Read this before buying custom clothing on Taobao.

 

Buying clothing on Taobao as a non Chinese-speaker can be daunting. Even if you're using a Taobao agent to purchase, a lot can go wrong (please read our article on How to Buy On Taobao if you need some tips).

Aside from gathering the measurements of the garment for you, agents won't be willing to do much to make sure that the item you are buying will 1) fit and 2) look exactly as shown! It's really a buy-at-your-own-risk situation.

Therefore, here are some things to consider and do before buying custom clothing on Taobao. I will use this custom gown I got from Taobao as our example purchase...

1. At best, the garment will look 55% like the photos.
2. Beware of poorly made closures.
3. Be prepared to spend $100 to $150 to have the item altered and modified.

Let's take a closer look...

1. At best, the garment will look 55% like the photos.

Again, here is the garment that was shown...

... and here is what I received (my blood pressure goes up every time I look at this dress...).

Now, I know what you're thinking. It's actually a lovely gown regardless of whether or not it matches the photo. And compared to what you would actually pay for an item like this in the States, the value is incredible! The quality, materials, and craftsmanship would have normally made this gown $300 to $500 in the U.S. And it's very difficult to find gowns with vintage-style trains.

Now, as far as accuracy went, I expected the dress to at least be 75% as shown in the photos. I knew the train wouldn't be poofy at the waist and I figured the bust wouldn't be cut the same. But this gown looks only half as good as the one shown...

2. Beware of poorly made closures.

Now, the next aspect of this dress is what makes the entire purchase so disappointing. Now, I don't have a waist. I am shaped straight down at each side of my body. But I'd at least like to have the option of cinching the garment so tight that my internals organs squish together and I'm left gasping for air...

Right??

Welp, that is not an option with this dress. Now, it was cut to my size. But the problem with the closure in the back is that the lace-up is not made with metal hooks. The hooks are cloth and if you pull the lace too tight, you risk one of the loops ripping off.

Furthermore, even when laced tightly, the fabric on each side of the lace-up doesn't join together neatly...

I mean... what is this...

Here are the types of closures you should pay close attention to when buying custom garments off Taobao...

• elastic waist bands such as those on skirts (they can be made with cheap fabric and/or not clasp tightly around your waist!)
• zippers (they will eventually malfunction and have to be replaced)
• hook and eye closures (these 2 pieces can both literally be hanging on by a thread! With enough wear, this kind of closure usually falls off))

3. Be prepared to spend $100 to $150 to have the item altered and modified.

Since the poor lace-up closure would not pull the dress tight, I had to use butterfly clips to see how the gown looked with a cinched waist.

Now, aside from the loose closure, I'll also have to take in the waist. This is unless my seamstress can add metal hooks which will allow the dress to be cinched properly.

And I haven't even mentioned the fact that the slit, which is high on the gown in the listing, was not cut high enough in the finished product.

So, now, we're adding metal hooks and raising the slit. I'm not sure if the fabric will withstand the demolition for the installation of the hooks. Either way, I expect to spend $100 to $150 to make these modifications.

And, you know what? With shipping and fees through my Taobao agent, this gown only cost me $102.23! But it will cost just as much to fix all the problems the gown came with!

If and when I do get the dress properly altered, I'll post a follow-up of the results.

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I hope this was helpful! If you have any questions about how to buy from Taobao, let me know in the comments!