Clothes and streetwear
Buying clothes from Taobao
Taobao has more clothing shops than anywhere else, from mass-market basics to small design labels. The hard parts are sizes, quality and finding the right shop; we help with all three.
Sizes: the most common problem
Chinese clothing labels use S/M/L or numbers like 160/84A (height/bust in cm), and sizes run smaller than Western ones. The only reliable method is measurements:
- Measure yourself in cm: bust or chest, waist, hips, shoulder width and height.
- Compare with the seller's size chart, which lists the garment's measurements, not your body's.
- Leave room: for a fitted top, the garment bust should be about 4–8 cm larger than your bust.
Send us your measurements and we check the seller's chart for every item before buying. If the seller lists "fits small" or "fits large" (偏小 / 偏大) we tell you.
Finding good shops
- Shop rating and age. Older shops with high ratings are lower risk.
- Buyer photos (买家秀). More honest than studio photos. We look at them for colour and fit.
- Fabric listed. Good shops list composition, for example 100% cotton or 70% wool. Vague listings are a warning sign.
- Original designs vs copies. We buy from original designers and unbranded shops, not copies of other brands' designs.
Price levels
| Price range | What you usually get |
|---|---|
| ¥30–100 | Basics, synthetic fabrics, simple finishing |
| ¥100–300 | Better fabrics, mid-range shops and small labels |
| ¥300+ | Designer labels, wool and silk, limited releases |
Shipping clothes
Clothes are light but bulky. Removing packaging and vacuum-packing reduces the volume weight. A typical haul of 5–6 summer items packs to around 2 kg; jackets and knitwear take more. See shipping.
Questions
Are Taobao clothes good quality?
It varies a lot. The same style can cost ¥59 or ¥399 from different shops, with very different fabric and finishing. We check shop history and reviews and tell you what to expect.
Is Taobao fast fashion?
Some shops are. Many others are small labels and studios that release limited collections or make to order. We can point you to original designers rather than copies.
Do Chinese sizes run small?
Usually one to two sizes smaller than US, UK or EU sizes. Always compare your measurements with the seller's chart in cm.