Online Clothing Store Review ~ MODLOTH (and more)

Some of the items mentioned in this post are from past seasons and not sold on Modcloth anymore but they could pop up at any time on Ebay and you'll find other pieces similar in style on the website.

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I discovered Modcloth quite a few years ago and I have a love/hate relationship with it. Well, more love than hate but it does have its flaws. If you've never heard of it, it's a bit of a sister to Anthropologie, only cheaper. These types of websites seek to sell you a special kind of style (indie/boho chic for Anthropologie and mostly vintage-inspired for Modcloth) that they assemble from different brands. Modcloth and Anthropologie can even carry the same brands from time to time. Modcloth also sells shoes, accessories and home supplies, also vintage-inspired. Recently, Modcloth has been branching out and now has its own brands, Myrtlewood and Bea & Dot. Here's what Modcloth has to say about them:

"Featuring an array of playful prints, feminine silhouettes, and classic cuts, our private label brands were conceived with the best of vintage in mind — many of the items were even inspired by Susan’s very own wardrobe favorites! Bea & Dot, named for Susan’s grandmothers, will make you stand out in a crowd with its unique prints and flirty embellishments, and Myrtlewood boasts retro details that evoke classic feminine style."

I have only tried one piece of clothing from these brands, a lovely summer top from Bea & Dot (reviewed below), but I can already tell this is a move in the right direction for Modcloth. 

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Me and Modcloth in numbers:

*12 orders

*25 items

*$2119 spent ( I can't believe I spent that much. Still trying to adjust )

That makes me pretty well acquainted with the website and what it has to offer. It also makes me pretty mad at myself. I've always known that I'm an impulsive buyer and that I spend too much on clothes but seeing the $2000+ really brings the point home in a tangible way. Of course, I spent that money over the years ( 4 1/2 to be exact) and not in one big shopping spree but, still...

Out of the 25 items that I bought from Modcloth (mostly clothes but also a few pairs of shoes and some accessories), I have 11 still in my wardrobe and 14 sold (at great loss because Modcloth isn't famous at all here in Europe and people don't like taking chances on brands they don't know if the price isn't right).

Now, to those 25 items I have to add a few more that were sold at Modcloth but that I got second-hand from Ebay or directly from the brands Modcloth carries. If memory serves, we're talking about 4 items.

I will not review everything I ever bought from Modcloth so I thought I'd focus on pieces that are still available and pieces that really had an impact on me (be it good or bad).

I think I could divide my Modcloth experience into three different periods:

* The Honeymoon Period

* The Leery Period

* The Savvy Period

And I'm going to sprinkle in reviews and/or photos of my Modcloth items depending on when they were bought.

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The Honeymoon Period

That was the first year, in 2010. Out of the 12 orders I mentioned above, 7 were placed that year. I mostly bought dresses. I love vintage-style dresses and Modcloth had literally hundreds of them, just one click of a mouse away from being all mine. Vintage-style dresses were very hard to find here in France so needless to say I went crazy over them. I just couldn't resist those fitted bodices and flared skirts, the cut that suits my hourglass-verging-on-pear shape the best.

But then sanity came back and I took stock of what I had. It wasn't all sunshine and roses. I had way more stuff hanging unworn in my closet than stuff I was actually wearing. While I loved the idea of the dresses I had bought, most of them were just too vintage to wear in real life. I do love a touch of vintage in my clothes, but I guess I'm not adventurous enough to wear in-your-face vintage in a work setting. Sometimes I dared myself to wear the dresses to go buy a baguette at my local bakery or to make a quick trip to the supermarket but that was pretty much it. The only Modcloth items I wore on a regular basis were cardigans.

The Baba-Blue dress by Heartbreaker (now Heart of Haute) and the About the Author dress (can't remember the brand). 

My very first order. I sold those 2 dresses last year because they were a Medium and both too big. The Baba-Blue isn't sold on Modcloth anymore but is still widely available in different colors at Heart of Haute. It's called the "Diner Dress" there. The brand also has plenty of other vintage-inspired dresses, some to be found on Modcloth and some not.

The Baba-Blue was one of the dresses that were just too vintage for me. I felt too much like a diner waitress from the 50s. I wore it twice outside that I can remember (and I wore it a bit around the house). So when it became too big, I couldn't justify keeping it anymore. Fabric was of high quality cotton. Very nice.

The About the Author dress has now become a Modcloth staple, only now it's called About the Artist instead. And quality-wise, it's a whole other story. While it was made mostly of cotton, it felt a bit cheap. It was priced pretty low compared to other dresses so I guess there's no secret as to why. Construction seemed a bit flimsy and the skirt part was unlined and a bit too sheer for my taste. Still, I think I would have kept it if it hadn't been too big. As things stood though, I found the exact same dress made by Lindy Bop and which I've already reviewed here. I don't know who copied who but I'm happy with my red Lindy Bop dress which I think is of a better quality than my Modcloth dress. Can't speak about the newer models though. Maybe they've upgraded them a bit along with the name-change?

As the About the Artist dress shows, the quality of the clothes isn't always top notch. Modcloth isn't a cheap website. It's not nearly as expensive as Anthropologie but it is still pretty darn pricey. Many of the dresses start at $80+ and they have a pretty wide selection of $150+ dresses (which I'm guilty of splurging on from time to time). And the hard truth is that some of the clothes just aren't worth the price tag. The styles are usually very pretty in pictures but many of the clothes are made with synthetic fabrics, or natural ones that are too light-weight to be worn without slips. And some of them can feel pretty cheap. If you see a dress under $50, chances are the materials and trimmings will be a little dodgy. You can luck out but it's more of a miss-miss-hit than a hit-or-miss. Now, to be fair to Modcloth, they don't try to trick you. They do list the materials and they even tell you if a piece of clothing is lined or not. It's just that, at the time, I didn't really pay attention to that kind of stuff. I was blinded by all the eye-candy. And they're not the only ones doing it either. Lots of brands (even luxury brands) will stick a $150 price tag on a dress made of cheap-looking polyester.

Motion Picture Siren dress by Stop Staring ~ $170

A perfect example of the issue mentioned above. My first "crazy expensive" dress from Modcloth. I loved it so much that I didn't balk at the price tag. It was so classy. A timeless piece... made of a very thick cotton/rayon/spandex blend. I don't remember it bothering me too much at the time but it does now. The material just isn't very nice to the touch and it's pretty noisy when I move. But the cut is great and I think it looks really classy when on. I've never worn it except to try it on but I keep it because a girl needs a black dress such as this one in her closet, right? I don't think it's available anymore but you'll find similar styles on the Stop Staring website. Be aware that this dress ran pretty small (I had to exchange a small for a medium and the M still fits me perfectly even post-weight loss) so the brand might run small in general.

               

As you can see, it's quite form-fitting, even in M. I'm wearing the Va-Va Voluminous Petticoat underneath. It's a perfect name for it because I've never seen such a voluminous petticoat. I've never dared to wear it outside yet. It does give the dress a bit of an oomph factor though, which is one of the reasons I haven't parted with either of them yet.

Close up of the front. Sorry about the bad quality. This is a 100% crop of the photo above.

From the back.

It was about 26°C inside when I took these photos and let me tell you this dress should not be worn in warm weather. The thick fabric is not very breathable and you'll literally melt from the heat. But looking at these pictures made me fall in love with the dress all over again so who cares about comfort? Now I only need the perfect occasion to actually wear it out of the house.

Beach Picnic Dress by T.A.G ~ $99.99

With the Motion Picture Siren, it's the only other dress from the Honeymoon Period that I kept. I really like it. I haven't worn it very often but it is of great quality (T.A.G usually makes good clothes. I've got several things from this brand) and can be dressed up or down. It needs a bit of tweaking before wearing it though: The neckline is too deep and requires a cami underneath to make it work-appropriate and the belt never stays as tight as you want it to be if you don't use a pin to hold it in place.

As you can see in the close-up, I have to tighten the belt so much (and it's already starting to come loose in the photo) that it spoils the fit of the dress and hides the center row of buttons on the skirt part. Not a biggy. It still looks good enough for work or casual outings. The cotton is thick and lined so it's not a dress you want to wear in very hot weather but it's perfect for spring or those cooler summer days. It also looks pretty good with a short, form-fitting cardigan or even a sweater.

I'm not wearing a cami in the photos and, as you can see in this 3/4 view, the neckline is a bit deep. Not a problem if you want to bring out a little bit of a sexy vibe while on a date but I wouldn't wear it to work as is.

EDIT June 9th 2014: *I saw a beige/tan version of this dress in a Small pop up in my Ebay feed this morning. You'll find it here if you're interested: Beach Picnic Dress in Tan

*It's also available in a Large in black here: Beach Picnic Dress in Black

Grab yourself a bargain. They're heavily discounted.

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The Leery Period

I did order some stuff during that period but I was much more cautious and I placed only 4 orders in 3 years.  I even stopped visiting the website for months at a time. I bought 4 dresses, 1 trench coat, 1 wallet and 1 bag. I can count the number of times I've worn 2 of the dresses on one hand (for *both* dresses), never worn the other 2 and have sold them on Ebay, wore the trench a bit but sold it because it had always been too large on me, used the bag and wallet extensively.

Left: Look What the Cat Bagged In Bag ~ Right: For Richer or Porcini Wallet

I used the bag for quite a while. It's really cute and well-made although I wouldn't put anything too heavy in it. Its only flaw was that it was a bit too deep. It could make it challenging to find something sitting at the bottom. Today I use it when I want to bring a change of clothes with me at work. It's big enough. It's not currently available on Modcloth but I see it on Ebay from time to time.

And I used the wallet for years. I only replaced it a couple of weeks ago as a matter of fact. I bought a new bag for the summer season and the wallet was a bit too long ( 8 inches ) to fit comfortably in it. It was very sturdy and is still in great condition. Modcloth sells great wallets. You can buy with confidence. They can be a little pricey but they're worth it.

Left: Boat House Brunch Dress ~ Right: Red-y for Tea Dress

Dear Creatures haul. Yes, you're seeing correctly: that's the same dress in different colors. Well, the cut is the same but not the material, although they're both 100% cotton. The Boat House Brunch dress is made of thicker, heavier cotton. And that was reflected in the price. It clocked in at $159.99 while the Red-y for Tea dress was $124.99. Quality is very good but I do think they were over-priced. I wouldn't buy them today, not at this price. They did go on sale at one point and were a much better bargain. But you have to be willing to wait and maybe risk to see your size sold out.

And I don't wear them. They're a bit short on me. Or rather, they were. I used to hate the way my legs looked (always found them too thick and shapeless compared to the rest of my body) and tried to never wear anything that hit above-knee, which these 2 dresses do. It's somewhat different now. I feel more confident and I do wear shorter dresses or skirts. We'll see how things go this summer. But I've been toying with the idea of selling the red dress. It's got a pattern that's more difficult to wear on a day-to-day basis and having 2 versions of the same dress is a bit of an overkill anyway. So if I find that the dresses still stay unworn in my closet, I'll have to part with at least one.

Slant Rhyme Dress by Petrunia ~ $164.99

This one was supposed to be an early birthday present to myself. I'd had my eye on it ever since it had appeared as "Coming Soon!" on the website. I bought it and never wore it. The cut just wasn't right on me (waist was too high) and it was a bit too in-your-face in person. Also, I wasn't crazy about the material: 39% Polyester, 32% Cotton, 26% Nylon, 3% Spandex. It was also pretty sheer and unlined (not acceptable for a dress in this price range in my opinion). It got mostly good reviews but wasn't for me. I sold it on Ebay a few months ago.

The pattern was the same as last time: buying stuff because I succumbed to the pretty pictures but never actually making the most of my purchases. Also known as "throwing money out of the window".

But it did finally wake me up and it allowed me to move on to the next stage.

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The Savvy Period

By now, I feel that I know Modcloth pretty much by heart and that I have a good enough handle on myself when it comes to the lure of pretty pictures. I only buy something when I know that it will fit my body shape and that I'll actually be able to wear it in my everyday life.

Paddingon Flare Coat by Blutsgeschwister ~ 169.95€

When I saw this coat (it's more of a light-weight trench coat) pop up on the website last summer, I knew I had to have it. Only I noticed that it was made by a German brand and I thought it didn't make sense to order European clothes from an American website because they are usually then sold at a premium. Plus I would save time and money on shipping as well. So I did some digging and found the brand's website. To my surprise, Modcloth's price was pretty much the same as the one given by the brand. But I still ordered from Blutsgeschwister because they had lots of different colorways and while I really loved the yellow of the Modcloth coat, I knew I wouldn't be brave enough to wear such a bold shade on a day-to-day basis. I guess I do learn from my mistakes! Instead, I chose this lovely green color in XS. German brands run famously big. Even the XS was too big and I had to have it tailored to get the same fitted look at the waist as the Modcloth picture (I'm pretty certain they pinned the coat on the mannequin to give it a more attractive, fitted look).

Isn't it darling? The photos make it look kind of kaki but it's a beautiful sage green in person. Length is great and it goes well with skirts, dresses and even jeans. This particular shade allows me to wear it with pretty much everything when it comes to color: yellow, blue, pink, red, orange, black etc...

Love the cut and all the little details.

I wore it almost every day this spring and it'll also see some use on colder summer days. It's one of my best buys of 2013 and I can see myself wearing it for years to come. 

It's still available here in a size L in a gorgeous forest green on the brand's website. It's on sale for 99.95€. If you're interested in trying this German brand, Modcloth carries some of their clothes. Quality is great and they have tons of different prints (I confess most are a bit too over-the-top for me though). Since many of their clothes are a bit expensive, waiting for a sale is probably the way to go if you're not sure it's a brand for you.

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There's one thing I didn't really talk much about above but it's actually one of the reasons I seldom wore some of my Modcloth dresses: their cut and more specifically the placement of the waist which is almost always too high for me. You know the look: not high enough to be called an empire waist but not low enough to sit at your actual waist either. Depending on the dress, it can sit anywhere from the lower half of my rib cage to just above the narrowest part of my waist. That look is almost always terribly unflattering on people such as myself because our narrow waists might just be our best feature and instead of showcasing it, it hides it and makes us look heavier than we are. A cute 5 year-old girl could make it work. An adult very much less so.

The Slant Rhyme dress had that problem. Same with the About the Artist dress but I could get around it by using a homemade belt that I tied below the waistline seam.

It's not really a Modcloth problem though, it's pretty wide-spread in the fashion world. I guess the clothes are cut in a way that will fit most people, just not me.So I've learned how to spot dresses with that kind of waistline (and sometimes pictures can be really misleading). I don't entirely stay clear of them however. Such a cut doesn't look as unflattering on me as it used to before my weight loss. It will never make me look my best but it is workable, especially with some customized tailoring in some areas. But when I do spring for such a dress, I do it while fully aware of its potentially problematic cut, which is more than I can say for the me of the other two "periods". Here are 3 exemples.

I can't remember the "name" of this dress. I do have the brand though: it's by Mystree. It stayed in my Wishlist forever because I was never brave enough to buy it. It was a bit too short compared to what I was comfortable wearing. Time passed and it sold out. More time passed and I saw it pop up unexpectedly in my Ebay feed last fall. This time, I didn't hesitate. It was a small but it ran pretty big (I seem to remember reviews mentioning that fact) and I had it tailored: the top was tightened along the sides and the skirt was taken in a few inches beneath the orange waistband.

It looked like a shapeless tent on me before its trip to the seamstress but now it fits like a glove and has become one of my favorite dresses. It was always a dream of mine to wear a short, 60s-inspired dress with knee-high boots but I never dared to do it until this dress.

It was liberating in a way. It's a purchase I will never regret. A milestone, so to speak.

Foxtail & Fern dress in Leaf by Sunny Girl ~ $42.99

I found this dress on Ebay a few weeks ago. It was sold out at Modcloth so I was ok buying it at a premium of $60 because I really liked the look of it... only to see it come back in stock at Modcloth for $42.99 a few days later. Oh, well. You win some, you lose some.

I knew going in that the waist would be in that awkward place mentioned above. But I thought it could still work. And I think it does, especially with a belt or a cardigan. It's made of 95% cotton and 5% elastane, which is a combination I usually don't much care for because it can seem a bit cheap but the dress is cute enough for me to overlook it. It's one dress that's really worth the money and at $42.99, it's almost a steal. It's rare to find that kind of quality in that price range on Modcloth. It's also available in a more autumnal shade of rust.

It's super easy to style and you can dress it up or down depending on your mood or the occasion.

Confession time: I'm way too old to wear it "schoolgirl style" like this. But I just love the way the mint green goes with my favorite orange cardigan. No fuss. Pretty relaxed style. Could also fit the bill for a date if your special someone prefers cute over sexy.

A pair of heels and a little black belt instantly dress it up for parties or more formal events.

A must have for your wardrobe for a very low price.

I'd say it runs on the smaller end of true-to-size, if that makes any sense. I got a Small and although I'm usually an XS in fit-and-flare dresses it's only a tiny bit too loose in the bust/waist area. With other S dresses, I usually end up having them tailored but here I don't think it'll be worth the bother and expense. The fabric does provide some stretch but if you're between sizes, it might be wise to size up.

Cheery Cordials Dress by Retrolicious ~ $99

My latest Modcloth folly when it comes to dresses. I found it on Ebay in a size S (you wouldn't believe all the loops I went through to get it). It's completely sold out everywhere and was pretty pricey originally. [ EDIT June 14th: it's available here in plus size 2X ] The lovely seller I got it from had put the price at just a little over $20. Quite a bargain, even after adding international shipping. The material is a lovely 100% cotton and it is extremely well-made. I was a bit worried it would be like the Slant Rhyme dress: too conspicuous to wear on a day-to-day basis. And it had the same awkward waist as well.

I needn't have worried: it is absolutely gorgeous in person. But boy, does it run small! The seller mentioned in the listing that the waist ran pretty small with its 24 inches and that the fabric had no stretch to it and I thought I knew what I was in for. I was wrong. My waist measures 23 inches at its narrowest point so it should have been ok, but I'd forgotten to factor in the higher waistline that would hit just at the bottom of my rib cage and the fact that I do need to breathe.

At least I don't look like a stuffed sausage while wearing it. I almost feel like one though. See the white separation between skirt and top? That's where the problem is. Had the waistline been an inch lower (or an inch wider), it would have been the perfect dress.

As it is, it's kind of tight. I can wear it and do normal activities but I don't think I could eat a full meal and keep breathing while wearing it. And while it is very well made, the cotton isn't very thick (a blessing for those hot summer days) and I'm a bit scared it'll tear at the seams if I so much as breathe wrong.

It is so very pretty though.

Pay no attention to the mismatched shoes. I bought them to go with this dress but they're way too beige for it. The color appeared to be a cross between white and ivory on my computer screen when I bought them but I should have known better.

It even twirls perfectly. There's no way I'm parting with it. If only I could find it in M!

It's the first Retrolicious piece of clothing that I've tried on so I couldn't say if the brand runs small in general or if it's just this model but I'd advise proceeding with caution with any purchase, just in case. Quality is top-notch and the dress was made in the USA, not in Asia or thereabout. Always a plus.

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Now, let's talk fabric. I've become very picky over the past few months. Losing weight made a complete wardrobe overhaul a necessity and it's both been fun and terribly taxing on my wallet. I couldn't have done it without selling about 80% of the clothes I previously owned. It didn't completely cover the cost of a new wardrobe but it helped tremendously.

I'm 100% guilty of indulging in "luxury shopping" on websites that sell branded goods from past seasons at discounted prices. Which can still leave a simple t-shirt with a 40€ price tag (probably was over 80-100€ originally). I felt guilty the first time I bought such a T-shirt and thought I would send it back when it arrived. Only I couldn't make myself do it. It was made of the softest 100% cotton material and was just such a pleasure to wear. It has also held up wonderfully after numerous washes, much better than other cheaper tops. I do believe that was when I became a clothes snob. And I firmly believe it will end up being cheaper on my wallet in the long run. The items I buy will last longer and they're wardrobe staples that will never go out of style. They're worth every cent. Although I would never buy them at their full price which is a complete rip-off no matter the quality of the fabrics.

So my new rule is to try to only buy clothes with at least 50% natural fibers in them, and ideally at least 80%. For regular T-shirts, it'll be 100% high quality cotton if at all possible. 

Which brings me back to Modcloth and what the website has to offer. That new rule of mine is quite the efficient deterrent to impulsive buying. There's nothing like looking at the composition label of a pretty piece of clothing to put me off buying it. For example, one of Modcloth's best loved staples is the Charter School Cardigan. It's available in a dizzying array of gorgeous colors.

The Charter School Cardigan in some of the colors available

Cardigan heaven at just $34.99. What's not to like? Well... This:

80% Acrylic, 18% Nylon, 2% Spandex

There's just no way I'll spend my money on a cardigan made of these materials. Not anymore. I already have a raspberry pink cardigan from Mocloth made out of 80% acrylic and 20% nylon. It's not the same model but I have owned enough clothes made out of synthetic fabrics to know I want to go in another direction. This cardigan looks pretty in pictures, is available in the most gorgeous colors and has got mostly rave reviews but it's not for me. Wearing natural fabrics is so nice that I can't go back to synthetic clothes.

The thing is, if it was available in 80% cotton and 20% nylon, I'd snap it up in several colorways in a heartbeat. 100% cotton would be even better but let's not be too greedy. I think Modcloth could really benefit from a fabric upgrade in many of the clothes they offer. As it is, I chose to buy these babies instead:

From left to right

Sessun Tangerine Cardigan ~ 95% cotton, 5% cachemere

Yumi Red Cardigan ~ 80% cotton, 20% polyester

Cache Cache China Blue Cardigan ~ 100% cotton

Sessun is a new favorite brand of mine. It's a luxury French brand whose items are ridiculously overpriced but I only buy them when they're discounted. The cardigan was originally about 95€ but I got it for 40€. The fabric is just a dream to touch and to wear. Yumi is a quirky British brand and Modcloth actually carries some of their clothes. The cardigan apparently retailed for 70€ but I got it for 43€. I had to send it back because the color was washed out in places (stored in the sun?) but it was a beautiful piece. I've been looking for it on the net ever since. Cache-Cache is a run-of-the-mill French brand that you can find literally everywhere here in France. Quality-wise, it's usually a bit inferior to H&M so I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this little 14€99 cardigan. Plus the color is gorgeous, it's a prettier blue in person.

Except for the Cache-Cache cardigan, they're more expensive than the Charter School (especially if you factor in the advantageous $ to € conversion when ordering from Modcloth) but they were exactly what I was looking for and the Charter School Cardigan was not. If Modcloth gives me the same range of colors in a fabric that's more natural and of high quality (and maybe with some nice little details to make it extra special), I'll come running.

~ * ~

Miss Fetching Top by Bea & Dot

My latest "official" Modcloth purchase. It's from Modcloth's very own Bea & Dot brand. 97% cotton, 3% spandex. Very good quality. Very cute. I hope they continue in that direction. I love the style.

 Of course, it's not perfect.

The first problem is the length. The XS is 21.5 inches. So is the S. You have to go up to M to get 22.5.

If you wear it tucked in a skirt with a high enough waist, it's ok. But I find it really too short to go with jeans. The jeans I'm wearing in the photo above don't have a low waist. They're what's called "modern rise" if I'm not mistaken. A compromise between high-waisted jeans of the past and super low jeans. I can't sit without showing some skin in my lower-back area when I wear this top. I hate that. I suppose the top would be okay tucked in high-waisted jeans though.

The second problem is the fabric. It's high quality and very nice to the thouch but too thick and stiff to sit in an attractive way. I don't believe the XS is too small for me when it comes to measurements alone but it bunches up horribly in the back.

The fabric is too stiff and doesn't allow the top to fall smoothly down my body when I move about. It also wrinkles abnormally fast and easily. I don't know if sizing up to an S would have solved the problem. The XS doesn't feel tight at all. Maybe it's the cut itself: it could be too straight for my body shape, too narrow in the hip area. I think a perfect fit might have been S for the chest, XS for the waist and S or M for the bottom. Unfortunately, given the position of the zipper, it would be a nightmare to buy a larger size and have it tailored so the XS will have to do. Let's cross fingers the fabric will soften with repeated washing.

And since we're talking size, let me say that it doesn't run very big. Nothing to worry about if you're not between sizes but if you are, this top might be too tight if you don't size up, even with the little bit of spandex in the fabric.

I was much more in love with this top when I first got it than now, after wearing it several times. But if they ever make it available in another, more flattering color (it's a mustard yellow), I might try it in a small. I really do like the concept.

Now, I have my eye on this pretty red top, also from Bea & Dot. I know I can't go wrong with red, it's my favorite color. The fabric seems to be different. A bit too much polyester to my liking but it could actually work in my favor here.

~ * ~

Verdict

Modcloth is a great website where you'll find a wide variety of vintage-inspired clothes, shoes, accessories and home items. You just have to be careful to go beyond the pretty pictures and make sure you're buying something made for you. Cut, style, fabric, reviews: check everything and shop away.

Minuses

*The shipping costs when you don't live in the US. They have gone down over the years but they're still too expensive if you have to return some items that don't fit because returns aren't free. Why would you return a $50 top that doesn't fit when you've already paid $13 to get it shipped to you and would have to pay 16€ (about $20) to send it back? And the price goes up when you place a big order because the package is then heavier. I wish they offered free international shipping on big orders. I think they used to but the option doesn't seem to be available anymore. If you live in the US, you won't get such a problem.

*Prices. I feel that many items are a bit pricey. It's a matter of whether you're willing to pay that kind of money for clothes you can't easily find elsewhere. Of course, you can also wait for their big sales. There are great bargains to be made then.

*Quality. Not always top-notch. Items can look better in pictures than they really are. And sometimes it's not so much that the quality is dodgy but that the item seems overpriced given the fabric used and the lack of extras such as a lining etc... I feel that Modcloth is working on that issue though.

*Length of dresses & skirts. I'm 1m66 (that's between 5'5 and 5'6, if I'm not mistaken) so that's pretty average for a woman. Well, maybe on the taller side of average. Many of Modcloth's dresses are 33" or shorter. They hit mid-thighs or even higher and that's way too short for me: I couldn't wear them to work and I don't think I'd even dare to go out shopping or just walking. If you're a bit on the short side or young enough that wearing ultra-short dresses doesn't bother you, Modcloth is definitely for you though.

Pluses

*Thousands of quirky clothes. All from different brands but all on the same website. Each color of the rainbow is well represented. You're looking for a green dress? Modcloth has over 100 for you to choose from.

*Awesome customer service. If you have a question, you'll get an answer pretty quickly. The employees are always helpful and very nice. 

*Frequent sales and bargains.

*Great website layout. It makes for a pleasant browsing experience. They've even started to add little videos for some of their clothes. A picture may be worth a thousand words but a video is worth a thousand pictures. They even give you the models' measurements and what sizes they're wearing. It's extremely helpful. My only nitpick would be that the videos are way too small. You can play them full-screen but they're awfully pixelized and you don't really see anything worth seeing.