Should You Buy Plus Size Products On Chinese Websites? That, my friends, is the question. If you’re like me, then you know the perils of shopping online for plus size clothing. Especially when you first shop with a brand, you really don’t know what you’re gonna get. I’ve been working with Zaful for a while now and I love working with them.
The thing is that most of my Zaful purchases have been for accessories or beauty items. One of the reasons for that is that only quite recently they added a plus size section, and another of the reasons is because you want to avoid that moment of panic when you buy clothes that just don’t fit.
After much deliberation I decided to buy a few items from the Zaful plus size section. Inspired by my Greenery Wishlist, where I shared picks from the Pantone colour of the year, I opted for a couple of very different green items that caught my eye. There were some lovely and adventurous pieces on the site that I loved. Being cautious I wanted to keep it simple and on this occasion decided to trial a dress and a top.
Should You Buy Plus Size Products On Chinese Websites?
Plus Size Crochet Trim Tunic Top
The first item I selected was this crochet tunic top. I thought the emerald green shade was gorgeous, and the crochet detail was stunning as well. It’s quite a simple and casual top and I thought that pairing it with some jeans and boots would work. The material is light enough that even some shorts and sandals would make it bang on for summer. Sadly, the top didn’t fit! I ordered a size 5XL to compare it against the other garment I was going to order. The 5XL size ended up being a US size 20/UK size 22 which is not enough fabric to give me the fit that I want and need.
It’s a bit disconcerting that their XL is a US size 10/UK size 12! I suppose that should be obvious when shopping from Asian retailers, but a las I was quite disappointed that the top didn’t fit properly and was too short and too tight. The top had no stretch, and that’s another major factor to take into consideration when shopping for plus size clothes online. Always look at the material details on the website to avoid the disappointment of having to send it back.
Plus Size Lace Up Flare Sleeves Dress
The next item I selected was this gorgeous lace up flare sleeve dress. It may not look like much in the stock photo above, but if you click the link you can see how lovely the dress is. It has a slight high/low style with a little more fabric on the back. The sleeves have quite a flare and look gorgeous and flowy. I wore this dress to a concert a couple of months ago and if you’ve seen the Instagram photo of the night I actually wore it front to back! The back has a lace up thing going on and I decided it would look more night time appropriate if worn in the front – nothing wrong with showing a little skin I say.
The dress is currently out of stock so I can’t pop a look at the sizing details, but I also picked out the dress in the same size as the top – 5XL. In complete contrast to the top the dress is actually a much bigger size than expected! The looser fit is in fitting with the style of the dress, but it really goes to show how big the discrepancy can be between garments. The dress has lots of stretch, but it just doesn’t seem to match the sizing in my book.
So, what’s the verdict? Will I keep shopping online for PS clothing? Mmm, maybe. I much prefer to pick out the garments suss them out myself ordinarily, but I do think that because of the affordability factor and because a lot of the fashions tend to be fast fashion that they are worth a consideration. If all else fails, you can get some great accessories and beauty items from these Chinese shops.
What’s your take on Chinese shops? I also really want to know what my fellow PS bloggers think!
