I don't think I've ever really done a clothing review on my blog. But I thought I'd do one today for Jenn Im's (also used to be known as clothesencounters on Youtube) very own clothing line, EGGIE because I noticed the lack of clothing reviews for her brand, and wanted to share my horrible experience with you guys, as well as some dupes that I've found. Before we begin, just thought I'd put it out there that I've been a fan of Jenn Im for many years now, as you might be able to tell from the time
I met her in Singapore, and the time I
supported and loved her makeup collaboration with Colourpop.
When she launched her own clothing line, I was anticipating to get my hands on some of the pieces to support her, unfortunately, the shipping charges were insane during the first drop and frankly speaking, there weren't anything I was particularly interested in. Despite being a fan, her pieces are rather pricey for me and I'm just not the type who would spend that amount of money on things I'm not that fond of. During her 3rd drop, I was actually interested in her K-tank which I've mentioned in
this clothing haul, but because that was the only piece I was keen on getting, paying US$7 to ship a tank top seemed too expensive for me.
Finally, close to a month ago, Jenn launched her festival collection which included many cool, yet delicate pieces that you'll be able to rock at music festivals. I was actually very interested in a number of pieces in this collection including the Desert Daze set (
jacket and
skirt), the
Elizabeth Blouse, and the
Madame Robe, but I didn't get those because I've already spent a bomb on the pieces I decided to get, which are the
Busan Trousers in Black (US$52), the
Marie Shorts in Beige/Nude (US$38), and finally, the
K-tank in Black (US$19). This is my very first purchase from EGGIE and sad to say, it was an unpleasant experience for me.
It states on their website that it'll take up to 3 to 4 days to process my order, however after 5 days, my order was still not processed. Excited to receive my order, I sent an e-mail to EGGIE to inquire about my order. They replied me a day later (on the 21st of March) saying that my order is still not processed because "international orders tend to take a longer time". I understood, since delays are pretty common when it comes to online shopping. But I thought I'd mention this here since it does connects to another issue I faced later on.
I'm very petite, therefore I'll always pick the smallest size available. But buying bottoms can be a little bit more tricky for me because of my heavier bottom area, so the lack of measurements for the clothes definitely caused a struggle for me because I couldn't be sure of whether I'm an S or an XS for the bottoms. I sent DMs to both Jenn and Eggie on Instagram as I assumed that would be the quickest way to get a reply, but I received none. I finally decided on an S for both bottoms because I saw this on their website.
I was pretty confident that I made the right choice because my waist is 25", hips are smaller but I think it's more important that the waist fits well... Until Jenn uploaded her Spring Try-on Haul, days after the launch where she mentioned that she wears an XS. Jenn is taller than I am, so knowing that she wears XS, I went back to their website to check the measurements for an XS and this is what's on their website:
What? I was so confused. Should I go for an S or an XS, if my waist is 25"? Both bottoms are high-waisted and it'll look so silly and off if it's 2 inches bigger than my waist! I immediately contacted EGGIE's customer service on the 22nd of March and requested them to change the sizes. I sent 2 e-mails because they didn't reply to my first one.
2 days later, EGGIE replied to me saying that they will not be able to change the sizes for me because my order has already been
processed. They also mentioned that in order for me to get the items in XS, I will need to ship the bottoms back to them (while bearing the shipping costs of course), wait till they refund me, and place the correct order again.
Based on my personal online shopping experience, I'll always receive an e-mail stating that my order has been shipped, as well as the tracking number. But I didn't receive any from EGGIE. Therefore, assuming "
processed" simply means
packed, I told them wouldn't it be more cost-efficient for both parties if they can just re-open the package and swap out the bottoms? 3 days passed before they got back to me stating that "processed" actually means "shipped", and that my order was
shipped on the 21st March...
The day they told me that my order was not yet processed.
By the time I received the information that my package was shipped, it was already the 26th of March. 5 days after my package was supposedly
shipped. But where's my tracking number? I received no e-mails stating that my order has been shipped, whatsoever. So I requested for my tracking number, at the same time, I questioned them about the conflicting sizing chart, requested for the exact measurements of the bottoms, as well as provided my feedback about their highly priced clothes (my exact words: "
if you wish to charge such a high price, I believe you should provide your customers with the entire package - good quality clothes, fast shipping, good customer service.").
I asked for 3 things in that e-mail. Tracking number, exact measurements, and the reason behind their conflicting and misleading sizing chart. They responded, again, days later, with this:
"We take pride in the high quality of our clothing. Our model is wearing a size S, therefore if you are close to the model's measurements, a size S should fit. We suggest trying on these items when you receive them to ensure the fit of these items. If you require further assistance, please contact us. Have a wonderful day! :)"
None of my questions were answered, but they found the need to tell me that they take pride in the high quality of their clothing because I gave my feedback that the high prices are not justifiable if the customer service that comes along with it is so bad. How professional...
Regardless of all that, I was still anticipating my parcel, so I replied them immediately (I slept late that night, so when the e-mail came in at 12.30AM (9.30AM in the US), I was able to reply straight away) asking for my tracking number. They took another 2 days to reply me, this time round, with another bad news.
"Let me begin by sincerely apologizing for the delay in your order. You order has shipped, but we were not able to send the The K-Tank due to production issues that furthered the delay. I have issued you a full refund on the item, as well as the initial shipping fee. Again, we apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused. We are working with our International Team to obtain the tracking number for you. "
Still no tracking number 11 days after my package was supposedly shipped, and now I'm even missing one item. Wasn't it in stock when I placed my order? Why didn't I receive any e-mails informing me that the K-tank was out of stock? It took them 11 days after my order was shipped to realize that the K-tank wasn't included?
After 2 weeks, I decided to open a PayPal dispute under the reason "I did not receive my item" to protect myself, since even after 2 weeks, Eggie still failed to provide me with proof that they've shipped my package. To end this dispute, Eggie can simply provide me and PayPal with my tracking number. But instead, they demanded me to end the dispute and even threatened to put the delivery on hold if I don't end it. They also insisted that I end the dispute if I want my refund for the K-Tank. After I told them that I can only end it if they provide me with a tracking number, Eggie decided that they no longer want to deal with me and told me to contact PayPal if I require anymore information on the shipping, which is ridiculous because how would PayPal know if you yourself as the seller, don't know. I'm not sure why their customer service staff seems so petty and sensitive as if me filing a dispute was a personal attack to him/her but yup this petty staff refused to provide me anymore information on my package which
I have paid for.
This was the point I decided that you know what, all these waiting and arguing with a petty customer service officer isn't worth it, so I decided to cancel my order and get a full refund from Eggie. But here's when things got worst. This was what Eggie told me about cancelling my order:
"We can proceed on canceling the order and issuing a refund immediately if you decide that you no longer want to wait for you order, however as the funds are completely frozen by PayPal, this will also require you to close the dispute with them."
Well, I nearly believed them and in all honesty, I nearly closed the case, just like that. However, upon requesting to end the case, I was prompted to provide a reason. I was given the following choices: 1) I have received my item. 2) I have received a full refund for my item. 3) I have reviewed the shipping information for my item. I couldn't make a choice because I haven't fulfilled any of the 3 options. That was when I decided to contact Paypal to ask for their advise.
Thankfully I did! The Paypal staff advised me to never ever end the case if none of the requirements were fulfilled because it's most likely that
Eggie knew that once I closed the case, I will never be able to re-open the case as it'd have been marked as a "resolved" case. Once I close the case, Eggie can choose
not to refund me,
not to ship out my items, and I will never be able to open a case against them anymore. How sly! Obviously after the phone call, I immediately e-mailed Eggie demanding my refund while exposing their evil plot against me. They replied with this:
"Hi Maureen, a full refund has been processed on PayPal for your dispute. Thanks, Eggie Customer Support."
Yikes. Thanks for not apologizing for your dishonesty and thanks for confirming that you indeed knew that you can process the refund without me ending the dispute. I'm so utterly disgusted. I know this has nothing to do with Jenn, but it's such a shame that her brand is being put down by a dishonest and cunning customer service staff. I know majority has had a pleasant buying experience with Eggie, and I know that I'm probably just very unlucky to face with a production issue on my very first purchase with them, but I just wanted to share this in case any of you are facing the same issue and I do not want you to be tricked!
That said, I did still order 2 pieces from Eggie, again (haha I'm a risk taker!), because I just freaking love the Marie Shorts in Beige. I ordered it in S since I believe the measurements from the model is much more accurate, and judging at the piece Jenn was holding in her haul video... XS looked really tiny. Basically, if it's too small, it wouldn't fit at all, but if it's too big, at least I can wear a belt or get it altered! This time round, I also made sure to only place orders for the new collection since the production issues seems to only affect the older collections. I decided that I'm not that fond of the Busan Trousers, but instead, I thought the Busan Top in Yellow will look cute for summer, so I placed that order in S as well to avoid my armpit fats from overflowing a tight top.
I didn't hold any expectations for my second order, but surprisingly, my second order arrived to me within 5 working days (7 days)! Prior to that, I didn't receive any e-mails stating that my order was shipped (which is funny because I actually received the e-mail
after I received the package) so it was definitely a surprise.
As I wasn't expecting the clothes to arrive so soon, I couldn't tell that the package was from Eggie because the package was from an address in China. Maybe they've changed their location of shipment which is why the shipping charges were reduced to a fix rate of US$7 - which is still expensive if you were to ask me because I buy clothes from China all the time and never had to pay that much for shipping.
The clothes were packed in Eggie zip-lock bags which were cute, but then again most of the cheap clothes I buy from China are packed in zip-lock bags. It also came with a Thanks Baby card which was placed in a ziplock pouch (? I don't know what to call it but it's basically a better quality ziplock bag). Overall, the packing looked very "thrown together" with the empty looking card.
1. Marie Shorts in S
S fits me without me having to wear a belt, but it will definitely be more fitting if it was an XS. I'm sure their model, Adeline, will be able to fit into an XS too but it will probably look
quite tight and therefore not that ideal for photos. The lace up bit at the front is also great for loosening up 2 inches because it's stretchable, but because I got it in S, I needed it to be slightly tighter around the waist. I guess their sizing chart is more accurate then, since I should have gotten an XS instead.
The material is average (and I'll show you why in a bit...), but I love how there's a little hook at the end of the zipper to help secure your shorts in place, and I think the colour looks really nice with my skin tone. There are only 2 pockets on this pair of shorts.
Is this pair of shorts worth US$38 (S$48)? For the design, yes. I love the lace up design at the front, as well as the ruffled hem as I think it gives off a cute and flirty vibe. I did find a dupe for this pair of shorts for US$20 (which I'll show you guys below because I bought it!) but it didn't come in this lovely nude colour.
2. Busan Top in S (Yellow)
This top will probably look better if it was an XS, I should have just stuck to the size I usually go for for blouses... Nevertheless, it still fits because it has adjustable straps and I guess it's more comfortable being slightly bigger. The top part is slightly stretchable, but because it's an S... It doesn't really do anything for me. I'm just glad that my armpit fats aren't overflowing in this top since that was the main reason why I picked size S over XS. The bottom part is a little loose for me, and there's also a concealed zip on the side as well as the same hook from the shorts.
The material is very lightweight and thin, which is great for me since I bought this top for my summer holiday, and I live in a super hot and humid country. I think the thin material also suits the casual and summery vibe of this blouse. I won't be able to say the same if the same fabric is used for the Busan trousers though, because you'll will be able to see your panty lines and it'll probably be a little see-through too so you won't be able to wear dark coloured undies with it.
Is this top worth US$28 (S$36)? No. Even though I like the looks of it, $36 is way too expensive for a thin, cropped strappy top, especially when I can buy a
full yellow gingham dress at US$16!
Among all these complications shopping on Eggie, I've found a few dupes that I think looks pretty close to her pieces, and the best part of it is that most of them cost less than half of what those Eggie pieces cost! I've bought a few of them too, so if you don't wish to go through what I went through, or if you're a poor average working adult like myself, scroll along and take a look at these alternatives!
Shein's Ruffled Hem Shorts (US$20) VS Eggie's Marie Shorts (US$38)
This is a piece I bought because I'm just so in love with the cute ruffled hem. The difference between these two pair is that the one from Shein doesn't come with the lace up design at the front, but instead, it just came with the conventional zipper. The ruffles are also slightly bigger, but the difference isn't very noticeable unless you put them side by side. This pair also comes with back pockets.
Both comes with similar looking hardware and the material feels exactly the same. However, I do think that the cut and sewing on the Eggie piece is much nicer. Even though I took an S for this pair of shorts, it's still too big for me as you might be able to see from the photos that it's a little baggy on me, so I do need to get it alter for it to fit better.
Romwe's Plunging V Neckline (1 | 2 | 3) (US$7.99) VS Eggie's Elizabeth Blouse (US$48)
A few options there, but the closest piece is the first one, which I've purchased, because it's only US$7.99! Both pieces looks similar because of it's plunging V neckline and cinched waistline. I actually prefer the piece from Romwe because I think the bottom part of the Eggie piece just looks like the
lace tablecloth my mom puts over everything in our house. The lace and fabric definitely looks softer for the Eggie piece, but this blouse wouldn't be something I'd wear for years anyway because frankly speaking, the plunging V necklace is too revealing for me, so I'd rather pay US$7.99 than a whopping US$48 for a blouse that'll go out of trend anytime soon.
Shein's Front Knot Blouse (US$15) VS Eggie's Bella Blouse (US$38)
It's essentially just a shirt where you can tie a knot at the front. But I find this piece from Shein to be the closest dupe because of the the sleeves. Both tops have similar looking sleeves with the same cuffed design at the end. I'd prefer the one from Shein because it's black and the beginning of the sleeves are not as puffed up as the one from Eggie.
Cotton On's Longline Kimono (US$30) VS Eggie's Madame Robe (US$89)
Orange base, floral pattern, long kimono. Eggie's Madame Robe is a piece that I love, on Jenn, because I know that it's something I will not wear often. It looks great in photos, but it isn't really a practical thing to wear on an everyday basis, especially if you're a working adult like myself. I coincidentally found this kimono from Cotton On which reminds me of it, the only difference is, the colour is much brighter and loud compared to the Madame Robe. If you wish to go for something cheaper, shorter, and more "orange", you can consider
this piece instead. This robe is definitely something I'd wear, only on a holiday, so I think the price tag for the Cotton On pieces are much more justifiable.
Romwe's Lace Trim Romper (US$7.99) VS Eggie's Kira Slip (US$38)
From the lace details on the rim, to the cinched design at the waist, to the satin fabric, to the backless design, I think this romper from Romwe is a good dupe for Eggie's Kira Slip. I'm not a fan of both pieces because they're really just a "going out" version of lounge wear, but if that's your style, why pay US$30 more? Unless you're going to wear this at least once every week for months and months, I think the romper from Romwe is sufficient. If rompers aren't your thing,
here's an option for a dress.
Shein's Frill Trim Pants (US$15) VS Eggie's Busan Trousers (US$52)
Ruffled, or frilled hem pants are so popular now that it literally takes no effort to find a dupe for the Busan Trousers. Both pants are high waisted and has that cute ruffled effect at the hem. If you're purchasing the Busan top in black, this pants from Shein will definitely be able to pair perfectly with it. The best part is, because the pants from Shein are completely black, you'll also be able to pair them with a bunch of other blouses.
Ezbuy's Contrasting Tank Top (US$4) VS Eggie's K-Tank (US$19)
I generally love wearing tank tops, so I was determined to find a dupe for Eggie's K-Tank because I really liked the contrasting straps. I found these from Ezbuy and I've purchased the one in black because it was the colour I was eyeing on for the K-Tank. The main difference is obviously the lack of Korean phrases at the front, but that wasn't what attracted me to the tops. The tops from Ezbuy are cropped which is unfortunate because I'd prefer something longer, but hey, it's US$4. We can't really demand for much here.
Ezbuy's Tube Tops (1 | 2) (US$6) vs Eggie's Chloe Tank (US$25)
The Eggie Chloe Tank is actually a really adorable piece, but if blue ain't your colour, I've got you in white, black, and even red with white polka dots for a cuter, trendier touch. With the price of these tube tops from Ezbuy, you can all 3 colours and the total will still be cheaper than the Chloe Tank. If you're worried about your tube top slipping down, no worries as the black and white piece also comes with functional straps to secure your top in place.
And that's all folks! Of course, I understand that Jenn's clothes are pricier due to the brand, Eggie. But I just thought that these dupes will be helpful for those who don't really have the financial capabilities to buy all the actual pieces from Eggie, but still, really love the designs of the pieces. Despite having an unpleasant first experience shopping on Eggie, I know that this is only due to the production issues (and that one nasty customer service officer), and I'll definitely buy from Eggie again if there's anything I love. If you're interested to see the clothes in a haul video, click
here!
Labels: fashion, haul, review
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