In case you’re a constant online shopper, you’ve likely noticed advertisements promoting brand clothing at incredibly affordable prices that may just seem unrealistic. However, these online stores like Shein and Romwe have gained lots of popularity in the last few months due to people being inside without anything to do. 

Before quarantine had begun, Shein and Romwe were known entities, but not many wanted to shop there because of the uncertainty of the product you will be getting. Since staying inside with nothing to distract from boredom, online shopping seems to be the trend.  Now, these stores have become insanely popular with people making Tik Tok videos and reviews about the clothing they bought.

“I found the company from ads online, and I had heard good things from a few of my friends,” Junior Madison Emery said. “But the clothes took longer than expected to come in, it was a few months ago, but they’re really cute and the quality varies depending on which clothes you get in particular.” 

These types of companies do have a good reputation when it comes to how trendy their clothing items are, however, somethings can still end up a hit or miss. Bathing suits are one of the most bought items on Shein and Romwe being very cheap and easily duping for more expensive name brand swimsuits.  

“I bought swimsuits so I wasn’t thinking they would be super good quality but out of the three i bought two were good while the white one I got ended up being super see-through so I couldn’t wear it,” Sophomore Bella Watling said. “I also bought a blue swimsuit that recently broke but I had it for 2 years so it was good quality. 

The swimsuits on these websites are very on-brand with other high-end stores but there is more to Shein and Romwe. Some of their tops, bottoms, and dresses are cheaper versions of clothing from other stores but at a third of the price as well. This is helpful for students who want to have a trendy wardrobe but cannot afford to buy clothes from super expensive stores constantly. 

“Everything is really affordable… not super cheap and not super overpriced, [but] I think shipping made the price go up quite a bit…It took a while to ship too like three weeks,” Sophomore Olivia Drucker said.  

Since the clothes are so cute and so cheap there must be a downside to these companies.  The companies are based in China so shipping takes much longer than shipping from the U.S. and is also more expensive because of the distance. There aren’t many complaints about these companies just because you get the quality of clothing you are paying for. 

“I also got a pair of cargo sweats which are a weird material and they didn’t really match their description but they’re still nice and fit well,” Drucker said. 

One of the biggest concerns when buying clothes online is, will it look the same as in the picture? Buying clothes online, be it a name brand or a cheap clothing store, there is always a concern on will the product look the same? The cheaper clothing stores do tend to have a worse reputation with their clothes not looking like the photo but by reading reviews and talking to friends you can pick out the gems on those sites.   

“I wasn’t scared to buy from them because I had asked people before ordering and they all had positive opinions on the clothes,” Freshman Paige Wilson said.  

Overall, buying from these companies all depend on what you are buying. Some clothing items might be great quality while others not so much. Everything is hit or miss when it comes to these websites. 

“While a lot of brands design quality basics for its loungewear, Shein’s got a selection of “in the house clothes” that are tailored to the VSCO girls and Instagram models. You can find cute solid-colored wrap crop tops and cheetah print leggings…And at the same time, the brand offers pajama sets and themed co-ords ideal for TikTok masters who need a lazy look,” Ari Bines of In The Know says.