FASHION NOVA | Honest Review

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Glistening Jeans

I've ordered four different times from Fashion Nova. They offer inexpensive clothing that's also in style and on trend. I see a lot of celebrities (Kylie Jenner, Khloe Kardashain) and other Instagram famous models promoting their clothing and I've been wanting to order from them for awhile. The only thing stopping me from placing an order was not knowing exactly what size I would be... and with their return policy not being great I didn't want to risk getting the wrong sizes. My sister placed an order around the holidays so I waited for her stuff to come so I could try it on and see how it fit. 

Also if you are considering ordering please make sure you read my "Customer Service (pros and cons)" section to hear about all the issues I've had with Fashion Nova.

Glistening Jeans Medium Wash

Ordering/Shipping Process
The ordering process was simple. Fashion Nova uses a checkout that looks almost exactly the same as Kylie Cosmetic's checkout. If you have a promo code you enter it on the first page that it directs you to after you hit "checkout." Some sites I've used before make the promo/gift card spot difficult to find but I didn't have issues with theirs. 

One con I had was that while they advertise having "free 2 day shipping on all U.S. orders $75 & up," I never received my package in 2 days. Each time I've ordered (and when my sister ordered) it took 3-4 days of it being in shipment (this DOES NOT including processing time). So it actually took about a week for my stuff to get to me (for reference they ship from California and I live in Oregon). 

In reality it takes longer then 2 days to arrive because of the 24 hour processing time you must allow, and their shipping takes 2 to 3 days from the date it is shipped out. Not from when you placed your order. 

So what this means is that if I place an order on Sunday, it's not going to arrive Tuesday. If you go read the shipping information of their website you'll see it says domestic shipping is 2-3 days. So they are just using the 2-day shipping banners to catch your attention. While some packages might arrive in 2 days my order (and everyone else I've talked to who's ordered) has never had it arrive this quickly. 

THEN... you have to account for processing time. This is also listed in the shipping section of their website and says that 2 day shipping does not include processing time which can take an additional 24 hours if the order isn't placed over a holiday or weekend (holidays and weekends will take longer to process). So this means placing an order Sunday will process for a day and ship out late Monday or Tuesday. 

Then it takes 2-3 days from the ship out date to get to you. This 2-3 days is not guaranteed and it can sometimes take longer. Two of my packages each had one day of processing then took an additional 3 days of being in shipment. Another package I ordered was in processing for a day then took four days to get to me because of weather issues.  

So if you see the 2-day shipping banner and are hoping to get your items in time for the weekend don't forget to take into consideration processing time and that the 2-3 day shipping time frame doesn't go into effect until they actually ship it out! I've seen some people get angry in their Instagram comment section because they wanted items for that weekend and it didn't arrive until the following week. 

Also one last thing about their shipping... the last time I ordered they used the wrong shipping box (they had paid for a smaller one but shipped it in a larger one), so I had to drive 20 minutes to the post office and pay the difference otherwise the post office wouldn't release my package. Fashion Nova did refund me the difference quickly, but it was just an added hassle. 

Wanderlust Set

Returns/Exchanges
One thing that kept me from ordering from them for so long was their return policy. I don't live near their locations so I wouldn't be able to return in store and my only option would be to pay to ship the items back. They do not offer free return shipping. 

Since they only have a few locations in California I was really iffy about ordering since I wasn't sure what size to get (their sizing chart and website are not helpful). They advertise "easy returns" but honestly, to me easy returns is when free return shipping is included in your order. NOT when you have to pay to ship it back yourself... personally, I feel this is a difficult return policy due to the fact that you have to pay return postage yourself AND you only get store credit back. Also, if you return an online purchase to a store you can only get credit to use in store, it cannot be used online. 

They also don't offer exchanges because items are in high demand so you either have to wait for your store credit to purchase your item, or place a new order. This also means if you don't buy enough to get free shipping you'll have to pay for shipping again. 

But with their bad return policy what does that mean, for me as a customer, if they accidentally sent me an incorrect item? I actually had this happen. I ordered a size small jacket and got a medium. Upon contacting them I was told to ship it back (at my own expense that would be reimbursed up to $10) then they would give me store credit which I could use to repurchase. Yes they actually wanted me to PAY MYSELF to ship it back. Excuse me, but if you send the wrong size you should provide a return shipping label. Also my item was out of stock so could not be repurchased, and even if I could repurchase they only provided me with the discount code I had used to originally purchase it. I asked about getting free shipping (since I had already spent enough to get free shipping the first time I ordered it) and was never given anything to get free shipping. 

(UPDATE: They gave me a giftcard for $6 to get free shipping, but this was after I sent a couple emails asking about why I would need to pay for shipping again).

Glistening Jeans Medium Wash

Quality
I was really impressed with the quality of their clothing. I made sure I read A LOT of the reviews on each item before I ordered. 

Fashion Nova is really well known for their jeans and I really liked the pairs I bought. Only one didn't work out for me (I got a size 1 but it was really big in the crotch area) while all the other jeans I got in a 1 fit perfectly. Their jeans are also long and will fit someone with longer legs (longer jeans were something I've always struggled to find at other stores). My favorite jeans from them are the Glistening jeans because they have a ton of stretch! I also really liked their Seek and Destroy jeans which had a more normal denim feel (a lot less stretch) with a good length. 

A lot of Instagram models also get the Wanderlust Set. It's more of a lounge set and the reviews said it was a really thick material. I ordered it and didn't feel it was that thick, also the band flipped around easily when I wore it since it's not securely sewn to the outside. This bugged me. Also, the material snags easily so you have to be careful when wearing it. It's great for pictures and lounging but I definitely felt I had to be cautious when wearing it. 

I got a couple dresses and liked them, but also feel that they're dresses I could get from a number of other sites. If you are going to order anything from Fashion Nova I would recommend their jeans. 

Seek and Destroy Jeans

Sizing
Sizing was another major thing that kept me from ordering from Fashion Nova. First of all their sizing chart was hard for me to use because I'm right in-between sizes so I could have gone either way. Also, it says the models wear anything from a 1 to a 5, so without knowing the model stats how am I supposed to determine my size??

When I saw people ask on social media what size models are wearing/their stats the standard reply Fashion Nova gave was that the models are 5'6-5'11 and wear a size S-M (or 1, 3 or 5) depending on their body shape... This wasn't helpful because I was trying to decide between a 1 or 3 and without the model's measurements I had no idea what to order.

To improve their website I highly suggest providing model stats on each pic (height, bust, waist, etc) and the size the model is wearing. A lot of other sites already do this and it makes it a lot easier to compare the model stats to your own when determining what size to get. When Fashion Nova gives a vague, very broad answer it gives little help in narrowing down the right size to get. 

Also, the pictures they use for their website all have models with really tiny waists and a big butt and boobs. The waists literally look photo shopped on a lot of the denim images because of how tiny they are. When I heard the models wore a size 1-3 (without their actual measurements listed) I first thought there was no way I'd fit a size 1 because my waist isn't as tiny as theirs look. However, if I had gotten a size 3 the jeans would definitely not have fit. 

It was funny because one day Fashion Nova posted a picture on Instagram of a model with a "normal" size waist (not as tiny) and a majority of the comments were requesting them to use that model more because it was a lot easier to see how clothing would look on those of use who don't have a super tiny waist. 

For size reference I am 5'7," 32 B, 26 waist and wear a size XS in Fashion Nova dresses and a 1 in their denim. The top I got in a size S because reviews said it ran small, and the size S fit perfect. The Wanderlust set I got a S legging and it fit but I could have gone down to an XS for a tighter fit. 

Sales/Promotions
Check out their Instagram account for promotions. They often run sales/promo codes and will extend them for a couple days even if it says "one day only." If there's something you really want don't wait too long to order because their popular items go out of stock quickly. Although, one great thing about their site is that if an item goes out of stock in your size you can enter your email to be notified when it's restocked. 

Also, a lot of beauty gurus and bloggers have promo codes offering 10-20% off your order. So google for these codes or search on Instagram and YouTube for people hauling Fashion Nova. If they've collaborated with Fashion Nova there will most likely be a promo code in their description/caption. 

Olive Glistening Jeans

Customer Service (plus pros and cons)
I tried to contact customer service the morning of the fourth day when my package had still not arrived. It had shown no movement for a couple days, when I tried to track it, so I was wondering if they could see movement on their end. My items showed up later that night. I never heard back from them, most likely because they saw it got delivered and felt a response wasn't necessary.

I also was in contact with customer service when my item was being held at the post office. They used the incorrect shipping box and therefore did not pay the proper postage. I had to drive to the post office (there and back for me took over 40 mins) and pay the difference. They did refund me quickly when I provided pictures of the receipt but I did not feel like they were very apologetic. If this were my company I would have offered a coupon or something for the extra hassle.

LASTLY, I noticed that the jean jacket I had ordered was a size medium, not a small like I had ordered. I contacted them and was told to ship back the item (they will refund up to $10 shipping but you must pay up front and send receipts) THEN they will give a store credit for me to repurchase. Only issue is that I purchased during a 30% off sale and in a large order that qualified for free shipping. I have gone back and forth with customer service at least 3 times trying to explain this to them but for some reason they keep only providing me with a 30% off code and no free shipping. Why would I pay for $6 shipping on a item you incorrectly sent me? Shipping should be free since I originally spent enough and it was not my fault I was sent the incorrect item. Also I would have to send back the jacket and wait for store credit to be processed before placing my order for the correct item. (See update above, they sent me a $6 gift card to get free shipping after I sent an email asking why would I have to pay for shipping all over again. FYI: this was my third email to them mentioning how I had gotten free shipping originally and wanted free shipping for the mistake item).

This is all something that I feel is bad business practice because if you send out an incorrect item it should be corrected immediately. They are treating the situation as if I ordered an incorrect size and want to exchange it, not that they made a mistake (on the exact order they did not pay proper postage for I might add). I actually might just keep the oversize jacket since I don't want to keep trying to deal with their customer service. Also returning the jacket then waiting for the item to come back in stock is a risk, since you never know if or when it'll be restocked.

SO... while their jeans are great, I feel it's a risk ordering from them, because if they mess up your order somehow, you will feel like you are jumping through hoops to get it corrected. I wish the entire process was easier. 

Seek and Destroy Jeans

Overall
I was really impressed with the quality of their jeans and recommend those the most. I struggled to find jeans long enough at other stores (I'd usually need to order jeans in a size long or x-long) but at Fashion Nova the length was perfect! 

Also, they have a lot of on trend dresses and clothing styles as well, but I feel like you can find a lot of similar styles at other stores with better return policies in case something doesn't work out. 

To improve their site I really wish they would include model stats and the exact size they're wearing in each product description, instead of listing/giving a broad answer in the size guide chart. I feel like this would lead to a lot more people ordering and less returns. 

Also an improvement to the return policy would be nice! Provide free return shipping or at least give the customer their money back and not just store credit. If they did this I'd order a lot more because I wouldn't have to worry as much about something not working out and losing money from having to send it back or exchange it.  

Overall my actual ordering experience wasn't the best, it was only good if they made no mistakes in my order. Otherwise it became a huge hassle to deal with and I found myself wishing I was dealing with a company who had better policies/customer service in place. 

Everything purchased by me.