Welcome to the latest post from my Expectation vs Reality series - let me quickly set the scene for you here.
I am one of the poorest people in the land - if not all time ever. I'll hold my hands up high and admit that I am that girl; the one whose card has been declined for a solitary can of Smart Price tuna, who scavenges food off others like a massive tanned seagull and the kinda bird who sees a penny on the floor and has to pick it up - regardless of the high potential it has to be covered in scally urine.
Combine this with the fact I have an uncontrollable urge to buy things, an addiction to online shopping and that I am also a self confessed eBay junkie - and you have the basis to this series [bargains are my equivalent of crack.]
When I buy something - no matter how cheap it is - I want to know what I'm getting will be sh*t hot, not just plain old sh*t. But sadly, more often than not, that amazing looking playsuit you got for a quid and that looked pure fit on the model turns out to be nothing more than a sick joke with lace on.
This, my friends, is what the cool kids call an 'Expectation vs Reality' moment. You know what I mean; you order an absolute bargain online that looks like it's going to be a pure fitty, but then when it arrives... you don't know whether to laugh or cry because of how terrible it is. And sometimes, you just give up and do both; simultaneously. THAT.
This series tests out some of the cheapest bargains of the internets, to see if they meet the expectations that their stock imagery suggests. Kind of like a cool Watchdog; with much less Anne Robinson and much more swearing.
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Expectation vs Reality: Part #6 > The £3.64 Summer Dress
Expectation > Oversized, cold shoulder, slouchy white tshirt dress [which I bought for £3.64 inc postage] which came with a 3 week delay as it was shipped in from Hong Kong.
I'm a size 12, but given that Asia's sizing seems to be designed as one sick joke to make you feel like a giant mutant, I thought it would be wise to size up; so I ordered a size XXL [UK 14.]
*all stock imagery / screenshots
Reality > This is like billy bedwetter's older, more sophisticated cousin. You cant polish a turd - this is definitely still a bit shiny, but a drier consistency; like a cheap toilet toll or crepe paper. However, it's a definite step up from the two shiny clothing nightmares I have received so far as part of this series; although a far cry from the jersey looking dress in the stock images.
It's also a bit creased in the photos I think - soz guys, I didn't want to iron it much in case its questionable fabric spontaneously combusted and it came legit vacuum packed into a tiny plazzy bag, so it was creased to glory for a while.
It's also a bit creased in the photos I think - soz guys, I didn't want to iron it much in case its questionable fabric spontaneously combusted and it came legit vacuum packed into a tiny plazzy bag, so it was creased to glory for a while.
The thing that gets me with this, right, is the shoulders. They look quite cute and subtle in the stock photos; but the way they're cut out in reality just looks insanely sh*t. It's like looking at myself in the 80s / 90s, or looking at myself if I was a man wearing a tank top and then some odd sleeves.
Also, if you're into maintaining your dignity, I wouldn't bother looking twice at this; it's see through as sh*t. Anyway, because this little beast weighs literally nothing, it might potentially do to throw in my case to wear as a bikini cover up when I go on my hols [well, I say cover up.. you can see every freckle on my body through it, like.] We will see - I'll let you see how I style it, if it makes the cut.
Conclusion > I'm still a bit undecided on this. I mean, don't get me wrong - it's sh*t, but as it's less sh*t than previous weeks, I don't quite know what to make of it! One thing I know for certain, however, is that once again, expectation was massively shat all over by reality; what arrived was literally nothing like what I expected [though I should be wise to this by now!]
If you want to check out these see-through cut out beasts, you can do so on eBay. Even if it's just for the comedy value. I'd love a second opinion on this - am I just over critical?
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What are your thoughts? Have you had any epic 'Expectation vs Reality' moments with things you've bought online, or any amazing bargains off eBay?
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