I’ve been collaborating with Shein for many years and have a lot of experience with their clothing including sizing and quality. Over the years I have purchased some of their items with my own money as well. But I hadn’t tried any of Shein’s children’s clothing until recently. Similar to their women’s section, there are hundreds of choices of adorable and budget friendly clothing available. But is is really worth it? Does Shein children’s clothing stand up to the wear and tear children place on it? And what is the sizing like?
I decided to place a few orders for both of my daughters and see. I wanted to share a review of my experience and my daughters’ thoughts on the clothing to help you all decide if it is worth it.
Disclaimer-After an instagram collaboration with Shein, I received 2 gift cards that I was able to use to purchase a lot of this clothing. However I was under no obligation to write or share a post on any of my purchases. I simply thought this would be helpful.
Sizing
We all know sizing can be inconsistent from Shein and often women’s items run small. So what is sizing like for children? My girls have fairly different body types. Both are just above average height for their age, but Claire is very slender and Avie is built more solid and muscular. Taking these differences into consideration, here are my thoughts on Shein children’s sizing:
Top and skirt from Shein
PROS:
- Size guide available to show conversion between sizing systems.
- Measurements of garment are listed.
- Model size information is included.
- Many reviews include sizing information and photos.
- Lots of different angles of the item are pictured.
CONS:
- The sizing system is inconsistent.
- Sometimes sizes are labeled by year (8Y, 9Y, etc), sometimes are labeled by numeric system (110, 120, etc.).
- Similar to the women’s items, the tops ted to run short.
- Pants tend to run long, especially in sets.
- In general, items seem to run a 1/2 size-1 full size small.
headband and dress from Shein
TYPES OF CLOTHING
- Dresses- I would recommend ordering at least 1 size up to help ensure length is long enough.
- Skirts- The skirts I ordered ran 1 size small. Because a skirt’s only fit point is the waist, it’s easy to order a size bigger and cinch them a bit more to have a good fit.
- Pants/Leggings- Leggings definitely run small. Pants do not run as small since the length tends to be longer. I ordered paperbag waist pants a size up for both of my daughters and they both ran large/long.
- Tops/Sweaters- These seem to run on the shorter side. I ordered a size up (9Y/130 for Claire and 5/120 or 110 for Avie). The items I ordered fit on both girls, but they were not overly large at all. Probably only to be worn one year.
Quality
Many people are concerned with the quality of the items on Shein. And I understand. I see a difference especially in the type of fabric used. The cotton has a larger weave and is more stiff. The fabrics tend to be transparent, and prints do not line up. Children are hard on their clothing. While they may grow out of it quickly, it’s important the clothing holds up long enough.
skirt and top from Shein
- FABRIC
- Fabric is similar to fabric used on women’s clothing. It tends to be a bit thinner than fabric on clothing at say, Target or Old Navy. For example, the sweatpants and sweatshirts aren’t fleece on the inside. But there are many sherpa items available that are nice and cozy for kids!
- SEAMS
- Of all the 20+ items I ordered for both of my daughters, one item had a hole in it on the seam, and one item’s seam ripped on the crotch (my daughter was trying to do gymnastics or something in them). Both were easily fixable in under 10 minutes.
- LINING
- None of the items had lining.
- FASTENERS
- On a whole, items like zippers, hooks, and buttons were sewn on with no issues and worked as expected.
- WASHING
- There is no way I am going to dry clean any of my children’s clothing! I’ve washed everything they received in cold water and had no issues with anything shrinking or damaging of the clothing.
both sweaters and skirts from Shein
Overall, the prices were really good and the items were so cute! Knowing to order a least a size up will help next time. Because after seeing how cute my girls look in the Shein clothing, I will most definitely be ordering from Shein for my daughters again!
Check out my 10 tips on Sizing for Shein too!
