Chicwish Review

I am not being compensated in any way by Chicwish. This purchase was paid for by myself, and the opinions here are based on my experience with the company. I purchased two novelty print skirts.

This was after an hour of ironing. I'm afraid the wrinkles may never come out. That's what happens when items are shoved haphazardly into plastic bags, and shipped across the globe.

I rarely purchase new clothing, and I'm not a fan of, "fast fashion." That said, I'd heard great things about Chicwish, and thought I'd give it a try. At over $45.00 each these aren't exactly inexpensive, free shipping or not. I know we're not talking about designer couture here, but I have some expectations, really minimal ones I must say.

 Expectation #1-there won't be threads hanging all through the seams. I was nervous trimming them for fear the whole skirt might come undone, put together as it was with little more than an overlocker. That's OK on a tee shirt, but not on a skirt.

 Expectation #2-The pockets won't be shredding where the poorly done stitching missed the edge.

 Expectation #3-The seam should not pucker-and with a scenic print, it really ought to match up. Oh, and more threads were left hanging.

 Expectation #4-The waistband should be sewn on better, and not already be coming un-stitched. We won't even discuss how crappy the fasteners are (quite crappy).

 How cheap is the fabric? Well, you know those wind-sock things people hang in their gardens made from nylon? The skirts are like that...but not nearly as nice. I'd stick them on a pole in the garden and call it a day, but the neighbours would think I was too cheap to buy a quality wind sock.

Sometimes I need to remind myself why I wear vintage. I understand that the quality just isn't what it used to be, but this is nothing more than garbage. Over-priced garbage. I shop at discount stores like K Mart fairly regularly, and I can tell you that the quality of the clothing is far superior to what I got from Chicwish, for much, much less money. I bought a beautiful floral jumpsuit at K Mart today for a whopping $12.00 There were no hanging threads, the pattern matched, and the hems were even all around. As a bonus, I didn't have to wait three weeks for it to arrive-in a crumpled state that washing, steaming, and ironing couldn't manage to correct. I've also had great experiences buying from ASOS, which is doing essentially the same thing as Chicwish-they just do it better. Junk like I was sent from Chicwish is inexcusable, even if it cost a dollar.

Mostly, I'm annoyed with myself because I should have known better. I know some bloggers have been happy with the items they've received, and written glowing reviews but I'm sorry to say, my experience was terrible. Sure, I could snap some passable photos of the skirt, but I still need to wear it-and it is unpleasant to wear.  At the very least, the zipper should not be sewn to the pocket! As it is such a faulty zipper, I know it will soon need replacing, and I can put it in correctly. I don't mind fixing vintage clothes I buy at the thrift store, but retail shouldn't require major overhauls before wearing.

On a positive note, I now have a skirt to match a beer stein, and matching skirt. Doesn't everyone have a beer stein of Neuschwanstein?

 Any beer in there?

 Nein. Just a postcard, and a receipt from Mader's . "Come for the spaetzle, stay for the gift shop!"

Mr. ETB lived in Germany for a few years when he was young (his Dad was an army doctor, and they were stationed there for a bit). He's visited Neuschwanstein, but was bored with it. He really didn't enjoy his time in Germany. They lived off base in a small village to get the immersive experience, and he still didn't manage to learn any German. I grew up close to the Illinois/Wisconsin border. I think I got exposed to more German culture there, than my husband did in Germany. I'm a little sad I can't make it to Milwaukee for Germanfest, because I could really go for a beer and some dancing. I've got the right skirt, that's for sure. 

Roll out the barrel, we'll have a barrel of fun...

Yes, I look like a barrel of something in this pleated monstrosity of a skirt. The pleats aren't stitched down, and the skirt lining is little more than a bunched-up, foofy, puffy mess. I'm tempted to remove it and wear it with a proper crinoline instead-it would at the very least make me look less like a barrel (of fun, of course). My hips are large enough-I don't need to add several inches to them. 

 A close-up of the print, and a look at my borage starting to bloom.

 Rear view of the print.

I'm afraid I won't be ordering from Chicwish again. Be warned, should you decide to do so (and I really advise against it) the sizes run absurdly small. This is a 2X.

Building an obscenely expensive castle in Bavaria for your composer buddy to stage his performances can get you labelled, "insane." Forking over perfectly good money for clothes that look like they were sewn by a grade six home economics class on their first project is equally nuts, castle print or not. Save your money for a dinner at Mader's, and something nice from the gift shop.