Are you crushing on some cute Y2K-inspired clothing from Rinsta and wondering if it’s worth the buy? Here’s my honest Rinsta review on my experience with them…

The best thing about the Y2K trend coming back is that millennials like me can wear some of the trends they always wanted to wear as a kid, but never got a chance to.

The bad thing is that some Y2K trends are super ridiculous or unflattering.

Rinsta reached out to me about collaborating last Fall, and they sent me $150 worth of clothes. Here is my honest review of what I thought about the quality of the clothing, shopping experience, and if you should spend your own $ on this fast fashion brand!

What I Got:

I originally chose five items from Rinsta, but they emailed me nearly 15 days later saying that the two items I wanted the most were out of stock. Bummer. I sent some alternate options and they ended up sending me the following items:

Cartoon Flower Button V-Neck Cardigan, $27.99

This sweater was a bit stiff and not very warm, but super cute for photos!

Letter Print Knotted Waist Pants, $31.99

When I first tried these on, I felt they were a bit too tight on my waist for sweatpants, but they grew on me. They’re super comfy and great to throw on when you’re running errands or want a cute but casual look. I would say they’re a true XS.

Solid Color Knotted Waist Pants, $21.99

These did not fit me correctly (hence the photo from their site and not on me). The hem of the pants hit a bit above my ankles and looked very silly on me. I’m not sure if it’s because the waist was too small on me or because the pants were just short. But now that I’m looking at the size guide, I see that the XS waist is 58 CM, AKA 22 IN, which is definitely a few inches too small for my waist, so that may have been the issue. Although, if you check the reviews on their page, the pants look short on some other people too. If you’re on the shorter size though, these may work—just size up if you’re in between sizes!

Zebra Print Front Chain Pants (SOLD OUT)

I find myself wearing these pants a lot! They’re just as comfy as sweatpants, but look much more put together.

Heart Print Knotted Pocket Suit (SOLD OUT – SIMILAR HERE)

The look, feel, and fit of this sweatsuit is amazing. It’s the loungewear of my early 2000’s, Jennifer’s Body-wannabe dreams. The only problem is, it sheds—majorly. I gave my boyfriend a hug after putting it on, and he suddenly had sparkles all over his black t-shirt. I made the mistake of throwing it in the wash with my other clothes, and all my clothes came out with sparkle threads on them too (which is obviously not permanent, but still). Yet, I love this sweatsuit so much I have to keep it. But, be warned if you’re buying something similar off their site.

The Good:

• Everything I ordered looked about the same as it did online. No weird color changes, fabric confusion, or the like.
• The quality of the items is about what you would expect for the price point. It’s certainly not couture, but not falling apart or see-through either.
• They have a lot of really cute items, particularly loungewear IMO!

The Bad:

• Like most fast fashion retailers, some of the items I ordered were a hit and some were a miss. The quality is made to last a trend cycle, not a lifetime.
• One of my items, the heart print sweatsuit, ended up shedding on literally everything I touched.
• Shipping was super slow. I’m not sure if it’s because I didn’t purchase things directly from the site (you may have a different experience if you do). I ordered my items on 10/27 and didn’t receive them until 11/27. They contacted me saying two items were out of stock on 11/15, so that might have been what held up on the order.

The Good to Know:

• I’m not 100% sure, but based on their return policy, it doesn’t appear that returns are free. They also have to be made within 30 days, and you have to email them to start the process.
• Like many Asian brands, Rinsta seems to run a bit small/short compared to American brands. One of the pairs of pants I ordered in XS had a 22 inch waist whereas many pants sized XXS from US brands are a 23-24 inch waist.
• They don’t offer refunds on bodysuits because of hygiene, so if you’re ordering a bodysuit (like this cute one), you better be sure!

I hope this honest Rinsta review was helpful to you! Feel free to let me know any questions you may have in the comments section.

Want to read more of my honest reviews? Check these out:

Looking for a real, honest SHEIN review before you purchase all the cute (but possibly too good to be true?) stuff in your shopping cart? Happy to help.

Also happy to help with a discount code: use “1ASHLEY15” for 15% off your order.

Once upon a time, SHEIN (formerly known as SheInside) was the butt of every fast fashion joke. It was a step below Forever 21, it was the brand you’d assume inspired the memes that said “what you order vs. what you get.”

But suddenly, you’ve probably started seeing more and more SHEIN on your Instagram or Pinterest feeds (or in your friend’s closets). And the clothes aren’t just flimsy basics, they’re super cute, on-trend pieces ranging from strappy bikinis to punny graphic tanks. At the same time, brands like Forever 21 seem to be flailing and closing more and more stores.

So, is SHEIN doing something right? Or are they just paying tons of influencers to post their stuff? Keep reading for my honest SHEIN review.

What I Bought:

I selected five items from SHEIN. I was a bit worried about sizing and quality, so I chose some bikinis and shirts that looked like they would be adjustable based on how I tied them, plus a few more trendy things that I didn’t necessarily see myself wearing more than once.

4 pack Chinese dragon mesh cut-out triangle bikini swimsuit, $19.99 

Tie backless snakeskin pattern halter top, $5

O-ring zip back fuzzy chain cami crop top, $12

Tie front cutout detail shirred back bardot dress, $18

4 pack mesh cutout triangle thong bikini swimsuit, $15

All over graphic high waisted bikini swimsuit, $12

Contrast Heart Lace Print Pajamas, $9

The Good:

• Believe it or not, everything I ordered actually fit me—which usually never happens when brands don’t stock XS
• The quality of all the items I bought was super solid for the price, I would say about the same quality as Forever 21
• Shipping was super fast! It appears that they have warehouses in LA, so you don’t have to worry about waiting for overseas packages anymore
• SHEIN also sells a lot of their items on Amazon, which might make the shipping + returns process simpler (although prices are generally higher). You can shop the last swimsuit on Amazon here.
• Return shipping is free on your first order! They accept returns within 45 days.

The Bad:

• One of my items, the red cover up, ended up bleeding red dye onto my white bikini when I wore it out (probably because I was sweating). That was a major bummer 🙁
• ICYMI, if you’re buying clothes for this cheap, there’s probably something sketchy going on behind the scenes (at the very least, it’s not great for our environment). While people are definitely suspicious as to how SHEIN keeps their clothing so cheap, there have not been any confirmed reports of unethical labor practices.
• There is another scandal that went down with SHEIN, they came under fire for selling a necklace with a symbol that resembled a swastika. This likely happened because in Asia, specifically China (where SHEIN is based), some people wear this ancient Buddhist symbol that originally meant “conducive to well-being” without associating it with the now negative nazi association that we see it as in the Western world. 

The Good to Know:

• Like many Asian brands, SHEIN sizes run small and short (which is probably why size S worked for me whereas I normally wear XS/XXS in US companies). 

Use my code 1ASHLEY15 for 15% off your order!

I hope this honest SHEIN review was helpful to you! Feel free to let me know any questions you may have in the comments section.

Want to read more of my honest reviews? Check these out: