People seem to be wired to like fast things; fast food, fast cars, fast internet. But how much do we love fast fashion? For the masses it’s great, think Supre, Ally, Kmart. But what about for us plus size ladies? Many of these ‘fast fashion’ outlets simply don’t cater above a ‘size 14’ (which really is usually small size 12), leaving us curvier ladies spending the big bucks when it comes to trends and themes. Luckily, the online market is on our side with many ‘fast fashion’ companies expanding their range to cater for curve sizes.

Before starting this blog I was always uncertain about ordering online at all! My biggest concern was because of sizing and the inability to try items, but luckily (with the rise of online shopping) many companies now have very simple returns processes that means I can do ALL the online shopping I want! However I still do tend to stick to major retailers and plus specific brands, which can be rather costly. A company that is now catering both for curvy sizes and to satisfy our need for fast fashion (and is relatively inexpensive), is SHEIN. I had seen a few other plus and inbetweenie bloggers wearing SHEIN before, and had always been curious as to the sizes/quality/was this too good to be true? So when they offered to send me a few items to try, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to test it all out.

I spent a lot of time on the SHEIN website trying to pick my 2 items, it definitely helps if you know what you are looking for, otherwise you could get lost in there! For example, I knew I wanted to stick with dresses so I just stuck to that section. Being my first time with SHEIN, I also wanted to stick to styles that I knew would be ‘safe’ and relatively flattering on my body shape, so things with a fuller skirt and not too short (just to avoid that dreaded ‘way too short’ moment). I ended up choosing the Layered Bardot Dress and the Lantern Sleeve Dress, and stuck to the on-trend red/wine colour theme for autumn. My biggest recommendation for shopping with SHEIN is to STICK TO THE SIZE GUIDE!

Every item has a different size measurement, so I did find that in some styles I would be a 1XL, some a 3XL, some a 5XL ( I’m cutting those tags straight off, I don’t need that silly mentality in my head). So number one rule, check the size guide for every item you buy. I sized up slightly, just to be extra safe (particularly with a wrap dress) and ended up in a 3XL in both of these dresses. I received my parcels relatively quickly (within 10 working days), and have to admit I was quite impressed with the style, quality, and accuracy to the image in the dresses I received. Remembering , this is fast fashion which is reflected in both the price and quality, so sure they may not last as long as some other pieces in my wardrobe, but overall, I was impressed!

 

I absolutely love the colour of this Layered Bardot Dress and feel like it is a perfect autumn addition to my wardrobe. The elastic waist means you can wear it comfortably any where you want, I pulled it up slightly higher on my waist so the top would have over a little bit. In all honesty, I felt like a gypsy, and it satisfied all my nostalgic ‘Hunchback of Notredam’ Disney vibes. The bottom of the sleeves were elasticised too, I had them pulled up at my elbow (on this particularly warm Brisbane day), but you can wear it full length to the wrist. The fills, the tassels, I am definitely digging this style.

The Lantern Sleeve Dress has these gorgeous detailed sleeves, and I adore the frill around the bottom. I was a little weary of it being a wrap style (and not covering my chest properly), so I sized up. I’m definitely glad I did, and I will admit I did still have a few issues with how it sat across my chest. For wearing out I will probably pin the inner side across more, to keep the girls in. But overall, I feel like this dress was another win that I can wear to so many events! It also comes in a really fab blue/bird combo print that I’m obsessed with( I found out after I’d placed my order).

Have you tried SHEIN or any other fast fashion outlets? I think I’ll definitely be sharing more SHEIN with you, and keeping my eye out for those one season pieces that I just need to have. The price is affordable, and I was impressed with the fit and the quality for what you’re paying. If you want to give it a go to, you can use my discount code PRET20 for a 20% discount (off all original priced plus size orders over $59).

Till next time,