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Shein Haul, Was It Worth It? An Honest Review.
Shein. Their ads are everywhere, and I got hooked (finally) into buying some things. My total order was $85 for 6 items.
Here is my review of Shein. What they offer, their quality, the customer service offered, etc. I purchased a swimsuit, a swim cover up, wide leg pants, a striped dress, a ruffle skirt, and a belt.
A Little Background
I want to preface this by saying that I grew up in the ’70s when many women still sewed or tailored their own clothes. My mom not only made my clothing but also taught me to sew. We used to take trips to the fabric store to check their new arrivals, look at pattern books, etc. I treasured this time with my mom where she not only taught me a skill I continue to use to this day but about quality clothing that is well made and finely tailored, like reinforced stitching at the seams among other things.
Fabrics in and of themselves are a whole new language for most, and I am grateful for what I learned from my mom. She taught me how they perform in different seasons as well as how they wear over time, how to wash them and which ones to stay away from.
Move ahead to the ’80s when fabric stores were dwindling in number and clothes were being made in many cases by machines on an assembly line. This meant that buttons weren’t always aligned and the fabric was not the same quality as before; it was becoming thinner, ie more see through, and seams were not as deep (meaning they didn’t use as much fabric to create a seam) and only sewed it once instead of reinforcing the stitching on the seams.
A New Way of Dressing
Fast forward to 2021 where people live in the world of fast fashion. H&M, Forever21, Shein, and a plethora of other pop-up and online boutiques were born not to mention Amazon too! This development has certainly changed the way we shop, but with so many new stores showing up on our social media feeds daily how do you know which one to shop at? The simple answer; reviews. Reviews have become a crucial part of conducting business in a digital world. The success of any online or brick and mortar store depends on reviews.
Even though I’m 57 still I enjoy being stylish. I am NOT however trying to re-live my younger days and dress younger than I should, ie no crop tops or bucket hats for me. I do however enjoy some of the new trends or throwback styles that are prominent right now. In saying that, Shein appears to cater their clothing for the teen and millennial; yet many items such as sweaters, skirts, belts, or dressier pants transcend the age gap and are more than appropriate for women in the 30’s, 40’s and beyond.
Important Things To Keep In Mind
With the majority of clothing being manufactured overseas understanding your size is vital in ordering the “right” size and pieces for your wardrobe. There are far too many variations in the international sizing of clothes. Famous makers and designer’s clothes will consistently run larger as they pay more attention to detail and have, in most cases, not left behind the protocols for proper garment construction unlike those in the fast fashion industry. This is why if you are an 8 at Shein you will most likely be a 4 or 6 in a Lauren Ralph Lauren outfit, Armani, or Yves Saint Laurent.
When shopping at Shein you’ll want to be assured your item will fit properly therefore it is necessary to check the reviews of each item you want to purchase. You will also want to note that since their sizes run smaller you may want to consider purchasing the next size up. For me, typically I’m a 10 or 12, which meant for some of the items I wanted to buy I needed to move up to a Plus size. Yes, Shein offers Plus sizes which is wonderful in SO many ways! I ordered up a size in most cases or went with the extra large (XL) instead of the large (L) which is what I would typically order. EVERYTHING, I purchased fit perfectly. You just have to check reviews and do a little homework checking their size chart to assure you’ll have the best fit.
Review
No matter what it is you are talking about in life, whether a physical item like clothing or a social or political issue there are going to be people with opinions on both sides. For instance, there was a woman who had purchased a dress where the seam had come undone so she was unhappy, but hello, that can happen no matter where you purchase an item or what the item is.
What I Purchased From Shein
I’m super happy with everything I purchased like honestly I was surprised. I think the thing that attracted me most other than the styles I chose was the price. Their prices are unbeatable and for a fast fashion item. Again, I purchased a swimsuit, a swim cover up, wide leg pants, striped dress, ruffle skirt, and a belt and am very pleased with everything I ordered.
The swimsuit is quality made, lined, and actually has reinforced stitching and is lined where it should be. It comes in the orange and blue tones you see here, as well as pink and purple colors, both of which are truly beautiful. I am just over 6’ tall and obviously have a long torso so I decided to go with the smallest Plus size in the suit so that it would be long enough and also stretch to fit. It is not super tight like legging fit similar to how most swimsuits fit, but it isn’t loose either it fits perfectly. I have to admit, I love the belted style of this suit. It’s quite trendy and slims the waistline.
The swim cover up was only $8 and came in a variety of colors. I took into consideration the other suits I have in my wardrobe and went with this slate blue. The cover up is made of a quick-drying sheer type gauze material which is exactly what you want by the beach or poolside. It’s plenty long enough for my long legs too! And this lightweight layer will protect your legs from harmful UV rays as the day wears on. This gets another thumbs up from me.
Here is the slate blue swim cover up I chose. Another way to wear this wrap is to tie it around the top of your swimsuit at the end of the day for a different look.
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As far as the wide leg pants goes, I was taking a chance since my inseam is 33”. But, I read the reviews and the size guide they have, read how tall the model in the picture was, and ordered accordingly. The pants are plenty long for me and the uber high waistline makes you look really trim!! These are a purchase I HIGHLY recommend if you are looking for something new for your wardrobe that is trending and in a color that welcomes every season!
So far, I paired mine with a white mock neck tank and a black and white pinstripe tank, both of which look fabulous with them. Pair that with a blue denim jacket and sneakers, heels, or sandals and let your accessories be your pop of color.
Years ago a friend had given me a white ruffle skirt that I wore until it was falling apart. When I saw this one and noticed it was the same exact design I knew I had to have it! This rust colored ruffle skirt (it comes in other colors too) is THE color of the season. As a woman who looks better in cool gem-stoned colors I decided to give it a go as I knew the color wouldn’t be against my face I could wear a color that DOES compliment me and my skin tone up top and still get away with wearing it. (Not sure what colors look good on you or bring out the best you? Check out my blog article “How to Know What Colors Look Best on You” here) I ordered the XL size as I’m normally a 12 and it fits perfectly. Here I’m wearing it with a black graphic tee that has a copper colored motif on it and the colors play off each other nicely. I also have paired it with the white mock neck tank top which looks stunning!
The next item I purchased is a woven raffia stretch belt. I needed a new belt for summer and chose one that would match with my Steve Madden travel sandals shown here with my rusty ruffle skirt (you can find the link for them here) along with one that would match the majority of the outfits I’d be wearing it with. Being that it is neutral in color it matches most everything and I like the fact that it has a wooden buckle. The belt was under $4.00 and it’s wonderful. I’ve worn it multiple times and really like it. I paired it here with my Fabletics jumpsuit that I get so many compliments on. You can find the link to purchase the Carli jumpsuit (here)
The striped dress shown here was purchased as a dress, but could also be worn as a duster with jeans and a tank in early fall. You could wear it as a dress as I have here with a denim jacket or on its own and belted. There are plenty of options here and I love the versatility of this dress. It’s lightweight and breezy, yet not thin. It’s not see through and I love the dolman sleeve style which makes it super casual and trendy looking.
Final Thoughts
To say that I am happy with my Shein order would be an understatement. I am thoroughly satisfied with everything that I got and I look forward to ordering again in the fall, sweaters here I come!!
Things to keep in mind when ordering from Shein (or honestly anywhere online) is to carefully check the company’s return policy, their sizing guides, the height and size of the model, and the fabric and care instructions. All of these will help you when choosing the right size, and will cut down on frustration as well as returns.
No matter what you decide, as always I wish you happy shopping!
xoxo,
Karen
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