How to Have the Best Shopping Experience with SHEIN

I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission

What is SHEIN? 

SHEIN pronounced She-In, is a fast-fashion online clothing store based in China. Back in the day (think the early 2000s) the company went by She Inside but has since shortened its name to SHEIN. Currently, they sell thousands of items from clothing for men, women, and children, shoes, accessories, home decor, and even makeup. I have been shopping on this site for about a year now. So far I have had a pretty good experience. A lot of my unique clothing items come from this website. The site is very popular amongst teens but as a 30-year-old, I still find lots of items I can wear in my daily life.

There has been a bit of controversy involving certain items they have sold, and of course the ethics around fast fashion. I will admit that I do not shop here very frequently, but I do place a few orders a year for a few specific reasons 

What is Good about Shopping at SHEIN 

• SHEIN is extremely affordable. Many items you would find at Zara or other popular retail stores are priced at $20 or move over the asking price on SHEIN. This is especially true for swimsuits. Even in places like Target and JCPenney, a basic bikini will cost at least $20 for the top and another $20 for the bottom. I have gotten entire swimsuits at SHEIN for less than $20 total and they look way better! If nothing else, the prices are what attract consumers to SHEIN.
• SHEIN has all of the latest trends. The trendiness of the items is probably the second biggest draw to shop here. Things go in and out of style quickly in our society. It really is tough to say which things will remain in style, if that is important to you. It’s also a tough call to say if you will even like said trends when they are on your body in real-time. SHEIN gives you a chance to try out the latest trends to see if you will actually like them, without spending a lot of cash. In the event that you don’t like it, you can always return it or donate it. 
• Point system helps you save money!  When you create an account and order from SHEIN you are awarded points. You can gain even more points if you submit a review of your items after you receive them. If you submit a photo with your review and can earn even more. This comes in handy when you are shopping with them somewhat consistently, as the site allows you to cash them in for money to use towards purchases. Even without the incentive of a discount, I always try to submit reviews to help other women in their online search.
• Afterpay is now available on SHEIN! I personally haven’t used this feature but I know a lot of the girls have. It is definitely commonplace for people to place large quantity orders on SHEIN’s website. With Afterpay you can do this without having to cough up all of the money at once. 

What is bad about Shopping at SHEIN

• Returns take a long time: Because I know this is an overseas company, I typically don’t return things because of the return timeline. The good thing is, they allow you to return items for free one time. So if you are going to return items from your order, it’s best to return everything together to avoid paying return shipping. You have 45 days to decide on your return after receiving your order which is a decent window. Places like Target offer 90 days. The downside is, your refund is not processed until the factory receives your items. It takes weeks to see that money hit your account again, so keep that in mind when shopping. Read their full return policy here.
• Shipping also takes a long time: Over the years, shipping has improved with SHEIN. I remember ordering from them years ago and it took around 6 weeks to get my item. Now shipping doesn’t take that long but it for sure isn’t a 2 day Amazon Prime experience. With standard shipping, you should receive your order in 2-3 weeks from ordering.
• Varying quality in products: I have gotten some really nice, well-made pieces from SHEIN. I have also gotten some really poorly made items. Issues like super thin material, difficult zippers, and one leg being sewn tighter than the other have been some of the reasons the clothes I have gotten proved to be unwearable. All I can say is, you get what you pay for.

How to Shop on SHEIN 

• Know your measurements & weight: Because there is no brick and mortar store to do try on’s, you will need to know your body very well when shopping on this site. I suggest knowing your weight and measurements before buying anything. This is your best bet to ensure whatever you order will fit correctly.
• Pay attention to the Model’s size: Beneath each product image is a description of the model. Usually, they are very thin and tall, unlike most real women, but this does give you a sense of what size you may need. I often look at a model and say, “If she’s wearing a XS I know I am at least a small. Maybe a medium”.
• Read the reviews before buying: When the model’s measurements don’t help, I head to the reviews. There are usually a couple hundred to a thousand of them per product. The great thing about the reviews is that people have the capability to add their measurements and weight as well. I try to find women who have similar measurements to me and those that upload pictures of themselves in the items. This is super helpful! but there are a few who will only upload an image of the item in the bag and write something simple like “fits great!” these people only write the reviews for the points so take their advice with a grain of salt.
• Check out how the garment is made: I like to pay attention to where the zippers are located and if the material is stretchy or stiff. This makes it easier to imagine how the item will fit on your body.

What NOT to do when Shopping on SHEIN 

• Don’t shop for basics: SHEIN has a lot of graphic T’s and basic items like tank tops. I have had experiences with both. A T-shirt I really liked didn’t survive more than a few washes before the vinyl letters peeled off. All of the basic white tanks I have gotten have been see-through. I would stick to your local stores for these things.
• Forget the coupon codes: There is always some sort of discount on this site. As long as your cart is over $30 you can usually get a 10-15% discount or $5 off your order. There is a pop-up on the site and a tab for entering codes at check out. Don’t forget that step!
• Wait until the last minute to order: I mentioned earlier that shipping takes a long time with this company. They do offer expedited shipping and I have used this once. I didn’t see a huge difference in the timeline honestly. I believe I still had to wait a week and a half to receive my order. Because of this, don’t wait until the last minute to order here. Try to give yourself a lot of time in case shipping takes longer or your package is lost. it has happened! In this case, SHEIN will help you remedy the problem, but if your order was time-sensitive you’ll be out of luck,
• Buy things without a review: If the item you are looking at doesn’t have a review or only has a few, poor reviews, skip it. It’s not worth it!

I hope these tips and tricks help you have a great shopping experience with SHEIN! Click here to shop my affiliate link for the site

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