When Justin and I began preparing for our 2015/2016 trip to Europe, one of the first things I knew I had to look for (aside from shoes) was a fantastic, warm coat. My problem: I wanted pretty; Justin wanted me to have practical. Of course, this was even more of a problem with regards to shoes than the coat.
We started our shopping at the typical outdoorsy stores – REI, Dick's Sporting Goods, Gander. Then we moved on to department stores – Macy's, Von Maur, Bloomingdales. Nothing was striking my fancy. They all looked blah. :( Not to mention we were shopping for coats in October in Georgia when the weather outside was hanging in the 70s. I didn't feel a need for a coat and, living in one of the warmer states in the US, I'm assuming the stores didn't have a strong desire to keep coats in stock. I had just about given up on ever finding the perfect coat when I remembered a beautiful coat I had pinned way back when pinterest was just starting up…
As it turns out, the coat I originally fell in love no longer existed, but the pin got me to Xiaolizi's etsy page which was all I really needed. Yes, I was still fawning over the beautiful coats, but, with them being handmade in China, would this type of coat work for my trip to Europe? Would it come to me made out of thin material and look like something out of a horror movie? I guess what I'm trying to say is that I've been fooled by China before (read about BuyTrends); I didn't want to make that mistake twice! :)
So I looked for blog reviews and found none. Well, ok. One. There were plenty of reviews on the etsy shop page, but did I trust them?
Obviously, the answer was "yes". When you get past a certain number of etsy reviews, you tend to doubt that the seller has forged reviews. At just over 3,000 customer reviews and five stars, I assumed the likeliness of Xiaolizi's shop being legit was pretty high.
I ordered my coat on November 17 – the maxi wool long swing coat with hood in black. I ordered up in size, but didn't provide Xiaolizi with any measurements. Within a day, Xiaolizi had responded asking for my measurements. She needed to know my waist, hip, and chest size, my height, and my weight. Justin and I pulled out our measuring tape and got to work. I refused to give her my weight at first, but then gave in. In fact, while I was busy sending measurements and confirmations, I asked her to add some extra buttons to the coat, which she agreed to. Yay! :)
My coat finally arrived to Georgia on December 8th, almost one month after my purchase. I immediately tried it on and fell in love! The coat is extremely heavy, but it has pockets, so that's cool. And best of all, the coat fits me like a glove.
If you are considering purchasing any of Xiaolizi's beautiful pieces, I can say, without a doubt in my mind, that you will love whatever you purchase. Her coats (from my experience) are beautifully designed and would give me full confidence in ordering other things, like dresses from her as well. Plus, the first time you put your made-to-order coat on, you will feel like a princess. Yes, her coats are costly, but they are worth every penny.
Before this review, had you heard of Xiaolizi's shop before? Would you consider purchasing any of these lovely handmade coats in the future?
* This review is not a paid review. I received nothing in exchange for writing it – I just really love their products! Go check them out! :)
