Fashion
Review
The cover story
Style
The returns policy is part of the price
We read the returns terms of six brands we've reviewed, from 120 days down to store credit only. The differences are bigger than the price tags suggest, and in two cases the figure most of the internet quotes is wrong.
Photograph: K Studios / Unsplash
Reviews.
Research-based brand reviews that keep what we checked apart from what the brand claims and what buyers report.
All 41 reviews
Fashion
Review
Vuori review
The joggers are popular for a reason: the fabric is very soft and the cut is easy to wear. The returns policy is one of the most generous in activewear. Where the brand is less convincing is durability at its price, and how quickly support answers when something goes wrong.
Our takeVuori is a good choice if comfort is the brief, and the returns policy takes most of the risk out of finding your size.
Proper Cloth · US store
Proper Cloth review
Proper Cloth's made-to-measure shirts: how the sizing process works, the fabric options and turnaround.
Aje · AU store
Aje review
The Australian label's printed, sculptural dresses: what the range covers, how pricing compares, and what overseas buyers should know before ordering.
Hawes & Curtis · US store
Hawes & Curtis review
The London shirtmaker's US offer: shirt fits and fabrics, suiting basics, and the common complaints about sizing.
For Love & Lemons · US store
For Love & Lemons review
For Love & Lemons' lace and occasion pieces: the aesthetic, the price, and how buyers describe sizing.
MESHKI · US store
MESHKI review
MESHKI's going-out dresses and sets for US buyers, and why the store-credit returns policy deserves attention.
Lee · US store
Lee review
Lee's US denim range, from the regular-fit straight leg to newer cuts, and how buyers rate fit and value for money.
Shoes
Guide
High heels: the shapes worth knowing and how they've changed
The heel shapes worth knowing, and how heel fashion has shifted.
Accessories
Review
Warby Parker review
Warby Parker's frames, lens options and eye-care services in the US, and where buyers report problems.
Accessories
Review
Oak & Luna review
Oak & Luna's personalized jewelry: metals and plating, engraving, and how pieces wear according to buyers.
Accessories
Review
Fashionphile review
How the pre-owned luxury reseller authenticates, prices and returns designer bags and accessories, and where b...
How to wear things, how to shop for them, and how to keep a wardrobe working. Practical guidance, not trend forecasts.
A price tag tells you what a dress costs if it fits. The returns policy tells you what it costs if it doesn't.
Style
Guide
What to wear on a date: outfits that don't try too hard
Date outfits that look considered without looking overthought.
Style
Guide
Organizing a wardrobe you'll actually use
Practical steps for organizing a wardrobe so you can see, and wear, what you own.
Style
Guide
Animal print, and how to wear it in small doses
Animal print in small doses: accessories, single pieces and how to combine them.
Beauty.
Skincare, makeup, fragrance and hair tools, judged on ingredient lists, brand claims and what buyers report. We say where the evidence stops.
All beauty
Beauty
Guide
Lipstick and fashion: a short history
Lipstick's place in fashion history, from early cosmetics to the modern runway.
Beauty
Review
Imaginary Authors review
The Portland perfume house's small-batch fragrances: how the range is built, how it's priced, and how long buyers say the scents last.
Beauty
Review
Cloud Nine review
The British hair-tool maker's straighteners and wands: the range, the price positioning, and how owners rate them over time.
Beauty
Guide
Face rollers: what they can and can't do
What face rollers can realistically do for your skin, and what they can't.
Fashion.
Clothing brands, and the clothes themselves. How they're made, how they fit, and what happens when they don't.
All fashion
Fashion
Guide
Choosing a swimsuit for your shape: a practical guide
Finding a swimsuit that's comfortable for your shape, with practical pointers by body type.
From the desk.
Short notes on things we noticed while reporting: policy changes, numbers worth a second look, small print.
Nisolo's returns window is now 14 days
Several policy-summary sites still say 30. Nisolo's own page says 14 days from delivery, for unworn items. If you're ordering boots for the season, try them on the day they arrive.
Read moreEND. pays the import duties on US orders
It's on the delivery page, and it's rarer than it should be for a UK retailer. What END. doesn't pay is the postage on returns, so the saving only holds for things you keep.
Read moreA 4.3 and a 1.2 aren't the same kind of number
One of our reviews cites a score drawn from more than 134,000 reviews. Another cites one drawn from 88, only 17 of them from the past year. We report both, but we weigh the size of the sample and whether the company invites reviews before we lean on either.
Read more