Do you just order lots of dresses?

[Mathsdebator]

There's hardly anywhere to shop in my local town. There's a New Look, River Island, Yours and Primark. That's it!

I'm going to a wedding soon and need a dress (none of mine fit - thanks Mounjaro!)

I've no idea what will suit me now so do I just order loads and return lots??

I'm 47, size 14, big boobs and mum tum. 5 foot 2 if anyone's bought anything fabulous lately?

That's a drop shipping site supposedly based in the Netherlands selling tat from China. Avoid, avoid, avoid.

Here's the same skirt from Aliexpress

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005756665668.html?gatewayAdapt=fra2glo

and Temu
https://www.temu.com/be-fr/1-jupe-mi-longue-en-tulle--pour-femme-coupe-trap%C3%A8ze-d%C3%A9contract%C3%A9e-avec-taille-%C3%A9lastique-coupe--tissu-en-polyester-tricot%C3%A9-style-long-et-bouffant-pour--%C3%A9t%C3%A9-automne-g-601099766539462.html?refer_page_id=10017_1758343700073_tjjx8xd33b&refer_page_name=bgn_verification&refer_page_sn=10017&_x_sessn_id=x4o6o52xcu.

I have a Next account. It is brilliant. They do nearly all the designers now online so I ordered 5 dresses I liked for a wedding. They were delivered the next day on my account. I chose the one I wanted and took the other 4 back to a store two days later. It was immediately refunded onto my account so I didn't actually pay anything apart from the dress I kept.

My weight / body is stable and my size doesn’t change and what I find is that I either need to try on a lot to find if the sizing of the shop is accurate or just stay to one brand

vinted is a great way of trying the size out of a shop

Yes, I'd order lots and keep what you like. I use Klarna Pay in 30 days when ordering online so I don't pay for anything upfront. I then update when I return so I'm only left with an amount to pay for what I've decided to keep.

Boden have a leopard print tulle skirt in that comes in petite, regular and tall lengths

Don't see the problem with ordering lots of dresses and sending them back in a sellable condition. I usually order 2 sizes unless I'm very confident I know the sizing.

Be careful not to spend 1/2 your budget on returns OP.

Like these - Last True Angel – Alice's Wonders UK

The 'problem' is that returns from online orders generate an eye-watering volume of textile waste. It takes so long for them to find their way back into the retail chain that most land up going into textile recycling (highly polluting and energy intensive) or straight to landfill. The wastefulness is expensive, so clothes prices go up...

My approach is to do everything I can to minimise the chance that I will need to return something, to return to a shop if I can (decent chance it goes straight onto the shelves) and to try to return promptly.

Yes I order loads too, most have free returns and where they don't it's annoying and I think more carefully - but figure it would cost me that to get public transport to a shop. The only downside is that I end up overspending if I like the clothes. It's hard to keep to a budget once it's in your home and only a few steps away from the laundry basket. And I have to do it when dp is not around because he thinks everything looks nice on me (not true).

I wore similar for my 50th. A coast tulle skirt and a beaded crop top (skirt was high waisted)

That's why I said sellable condition, the retailer just logs the return and lists it again.

I'm assuming most people aren't twats and making them dirty but there's always gonna be a few twats in every aspect of life

I don't think a majority of retailers moved returns straight into landfill - if they did, we wouldn't see items coming back into stock as they are returned. H&M for example, when you reurn there, they scan and their handheld device tells them whether to return to the warehouse or keep in store. And I worked for a long time at Zara, we used to receive the internet returns into our store and manually scan them, they would then be sold in store (may have changed now). If it was a popular item, the warehouse would request a transfer to a larger store to collate them all together.
When I worked at next, directory returns would be sent daily back to the warehouse. You can see by the stock levels at next that returns are processed daily, added back to the system early morning, and resold within days (try adding sale item to your basket and check what sizes are available for the next few days).

It's not the sellable condition part that's the problem, it's just the length of time the whole process takes.

Many unhappy returns: The Bottom Line (Radio 4)
Some major fashion brands have started charging for online returns, or even banning customers who routinely send products back. The companies say that growing levels of returns are hitting their profits, so just how costly is it to process an unwanted dress, and what really happens when we pop it back in the post?

It's not the sellable condition part that's the problem

Plus unless the cost of processing the item is less than the cost of the item it may well be not worth putting it back in stock so it ends in landfill.

I buy about 95% online. I never buy multiple items and very, very rarely have to return anything.

If it helps, I recently discovered French Connection online have a try before you buy things - they send you the clothes without charging, and then you have 5 days to try them on and return the ones you don’t want. After that you’re charged for what you’ve kept.

Helped me out last week when I wanted a new dress for my birthday drinks but couldn’t afford to order multiples and then wait for the refunds!

Yes, the try before you buy model does seem to be spreading. High end shops have offered it for a while.

I didn’t know French Connection was still in business!

I’m in a similar situation OP, live rurally, decent clothes shops are all a couple of hours away. It might be a good idea to narrow down preferred brands and styles online, then take a day trip somewhere for try-ons. Once you know your sizing in a few favourite brands, it’s easier to shop online.

Ahh god, how is it not illegal for them to copy a design like that!

Would always avoid those companies, I feel gutted for the original designer!

I don't disagree that some companies are putting returns in landfill, but to be honest, I think it's those who's prices are rock, rock bottom- shein, Temu, maybe plt and boohoo.

I also don't disagree with some companies charging for returns, but I do diagree with it if they've refused to add proper, individual sizing information to their listings. If Shein can manage it, with the millions of items they list, I don't see why ASOS doesn't. I've placed one single ASOS order, for branded trainers, since they placed a £4 charge for returns on my account. Their sizes are too inconsistent for me.

The site you linked to is just a front for selling a made in China skirt at far more than it's worth. That site is pretending to be a real site but none of the "about us" bumph is real. If you buy from them it will be a drop ship from China

Here Aliexpress and Temu are honest about the provenance and price.

Well, I can't be arsed with ordering something and if it's the wrong size ordering again (which would mean 2 x deliveries instead of one with all the associated environmental impact) so i generally order two sizes unless I am very sure of my sizing in that brand.

Yes I’ve ordered 4/5 dresses from temu /amazon etc and sent 4 back

if you bank balance allows if

or pay on a cc so by the time it’s statement time the returns /refunds are back on card and paying for one dress only

They actually closed my Next account because I returned too many items

Really @maddingcrow I buy and return a fair bit to next, I hope they dont close my account! How much stuff did you return?