Lovely clothes, unreliable sizes - even among two of the same garment
I wasn’t sure what to expect from Dresslily. I believe they’re a Chinese brand, and as a 5’9” girl who wears a U.K. 14 on a good day, Chinese clothing is hit-or-miss for me. The dress I ordered was £17.06, which is a lot of money for me, so I was a little concerned, but I took a chance. And I loved the dress! It was so much better than I expected. The fabric was good-quality, it was put together well, and it was actually a little bit big (I was expecting it to be small). I loved it so much I ordered the same dress in three other colours, for my mom to give me for Christmas, after the price went down to £10.67. My dresses arrived well before Christmas (super-fast postage!) and...they’re not the same. Oh, they’re the same pattern, and two out of three are *supposedly* the same size (the last one I bought in a size down, as the size I wanted was sold out) - except they’re not the same size. All three are at least two inches shorter than the original one, too short to wear unless I add a lace panel to the hem, and all are considerably tighter. I can fit into them, but it’s a bit shocking how much difference there is. If I lay them on the bed, one on top of the other, the first one I bought is about an inch and a half wider than the newer ones. (And I only wore it once for an hour or so, so it’s not like it’s stretched.) The non-adjustable straps are also about an inch shorter on the newer ones. So I’m not really sure how to rate this company. Clearly I got lucky on the first purchase. They’re lovely dresses, and the quality is good, and I will be able to wear them once I’ve had my seamstress add another ruffle to the bottom so I’m not flashing my panties. But the variation in sizes, amongst garments that are supposed to be the same size and style (literally the only thing different should be the colours) has made me somewhat hesitant to buy from this company again. Edit Sept 2020: Well, I did buy from them again, several times. First: a winter dress, then two more that were almost identical. The first one I bought in a 2XL, and was a bit too big, so I went down to an XL for the next two. One arrived, and was very small on me, and the waist was perhaps two inches higher than I expected. The difference between an XL and a 2XL in these nearly-identical dresses is about 2.5 inches in the waist and bust. The third dress never arrived. I emailed them and they kept suggesting I wait to see if they get it back in stock. Six months later I finally got a refund (store credit). (Three months after THAT, it is still showing on their website as in stock.) With my store credit, I bought two bathing suits. They’re both wonderful, and I have no issues with them. Since then, I’ve bought another dress (fine) and a skirt (hasn’t arrived yet). I still have no idea how to rate this company. Their sizing issue is a true problem - while I expect Chinese sizes to be different to EU and US sizes, I also expect them to be somewhat similar across the store, and certainly within identical garments, and they’re not. And their prices have gone up significantly this year - an average dress is now £20-25 (not on sale), which is steep for the quality and materials they use. Other comparable Chinese stores (SHEIN, for instance) are considerably cheaper for similar quality. Still, I’ve been happy enough with the sale items I’ve bought from Dresslily, and will probably continue to take a chance when I see dresses I particularly like the style of. Their dresses are particularly cute (since living in China I’ve really taken to the girly fashions) and I haven’t seen anything similar anywhere. Since I can’t count on the sizing, I expect I’ll size up on everything, just to be safe. My seamstress will be happy for the business, in any case. Edit 9/9/2020: Oh, Dresslily, what are we going to do with you? My Halloween skirt arrived. I usually wear an XL, occasionally a 2XL if I want something baggy (in Dresslily sizes, not other store sizes). I ordered the 3XL, figuring I’d probably need to take it in, but it would be safer to get the bigger size so I wouldn’t have to order something else in time for Halloween. I can barely get it on. I think I’m going to have to give up on you, for a while, and I certainly have to reduce my rating to 3 stars. Fully half the clothing I’ve ordered now has been loopy in sizes - identical dresses being an inch different at the waist and in length, one size difference making a 2-2.5 inch difference, and now a 3XL that’s smaller than their usual 1XL. I can’t keep wasting my money, and I’m sad, because I love your styles. But the inconsistency is driving me mad. I absolutely expect East Asian brands to size smaller than European, but I also expect them to be consistent, and Dresslily is not. Not even close.