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... At best, the garment will look 55% like the photos. Beware of poorly made closures. 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......