There are clothing companies you see popping up a lot around the blogosphere, you know the ones, attractive prices for on-trend pieces, the cult faves for the more ‘alternatively’ fashion minded (take that as you will). Romwe, Sheinside, OASAP, etc. – they look after the blogger collective very well, which is great since there are benefits to both sides, but it does raise the question as a consumer, when I’m spending my own money, if these sites are really worth buying from. Which, in super simple terms: is the quality of stuff from these sites a bit iffy, and would I be better off just saving my money for a spending spree in River Island or New Look?

You can tell I’ve got my (uni) student hat on when the first words that come to mind are null hypothesis, and I’m debating whether or not I need to gather statistical evidence to support my evaluations – but I am testing my own musings here with Choies as the site of choice. Everything in this post I’ve purchased myself – so it’s time to be brutally honest.

I took advantage of the pre-Christmas shoe promotion – 40% off one pair, 50% off two pairs – that ran from 22nd -24th of December. It’s well established here that I’m not a massive fan of buying things full price, if there is a discount I will utilise it (or wait for sales/promotions), and it carries even more truth when I’m buying from somewhere new or just the internet in general. So yay discounts – and the fact that Choies runs a system where some items automatically qualify for free shipping.

Choies Brown Lace Up Platform PU Shoes w/ Color Block Sole ||  Choies Black Stripe Heeled Ankle Boots

The two pairs of shoes I chose I’ve had my eye on for a while – the first a pair of timberland-style platforms, a dupe of the Jeffrey Campbell Nirvana for a fraction of the price, and the second and cute wedge heel with quirky/interesting white and black stripes (instantly dubbed the Zebra Shoe by my younger sister). Choies official names for them are: Brown Lace Up Platform PU Shoes with Color Block Sole  and  Black Stripe Heeled Ankle Boot.

Shipping to the UK is stated on the website as taking 10-12 days, plus time added for processing, which is usually 3-5 days. I ordered late on the evening of December 22nd (so take that as December 23rd), and allowing for the Christmas/New Year Period, the shoes arrived today – January 5th. Not bad for standard shipping. I did incur £3.47 in extra charges from DHL – charges that Choies do say may happen, but ones that they are not responsible for. So once that was all cleared, I got my incredibly securely taped up parcel.

The shoes themselves look exactly as advertised – something that I know can be a bit of an issue when you’re buying from China (Choies is a company based there, if you didn’t know). I’m really, genuinely surprised at the quality of the Black Stripe boots, the base black is a lovely velour fabric and the stripes are firmly appliqued onto it. The Platforms are a little on the lightweight side for my personal taste, I like a shoe that definitely feels like a shoe, especially a platform, nice and heavy. I guess it’s kind of the style now, this sort of thing has been appearing more and more over the last few years, to the point where I’m now surprised if a thick-soled shoe has any weight to it. Oh well, I don’t think I’ll have any problems walking in them.

Details/Close Ups of  Platforms:

Rundown:

Fit – true to size? – Very exact.

Better than other JC Nirvana dupes? – The ones from River Island felt more weighty when I went for a snoop around, but at £55rrp they were over budget. These aren’t that much less expensive, truth be told, but for the price I got them for they’re a good dupe. The only issues I have concern durability because of the lightweight nature of the shoe.

Brutal honesty please! – I’m a bit underwhelmed with them, mostly because I was really excited to get this pair. Not a bad shoe, but personally I probably should’ve waited out a JC sale.

{update as of 25/10/15: these are now one of my most worn pairs of shoes – and 10 months on, have stood the test of time really well!}

Details/Close Ups of Black Stripe Boots:

Rundown:

Fit – true to size? Yup – I have a bit of wiggle room.

Other comments? – Aside from the initial good surprise of the quality, I’d say these are a really nice pair of shoes. Comfy sole, decent grip on the bottom, the zips are sewn in well. I’d expect to see these at a much more elevated price on somewhere like NastyGal, because of the fun stripe design.

Brutal Honesty please! – I’m genuinely pleased with these. Really truly genuinely pleased. Good on you, Choies!

All in all, I think that Choies is perfectly fine to order [shoes] from. As with all China based companies, quality across the board can be a bit hit and miss – it’s just the nature of production and making things for the low retail cost – but I think that Choies is more hit than miss. I’ve definitely put my own concerns about this site to rest, and unless anything goes majorly, horrifically wrong, I can see myself ordering from them in the future. Is it worth it? In my humble opinion, yes.

But what do you think? Have you ordered from Choies before – or would you? With all the sales on at the moment, and a lot of the things in store being picked over/underwhelming/completely uninteresting, I’ve definitely turned more to the internet. Expect a haul or two. What about you?

Regardless, I hope that your first Monday back at school/work/etc has been … fun, and not too taxing!

♥

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