Hello my dear readers!
As those of you who follow me on twitter or are facebook friends of mine already know, I'm currently super busy studying for my final exam. It was postponed by a few days, so I'm glad I have some extra time now, but still, it's very stressful so I don't have a lot to blog about.
But a while ago I ordered from DressLink. Enticed by the review of lovely Arina about this China-based online store, I quickly decided to give it a try and order some clothes for summer. As mentioned before, I was specifically looking for something that I could wear to my brother's wedding in August, so I was mainly looking for dresses that would fit the occasion. So I took the opportunity to make a study break and write this review about my order!
Before I start the detailed review, a few words about DressLink. Their online shop is really huge but easy to navigate. They offer various different shipment methods, and a good guide on how to find the best one for your country and needs.
The prices are ridiculously cheap, there's no arguing about that, and the shipping costs are not too high either. If you sign up, you get a 20% discount voucher that you can use for your next order! The stuff I ordered was roughly USD 80,- but with the voucher I only payed $ 65,- plus $ 25,- for shipping with FedEx. At the checkout, you can choose a shipping method, and for some reason FedEx shipping was cheaper than China mail, so I chose that.
I placed my order on 18th May, and it was packed and sent on 23rd. Tracking with FedEx worked just fine, DressLink even sends you an E-Mail a kind of tracking widget so you don't need to check the FedEx site, you only have to look at the mail. The package arrived today, 28th May, and I had to pay roughly € 13,- import tax, so in contrast to DHL, they didn't mess up anything at the customs :)
Now to the products I ordered! (Warning, picture heavy!)
The stuff arrived in a big cardboard box. Everything was neatly packed within, there was really no space wasted. The shoes came in separate boxes and were wrapped in foil within the box, to avoid rubbing off or damaging each other. All other stuff came in plastic bags of reasonable size, so you won't be left with a giant pile of trash after unpacking.
I ordered three pairs of shoes, three dresses and some miscellaneous items. Here's my impression. Simply click on the name of the item to get to the corresponding dresslink.com page.
1. Bowknot stiletto high heels
First impression: They look pretty much the way I expected them to be. The color of the bow and strap are somewhat peach-y, like a slighlty orange-ish pink. I ordered them because my boyfriend liked them so much :) I usually don't like the color beige, but the color combination here convinced me that it can look okay XD
The quality is okay. I did not expect too much for $ 11.10, so the little details that are off (like the cap of the stiletto heel) don't bother me too much. Otherwise the shoe seems overall well crafted. The insole fits the shoe quite well and the seams on the outside are (glued) clean.
What I found quite peculiar about the shoes was the closing mechanism of the strap! At first I was so baffled I didn't know how to close because I'd never seen anything like that on a shoe, but it's actually super simple and very practical :3 Now it's not necessary to use the buckle, which often damages the strap.
I couldn't get very good worn pictures of them, but I don't think it really matters with shoes anyway. I do think they are a little small, but it's manageable. They're easy to walk in, the "angle" of the heel is quite nice. I haven't worn them very long though, but I plan to wear them to the cinema or something soon, so I can test how comfortable they are when worn longer.
Overall, I like them, Though I am not sure if they will hurt when I wear them for a prolonged period of time. However, I think ordering them a size larger would not have solved the problem, as the fitting around the heel and in the front is perfect, and size 38 shoes are sometimes to high/wide for my feet. So if you want to order these, I recommend you take your true size, if you have a size "in between", take the larger one.
Huh. So I ordered these because I thought they could go well with Sweet Lolita. I actually asked on Dunkelsüß if people think it's "loli-able". I think they're really cute, but I wasn't sure if the color would fit the pink on my other Sweet stuff, but it turns out this isn't the biggest problem of these shoes...
When I unpacked them, first thing I noticed was the smell. Not just artificial leather but glue and chemicals and whatnot - just overall unpleasant. But nothing a good time at fresh air couldn't get rid of. The color is a slightly orange, dark pink. They appear somewhat more flat than in some of the website's photos imo, but I think that's because a lot of their pics are shopped to hell and back.
The details are really cute! The buckle has the same closing system as the shoes before and is decorated with this little charm. The strap can be moved to whichever position one wants to, however, the bow is fixed - which wouldn't be a problem if one of the bows wasn't around twice as far from the buckle as the other. =/
The craftsmanship is... meh. To be honest, compared to the other shoe, which was actually cheaper, these look a lot worse. For $ 15.60 this shoe comes with a ill-fitted insole, sloppily glued together parts and the mismatched bows. But then again - I don't expect high level quality for 15 bucks.
What I do find to be a problem with these shoes, however, is their site. They actually don't fit. At all. I can squeeze my feet in, but I'm quite sure I won't be able to walk more than maybe 10m with them. I ordered 37 again, because I trusted the cm measurement. I was surprised at first that they don't list the sizes in cm as this is, as far as I know, more common in Asia. To make sure I ordered the right size, I looked up their shoe sizing chart to know which size they recommend for 23.5cm/235mm. I ended up ordering 37 and thought that it should match my cm measurement, but these shoes are definitely too small. I measured them myself with measuring tape, and while not very precise I'd say they're probably 225mm, 230mm max. I was seriously disappointed :(
It's a pity, because all in all I think they are supter cute. The color somewhat matches my Sweet Lolita skirt, even if it's not exactly the same it would work. I'm not sure what to do with them now. Maybe I'll try to sell them on Dunkelsüß :(
Ahh my dream shoes! I loved everything about them from the beginning :) I really like wedge soles because they're super comfortable to wear. Also, the material (what's the name of this short, velvet-like material?) makes them look quite elegant, despite the cork sole.
Love on first sight! They look pretty much the same as on the pictures. However, they are also quite small. It's still okay, as they are "open", but with sandals I'm always worried it will look funny when my toes are sticking out (I don't really like open shoes in general to be honest, but sometimes in summer it looks better to certain clothes...).
The quality is pretty much okay. There are some seams which look less well-done than others, but overall, they're neat. Except for...
After test-walking for like 3 minutes, one of the straps just ripped - or actually rather... disintegrated. Looks like the seam was badly done, so the two parts of the strap just came apart. I think I can fix it easily, either myself or at my favorite cobbler, how can fix anything from shoe soles to zippers and handbags, but still, it's annoying =/
Couldn't get any better worn pictures, sorry :( But it's kinda awkward to take photos of your own feet XD Anyway, what do you think? Do they look much too small or is it still okay? I mean, you can see that they're not perfectly sized for me, but in this case, I am sure that one size bigger would be too big for me, as these are already pretty loose at the front =/ They are rather comfy to walk with, but I haven't tested them over a longer period of time yet.
However, they came with a bonus: the most ridiculously deep profile I've ever seen on shoes like this XD It's actually pretty cool though. I also like how it looks like little teeth from the side, hehe. Overall, I really like these. I just have to fix the strap somehow. I do wonder if they will look awkward though, as they are a bit too small (measured again, it's maybe 230mm but definitely not 235mm). If you want to buy these shoes, and have rather wide feet or ankles, rather buy them a size bigger to make sure they fit you.
4. Miscellaneous Stuff
I was looking through their shop to find some small stuff to order along with the clothes and ended up buying to belts and two clip-in ponytails.
The black one can be found here and the one with the chiffon flowers is this one. The latter is still somewhat squashed from the transport so it doesn't really look like on the website.
I have a worn picture with it below with one of the dresses!
The black corset belt is just perfect. I grew to love these kinds of belts more and more, as I have a rather small upper body, so quite often dresses with baby doll or similar cuts will look really unflattering on me - but with the help of such a belt that's no problem anymore. It fits really well and is also very comfortable. The Velcro tape makes it easy to close while being still soft in the back - a great advantage over a similar belt I have, that closes with buttons in the back which can actually be quite painful, e.g. when leaning on a chair. Nothing to add here, for $ 1.50 and $ 1.58 respectively, there's really nothing you can do wrong with these.
I also found something I wanted to order from ebay - before I found it on dresslink, for a fraction of the price. For $ 5.90 I got two clip in pony tails.
They look really lovely - silky soft and shiny without looking "fake". The closing mechanism works nicely, but I only unpacked and tried them out once very briefly, becauseit turns out that unfortunately "black" is not always "jet black", as in this case, it's more of a very dark brown.
Here you see the color in comparison to my own hair color :( Unfortunately, the difference is just too big to overlook it. Especially in summer my hair really does shine more blue-ish and the brown locks just don't blend in at all. I ordered them mainly because my own hair is curling-resistant, but it's really no use if the color is that much different. I will try to exchange them for midnight blue/blue-black ones on Dunkelsüß, I hope I'll find someone who's willing to swap!
5. Flower pattern chiffon dress: "The nightgown"
I was sooo not sure if I'd like it in real life (because real life is a cruel bitch and I don't have photoshopped-perfect 1m-long legs like the model on the website does). Also, it's beige, and as mentioned before I actually hate beige! Even now I think it would look sooo much better in offwhite or cream, haha. But still.... I like it a lot!
Had to censor my face because I look really grungy at the moment because of all the studying, sorry ^^"
I ordered size M, mainly because of the bust measurement, but at the waist it's a big too large. But it's nothing a belt couldn't fix :D
I like it even better with the belt! Together with the shoes and a brown wig (which I'll probably get soon) I think I'll put together a gyaru/hime-gyaru inspired look soon!
I was honestly surprised at how short it turned out to be .__. My legs are so untrained at the moment >_< But I'll work on it so I can wear the dress with more confidence, haha!
I wasn't sure if I would like the pattern and the "structure" of the cloth in real life, but it turns out it's really subtle. The used materials seem of good quality and all seems appeared to be well-sewn.
Detail on the collar
The dress is an upper dress made of chiffon with print, and below that is a layer of fake-silk. It feels really good on the skin and doesn't get too hot like some kinds of polyester. It's very comfortable and beautiful, and I'm looking forward to wearing it soon!
6. Long floral sundress
I couldn't decide on either the pink or black colorway, and the feedback from others was mixed as well, so I ended up ordering both. For $ 10.60 each, I guess it's manageable.
Okay, the shoes are questionable in this context but the dress is just..... I love it! It fits perfectly, I love the pattern and the colors and it doesn't make me look like a stump :D I haven't worn long dresses in... I don't even know, which means like forever! Because I always thought as a small person with rather short legs I can't really afford it because it will make me look even smaller and stumpy. But I think this dress is really flattering :)
And I can't even say which colorway I like better. I'm just super happy that I bought both!
I'll show you some more details from the light print, simply because it's easier to take photos, but I assure you the black one is equally beautiful!
The photo doesn't do the print any justice, in reality the main color is a very soft pink, in German we'd probably call it "Puderrosa", "powder pink".
There are only two problems with the dress. First, they added these padded cups to the front, which gives the bust part its shape and makes it less see-through. While I appreciate the idea, I just wish they would have sewn them in instead of just putting the pads in between two layers of cloth. They're all wonky and weird and moving all the time, as you can see on the photos where I wear the dresses. Also, it always kinda looks like you're wearing a super obvious, shiny white bra underneath. Couldn't they have used skin colored pads? :( Not sure what I'll do about that.... It's even worse with the black colorway, because here the pads are white too!!
Tell me, did you notice it too on the photos before you read this, or is it just me? XD
Tell me, did you notice it too on the photos before you read this, or is it just me? XD
Second problem: the shirring. It has a shirring on the front and backside, so I suppose the "one size" should fit a lot of people. But the shirring doesn't come together, as they are positioned differently >__<
Again, for me this is a problem as my waist/upper body are the slimmest parts of my body and I don't wanna have bulky amounts of cloth that hang around unflattering there! It's more noticeable on the pink one, though. I guess I'll wear these dresses with belts too, unless it's really hot.
Again, for me this is a problem as my waist/upper body are the slimmest parts of my body and I don't wanna have bulky amounts of cloth that hang around unflattering there! It's more noticeable on the pink one, though. I guess I'll wear these dresses with belts too, unless it's really hot.
Overall impression: I LOVE IT. Them. Whatever. Anyway, I really really like these dresses and I think they are elegant enough to be worn to a wedding in summer, don't you?
So finally this is the end of my review :) Thanks for reading, if you have any questions regarding the items, just leave a comment!
And if you're interested in the pink shoes or dark brown ponytails, let me know!
