If you go on Youtube and look up “SHEIN” or “Zaful” you’ll see hundreds of videos reviewing Asian fast fashion sites. Depending on who you talk to there is an entire spectrum of opinion. Today I’m going to be giving you a review of the sites, as well as tips for ordering from them. For the sake of this article, I’ll be using SHEIN as the example, but both sites are very similar so feel free to apply to info to Zaful as well.
SHEIN Shopping Tips & Review
My experience with them: Over the past 2 years, I’ve received clothes from both brands (free) as well as purchased some with my own money. I’ve ordered everything from shoes to jeans to hats.
An important note before we start: this isn’t sponsored. I’ve received a lot of questions about this topic and have determined that it would make a good article.
Today we’re going to break it down into a few categories:
- Sizing
- Quality
- Ordering & Shipping
- General Review
SIZING
| You can find the coat I’m wearing above, it is still in stock and on sale for $28. |
As you probably know, I’m a 5’3 petite blogger. Typically when I shop, I order an XS or S. One of the biggest complaints I’ve heard is that sizing caters to those that are petite. While I’ve never had a problem, I would say that the site definitely caters to those on the smaller size. The good news? I just noticed that they added a plus size section to the site.
I’d also note that bottoms can be a little harder to shop for (I’ve had my fair share of too big/ too small skirts and pants). For the most part, I would stick to swimsuits, dresses, sweaters, coats.. basically everything except bottoms.
Pro Tips:
- Look at the “Size & Fit” section on the right hand side. Each item’s size can vary in fit and look at that section has saved me on numerous occasions.
- Read the reviews. If the item you’re interested in ordering has reviews, when you scroll down you can see what people rate the sizing as. This is also important for quality which we will get into next.
- “One Size” is really petite only. A couple of items like the coat I’m wearing above are a “one size” item. I would say that in reality that means small – medium.
- If it doesn’t look good on the model, skip it! My rule of thumb is, if it doesn’t look amazing on the model, I don’t buy it.
QUALITY
| The Chanel-inspired dress I’m wearing above is still in stock and on sale for $19 |
The dress I’m wearing above is probably one of the best items I’ve ever received from SHEIN. That being said, quality may vary of items which is why you need to check on a couple of things:
- The Reviews. When I first started ordering from the site, if something didn’t have a review, I wouldn’t order it. Nowadays, I do break that rule if I’ve studied an item enough and decide that it won’t be a huge loss if the quality isn’t great.
Pro Tips:
- I have never had a disappointing shoe. I’ve ordered 4 pairs of shoes from SHEIN, and all have been amazing quality and fit true to size.
- Really study the image and materials. Zoom in on the items you’re considering buying. Some items just look expensive, and others are borderline questionable.
- Jeans are hit or miss. Their denim items feel more like cotton than denim in my experience. Quality is fine for the price, but don’t expect True Religion quality for Goodwill prices.
SHIPPING & ORDERING
| My jeans are still available, on sale for $22 |
The most commonly asked question I get is “when will my items arrive?” I’m going to be honest and say that their shipping times are totally unreliable. I’ve had items arrive in 4 days, 2 weeks, a month. To be fair… the items are coming from China. That being said:
If you need the clothing for a specific event, or time period, order ASAP.
For example, I ordered most of my clothes from my Kauai summer vacay on the Shein website. I ordered my clothing about a month and a half in advance. Everything arrived within 2 weeks, but it’s better to hold on to everything that having it arrive after you leave.
Regarding placing an order: It seems like every week there’s a different deal on the site. Spend X amount and get free expedited shipping or buy 1 get 1 free. If you’re not in a rush, I would try to catch one of those deals!
GENERAL REVIEW
| Specific shirt is out of stock, find a similar version here on sale for $13. |
Would I recommend shopping these sites? Yes, if you follow my advice above. Is the quality that of Nordstrom, Bloomingdales and other high end retails? Most likely not, but sometimes yes. I’m interested to hear about your questions and experiences!
Super helpful! And have also had a pretty good experience with Shein. Thanks for recommending it to me 🙂
You are so fashionable girl! I gotta look you up on Instagram now haha.
Great post!
Thanks Allison!! You’re so sweet 🙂