Oli Oli Vixen Free-For-All

 

I love to share when I'm excited about and impressed by a shop or service. I had been meaning to check out Oli Online for some time but until a few days ago only remembered when NOT in my butt-numbing position at the computer. Oli is the online department store that offers loads of dress options, a full 18 pages as of yesterday (the only thing I was interested in due to my plan to wear dresses every day) in styles to suit everyone from the wannabe WAG to the more demurely feminine, '40s and '50s style and tea dress-loving set (that's where I fall), and everything in between. At mostly steal prices. So it seemed. Could it really be, or was it all a too-good-to-be-true LCD mirage where the goods heartbreakingly don't measure up to hopes and expectations?

I almost didn't give myself a chance to find out. At first glance I thought 'Too bad, not for me' until I realised there was a good helping of 'me' dresses sprinkled within the halter-and-ruffle-skirt numbers. Now this juxtaposition may be off-putting, or not, it usually is for me. I like my wardrobe to come from a place that's a solid step up from the average clothing merchant (I'm not a snob, it's just that I tend to buy for investment and look for quality, fit, style, uniqueness). But the 'me' dresses were tallying up higher and higher and they looked too good and at cheap prices (but not so much that there's no chance of the dress not looking cheap), and besides, who's not looking for a real bargain? The most expensive dress on my wish list was £50 with a few between £30 - £40, not including the anomalous £600 (that's about $1200) On/Off Boutique by Steph Aman butterfly applique frock (top centre). That's on the 'When I win the lottery' aka the 'Dream on' list.

So I went for it and ordered a floral tea dress and the navy stripey jersey dress (bottom right). Perfect for wearing any time, right in line with my 'every day in dresses' plan. The jersey dress was a two-week wait but the tea dress came two days later. By courier, on a hanger - actually hanging by the courier's hand when I opened the door - and in a garment bag. A plastic disposable one but still! I was so impressed. I was thinking 'I like the Oli people' before I even removed the dress.

The verdict? Very happy. It was a nice fabric, seemed much higher quality than the £30 price would suggest (though that was after a 40% sale discount) and it fit well, no puffing out in weird places or anything. And I have to mention it's FAR SUPERIOR to a tea dress I bought from the Kate Moss Topshop collection, in terms of fabric and cut. At half the price! And Mossy's dress did not come hanging.

And to top it off, to return items you call the courier number on your package and they come get it at your house and take it back for you, FREE OF CHARGE! What more can you ask for? I'm sold. And I love their order confirmation emails: "You're going to be one happy bunny!" And it's true. I am one happy bunny.

One more thing! Many of the items have video so you can see a model work the catwalk wearing the clothes. Excellent for seeing how a piece moves, and if it doesn't look so great on the model maybe it's not worth getting, though with their fantastic returns policy who cares, try it! And, they send special offers if you sign up by email, not to mention the discount vouchers available at My Voucher Codes.

And look at the coats and jackets below! Are you drooling?

In case I seem mean by teasing my friends across the pond (Oli doesn't deliver outside the UK), contact me (see top of the sidebar) if you've browsed Oli.co.uk and are interested in something. I'll be in Toronto and Niagara as of mid-June so if you're in the vicinity, we may be able to work something out if I can fit it in my carry-on!

Comments

[Tammy]

Oh my god.....I hope my wedding will be paid off soon! I am in dire need of a shopping trip. And when I say trip, I mean across the pond to where the good stuff is!!!