Dudebabe Dress 9053

Recently, the competition among sellers on Gmarket is heating up as market saturation occurs. Or is it that Gmarket is getting monopolised by a few large giants who are manipulating the system? Whatever it is, I don't really care as long as I get my shopping fix. With the introduction of $7.90 deals, I've been purchasing a few here and there and this is one of it. Reviews on this dress seems okay, so I decided to see how it was like.

On the whole, the light pink dress looks presentable, and zipping is a smooth affair. However, if you look further, there are some disturbing defects e.g. messy sewing, discoloured buttons, frayed ends. If only these were not there, I would have loved to give it a 4.5/5.

Source: Gmarket

Price: $7.80 + $1.50 shipping
Item Rating: 3/5

Processing time: 1 day (s)
Delivery time: 3 day (s)

Dudebabe Apparel (9062, 9020)

9062 ($7.90, 3/5)

Dudebabe recently revised their prices of their apparel to make them cheaper, of course the quality did not take a hit - remained pretty much you-get-what-you-pay for. This violet chiffon dress costing less than $10 has been on my wishlist for some time but I hesitating making the purchase as it costed at least $3 more. At this price, it seems that the dress seems rather worth it on first view. 

On further scrutiny, I found some small details which can be improved on, such as the weird fish threads at the bottom frills and sloppy neckline:

Nevertheless, I found this dress (albeit old as portrayed from its yellowed label) a decent buy.

9020 ($7.90, 2/5)

After I have acquired a garment steamer, I found myself purchasing more chiffon material apparel, such as this top:

Compared to the violet dress on top, this peach-coloured blouse paled in comparison in terms of quality. It is very sheer, requiring an innerwear, and had pretty poor sewing. The shoulder tags were not sewn in line with each other, the back parts had frays and were not evenly-sewn, and one of the golden buttons came off so I had to conduct emergency repair.

Source: Gmarket

Price: As above + $1.50 shipping
Item Rating: As above

Processing time: 6 day (s)
Delivery time: 3 day (s)

Caishen Apparel (544_D5A08_A9073 _black)

I made a mistake of ordering the wrong colour (wanted to order the gray one), and even asked the seller for exchange. That's pretty embarrassing. The seller was kind to send my order, a single piece of item with a $7.90 price tag, via registered mail. And me, being so muddle-headed, actually accused them for my mistake. I'm so ashamed of myself *shake head* Sorry Caishen! =(

For the item, this is a striped skater dress made with cotton. Upon putting it on, I felt like a prisoner who had escaped from jail. The gray-striped one which I had initially wanted to order might not caused such a "mistaken identity". 

I didn't particularly like the lacey shoulders, and would probably remove them when I have the time. Also, the stripes are not very even along the waist seam. Nevertheless, the material and sewing are reasonably good for the price. 

Source: Gmarket

Price: $7.90 + $1.50 shipping

Item Rating: 3/5
Processing time: 2 day (s)
Delivery time: 11 day (s)

Dudebabe Dress (Exchange item 8822_Blue)

This is an exchange item done with dress 8796. The material feels like cotton, and the sewing isn't really top-notch. Place the item flat on the floor and there is an obvious uneven bottom frame. The white collar and sleeves are made from different fabric, but got slightly stained with blue dye from the bulk fabric after washing. 

It's a pity that this dress has a glaring sewing defect that renders it "unwearable", and yes it is super obvious as it is found at the beige lace area:

 To salvage the dress, I decided to take a risk by removing the lace area - what if the collar is secured to the dress together with the lace? One wrong move and there goes the whole dress. no venture no gain right? It's a risk I'm willing to take. 

Outcome? 

 Much better.

Source: Gmarket

Price: $9.45 + $1.50 shipping

Item Rating: 3/5
Processing time: NA
Delivery time: NA

Caishen Dresses (A6839_pink, A9094, A9805_gray, A655_green)

PROMO_114B_C3_A6839_pink ($7.85, Rating: 2/5)

• Rose pink shiny but thin material
• No inner lining
• Non-centralised ribbon 
• Sewn-down top bow edges of ribbon, while bottom edges are not
• Unequal widths of left and right shoulder parts
• Improvements made: Removed ribbon

116_D5A08_A9094 ($11.87, Rating: 3/5)

• Dull beige colour for bottom part of dress
• Presentable white lacey area
• Uneven frills
• Inner lining present 

1028_22A_A9805_gray ($8.87, Rating: 3.5/5)

• Batik-style grey soft cottony material
• Way too short to be a dress (for 1.57cm pax)
• Best of this lot

105_C3_A655_green ($11.87, Rating: 1.5/5)

• Shiny but thin material
• Pastel blue-green fabric for middle portion, pure white fabric for top and bottom area
• No inner lining
• Poorly-sewn underside of waist band
• Improvements made: Added a button to lift neckline

Source: Gmarket

Price: As above + Free registered shipping (if above $29)
Item Rating: As above 
Processing time: 1 day (s)
Delivery time: 6 day (s)

Celina Babe Body Shaper (B06-size M-L, D04-size L)

B06-size M-L ($13.47)

Body-shapers are interesting - they help to push in the fat and artificially slim the silhouette, which in turn makes people feel great about their figure. However, for my case, I decided to get one for my bottom to hide that awful panty line caused by my under-sized panties (it's silly to be ousting my whole box of small undies in exchange for boxer shorts or thongs). So here's what I've bought from a self-conceited seller:

The images on the seller's listing looked so promising.. but it turned out unexpectedly disappointed for me as it is a thin material that does not give much support. Needless to stay, the tightness is not there for this 36" bum. If only there were option for a smaller size. On the bright side, the workmanship is not bad, with the lace only having some stray frays.

D04-size L ($16.87)

Since the evil inner desire to splurge has reared its ugly head, I went on to purchase another body shaper that looks like a spaghetti top. The chest to side of waist areas are made of lace, while the rest are simply mesh material.

With decent workmanship and some loose ends, this spaghetti top is two mesh tops pieced together. So it's like double-layered mesh top. I like the adjustable straps as well as the intricate lace designs.

I'm a size UK 8-10, and I find that it's a feat to squeeze into the top while controlling the amount of force to yank the top on. Speaking from a person with a pear-shaped figure, the bottom region is too tight for comfort and the material keeps on rolling upwards, while the waist region is not as "constrictive" as I like it to be. 

When it came to the chest region, rather than lifting my boobs, it flattens them. According to the measurements given on the listing, I'm more suitable to size M based on the chest area. I have already taken size L and it's still so tight up there, so probably a review should be done on their measurements.

On the whole, the L-sized top is pretty small I would say, and is more suited for more petite ladies.. but then, why do they even need a slimming wear?

Source: Gmarket

Price: Refer to above + $2.00 shipping
Item Rating: 2/5 for B06, 3/5 for D04

Processing time: 0 day (s)
Delivery time: 2 day (s)

Nana Beauty Shop Compression Knee Socks (Black)

As many might know, compression socks exert pressure on the legs to help to promote blood circulation and prevent fatigue. They are tightest at the ankles and gradually become less constrictive towards the knees and thighs. I have been using 20-25Pa compression stockings from Japanese Gunze Sabrina, which certainly serve their purpose well. 

This time around, since there was a time sale (they always seem to tempt me to spend unnecessary $), I decided to get this pair of "brand-less" compression socks to try out during sleep time. 

Spanning 78 cm, this pair of socks came without any retail box to verify its source (even though deep in our hearts, we know where the product is likely to be made from). It ranks very well on the aesthetic scoreboard, with all the nitty-gritty details:

I couldn't help thinking about the ease the sock is put on, at least till my knees. To someone who has been using 20Pa compression stockings, this does not feel like anything near 10Pa, how does will it exert its effects proper? I would say it's comfy but not tight enough for the ankle and calf. 

At my thighs, the sock got too tight and cut into my flesh. If blood can't flow to and fro properly from my calves and lower legs as the supply is restricted at my thighs, there might be blood stasis at the lower legs. Call me paranoid, I wouldn't want to risk having thrombosis. I'll probably roll the socks down to my knees when I put these on. 

This is ill-fitting is rather expected, since proper compression socks should be matched to people based on leg sizes. The fact that the dimensions of my rather odd legs does contribute to the poor fitting as well - more flesh at the calf relative to the thigh. I'm 21cm at the ankle, 35cm at the calves, 39cm at 1" above my knee, and 46cm at the thigh area where the socks are pulled highest to. So the socks are not tight, tight, slightly tight, most tight in the above order. Not good for me.

Oh I just love to look at item feedback that people give on Gmarket, for they make me laugh sometimes. I have just something to clarify after reading some, that compression socks don't "fight fats", rather, they drain edema in the legs so the legs appear slimmer. Fight fats with a healthy lifestyle instead.

Source: Gmarket

Price: $8.90 + Free shipping
Item Rating: 2.5/5 
Processing time: 6 day (s)
Delivery time: 3 day (s)

Pinglejia-home Cami Secret

I have plenty of dresses with low necklines so I tend to have a plethora of tubes to go along with them so that I can wear those to work. You see, professionalism is a much desired quality in my profession. And I don't wish for my valued customers to spend too much time checking something else other than his medications. 

Anyhow, the strapless tubes tend to slide down after a while and can be quite warm in our weather. A few months back, a colleague did mention to me about some sort of triangular cloth that is designed to cover only the cleavage area, and it can only be bought exclusively in USA. 

Fortunately for me, I stumbled upon the stated item - Cami Secret on Ebay. Ebay is such a wonderful site, transcending international trade boundaries and bringing the world closer. 

For $5.82, I got 3 pieces of Cami Secret - black, beige, white which suffice for general everyday use. The sewing is beyond what I have imagined (in a positive way), and the material is smooth to touch. There are two clips to be attached to bra straps. They did make my dresses more suitable for work. But if the dress is more body hugging, the outline of the Cami Secret can be seen. 

Update: I found out that Gmarket actually sells it too, at a higher price but faster delivery since it's a local listing.

Source: ebay

Price: USD 4.50 + Free shipping

Item Rating: 4.5/5
Processing time: 0 day (s)
Delivery time: 18 day (s)

G_LovelyShop Apparel (GA4714)

I wouldn't call this a cotton dress, as it is too short for a 157cm me. When I lifted my arms, the dress went all the way up showing off my undies. I know I just bought new undies as well as a slimming underwear, but I'm really not keen to show them on the streets. The sleeves are rather tight while the waist loose. Is it just me that my dimensions are not very proportional? 

Delivery took 4 working days to reach me.The seller was very meticulous in packing the item - placed the dress in a ziplock bag and packed it with my other tubes in a neat fashion. It makes complete business sense to pack the items well, as Singpost has different charges based on the way you pack your items.

Source: Gmarket

Price: $10.12 + $1.50 shipping

Item Rating: 2.5/5
Processing time: 2 day (s)
Delivery time: 2 day (s)

Dudebabe Apparel (8063_NiceDress, 8419_TrendyCardigan)

8419_TrendyCardigan ($5.44)

I always like to start the better things first, so I've placed this cardigan as the top post. Made of cotton, this grey cardigan tails off in front rather than the back, making it rather suitable for dresses that flaunt your bottom. The pockets are just for show and the sleeves are long enough to cover the whole arm. 

However, the buttons are haphazardly sewn, but with minor tweaking (like removing 4 buttons and keeping only 2 at the waist region), the cardigan is a worthwhile buy.

8063_NiceDress ($11.45)

Nice dress? I beg to differ. There is no inner lining and the flare is simply overboard. 

After washing, the material is quite crumpled and I find it a hassle to iron it properly. The white regions were off-white rather than pure white and after washing, the off-white colour is more evident. Oh well, online shopping has its pros and cons.

Source: Gmarket

Item Rating: 3/5 for cardigan, 2/5 for dress

Price: Refer to above + $1.50 shipping

Pretty Summer Dress (D1402R)

If you have boobs the size of Lindsay Lohan's, this dress is the one for you. You'll get what I mean. 

At that point of time, I had no idea what stopped me from mailing it back to the seller, and I totally regretted it now. To avoid being in my situation, here's the solution:

Source: Gmarket

Rating: 2/10

Price: $9.90 + $1 shipping

Excella Supply Velcro Hair Stick

The pictures say it all yes? Got it for my friend but I am itching to try one on. It took some effort to press that velcro on my long fringe and that didn't stay over long since my hair is pretty "heavy". I would recommend it for those with short or sparse fringe.

Source: Gmarket

Rating: 7.5/10

Price: $0.95 + Free shipping