November 5th, 2009
As a hip, arty freelance graphic designer, long time YLF forum member and East Coast native Maya was the first person I thought of when the opportunity arose to review products from YesStyle.com. The company gave her a budget of $200 to road test some of their items and this is how it went.
When I close my eyes and daydream about my fantasy wardrobe, I envision a closet full of trendy, arty, and urban looks that capture my style persona and suit my lifestyle. It is no secret that this fantasy was greatly shaped by my fabulous Korean and Chinese roommates whose killer sense of style immediately appealed to me, and with good reason: Asian street style is playful, trendy, and edgy with a good dose of practicality. For years, I have been trying to make this style my own with varying levels of success. While some American retailers come close, I maintain that the best way to get the look is to shop locally. Unfortunately, I won’t be going to Seoul or Hong Kong any time soon, but thanks to Angie’s fairy-godmotherlike ability to make dreams come true, I came pretty close. With a wave of her magic wand, Angie introduced me to Stefan Janssens, Internet Marketing Manager for YesStyle.com, who provided me with the opportunity to road test a few popular Korean apparel brands.
I took no time getting to work and selecting my goods, and as I clicked through the website, a few things quickly became apparent:
- You’ll need to be small: Many of the clothes I saw were one size fits all and cut for a straight and petite frame. Based on my experience, the Asian “one size fits all” spectrum can potentially encompass US sizes 0-6, depending upon how generously cut the garment is. At a curvy size 4, I had to be discriminating about the cut and style of my final selections. Happily, YesStyle has the garment measurements listed for each item, so there was no guess work required. In the end, I stuck to tunics, tops, and dresses and had no issues with fit.
- You’ll need to be daring: YesStyle is not for the faint of fashion heart. As someone who is always looking past the style horizon, this is a bonus to me, but if your style is classic and flop-proof, you might feel out of your element. The 80’s and 90’s revivals were in full swing with plaid, leggings, distressed jeans, legwarmers, oversized tunics, and shoulder pads. Fabulous!
- You’ll need to be young: The clothes on YesStyle are, for the most part, casual and trendy. Having youth on your side will open up a lot more options, but as always, style is in the wearer as long as you remain selective.
- You’ll need to act fast: Items on YesStyle sell out quickly, so it is best not to wait on making a purchase. If you order directly from the Hong Kong warehouse, your order will ship more quickly. Items which are not in stock at the warehouse can add up to 7 days to the shipping process. You can filter the items that are readily available by checking off the “in stock” box.
What you make of the quality will depend on what you are used to and what your lifestyle demands. As a budget-restrained 25 year old with a casual lifestyle, I do not require (or even desire) luxurious fabrics and a polished look, so most of the clothes I received from YesStyle passed my filter without a hitch. If you like shopping at H&M and Forever 21, you will probably like YesStyle as well. As always, there will be some variation between brands and even individual garments in terms of quality and fit, but among the brands I tried, I was very pleased. The service I received was excellent and I will surely be shopping with YesStyle in the future!
The tops and dresses in these outfits are the YesStyle items I put to the test, while the camisoles, bottoms, footwear and accessories are my own. They mixed in perfectly with my wardrobe!
35 Replies
Posted on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 8:24 am
You look great, Maya — and a well-written review. I hope you get to keep the clothes!
Posted on November 5th, 2009 at 8:33 am
I ADORE the looks on this site and have been dying to give them a try. But that one size thing … no good for a curvy lass such as myself!
Posted on November 5th, 2009 at 8:34 am
Adorable! A little too “trendy” for this 45 yr old mom but really great choices on you!
Posted on November 5th, 2009 at 8:37 am
I’m still a work so can’t comment much but just had to say you look AMAZING Maya.
Posted on November 5th, 2009 at 8:55 am
Maya, you look KILLER in every outfit. A big fat 10 for each ensemble! No prizes for guessing that the asymmetrical top with the pearls and skinnies is my favourite look of them all! I absolutely love the outfit with the hat too! But I adore all the items and am impressed with how well you put them together. You look like a funky little stylish Hong Kong street gal. Your dream style!
Thanks for writing up a superb review. I’m so glad that you get to keep your great yesstyle goodies too. Enjoy 
Posted on November 5th, 2009 at 9:12 am
You look great, Maya! I love the outfits a lot. Too bad they don’t carry my size. I’ll just have to use your looks as inspiration and shop elsewhere. My favorite look is the very last one.
Posted on November 5th, 2009 at 9:14 am
Posted on November 5th, 2009 at 9:25 am
Wow, Maya … this just looks so amazing and so “you!” I love the last look, and also the one with the gray cropped sweater.
Posted on November 5th, 2009 at 9:36 am
You look amazing and luck seems to be on your side lately! I love that white tunic and the last look is my favorite!
Posted on November 5th, 2009 at 9:38 am
Maya, you have such excellent taste and amazing style! This blog today was such a treat. Do you think I’m too old to give some of these styles a whirl? Hmmm… I love the white tunic, and the two in the top middle…
Posted on November 5th, 2009 at 9:42 am
Maya, you look awesome!!! I love all your outfits, you are wearing them with a such a fantastic attitude. I can’t pick a favorite, but I love how you accessorized each of the outfits.
Posted on November 5th, 2009 at 9:46 am
You look fantastic!! Some of those tunics are right up my alley. Thanks for the wonderful & detailed review. Can’t wait to check out the site.
Posted on November 5th, 2009 at 9:51 am
Maya,
You are fabulous!!! The look is such a perfect fit for you and how great that you get to keep them!! My favorite is the graphic T and hat ensemble- perfectly you and it does wonders for the angles in your haircut!! You look just like a model- they are quite fortunate to have you showing off their clothes!!
Posted on November 5th, 2009 at 9:56 am
Oh how fabulous! Great report (I’d had never heard of this line), and you look TERRIFIC. I especially like the third look in the top row -my favorite- and the second one in the bottom row (different for you, I think?, in a good way!) but all are super. Well done. Enjoy your new goodies!
Posted on November 5th, 2009 at 10:28 am
Maya, I love every single outfit, you look fantastic! You have such a great style, thank you for modeling it and for the wonderful writeup as well. Glad you get to keep all your goodies.
Posted on November 5th, 2009 at 11:51 am
Maya, you look fantastic and your article was helpful and well done. I’m bummed that I’m too old for this style but might be able to use some pieces. I especially love that third-in-the-top-row grey graphic top. Angie, could an older woman possibly wear that style top with straight jeans and flats or skinny jeans and boots?
That outfit and the last one in the top row are my favorites on you. I will definitely check out the YesStyle.com site.
Posted on November 5th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
I’ve always admired Korean and HK fashions, and they totally suit you Maya. Your outfits are spot on, reflecting your persona and lifestyle. Great review! I just wish I had access to these clothes 20 years ago
Posted on November 5th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
Maya, good job on the write up, and very cute outfits! My favorites are the white tunic top outfit on the bottom right, and the black tunic top and skinnies on the top right. I also like the gray deep-v top/red cami outfit on the bottom row.
Posted on November 5th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
You look great in these outfits. I have a similar style to yours although I’m 38 so I have to be careful about looking too trendy. I went to the site and did like some of the clothing, although I found when I sorted by “In Stock” there wasn’t really much there. What happens when you choose something that isn’t in stock – do they order it for you, or are you just out of luck?
Posted on November 5th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
You look super cute, Maya! The third look on the top row is my favorite.
Posted on November 5th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
You look like a great match for the YesStyle.com and I can see Angie’s blog influence too. It’s a win/win for you. You look awsome. I love that you had all the right bottoms, shoes, camis, and other things to go with what you ordered to make these outfits work. You were already on their wave length it seems.
Posted on November 5th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Thanks for the lovely comments/compliments so far!
-To all of you who are bummed because you think you’re not in the right age group: Just use the same discerning eye you always use to incorporate individual pieces into a more sophisticated look. I just meant that a head-to-toe outfit from YS is probably not ideal due to the casual nature, quality, and “trendiness” of the items. Also, there is a “designer label” section that is worth checking out. Saw some gorgeous pieces there that will probably have a more refined look and feel. Shiny, I think you should definitely try something out…especially the bottoms! I could not get any skirts or pants because I am too curvy but I bet they would work for you, and everything is scaled down for petites.
-If you are concerned about the OSFA thing, check the “plus size” category. This does not correspond to US plus sizes, but I saw some cute stuff there that should fit if you fall out of the OSFA range. Also, some of the things I saw came in multiple sizes, but they still run quite small…at least a full size smaller than US sizing. They also have a lot of cute shoes, but with my fussy feet I decided it probably wasn’t a good idea to experiment!
-I forgot to mention the brands I tried: Most of the items pictured are Stylementor. The asymmetric black top is Fox City, and the cinch waist tunic and white chiffon top are Yumi.
Posted on November 5th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Oh Maya, you look terrific — and so very “you.” I am inspired to check out the site! My favs are the third and fourth outfits on the top row. And I am impressed at how many styles you were able to try & photograph for the price. Great write-up!
Posted on November 5th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
I’m tickled to see this post showcasing you and your style, Maya. You did a fantastic job with your review. That outfit you wore with the hat and cross body bag is beyond killer. Utterly fab!
Posted on November 5th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Maya, your post was entertaining, witty, & informative! nice job!
Posted on November 5th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Jen, the “in stock” box just means that it is in stock at the Hong Kong warehouse and ready to ship. The items that are not in stock just ship from a different location, which means it will take longer to arrive. The in stock items arrived in around a week for me, while the ones that were not in stock took maybe 2 weeks. Hope that helps.
Posted on November 5th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
Wow Maya, you look awesome! I love all the outfits you have put together, they are so creative and so you! And how great that you get to keep those pieces too! You also did a great job of writing. i have really enjoyed this post.
Posted on November 5th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
Maya, you look fantastic! I love the gray-ish top on the bottom row (is it studded?) and the outfit with the plaid top in the top row is beautiful! These brands definitely look like they are up your alley, style-wise. It’s so fun to see you really show off your style since you’ve often mentioned that you feel like your shape limits your ability to dress within your style preferences. Seeing your pictures, I’d say just the opposite – you look absolutely awesome!
Posted on November 5th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
Maya–you are indeed gorgeous! Those outfits are all fabulous! My favorite is the third one on the top row. I’m going to have to check out yes style the next time I’m feeling a bit daring!!
Posted on November 5th, 2009 at 9:27 pm
It’s so lovely to see you in a blog post Maya, I love all the outfits that you put together!
Posted on November 6th, 2009 at 10:23 am
Those pieces look great! There are a lot of those in malls in my country now since there are many Koreans in my part of the world.
-meream
Posted on November 6th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Great to see you Maya, and you are right, tucking in does look good
Posted on November 6th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Maya you look simply stunning!! And the piece is so well written too! I struggled a bit to find both clothes and shoes that fit me in HK, although it was a lot easier than in China!!
Posted on November 6th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Hey! Thanks so much for posting this review!!! I have recently started browsing sites similiar as well but have been too wimpy to purchase… some of the stuff are scarily cheap! Was wondering if you could do more reviews in the future? like for causeway, enly fashion, and fashion4us?? Anyway, thanks again I really appreciated that post! Currently has yesstyle open in quite a few other tabs as i type…..
Posted on November 7th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Maya, you look fabulous! Enjoy your new things. 
Posted on November 8th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
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