My Five Favorite Taobao Shops
Happy Friday, dear readers! This post came to mind while I was browsing the Lolita Updates group on FB. Throughout my time in the fashion, I've discovered certain Taobao shops that I trust unconditionally. No matter what they release, I can absolutely guarantee that the item will be worth every penny.
I won't say that I'm the toughest consumer, but there are certain things that can make or break my opinion of a shop. First of all, if a Taobao shop doesn't, or barely, makes items in my size range, that means I am not their target customer. If a shop can't meet my needs in sizing, there's really no need for me to shop from them.
Inconsistent quality is another mood-killer for me. There are a few shops out there that release a few gems, and then, all their other items are sub par. Or others, where their floral pieces are A++, but everything else is awful. I can't handle wishy-washy shops, and that will push them off this list as quickly as poor sizing.
If I'm spending my money, I want to feel confident in the shop's ability to make great items every time.
Unreasonable pricing is something else that will completely turn me off from a Taobao shop. Most people turn to Taobao for overall affordability -- most go to Taobao because they don't want to pay brand prices. So to me, it makes no sense for a Taobao shop to charge the same prices as the big brands because that's not what I go to Taobao for.
If I wanted to spend $300 on a piece, I'd just buy new releases from the brands. That's not to say that all higher priced Taobao items aren't worth the price -- some of the brands pump out an amazing quality that warrants the cost (think Elpress L, Classical Puppets, and Krad Lanrete). Still, I don't own any items from any of those shops, haha. I know the term "unreasonable" is subjective given the cost of Lolita fashion in general, but I'm mostly just explaining my thought process.
The final gauge I use to form my opinion on a Taobao shop is timeliness. I refuse to order anything from a shop that takes forever and a year to make items. It's one thing to go into a reservation knowing that you'll be waiting a while; it's a whole other discussion for a shop to take 6 months to make a headband, -_-
There are a few shops that I will never order from because every review I've seen mentions a 4-month+ wait time on simple items like blouses and hats. Imagine how long it'll take for a JSK?? I know that demanding a fast turn around time on custom items may seem a bit unreasonable, but there are shops out there that have been reported to take over a year for some pieces. By the point, I'd probably forget what I ordered. No, thanks.
I love Pennyhouse so much. Their items are just so classy and wonderfully designed. I've purchased an OP (review here) from them, and it's a really comfortable piece with beautiful detailing.
Milky Way is my go-to shop for Lolita bags on Taobao. I love that they create such unique designs, and the fact that the bags are actually functional just blows my mind!
Milky Way's bags also come in a wide variety of colors, which is not always something that other bag shops offer. The wait time for each piece isn't awful, though some reservation bags will obviously take a longer time period. Still, the bags are beautiful, sturdy, and unique so they're well worth the expense.
Oh, Elegant Cat, let me count the ways in which I love you. For accessories, Elegant Cat is the first shop I check for coord planning. They have wristcuffs, headbands, hats, brooches, and everything in between. I've purchased a headband and wristcuffs (read about it in Taobao Haul #7) from Elegant Cat, and was 100% pleased with both pieces.
Size? √
Great Quality? √
Price? √√√
Timeliness? √+
I won't say that I'm the toughest consumer, but there are certain things that can make or break my opinion of a shop. First of all, if a Taobao shop doesn't, or barely, makes items in my size range, that means I am not their target customer. If a shop can't meet my needs in sizing, there's really no need for me to shop from them.
Inconsistent quality is another mood-killer for me. There are a few shops out there that release a few gems, and then, all their other items are sub par. Or others, where their floral pieces are A++, but everything else is awful. I can't handle wishy-washy shops, and that will push them off this list as quickly as poor sizing.
If I'm spending my money, I want to feel confident in the shop's ability to make great items every time.
Unreasonable pricing is something else that will completely turn me off from a Taobao shop. Most people turn to Taobao for overall affordability -- most go to Taobao because they don't want to pay brand prices. So to me, it makes no sense for a Taobao shop to charge the same prices as the big brands because that's not what I go to Taobao for.
If I wanted to spend $300 on a piece, I'd just buy new releases from the brands. That's not to say that all higher priced Taobao items aren't worth the price -- some of the brands pump out an amazing quality that warrants the cost (think Elpress L, Classical Puppets, and Krad Lanrete). Still, I don't own any items from any of those shops, haha. I know the term "unreasonable" is subjective given the cost of Lolita fashion in general, but I'm mostly just explaining my thought process.
The final gauge I use to form my opinion on a Taobao shop is timeliness. I refuse to order anything from a shop that takes forever and a year to make items. It's one thing to go into a reservation knowing that you'll be waiting a while; it's a whole other discussion for a shop to take 6 months to make a headband, -_-
There are a few shops that I will never order from because every review I've seen mentions a 4-month+ wait time on simple items like blouses and hats. Imagine how long it'll take for a JSK?? I know that demanding a fast turn around time on custom items may seem a bit unreasonable, but there are shops out there that have been reported to take over a year for some pieces. By the point, I'd probably forget what I ordered. No, thanks.
Now that we have a clear picture of the criterion I use for a "favorite" Taobao shop, here are my five favorite Taobao shops, in no particular order.
Pennyhouse
 |
| Pandora Crown OP stock photo, I do not own! |
One noticeable feature of Pennyhouse's main pieces is that they consistently make their L or XL size fit over a 100 CM bust. For the OP pictured above, the max bust is 110 CM, which is well within my range. So far, there have been only a few items that I couldn't fit from Pennyhouse, and while those items were lovely, I wasn't particularly heartbroken over it, XP
Can I also just say that I really appreciate their stock photos? These pictures have me reaching for my wallet, and I can't do that right now!
 |
| Stock photo, I do not own. |
In addition to main pieces, Pennyhouse makes cutsews, blouses, shoes, bags, coats, and accessories. I covet their shoes and bags more so than the main pieces, if I'm honest. Their shoes put most other shops to shame, and even though they're a little on the pricer side, the quality makes it worth it.
 |
| Shoes stock photo, I do not own! |
To check out more of Pennyhouse's fabulously photographed catalog, visit their storefront with this link.
Milky Way
 |
| Stock photo, I do not own! |
Pricing wise, I think the prices are extremely reasonable for their bags, and they are crafted beautifully. I've had my Milky Way star bag (pictured above) for about a year now and so far, nothing on the bag has ripped, torn, or broken off. I love the versatility of my 3-way bag, and it feels really sturdy, so I never worry about it breaking on me when I'm using it.
 |
| Stock photo, I do not own. |
You can grab your own cute bag from Milky Way from their shop, found here.
Elegant Cat
 |
| Stock photo, I do not own! |
The prices there are crazy affordable for the quality, and I haven't had an item break on me yet! I really appreciate Elegant Cat's color selections for each accessories. They don't just stick with a particular set of colors, and instead offer about 10 or more unique color options for certain items, like their wristcuffs. The items with only a few color options are just as good as their more diverse counterparts, though.
Their items are made quickly as well. When I ordered my wristcuffs, it took about a week for them to be made and shipped to the SS, which is a really great turnaround time for Taobao items. They also tend to include freebies -- I received free items both times I ordered from them!
Their items are made quickly as well. When I ordered my wristcuffs, it took about a week for them to be made and shipped to the SS, which is a really great turnaround time for Taobao items. They also tend to include freebies -- I received free items both times I ordered from them!
Visit Elegant Cat's front page here.
Yidhra
 |
| Stock photo, I do not own! |
Great Quality? √
Price? √√√
Timeliness? √+
If you're looking for plus sized, stretchy, soft, beautiful tights, you will never, ever go wrong with Yidhra. I haven't bought a bad pair of tights from Yidhra yet, and I own three pairs. Lately, Yidhra has been making OTK socks and thinner tights. I can't vouch for the sizing on those items, but for their usual tights, the description page explains clearly both the height and size range of each item.
For a more detailed look at my Yidhra tights, see Taobao Haul #9 and my King's Key review. Once you've read up on that, hurry on over to their shop and grab some gorgeousness for yo legs with this link.
Rainbow
 |
| Stock photo, I do not own! |
Last, but certainly not least is the newest shop to join my Favorites: Rainbow! They produce high-quality shoes that are carefully packaged with love and care. I took a shot at buying shoes from Rainbow just a few months ago, and now I can't wait to order my next pair! Read my review here.
My shoes are comfortable, look beautiful in photos, and they were shipped in a lovely box with their own shoe bags for protection. Rainbow sells their shoes at perfect price for the great quality, and they have a pretty wide size range -- between Chinese size 34 and 42.
Though the shoes took a little over two weeks to be made, I was more than willing to wait. Though their color and shoe selection isn't as large as a store like Sosic Shop, I can safely say that the quality of the shoes I got from Rainbow is definitely better.
Take a look at Rainbow's catalog of shoes at their store front!
I hope that all of my readers are able to find something to buy from my favorite Taobao shops! At the start of this year, I made it a personal Lolita goal to support the Taobao shops that consistently create pieces that fit my size range or larger.
Since this hobby is so consumer based, I feel the most powerful when I'm able to vote with my dollars. Though that may not be important to everyone, I really appreciate the shops that do their best to cater to a market as diverse as the global Lolita community.
Since this hobby is so consumer based, I feel the most powerful when I'm able to vote with my dollars. Though that may not be important to everyone, I really appreciate the shops that do their best to cater to a market as diverse as the global Lolita community.
Tell me, dear readers, do you have a favorite, go-to Taobao shop? Share it with me in the comment box below!
Until next time, my loves, <3
Stay beautiful, stay true,
Stay beautiful, stay true,
~J
Thank you for putting this list together! I knew of some and some are new to me (although I probably just forgot about them because I must've read about them on your blog before). My personal favourites which have not failed me so far are Cutie Creator for accessories and Sosic Shop for shoes. I don't shop on Taobao enough to have more go-to Chinese brands, although I do really like the quality of Infanta's blouses (never tried anything else of theirs though).
ReplyDeleteHaving said this, as someone who's this well-versed in Taobao shopping: have you had troubles recently in viewing the shops' websites? For a while now every time I try to check out a shop, any one, as soon as I click to view all stock I'm greeted by a pop-up window which looks like it wants me to log in (though often doesn't actually display the login boxes) and neither closing it nor refreshing the page brings up the items on sale. I wonder if it's some general browser issues or something that's been happening more. (I know I should do it more, but I'm always so reluctant to be clearing up browser cache and cookies.)
I have been having that issue recently, but I thought it was just me! One thing you can try is clearing your browser history/cookies, as that usually fixes the issue! However, the last time I did that, it was only a temporary fix and the pop-up box came back after visiting a few websites. I'm not sure what's going X_X
Delete