Tales From The Far East

Mimi here!

Now, I loves to shop. Like, mega style. Think of that one person you know (we all know one) who shops all the time. Is always wearing something new. Is always coming home or coming into the office with bags and bags of goodies at lunch time. That person to whom you often say, “Nice top/jeans/bag!” and they reply with, “Thanks it’s new”. That person is me. Hi there.

I know where I got my love of shopping, and my love of a bargain, from; my Mum! We affectionately call her Bargain Betty. Always kitted out in chic, stylish ensembles, she has a keen eye for unique, versatile, flattering, fashionable, yet age-appropriate clothes and pairs them with eye-catching jewelery, shoes and bags. And ALL at a fraction of the price it originally retailed for. Whether she needs a top at £2 or not (true story), or whether I need a pair of ankle boots reduced from £15 to an ACTUAL pound (ALSO a true story), Betty can sniff out a bargain at 20 paces and is mighty proud of it. Why pay more, right?

Now, being the busy little bumblebee that I am, I do a lot of online shopping. I wholeheartedly appreciate the sheer convenience of being able to buy online. Sometimes, just looking at a store's new arrivals can help me figure out what I need in my wardrobe, what I need to get rid of, or what sort of look I might go for if I have a particular occasion coming up. I research. Then I buy.

Isn't it strange how there are now shops online that don't have a physical presence on the high street? I am of an age where I remember the pre-online, pre-mobile phone days. Online shopping is great for getting your size in an item that wasn't stocked on your high street, but more and more I find myself buying from retailers that don 't actually exist as physical stores. Trippy, man.

I buy A LOT from H&M and Sports Direct (due to there usually being a discount code or online offer available) and more so from MissGuided and Forever21 also. But it is my love of fashion from the Far East, and their ridiculous prices, that I am going to write about today.

Ladies, welcome to the world of what I like to call “the random Chinese shop".

My first ever armchair-to-overseas purchases were from sellers in China on eBay. I bought a few tops here and there and my experiences were generally a hit or a miss. A great fitting find here, a cheaply made disappointment there.  But the prices were SO GOOD that anything I bought that wasn’t up to scratch was put down as a relatively cheap learning curve.

That is why, my friends, I have shopped til I virtually dropped in these Asian online stores and came up with a guide for getting a great deal on a great item without getting stung by the various pitfalls. Yep, I did all that shopping just for you. You can thank me later.

Rule 1: Know your measurements

What is the circumference of your waist? Where is your waist? Nobody know? I want you to get yourself to your local shop and purchase a measuring tape. Then take that measuring tape and wrap it around various key parts of your body:

• Your waist (about 1-inch above your belly button)
• Your hips (your widest part)
• Your bust (straight around your front over the nipples 

Take a note of what they are EXACTLY in inches AND in centimeters (because the rest of the world likes centimeters). Make a note of it somewhere you can access easily, like on your phone. The reason? Because when it comes to buying in “the random Chinese shop” you CANNOT rely on the sizes stated.

WHY?

Did you know the average Chinese woman has a 34A bust, is about 5 feet tall and weighs about 8 and a half stone.  This average woman may be considered an Asian size Medium. The UK average is a UK16…see the difference? An Asian size Medium is like our size XS-Small in many cases. Most Asian stores online provide a size chart for this very reason where it will provide measurements in centimeters usually. There is usually always some variation, so if you are just fitting into a cute dress based on measurements, go for the next size up…you can always have it altered (which leads me to my next rule)…

Rule 2: Be prepared to Get Your Clothes Altered

I would imagine that there are very few people in this world who are a true size “anything”. With sizes varying so much between shops, it can be very hard to buy something that fits PERFECTLY. It’s always better to overestimate your own measurements and order a size larger from these Asian shops because measurements can vary so much. A lot of what I have bought has been slightly too big, but is easily rectified with a trip to my local seamstress. I tend to go to the same one because they are quick, cheap and do a fabulous job (big up Sew Quick in Bellshill). Yeah the top you want to buy is £5 including postage…but spend that extra £5 and get it tailored to fit you properly…it certainly won’t look like it cost you a tenner.

“But hey, you can just return the item if it doesn’t fit and order the next size up, why err on the side of caution” I hear you cry. Well…

Rule 3: Returns and Fraud

As a rule, eBay has the most reliable system for returns and exchanges because any shops are bound by eBays rules and agreements. If a store gets a bad returns reputation, they will not fare well on eBay, plus I think eBay protects it’s buyers from any tomfoolery.

For example, I bought a bikini from an Asian shop and it arrived. Unfortunately the bottoms fitted and the top was mahoosive. Like, unwearable. So I contacted the shop and asked about their returns process. Helpfully, they said that it would be less hassle for all if they gave me a partial refund and I just kept the top that didn’t fit. So, I paid £6 for a bikini, got £3 back and spent another £6 on a second bikini in a smaller size so I could get a top that fit. I then listed the too-big top and the too-wee bottoms separately to sell on eBay for, yep, £3 each.

NO MONEY LOST.

And no postage costs in returning items either because I didn’t need to return them. This has happened to me a few times and it’s great when it does. It’s even happened when I have been dissatisfied with a product and have wanted to return it. I even received a full refund AND got to keep the item. I think it’s generally just so much hassle to send and receive items from overseas that companies are happy just to make you happy.

I have, however, been burned.

I bought a number of gorgeous dresses (our Kennedy Cupcake polka dot dresses to be precise) from an Asian eBay store. Weirdly, the dresses were MASSIVE (very uncommon) so I had been left with a size small and medium that could be worked with, but a large and XL that were unwearable and unalterable. I contacted the eBay shop and asked to return them (the dresses were around £20 each). Unfortunately the company’s return postage policy was so expensive (tracked to China was going to cost me £40) that it was simply not cost effective to return them. So either way I was out £40 whether I sent them back or not.

Great.

The company didn’t make this explicitly clear on their page and experience has taught me to ask about returns if buying something more expensive from an Asian online store in future.All’s well that ends well though as I managed to sell both dresses on to very happy people, for the price I bought them at.

The second time I (kinda) got burned was when I purchased from an Asian store called SheIn.

I LOVE SheIn. Like, really LOVE IT. The stuff is quite cheap, they have a great selection and actually the quality had been pretty decent so far. Their measurements are accurate about 70% of the time though, which has meant items have arrived that I would like to send back.

I done a quick Google search (“SheIn + returns) and found that many people were extremely dissatisfied with their returns efforts. SheIn  have a very swish online system where you can log your return before you pop it in the post, but many people had said that their items never arrived at the other end and that they were left with no item and no refund.

Pants.

Luckily I haven’t fallen victim to this and have just decided never to return to them. Anything I buy that doesn’t fit, can’t be altered or gets put on eBay or given/sold to a friend. I did buy a dress once that was so short my PANTS were visible, so I contacted them and told them their pictures were not accurate representations of the item. I also told them that I was reluctant to send it back to them because of the poor reviews I had heard. They apologised and gave me a full refund and a discount code for my next purchase. DONE. HOW NICE.

***TIP: Fancy a wee £ or ££ off your order with them? Add items to your SheIn basket then close your browser. I can guarantee within 24hours they will send you a discount code. It MAY say 30% off…it’s not. But it’s still a couple of quid off. ***

The moral of this story is basically to be wary. Do a quick search of the shop name and “scam” afterwards and see what comes up, or look up their eBay feedback. This will also highlight any fraud issues too. Read into their returns postage policy and confirm it with the seller. If you are not into their policy, be sure you really want what you are about to buy, or be prepared to buy two sizes.

Rule 4: Be Sensible

With any online shopping be wary of what you are buying. If something looks not quite right, it probably is. For example, I saw a gorgeous dress on SheIn and wanted to buy it...

Something about the photos was putting me off though. They were quite grainy and you couldn’t see the model’s face (it had been cropped). So what did I do? I put on my Mac, got out my pencil and went all Columbo up in their grill. I saved one of the photos and done a Google Images search (go to Google Images and click on the wee camera logo on the search bar…you can attach an image and search for other instances of THAT image on the web…also handy to find out if anyone is catfishing you online). Hey presto what did I find but that the photos had been lifted from ASOS. The ASOS dress (the brand was Chi Chi London) was much more expensive, which made me question whether the product listed on SheInside was going to actually be anything like the one pictured.

I decided against it in the end. If there is a lack of images or the images are poorly lit/too cropped/grainy or appear overly edited, so a quick search and see what comes up.

SheIn also has a helpful feature which encourages buyers to post photos of themselves wearing their items along with their own sizes and the size they bought in order to help people decide if they like the item or not. It helps you actually see what it is like on a real human being. They have also started featuring a “catwalk” for some of their items, meaning a video plays of a model wearing the item. I therefore tend not to order anything from She Inside now that doesn’t have a couple of photos next to it of regular folks who have bought the item. The reviews also allow people to state their dress size etc. and whether the item was true to size or not. HANDY.

Rule 5: Be Prepared to Wait

China is like, far away. Don’t know if you knew that, but it’s like, ages away. All of Asia is actually, so don’t order stuff and expect it to be here in a week, a fortnight or even a MONTH. eBay sellers tend to give an estimate of when an item will arrive and some online shops provide tracking information but not all do (SheIn do and it’s actually pretty good). If in doubt, check out the FAQs of a seller or contact them and ask their average delivery times to your country. I have often forgotten I have ordered stuff and been very surprised when it has arrived 7 weeks later.

I must say that She Inside tends to post quite quickly, and I have received items within 1 week in the past.

So, if you have scrolled past all of the above information in a bid to read some handy conclusions, here they are…

PROs:

 Cheap clothes

• Online shopping (can be done while in the bath)
• Some stores offer discounts
• Some stores offer customer reviews
• Some returns advantages (50% refund and let you keep the item)
•  

CONs:

 Delivery takes an age

• Quality can be a hit or a miss
• Returns can be extortionate and unreliable
• Detective work needed to suss out legit-ness (totes a word)
• We haven’t even STARTED to think about the potential ethical issues involved in some companies. As far as I know, SheIn are an ethically run organisation.
• ADDICTIVE
• People asking you where you got your cute top / jeans / coat. HOW. ANNOYING.

Thought I would share some photos of just some of my purchases from SheIn so far that I have been happy with. Now go buy yourself a tape measure and HAPPY SHOPPING!

Soup Bag, £12.62 SheIn

Red lace dress, £15.17 SheIn. I had it altered at the waits- was too big. 

Black & white Breton-style dress, £17.90 SheIn (had the dress altered at the waits, too large)

Dress £15.47, SheIn. I had the straps shortened 'cause I'm a shorty. 

Blue floral playsuit, £14.04 SheIn (was a perfect fit)

Two-piece set, £11.39 SheIn (was a perfect fit)

Top, £9.36 SheIn. Best buy by far. Looks and feels great, true to size and had many compliments on it. 

 You'll notice everything here is under £18. Natch.

:)

What A Weesse Wants. What A Weesse Needs.

 A new year encourages you to think of your hopes, dreams and aspirations for the next 12 months and possibly further. In early January, the year ahead to me feels like this long and winding road where life potentially could change entirely from beginning to end....and I guess in reality it could and often does and you make big plans to ensure that road is as exciting and interesting as it can possibly be. But in contrast,  I often feel in December that the year has passed me by. Sounds a bit negative and I don't mean it to. I'm a super busy person who I'm sure friends and family wouldn't label remotely lazy or unambitious....I do like to cram a fair amount in to a year it has to be said. But I always feel I've let myself down a bit at the end of the year, like I could've tried harder at life or let myself go a bit. There's some deep-down psychological shenanigans going on there for sure, eh?! My report cards at school would have NEVER read, "Lisa must try harder" and I guess once a swat, always a goody-two-shoes and so it may be that's why it's always 
'I could've done more or that I WILL do this year'...

 And something's gotta be done about making that so......

 In turn, I aim to list (as they come to mind and not in one fell swoop) and go about achieving any goals I set for myself this year, however small or large, monumental or seemingly insignificant. The phrase 'Life's too short. Buy the Shoes' springs to mind. I'm a bit of a procrastinator when it comes to treating myself. I see things I like and instantly begin to mull over the pros and cons of committing to a purchase, before making the final decision which I then in turn furthermore agonise over, regardless of whether it was a YAY or NAY. I think it stems from being self-employed and the uncertainty of the next pay cheque. I'm pretty sure I used to buy way more stuff for myself when I wasn't one's own boss....although I still agonised over the purchase just as much!!  Anywho, that aside, don't know about you but I continually see beauty products, fashiony bits and just random nice stuff that I rrrrreeeeally wanna try/buy but for some reason or other I just don't get round to. It would seem that in 2015 Weesse is gonna be that girl buying those shoes.....trying not stress about it afterwards!!

 I've made myself a lil' wish list of 'must have/try' bits 'n' bobs that, over the course of the year, I'll aim to road test or make a long-term investment in. Of course, I'll be adding & scoring off items as the year goes on but along the way I'll be sure to review & feature many items on here for your perusal. 

 I really want to invest in a decent pair of black heels/stilettos. There's those shoes we were just talking about! I feel that years of continually opting for cheaper weekend/going-out footwear (guilt-free shopping perhaps??) may becoming a thing of the past pour moi. I just don't get the longevity in terms of the quality and durability that I want and it's often false economy, as you end up having to repurchase more regularly, hence spending what you would have on one quality pair of shoes. I want a pair of black leather pointed-toe heels with very little detailing that will go with everything! First mission of 2015 I feel! I will chant the mantra that is 'Life's too short. Buy the shoes. Life's too short. Buy the shoes' as I go!!

 I literally boycotted books post-university for several years. I did an English Degree (and Spanish lit for a while too) and with devouring (at lightening-speed!) umpteen books a week for 4 years solid I just found that after graduating I had no real desire to make the time for reading at all. It had become a chore rather than a pleasure (despite enjoying my course and the literature immensely). I was well-read in more ways than one. There's well-read and then over cooked!  My interest was sparked once again a few years down the line but I found that I had no real stamina and never completed any books on a regular basis. 

 More recently though I've gotten back in to it. Nothing heavy. Just some light reads that for various reasons have taken my fancy and so thus far,  the book list for 2015 looks like this....and yes, I'm a little late to the party on these particular selections.... 

'Not That Kind of Girl' by Lena Dunham

  'It' by Alexa Chung

'How To Be Parisian'  by Anne Berest and Audrey Diwan

'Gone Girl' by Gillian Flynn

This list ain't a 'New Year Resolutions' list but more a 'Let's Get Sh*t Done in 2015' affair. There's already a few things I'm thinking I'd like to try/achieve/keep doing/be better at and I better start now as I'm confident that each month the list will have many additions. 

Sing More

Generally in everyday life but also performing. Singing with others too (again in everyday life would be nice!)

Try New Things

Whether it be food, restaurants, activities, clothing styles, ways of walking downstairs....Anything new I wanna be down on the list for!

Don't Worry. Be Happy.

Emphasis on the 'worry' part and definitely the 'don't' of that. I'm a wee stress-head worry-wart and although I'm chillin'-out a little more in my old age, I think there's still room for improvement in the Worrying vs Not stakes.

 For instance, I no longer worry if the plug is out of the socket.....not now that I just take a photo of it before I leave the house. Winning life right there peeps! 

Become a Successful Blogger

And you my friends hold the key! 

Read, like, share, comment and Tweet! The more the merrier to this one thanks. I'm finding this blogging malarkey  really good fun and actually super relaxing. It's a nice way to take stock and reflect on certain aspects of your life and after also giving up writing (other than appointments in my diary) after uni, it's lovely to be putting pen to paper once again (well finger to keyboard to be exact....but you knew what I meant!). Good for the soul this stuff! 

That'll do for now me thinks. 

Gives you lot the time to go away and make that last one a reality! That way I can tick it off the list, you know?! 

Right off you go.... Share, Tweet, Like away my friends! 

Over and out 

W x