Okay, real talk.

I spent three months ordering from Shein. Like, obsessively. My bank account hates me, my roommate thinks I have a problem, and my apartment looks like a warehouse exploded.

But here's the thing - I did this so you wouldn't have to.

100 items. 100 honest reviews. Zero filter.

Why I Even Did This

So my younger sister sent me a Shein haul video at 2am. You know the ones. Girl opens 47 packages, everything's allegedly "amazing," and suddenly you're adding 30 things to your cart.

I woke up the next morning with 12 items in my Shein basket and a lot of questions.

Does anything actually look like the photos? Is the quality total garbage? Can you build a real wardrobe from this stuff?

I needed answers.

The Method Behind My Madness

I divided my orders into categories: basics, trendy pieces, dresses, accessories, and those weird impulse buys we all make at 1am.

Every item got tested for:

• Photo accuracy (does it look remotely similar?)
• Fabric quality (will it survive one wash?)
• Fit consistency (why are sizes so random?)
• Actual wearability (would I leave my house in this?)

I kept everything I ordered. Even the disasters. Especially the disasters.

The Surprising Winners

Plot twist - some stuff was actually good?

Their basic tees shocked me. Like, genuinely. I ordered five different styles expecting tissue-thin disasters. Three of them are now in my regular rotation.

The oversized white button-down I got for $8.99? Wore it to brunch last weekend. Got three compliments. Nobody asked where it was from because it looked... normal?

Their straight-leg jeans (I ordered four pairs) had a 50% success rate. Two fit perfectly and looked expensive. Two were unwearable. The inconsistency is wild but when you win, you really win.

Also - and I can't believe I'm saying this - their jewelry doesn't immediately turn your skin green. I've been wearing the same pair of gold hoops for six weeks. Still alive. Still gold-ish.

The Absolute Disasters

Okay so.

That viral green dress everyone was buying? Received it in what I can only describe as "sad lettuce" color. The fabric felt like a Halloween costume. Into the donate pile it went.

Ordered a "leather" jacket that arrived smelling like a tire factory. Aired it out for two weeks. Still smelled like a tire factory. That's a no from me.

The bodysuit situation deserves its own paragraph. I ordered six. ONE fit properly. The rest were either weirdly long in the torso, cut wrong in the crotch (sorry but it's true), or made from fabric so thin I could literally read through it.

Swimming suits are a gamble I lost every single time. The sizing made zero sense and the coverage was... optimistic.

What Actually Worked

After testing everything, here's what I'd confidently order again:

Basics in neutral colors. Black tees, white tanks, gray sweats. Simple stuff in simple colors had way better quality control.

Oversized items. When fit doesn't matter as much, you're safer. Oversized hoodies, boyfriend jeans, loose button-downs - these were consistent winners.

Accessories. Bags, belts, hair clips, sunglasses. The price-to-quality ratio actually made sense here. Just don't expect them to last forever.

Lounge wear. If you're just hanging at home, their comfy sets are honestly fine. I live in this one matching set that cost $12 total.

The Sizing Situation

Let me tell you about sizing because it's actually insane.

I'm normally a medium. Ordered mediums in everything at first. Some fit like a large, some fit like a small, one dress fit like it was made for a literal child.

Here's what I learned: Always check the reviews with photos. Always read the measurements. And honestly? When in doubt, size up. You can always take things in but you can't add fabric that doesn't exist.

The reviews saved me so many times. People post real photos in real lighting and suddenly you see that "burgundy" is actually hot pink.

The Quality Reality Check

Most items fall into what I call the "3-wash category." They'll look decent for a few wears, maybe survive 3-5 washes, then start falling apart.

That's not necessarily terrible? If you're trying a trend you're not sure about, wearing something once for a party, or just need a cute top for vacation photos - it works.

But if you're thinking these pieces will last years, I have bad news. This isn't capsule wardrobe material. This is fast fashion at its fastest.

Some pieces surprised me though. That white button-down I mentioned? Still going strong after 15+ washes. My basic black bodysuit is holding up. The quality isn't consistent but it's not universally terrible either.

Comparing to Other Options

Is Shein cheaper than other high street fashion options? Yes. Significantly.

But here's the catch - if only 30% of what you order actually works, are you really saving money?

I spent about $850 total. Kept maybe $300 worth of stuff I actually wear. The rest is either being donated or living in the back of my closet as a reminder of my poor choices.

Meanwhile, if I'd spent that $850 more carefully on higher quality pieces, I'd probably have a better wardrobe right now. Just saying.

The Trend Piece Dilemma

This is where Shein actually makes sense to me.

Remember when everyone was wearing butterfly tops? I wasn't about to drop $60 on a trend I might hate in two months. Got one from Shein for $7, wore it exactly three times, and felt zero guilt when I moved on.

Same with trying viral TikTok trends. Testing them out cheaply before committing to quality pieces? That's actually smart.

The problem is when people try to build their entire wardrobe this way. That's when the quality issues really start to show.

What I Wish I'd Known Before

If past me could text present me before this whole experiment, here's what I'd say:

Stick to one or two categories. Don't order everything. Pick basics OR trendy pieces OR accessories. Mixing it all gets overwhelming.

Read every single review. I mean it. Sort by most recent, look for photo reviews, read the negative ones especially.

Check measurements obsessively. The size chart lies but the measurements usually don't. Get out your tape measure. I'm serious.

Factor in return hassle. Returns aren't free or easy. If something doesn't work, you're probably stuck with it. Order accordingly.

Wait for sales. Everything goes on sale eventually. Nothing is worth full price (which isn't even that high but still).

The Ethical Elephant in the Room

Look, I can't write this article without mentioning it.

The environmental impact of ultra-fast fashion is... not great. The labor concerns are real. The overconsumption these apps encourage is problematic.

I'm not here to tell you what to do with your money. But I am saying that after this experiment, I'm way more conscious about what I'm buying and why.

That dopamine hit of adding 50 items to your cart? It fades. The guilt of having bags of unworn clothes? That sticks around.

My Final Honest Take

After 100 items, here's my truth: Shein isn't all terrible, but it's not all great either.

It's best for: Testing trends, finding cheap basics in neutral colors, accessories you don't need to last forever, and those specific items that have thousands of good reviews.

It's worst for: Building a quality wardrobe, anything you need to fit perfectly, items you want to last more than a season, and anything with complicated sizing.

Would I order from them again? Probably. But way more selectively. Like, maybe 5 carefully chosen items instead of 30 random ones.

The biggest lesson? Just because something's cheap doesn't mean it's a good deal. Sometimes spending more money on fewer, better pieces is actually the more budget-friendly choice long-term.

Also, I really need to stop online shopping at 2am. That's when all my worst decisions happen.

The Items Worth Your Money

If you're gonna order from Shein despite everything I just said (and honestly, I get it), here are the specific categories that had the best success rate:

Basic cotton tees in solid colors - 70% success rate. Stick to black, white, gray, navy. The weird colors are where quality gets sketchy.

Straight-leg jeans in medium wash - 50% success rate but when they work, they really work. Order your size and one size up.

Oversized hoodies - 80% success rate. Hard to mess up something that's supposed to be big and comfy.

Simple jewelry (hoops, chains, rings) - 75% success rate. Just don't shower in them.

Hair accessories - 90% success rate. Clips, scrunchies, headbands. Cheapest category and most consistent.

Lounge sets - 65% success rate. Great for home, not for leaving the house in.

The Items to Skip Entirely

Save yourself the disappointment and avoid:

Anything with "leather" in the description. It's plastic. It smells. It looks plastic.

Swimsuits. Just no. The sizing is chaos and the coverage is unpredictable.

White or light-colored items that aren't basics. The fabric is always see-through. Always.

Shoes. I didn't even include these in my 100 because I learned that lesson from friends. Apparently they're universally uncomfortable.

Structured pieces like blazers or coats. The fit is never right and they look cheap in person. If you want quality designer dupes, look elsewhere.

Anything with complex construction. Ruffles, pleats, special seaming - these need quality control that Shein doesn't have.

Real Talk About the Photos

The product photos are... creative. That's the nice way to put it.

They use lighting, angles, and filters that make everything look amazing. The model photos especially - those are shot in perfect conditions with professional styling.

Your best bet? Scroll straight to customer photos. Real people, real lighting, real bodies. That's what you're actually getting.

I fell for the professional photos exactly 23 times. Twenty. Three. Times. Eventually I learned to ignore them completely.

The Delivery Experience

Shipping times were all over the place. Some items arrived in 8 days. Others took almost a month. There's no predicting it.

Packaging ranged from "surprisingly careful" to "literally just thrown in a plastic bag." Delicate items arrived crumpled. Sturdy items arrived perfectly. Make it make sense.

One time I got someone else's order. Another time I got charged for items that never shipped. Customer service was... an experience. Eventually everything got sorted but it took effort.

Building a Shein Strategy

If you're determined to shop Shein (no judgment), here's my tested strategy:

Set a budget before you start browsing. Seriously. Write it down. The app is designed to make you add more and more items.

Make a wishlist and wait 48 hours. Half the stuff you won't even want anymore. That's impulse shopping doing its thing.

Only order items with 500+ reviews and recent photo reviews. This is non-negotiable.

Stick to one or two colors for basics. Black and white are safest. You can build outfits easier too.

Accept that you'll probably keep 30-40% of what you order. Budget accordingly.

What I'm Keeping vs Donating

Out of 100 items, I'm keeping 32.

That's a 32% success rate. Not great, not terrible.

The keeps: 8 basic tees, 3 pairs of jeans, 5 hoodies/sweatshirts, 7 accessories, 4 lounge sets, 3 button-downs, 2 bodysuits.

The donations: Everything else. Dresses that don't fit, tops that are see-through, that weird jacket, failed bodysuits, questionable trendy pieces.

The total cost of items I'm keeping? About $285. So basically I paid $850 for a $285 wardrobe. The math isn't mathing.

Would I Recommend This to a Friend?

Depends on the friend honestly.

My friend who loves trying trends and doesn't care if things last? Yeah, I'd tell her to go for it with realistic expectations.

My friend who's trying to build a professional wardrobe? Hard no. This isn't the place.

My friend who impulse shops when stressed? Absolutely not. This app is designed to exploit that.

My friend on a super tight budget? Maybe, but with serious warnings about the actual cost when you factor in what you'll actually keep.

The Aftermath

Three months later, my apartment is finally back to normal.

I've worn about half of my "keeps" regularly. The other half are still sitting in my closet with tags on. Even my successful purchases aren't all winners.

My bank account recovered. My shopping habits changed though. Now I'm way more intentional about what I buy and why. This experiment accidentally made me a more conscious consumer.

Would I do it again? Absolutely not. Once was enough. But I'm also kind of glad I did it? At least now I know exactly what I'm getting into.

And honestly, that $8.99 white button-down is still going strong. So there's that.

What about you? Have you ordered from Shein? Did your experience match mine or am I just unlucky? I need to know I'm not alone in this chaos.