It's no secret that I'm addicted to online shopping. When I need something, the first thing I do is search for it online (and cross my fingers that the online store accepts Paypal payments)!
Well, lo and behold, I've found another excellent online store that -- yes! -- accepts not just Paypal but also Visa, Mastercard, BDO and Chinabank deposits, and (attention eBayers) Gcash! What's more, they offer free shipping.
Of course, if you paid attention to the title of this post, you'd know by now that I'm talking about Zalora, the newest online store in town. This store is comparable to two entire floors at the SM department store: They've got clothes (blouses, dresses, pants, shorts, leggings, swimwear, etc.), shoes, and accessories (wallets, bags, toys, etc.) for ladies, men, and kids. Soon, they'll be selling Home & Living stuff, and even gift cards. Man, I could do my entire Christmas shopping here!
Now, as a veteran online shopper, there are a few things in my checklist that I like to see in an online store:
- Do they have a sizing guide? (It can be hard to buy clothes and shoes without those.) In this case, yes!
- Do they accept returns (you know, in case I flub up the sizing anyway despite the guide)? Zalora does!
- Do they have a local landline I can call for customer service? (02) 513 0373.
- Are the items described in detail? Yes. The prices, available sizes, measurements, and other details are right there for you to easily see. No guesswork involved.
- Can I sort according to price? (Yes, I still tend to shop that way.) I can at Zalora.
Of course, a review is not a review if you only talk about the good stuff. I must admit, though, that I found Zalora hard to criticize. If there is one negative thing I can say about it, it's that it's more expensive than eBay.
One must remember, though, that unlike at eBay, all the items here are brand new, and we have assurance that they are genuine and of good quality. (Sadly, some of the eBay stuff I'd bought, I hated the moment I opened the packaging.)
And to be fair to Zalora, their store does have a lot of things that my stingy wallet can happily shell out for as well!
And to be fair to Zalora, their store does have a lot of things that my stingy wallet can happily shell out for as well!
Having said that, let me get to the fun part: my Zalora wishlist! If I had a my day of free shopping at Zalora, here are the things I would get:
1. Riva 10 Party Dress from Periwinkle. The thing I love about Periwinkle dresses is they make little girls look like little girls, which is exactly how little girls should look! This dress, especially, has "English royalty" written all over it. With white stockings and white shoes, she'll look absolutely elegant, and yet, perfectly innocent -- exactly the way all little girls should look.2. Reversible Wrap Dress by Spinkie. This one's for my soon-to-arrive little girl (that will make two girls and two boys in our family, wheee!). This dress has side ties, which I rather prefer over buttons, because baby clothes have such small button holes. The best thing about this dress, though, is that it's reversible: one side has fun balloon designs while the other side has beautiful, mandarin-themed flowers. It's like getting two dresses for the price of one. (And, if baby accidentally stains one side, as babies tend to do, you can simply mop up the mess, dab with alcohol, dry with talcum powder, then turn the dress over to make baby look perfectly neat again!)
 Side A |  Side B |
3. Kendra SS Top by Space. How can anybody not love this blouse? You can wear it as is during the day, accessorize it with shiny chain belts or necklaces at night, and best of all, you can use it even when you're pregnant -- heck, it would even be perfect for discreet breastfeeding! Best of all -- look at that material -- it needs absolutely no ironing. This blouse is definitely heaven's gift for busy moms (and as you can see in the image below, it looks pretty good on young ladies as well)!
4. Sleeveless shift dress with chiffon center panel by Missy. Now here's a dress you can't use when you're six months pregnant -- but well, very few of us are pregnant forever. This gorgeous shift dress can be used at the office, or for meeting clients, for formal daytime affairs, or for semi-formal evening affairs. It's loose enough to hide figure flaws, but it's sculpted to make you look shapely nonetheless. It's too bad that, as of my writing this piece, they've run out of stocks in my size, but for a dress like this (and at its price of just P1,000), I'm willing to wait!
5. Scott Canvass Bag w/ Purse by Bags in the City. It's roomy, it's washable, it's sturdy, and it's beautiful. How could I not love this bag? It has enough space for all the diapers, spare clothes, wipes, and other stuff I normally carry in my diaper bag -- and yet, the bag looks dignified enough for me to carry around even on child-free excursions. When I'm out working, it can hold my notebooks and pens and tape recorder and even my little laptop -- and it won't be screaming to robbers, "Hey, steal me, I've got a laptop inside!" Oh, and have I mentioned it only costs around P800, with free shipping? Even the eBay crowd would surely fall head over heels for this one.
So that's my Zalora wishlist. What's yours? Make your own wishlist at Zalora.com -- then send it to your husband for reference (ha ha)! Happy shopping!
