ChicStar

I guess it's only fitting to make ChicStar my first post about places I shop, since most of my first couple of posts have been from there.

So, this is a site where people can submit fashion designs, they get voted on (any member can vote), and the winners are produced. The site sells these items as per normal, or wholesale. When selling wholesale, the buyer has the option of using the stock photo provided by ChicStar. Most places don't attribute the garments to ChicStar, rather name them as their own styles. You can always tell a ChicStar item by a headless model. A lot of the time, there's a large mark up on the external garment, so it can be cheaper to buy from the source (unless you score free postage or something from the other site).

I've found this site to be very hit and miss. Their sizes can be weird, even after following the guide. I ordered this dress along with my skirt, and as big busted as I am, it was so gapey at the bust. The shrug design at the shoulders is very wide, yet the fall from the hips is weird and sits odd around the tummy so the whole dress doesn't fit nicely. It's not the first time I've had trouble with the shoulders either. I ordered a few tops a year or two ago that I never wore due to the fit. Very big at the top, but then tight across the ribs, and tiny in the arms.

They seem to be moving away from using shiny, synthetic material for their clothes, but a lot of the items would be much better in a cotton blend. A lot of it seems too plastic for my tastes.

The plus side to this site is that it's relatively cheap, and they offer most items in plus sizes. I've recently lost a lot of weight and am now in that weird in between stage, but I still shop at a lot of fat girl shops.

I also love a lot of the designs on the site. They talk to that gothy/steampunky side of me. Some of them can be horridly garish though. I shudder at some of the clothes they sell, but each to their own. I'm sure there are some people out there who laugh at me after I've walked by.

Anyway, it's a good staple site to use. The petticoats are a must for me and I find the length of them really suitable to me. It can take some digging, and there can be dry spells where nothing new that appeals to me is being made, but overall it's a good site.