Happy Monday everyone, I hope you had a fantastic weekend and a fabulous week ahead. I worked on a really fun collaboration on the weekend that I can’t wait to share and I then I took some me time on Sunday. There is only 5 weeks of tax season left so the count down is on! But I will be super happy when March is over as that is my busiest month.
In the meantime, as I mentioned on Instagram last week it’s time to introduce you to another new brand on the plus size scene and that is SHEIN. SHEIN is a huge brand in the straight size fashion world, they have almost 3 million followers on Instagram. From what started as a small group of passionate fashion loving individuals in North Brunswick, New Jersey in 2008, to a multinational team, SHEIN has grown immensely to what it is today. The SHEIN girl is fashion forward yet classy, effortlessly cool and unafraid to venture into different styles.
They pride themselves on offering on-trend styles catering to both young women and teens, that won’t break the bank. SHEIN is able to stay on top of the latest fashion trends from around the globe while rapidly bringing these styles to market. So whether you’re searching for boho dresses and graphic tees or patterned blouses and chic swimwear, SHEIN is the ultimate one-stop-shop for the modern yet economical fashionista.
So of course when they announced that they were offering plus sizes I was intrigued. It’s great to continue to see so many brands venture into plus size. And clearly with their success and huge following they must be doing something right. When I first visited the website I admit I went in with my typical thought process that they were only going to offer sizes 1x to 3x and I would immediately be disappointed. But to my surprise they did offer a selection of styles in 4x and 5x.
Now as is typical with many fast fashion brands the sizing is not consistent from style to style because not everything they sell is manufactured in house and so they have to rely on the sizing offered by their wholesalers. What they do a great job of though is providing you with detailed measurements and descriptions for each piece on the website. When I was choosing pieces to try I used this as my point of reference. If you do not know your measurements I would take the time to measure yourself or I would look at the size chart of a brand that you wear and fits well as a comparison.
One of my goals for 2018 is to continue to try new brands that I would have dismissed in the past because they don’t technically carry my size. So when they reached out to me to see if was interested in partnering with them I went for it. I also decided to do this because I realize that not all of my followers are my size and I want you to have access to as many options as possible. I also know how important it is to have budget friendly options. And another great thing about SHEIN is that they ship internationally to many different countries so that gives my followers around the globe another option to try.
To choose my items I took a significant and in depth look at the website and the styles that they had to offer. They have a great variety of dresses, tops, bottoms, swim and even some outerwear. And they are continuing to expand their plus size offering every day. The one major frustration that I had was that I couldn’t search for products that only came in a size 4x or 5x. Since everything doesn’t come in those sizes, it is frustrating to see something cute and then have to click on it to find out it only goes up to a 3x. Hopefully they will add this search functionality to the site soon. My other piece of constructive feedback is that I hope they can work on making the sizing more consistent. Sometimes I would look at the measurements on an item that was available in a 5x only to find that they were smaller than many pieces that only went up to a 3x.
In the end I did manage to find 4 pieces that I liked and wanted to try out. I chose a couple that only went up to a 3x but thought they would fit based on the measurements provided and the fabric and then I chose a couple that went up to a 4x and 5x. My two favourite pieces I am sharing in this post and the other 2 I shared over on Instagram.
My absolute favourite piece was this black cold shoulder tunic with white lace trim. Depending on your comfort zone it could be worn as a mini dress or as a tunic. It is made of a super soft jersey fabric and the lace adds a really simple but pretty detail. I liked that there were thin straps on the shoulder that still allowed me to wear a bra. This piece is only available up to a 3x and that is the size I am wearing. I felt that the fit was what I was expecting and generous overall. For only $15 US this is a great staple for your wardrobe.
I paired it with these black and white micro dot print capris from Penningtons that I already had in my closet. The straight leg and cropped length balanced out the trapeze shape of the tunic. And I love a good black and white monochromatic look. This would be a perfect spring look for the office or the weekend. Rose gold and blush continue to be hot colours for spring so I accessorized with these cute blush suede slingbacks from Full Beauty, a blush studded tote from Torrid and a rose gold bracelet and earrings.
My other favourite piece also turned out to be black and white and that was this cute and playful striped trapeze dress. I love a good stripe and I could care less if it is horizontal or not lol. Again this piece was made of a nice quality jersey fabric with great stretch. This piece also only goes up to a size 3x which is the size I am wearing but the fit was great. I found it interesting that my two faves didn’t come in size 4x or 5x. I decided to show some leg with this one.
I loved the cute keyhole cutout in the back and the full swing effect that made me feel very girly and flirty. I decided with this look to make it pop with red and black accessories. These red flats are oldies but goodies from my closet and these black saddle bag with the red trim went perfectly. For some fun I added this whimsical pom pom and flower earrings from H&M.
For the red top that I posted on Instagram I got a 5x and I have to say I found the fit to be small despite the measurements on the website. It is a super cute top, I just wish the proportion of the front and bottom hemlines was a bit more even. For the kimono that I will also share on Instagram I also ordered a 5x. I knew I was taking a risk because the fabric doesn’t have any stretch but I loved the colours and print so much. As you can see it looks great when I wear it open and loose but I definitely can’t tie it up. I also wish that there was a little bit more room in the arm.
My overall thoughts? I think that they have some great options to choose from and as with any other brand you are going to have some hits and maybe some misses. If you are a savvy shopper and want on trend pieces at an affordable price point I highly recommend you try them out. You can use the code MUSTANG203 to save 20% off on original prices with orders of $59 or more on plus sizes.
The pieces from SHEIN were gifted to me but all opinions are my own. This post also contains affiliate links and we’ll earn a commission if you shop through them. This helps to keep the blog and my Instagram content going!
Special thanks to Rebecca of Rebecca Northcott Photography for working in the cold and wind on these looks.
Striped Dress by SHEIN | Lace Tunic by SHEIN | Red Top by SHEIN | Kimono by SHEIN | Pink Shoes by FULL BEAUTY | Red shoes vintage (current alternative here) | Capris by PENNINGTONS (alternative here) | Ballet Flats by HUSH PUPPIES | Black Pom Pom Earrings by H&M | Bracelet by AVENUE | Earrings by AVENUE |
