- TK Maxx – a plus size failure? - June 12, 2018
- A Swimwear Love Story from eBay - May 29, 2018
- Wedding Dress Perfection – Tailored to Fit - April 25, 2018
Last August I started panicking because I was about to go on a cruise but had no swimwear. I didn’t know much about Caribbean cruises, but I knew that I would probably be spending a lot of time either pool-side, or at the beach. Swimwear was going to be essential.
In a bit of a rush, I ended up forgoing actual shopping and opting for the quickest option – eBay. I wouldn’t normally turn to eBay for clothes, but in my mind it would be both a quick and cheap fix. If I bought something cheap and it turned out to be bad quality then I wouldn’t really have lost out. It seemed like a good option.
If I’d had more time, I would definitely have looked at the gorgeous plus size options available from Simply Be, Evans, or Marisota. While I would have paid more than an eBay purchase, the quality would certainly be much better! Unfortunately, on this occasion I didn’t have the luxury of time on my side…
I had a quick browse under a ‘plus size bikini’ search on eBay, and after a few clicks and about five minutes of browsing, I had ordered a gorgeous looking bikini. My final choice was China-made so my expectations were quite low, but at this stage something was better than nothing. The picture of my £5.99 purchase showed a pretty, almost tye-dye pink set, with heigh waisted bottoms and a crossed strap back. The real thing had a lot to live up to…
ebay swimwear
My new bikini arrived a week later in what can only be described as a vacuum packed bag – much like what you find sausages in German supermarkets packaged in… I wasn’t optimistic.
On getting the packet opened, things still weren’t looking too good – the quality of the material felt quite poor and there was very little stretch in the fabric. I had ordered a size 20 and doubted very much that either part of the set would fit. Despite my hesitations about stretch and fabric, there was a glimmer of hope because the pattern was pretty and true to the advertised images!
As I hauled the bottoms up over my tummy, some kind of black magic happened because both parts of the set fit fantastically well. Nothing felt too tight, and generally the set was really comfy to wear! Additionally, when I went to look in the mirror, I really liked what I saw. The cut of the bikini accentuated my glorious lumps and bumps perfectly and once I was wearing the set, I didn’t notice the previously questionable quality at all.
As a complete bonus, the bikini set actually felt robust enough to swim in in addition to being great beach lounge-wear! The whole experience turned out a lot better than expected and I would definitely consider repeating the process in future. Buying such cheap clothes really does mean that if your purchases are a disaster, you will have lost out on minimal money (or no money if you return!) and you can have a good old laugh about the gamble of buying China-made eBay clothes!