Romwe Review: Studded Anamolous Top

I have never bought anything from Chinese based websites before, because returns just seem to be a bit more daunting. Many bloggers I know purchase from several websites like Romwe or Sheinside and the quality seems to be fine from what I read. So what made me take the plunge was a top I saw Karen Cheng wearing this.

I went to the link and I got to see all the lovely details more clearly. You will have to click on Karen's website to see the link so that she gets all the shopping credits - I don't do anything like that yet on my blog so I would like her to earn something from it if you decide to buy since she introduced it. So yeah, I don't get anything from reviewing this purchase either but I hope it helps someone who is thinking of buying something from them. I had to go through many blogs but no one really writes in detail about what their purchase experiences are like. They just say that the product is nice which is not really enough for a cautious shopper like me.

I sat on it for several weeks before caving in. I have been looking at some peplum style tops but never taken the plunge to get anything because I have been trying to sew my own. (Tutorial to come soon!) This one had the extras - the hem was shorter in front and longer at the back; also the shoulders had these rockstar studs which I liked. I signed up with Romwe and they give you a code for being a first time buyer. You get 20% off, which is generous. The good thing about this website is that they assure you that you have 365 days to make a return but the downside is that you foot the cost to return it to China. I do not know how much it costs to return something to China but I can imagine it will be quite expensive.

With some trepidation, I bought it with the knowledge that I might be saddled with something too big or ill fitting. It took me 2 weeks to receive my order and you get a tracking number to see where it is. That helps!

There was a noticeable smell when I first opened the package. I had to wash it immediately because it really smelled of chemicals. I hand washed it because the fabric was very thin. I was hoping that it would be thicker than T-shirt material but it was more like a sheer knit. I would not put this in the machine to wash in order to retain its shape. The sewing was good and because it is a stretch fabric, it fit me well. I am glad to say that I will not be returning this top! It has made me more confident in buying from this website in the future and if I ever need to return something, I will write about it too.

I am wearing it with a pair of skinny pants I bought while I was in Singapore $18.  The Nine West leather handbag was a $4 steal from a thrift store.

Front view

Back - it covers your backside in a discreet manner! 

And my Nine West Shoes, which I thrifted for $2!

I wore this to the Motor Vehicle Agency to obtain my driver's license since mine was stolen in Malaysia. I usually dress up when I go take pictures for the license but I felt extremely LOUD in a sea of denims and neutrals today. I was kind of embarrassed to say the least but pretended not to care since it was too late to back down!

Hope you all have a nice weekend!

Meeting Mongs and Thrifting In Singapore

This post is long overdue but when I was in Singapore, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet with Mongs, who is the author of the very cool blog, My Thrifty Closet. I was really excited because I have never called someone I didn't know out of the blue to arrange to go out, thrifting no less! It was kind of like a blind date, only with less tension and more fun!

She wore an adorable outfit at our meeting - doesn't she just rock of retro? Here, Mongs picked up that striped tank top next to her. We went to the MINDS Thrift Store and if you can see in the picture, there is a person with a lime green shirt on. The funds go directly to support the people in these shirts, they are with disabilities like Downs Syndrome and they work as staff at these stores. I was told this by the manager and she said there were four MINDS branches in Singapore. I later went to another branch in Redhill (this one was in Queenstown) and they are all very clean, well sorted, and in air conditioned shops. So if you are ever in Singapore, look it up!

 

The great thing about thrift stores in Singapore are the sizes of clothes. They are more appropriate to Asian fitting and I had no trouble finding a lot of pieces I liked. The prices were reasonable, I picked up a white G2000 (local brand equivalent to Banana Republic) wool sweater for SG$4.00 (about the same in US dollars at that time of conversion) There was a grey skirt that had an interesting detail on it, so I bought it - for SG$1.00!

I saw a pair of mint Prada shoes for $80 but it was not in my size. C'est la vie! 

Later, Mongs took me to a huge thrift store which is called Hi Thrift and this was a really interesting place. It was situated next to a huge badminton indoor hall and everything was in chaos. There were tons and tons of stuff ranging from electronics to furniture. You had to dig through stuff to find your size. The price for all pieces of clothing was SG$2.00 and if you buy a lot, you get a discount. The proceeds go to ex-drug addicts to help them re-establish their lives again.

I wanted a Chinese Cheong Sam but as it is worn for more formal events, I did not want to buy a new one so I was thrilled to find this one for SG$1.00.

A white lace dress from Hi Thrift

 I showed this to my mother and she was like "What on earth??" I kind of thought that too, after I had bought it but it was so different, so thick, like upholstery fabric. It was only SG$1.00 anyway so if I get too many weird looks on the street, I will donate it. That is the beauty of thrifting because I try new styles I would not normally wear because of the money spent and regretted later.

 

I really enjoyed myself at the second store, even though I get impatient when things are not well arranged. I was really surprised to see American brands like Ann Taylor and Tory Burch. My find of the day was a pair of Tory Burch sequined flats for $2.00 but they were on the small side. Did I care? No, I was just blinded by the fact that they were $2 and TORY BURCH.  I carried these shoes all the way home to America with me and wore them once. They hurt like hell because they were too tight so now I have to donate them to the thrift store. 

Sadly, we only had about 3 hours together. Mongs is as sweet as she is in person, like her blog. I planned on going back to meet with her again but did not get the chance during the second trip to Singapore. It is great how blogging opens up friendships across borders and we connected so quickly because we both shared a passion for loving thrift stores and being crafty. Hope to meet you again someday, Mongs! God bless you and your family!