DressLink Haul, Review & Shopping Tips

a few weeks ago dresslink.com got in touch with me and asked if i could check out their website to see if i liked anything. they offered some store credit and i immediately jumped on the opportunity, in case it turned out to be The Best Find Ever — something i’d want to share with you guys, because shopping discoveries are best shared with friends, ya know?

in the video above you’ll see my mini haul (6 items total) and my general thoughts on the website. which item is your favorite?

PRODUCTS FEATURED:

– sleeveless midi dress {navy}, $8.54
– pizza print “no drama” t-shirt, $7.38
– hot air balloon necklace, $1.94
– velvet hair bow {purple}, $1.52
– 8-pc make-up brush set {rose golden}, $5.67
– 120-pc nail art stud set, $1.86

 

below i have also put together a mini shopping guide to help you get the best possible experience on DressLink (and other similar webstores). it can be quite hit or miss with these china-based portals and it’s best to arm yourself with apt knowledge and precautions so you don’t end up in total regret.

 

1. TAKE YOUR TIME ON THE WEBSITE

it’s easy to get carried away shopping on websites like DressLink, where everything is cheap and outrageously awesome on the surface. but it’s important to take your time while browsing and not just impulsively add items to your cart. check [and double check] as many items as you can, do plenty of research, and be more discerning so you don’t end up completely disappointed in the end. i promise it will be worth it!

 

2. CHECK ACTUAL PRODUCT SHOTS

this is CRUCIAL. i find that product listings that do not include actual product photos almost always feature items that look nothing like the photographs. if you like a dress, for example, that is only pictured on a model (no extra pics with it on a hanger or laid out on a flat surface), it will likely be in a different length, color, print or overall shape in person.

case in point: i was drawn to this black midi skirt that looked so lush and amazingly structured on the model. upon close inspection of the actual product photos, i realized it was wade of an entirely different fabric, one that fell more softly & loosely. it wasn’t terrible per se, but it also wasn’t what i wanted, so i just skipped it.

you may not mind the quality disparity in certain instances, but it can still make or break your whole shopping experience. trust me, i speak from experience.

 

3. REFER TO SIZING DETAILS

asian sizing can be tricky and inconsistent, especially on websites like DressLink (general rule: asian sizing is smaller than american). the best you can do is rely on actual measurements provided in the listings, which i find to be pretty accurate for the most part. they’re at least better than figuring out what their version of S/M/L is, anyway.

 

4. READ COMMENTS SECTION FOR REVIEWS

when in doubt, trust the opinions of people who have purchased the products. they may not be always 100% reliable, but they are usually abundant and can give you an idea on everything from quality to color accuracy, as well as size comparisons and other useful input. product reviews helped me a lot, especially when i was trying to decide on the nail stud set (they seemed too good to be true initially, but the reviews were encouraging and turned out to be accurate).

 

5. LOWER YOUR EXPECTATIONS

this probably sounds ridiculous and/or completely off-putting, but what can i say? i think it’s silly to buy items within the $2-$10 price range and expect them to be of absolute stellar, impeccable quality ALL THE TIME. i’m not saying everything on the website it total crap (these shopping tips will help you avoid those anyway), but it’s better to be pleasantly surprised than horribly disappointed, yes?

 

these are fairly minor quidelines for shopping but i really find them to be helpful. if you have any more questions do let me know in the comments below!