in the color palette I like. While the fabric is pretty good and the style is versatile (see it with both the belt and without the belt), I am sorely disappointed that it’s not as long as the version on the model. The online sizing said the length should be 45.6″ in reality it’s only 44″ but as you can see, even with an additional inch it would not come to my ankles.
This is another dress that may look better a little crumpled but I think for it to look like the photo, it would need to be a little larger in the shoulders, at least for me. While it’s wearable and I like it, I would call this a win-ish.
Blue Overalls
I am a sucker for overalls. In fact, I love jumpsuits and dresses probably because they are fairly easy to wear. Separates require coordination and thought. The problem with most overalls (and jumpsuits for that matter) is that I have a long torso. I can be hard to fit.
I don’t count this as a fail per se, but I also don’t consider it a win. The color is off, the sizing is off (I ordered a medium for extra length), and the fabric doesn’t feel as soft as it looks like it might be in the photo. While it’s a little hard to tell the approximate length in the photo of the blue overalls, it’s pretty clear to see that in the brown color, there is enough length to cuff it a few times. I love how it looks in the photo, but I am really disappointed they aren’t longer and the bib doesn’t fit me higher. I’m thinking this might end up going to my sister who would get an extra 5″ solely based on height!
Black and White Pleated Dress
I had high hopes for this dress. It’s the perfect blend of classic, unusual, and color-block that makes up much of my fashion intrigue. Though I’ve worn this dress, I didn’t take a picture of it. It fits but it’s really not very flattering.
There are a couple of things that are hard to tell with this dress. First, the black fabric is t-shirt material and not a nice stiffer fabric. I think the dress would benefit from more structure from the black side. The white pleated side, though visually intriguing is pretty impractical. There is no lining so you are basically naked up to your rib cage. While it’s not quite indecent, it’s certainly obvious because you either have to go commando or your underwear will be visible, even when skin-toned. George’s take on this one – because I was honestly unsure what didn’t work – it’s shapeless. He was right. I purchased a medium, but with the pleating on the side, it’s hard to tell if the size has an impact on it at all. It fits – but it’s weird. Another “not win” for me.
Pink Shirt Dress
Another pretty forgiving style is this tunic style shirt dress. I love the color and it fits as expected. I have not worn it anywhere yet, but I purchased it in small and think the sizing is spot on.
Interestingly, this length seems to match the online measurements better. The color is less dusty and more bright than the photo, which is a shame, but it’s still a lovely color. Again, I hope the fabric softens over time so it looks more like the fabric in the photo. I’m not disappointed in this piece.
Pink Crossover Dress
This one was a little bit of a stretch. Because the waist and top are more fitted, I realized it was a bigger risk but I wanted to see how they did with more fitted styles.
The pinafore style is fairly forgiving because the strap length can be adjusted with the bow. The actual dress matches the photo color pretty closely (which is actually also the color of the actual shirt dress above). You can see in the photos of the two pink dresses (shirtdress and pinafore) are VERY different but they are identical in real life. I purchased a medium in this style and found that it matched the online measurements. I like how this one fits and I look forward to wearing it. You can see in the second photo that it is unlined. This is pretty expected with the overseas retailers so I was not surprised.
Green Jumpsuit
Finally, my love of jumpsuits. I really am a sucker for jumpsuits. A bit to George’s chagrin I imagine, but I adore them. I like them in virtually any style I find them. They are easy to wear, comfortable, and sort of versatile. I probably exaggerate their versatility to help justify them but I love what I love.
That said, jumpsuits are tricky because of torso length. I was pleasantly surprised to find this one fit me quite well. The downside I suppose is that if it fits me well, then it’s probably TOO long in the torso for most people.
I ordered a medium in this one, to make sure I had a lot of length. The color is spot on. The fit on me is MUCH less baggy than on the model but it still works. The issue is length. In the photo, she has enough to cuff. The online measurements say the length should be 52.3″ long. In real life, I measure it at 49″ but it hits mid calf to me. Even with 3″ more, it would be short. I wish they fit more like the photo. If they were a local retailer, this is one that I would return and keep sizing up until it fit me the way I wanted it to. With overseas shipping and production variability, it’s not worth the risk to me. My sister may fit these perfectly.
Blue Boatneck Dress
This last purchase is an interesting one. The photo has a classic, understated elegance to it, at least in my mind.
I can’t speak to length but there is a simple, retro vibe to this. I imagine the woman is wearing a fabulous hat and has just finished a late lunch with friends. I like the integrated wrap belt. In real life, the color is not quite as rich a navy blue as the photo and something about it looks coarse (the material) and nun-ish (the cut). I will continue to play around with styling since it is very comfortable to wear – but I’m disappointed. I imagine the careful pleating at the waist might make a difference but it is a shapeless sack when the belt isn’t tied.
My haul was really a mixed bag of fails, question marks, and a couple of wins. Would I recommend it to friends? No, probably not.
It’s too bad. I think it’s not hard to make good and beautiful clothing but it does take a little bit of effort. I wish as much effort went into the clothing as it did into the photography. But then, I’m also not surprised. For now I will continue to stick with known retailers who have some brick and mortar stores in the US.
Have you ever purchased from online overseas retailers? If yes, let me know which ones and what your experience was in the comments below!
