Solado review: Is it legit or a scam? Let’s find out! Have you fallen in love with the chic outfits from Solado shop, and your heart tells you to buy, but you wonder if it is legit or not? To help you clear all your questions regarding Solado clothing store, I’ve compiled this comprehensive review to help fashionistas like you get all the information before buying. So take a few minutes to read this page entirely, and hopefully, by the end, you will come up to a conclusion.
Online shopping has become the preferred (if not the only) type of shopping for millions of people worldwide. And the fashion industry managed to ride the wave of e-commerce faster and probably better than any other.
Today, brands like Shein, Fashion Nova, and Asos are the powerhouses and trendsetters of the e-commerce space. Statistically, over 33% of people (or every third person you meet) wear something they buy online every day.
Solado review: Is it legit or a scam? Let’s find out!
SOLADO is another name you will probably stumble upon while browsing online fashion brands, especially the so-popular affordable, fast fashion segment. Let`s be fair: despite all the criticism for its environmental impact, questionable labor practices, and potential ethical concerns, we all love fast fashion and will not fail to check out another brand, especially if we hear about it from a favorite influencer.
And since SOLADO seems to build its whole marketing around social media exposure and collaborations with influencers of all sorts, there is a big chance you have already visited its website and probably even have a couple of items on your wishlist.
But, like with every new brand, you probably still wonder whether SOLADO is a reliable online fashion brand or another scammy website designed to steal your credit card information. Well, you are definitely not alone! That is why we decided to study all the ins and outs of another viral online fast fashion brand and see whether SOLADO is legit or a scam.
What is SOLADO?
For those of you who have managed to successfully live off the grid for the past couple of years and, therefore, never heard of this brand, SOLADO is a popular fast fashion company that calls itself “a social-driven brand.”
In reality, it means that SOLADO, like its many fast fashion “cousins”, peeped at the idea of their mothership, SHEIN, to spread the word and attract customers mainly through social media advertising. However, SOLADO seems to make this undeniably successful strategy an absolute and build its whole concept and image around social media trends and influences.
And just like that, SOLADO emphasizes its image as a “collaborative” brand and a fashion company that aims to “build a community with space for everyone, where no one feels alienated.”
In other words, SOLADO marketing is the embodiment of so-called influencer marketing. This strategy involves collaborating with individuals with a significant and engaged following on social media or other online platforms. But in the case of SOLADO, it seems like they are willing to collaborate with anyone just to spread the word as far as possible.
This strategy actually works great with smaller bloggers. On the one hand, people with a modest following base or those who just started their path on social media feel flattered to become some brand`s ambassadors and therefore don`t push high demands in exchange for another post. At the same time, such bloggers and entry-level influencers usually enjoy a higher level of trust in their audience since they are rarely seen in scandals or suspicious advertising. A win-win for everyone!
To sum up, Solado seems to be another fast-fashion SHEIN wannabe, a younger cousin who tries to copy as much as possible from a grander and more successful relative. And if you take a closer look, there are so many similarities between the two brands that some suspect they are somehow related.
Like Shein, Solado is a Chinese online fast fashion retailer that builds its marketing around social media. Both brands have pretty similar websites filled with trendy designs in their inventory updated with the speed of light (seriously, a jumpsuit that seems to be a copy of an item from the H&M x Mugler collaboration appeared on the SOLADO website almost at the same time as the collab was launched worldwide).
However, as of now, there is no information about any kind of relationship between the two brands. So, SOLADO is definitely not SHEIN, but if you have ever bought anything from the latter, you should prepare for more or less the same shopping experience by placing your order on the SOLADO website.
Shopping experience with SOLADO
The first thing you will probably notice when visiting the SOLADO website for the first time is that the brand`s style is definitely “not for the shy.” It is also probably not a one-stop shop for any occasion.
Here you will find party dresses, skirts, tops, and jumpsuits with deep cuts, studded with sequins, and made from stretchy satin-ish materials (which are usually a blend of polyester and elastane in different proportions).
In other words, if you prefer natural materials, casual models, or an office outfit, SOLADO is probably not the brand for you. But those who need a perfect “revenge dress”, or an outfit for a night out are almost guaranteed to find their perfect match in SOLADO’s inventory.
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SOLADO Sizing
The sizes of SOLADO models range from XS (US 0/2) to 2XL (US 14). However, after combing through the whole inventory and choosing random items from different categories, we didn`t see any models that would come in size 2XL.
It is a pretty common situation for fast-fashion brands. They claim to be inclusive, with XL+ sizes on their size charts, but hardly ever have any models of larger sizes. Some say those are empty claims of inclusivity; others suggest that brands simply copy size charts without even bothering to edit them.
Considering the fact that most reviews claim that the items from SOLADO don`t correspond to the brand`s size chart, we are more inclined to choose the second option. Just keep in mind that if you are wearing M in the United States, it is better to size up when you place an order. Speaking of customer reviews ….
SOLADO Reviews
Customer reviews are always the most exciting and intriguing thing when you research a new brand. It is fair to say that Solado is a relatively new brand. Unlike its numerous “colleagues” that emerged and had risen on the wave of the COVID online shopping trend, SOLADO appeared only at the end of 2021.
Usually, it leads to the fact that customer reviews about such young brands are not too informative, as there are not enough opinions that would give us a whole picture. But Solado seems to be a whole different story.
In fact, there are tons of reviews on the SOLADO website itself as well as various customer review platforms such as Trustpilot, Reddit, etc, not to mention TikTok, which is filled with SOLADO reviews, haul videos, and try-ons.
And here, it is vital to separate the wheat from the chaff carefully. Naturally, a brand will prefer to expose positive reviews on its own website and under every product. That is why we shall take an average 4.8 rating for every item with a grain of salt.
We have already mentioned how SOLADO focuses its marketing around influencers and social media profiles with “not-the-biggest” following bases. It is a pretty successful technique that allows you to get the maximum positive rate and coverage with the minimum cost.
But independent platforms, as usual, give a much more vivid picture. To tell you the truth, it does not often happen that the gap between positive and negative reviews on such websites as Trustpilot is as significant as it is in the case of SOLADO. It happens because brands usually monitor such platforms and make sure to balance the negative rate with positive reviews.
It looks like Solado`s team put their towel on this matter! Well, not entirely. For example, on one of the review platforms, a customer with the nickname Scott Howard described the drees purchased from SOLADO as “silky and pleasant.” This is interesting considering the fact that the brand sells exclusively women’s fashion, and positive comments came mainly from users with male nicknames and pictures on avatars.
The brand`s average rating in reviews is still about 2.2, which is incredibly low because people already have experience with similar e-commerce retailers and usually don`t have too high expectations when placing another order.
You will find regular complaints about items running too small, materials being itchy and uncomfortable, uneven curves, and a “weird smell.” Still, multiple complaints about SOLEDO`s customer support and return policies made me read into the brand`s terms and conditions once again.
SOLADO Shipping and Return Policies
The first thing you notice when visiting the SOLADO website is the bar that says that shipping to all destinations is free on orders over $59. Technically, it means that you will do quite a bit of shopping on the website if you want to get free shipping, as the average cost of a dress is about $20, a shirt is $10, and jewelry goes for $4–$7.
Another important thing to remember when you order from SOLADO is that import duties are charged once the parcel reaches its destination country. That way, you will avoid some unpleasant bills and surprises when your package finally reaches its destination point.
The delivery takes between 6 and 15 days, depending on your destination. But SOLEDO also adds a fine script at the bottom of the page that suggests that processing your order may take up to 3 business days. According to some reviews, however, some customers had to wait for over a week to finally see that their package had been shipped from the SOLADOs warehouse.
As usual, the “fun” usually starts when you want to cancel or return your purchase or have to contact customer service for any other reason.
Bare in mind that SOLADO will always deduct the shipping fee from your refund, even if the parcel has not left the warehouse yet. If you choose to return your purchase for any reason, the shipping cost will be entirely on you. Those with experience with returning packages from China know that shipping to this country can be surprisingly expensive and even exceed the initial cost of the items in the package.
Most brands seem to use this situation, counting on the fact that you will probably think it will be easier to keep the “less than perfect” item or try to sell it to someone.
Unlike many online retailers, you cannot create a returning label on your profile page and ship the item. You have to contact their customer service for that. And let us tell you, this is not the most communicative customer service you will ever have to contact in your life.
Most customers claimed in their reviews that they never got any response from the brand when they tried to contact customer service, carefully following the terms and conditions mentioned on the website. And those who succeeded described a pretty complex and extensive communication experience where they had to send pictures and describe why exactly they wanted to return the faulty items to receive the returning label for their packages.
To be fair, although many customers claimed that SOLADO is not entirely transparent about their shipping and return policies as well as refunds, all the information that we have mentioned here came from the website itself. In other words, in the case of SOLADO and any other retailer, it is crucial to read their terms and conditions very carefully before placing an order to avoid disappointment and unnecessary trouble.
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Is Solado shop a sustainable brand?
Before you roll up your eyes or vice versa and fill up with hope after learning that SOLADO claims to be a sustainable company, let us reveal how absurd the situation is. First of all, if you are more or less familiar with the idea of sustainable fashion, you definitely know that a dress ethically made from sustainable materials cannot cost $20.
Starting with the fact that sustainable materials come from ethical farming facilities with minimum-to-no use of pesticides and techniques that boost the harvest. In other words, the materials themselves are more expensive in this case.
Next, to manufacture an item ethically and according to the standards of sustainable fashion, you will have to pay your employees at least living wages, explore manufacturing and transportation techniques that would minimize your brand’s carbon footprint, and much more.
Typically, a dress from a truly sustainable brand costs over $80, not because you pay extra for that warm, fussy feeling that fills up your heart when you receive it in a biodegradable package. By paying for such an item, you invest in a brand`s research and effort on the way to more mindful manufacture and consumption.
As for SOLADO’s sustainability claims mainly relate to one link to an organization called Trace. According to their website, SOLADO planted 2274 trees in 2021 and, therefore, can be considered a carbon-neutral business.
Let`s do some simple math. The manufacture of just one shirt causes about 7 kg of CO2 emissions. Given that a single tree offsets about 20 KG of carbon dioxide each year, it compensates roughly 3 t-shirts. It means that 2274 trees would neutralize the effect of 6822 pieces, which does not look very realistic in the scale of fast fashion as we know it.
In addition, the sustainability report from SOLADO is limited to 2021, the year of the brand`s launch. It probably means the company eventually gave up on its sustainability efforts and stopped planting trees after the report was released.
Final Thoughts
When people wonder whether it is safe to purchase from another brand, they are mainly worried about their credit card information. However, it is time we started to think about more important things when considering a purchase at another online store.
While SOLADO will not steal your credit card number and will definitely send you something in exchange for your hard-earned money, shopping with this brand and some of its “cousins” still cannot be considered entirely safe. Once you are not fully satisfied with the purchase and decide to return, exchange, or resell it, you will have to spend a lot of time, money, and effort to achieve your goal.
In addition, fast fashion remains fast fashion, with all its pitfalls and dirty underbelly. It is unsafe for the environment, people who work in it, and sometimes even those who wear it.
Eventually, it is up to you whether to buy from SOLADO and similar brands, and they do sometimes offer pretty decent items for pretty decent prices, especially if we are talking about party dresses or Halloween outfits. But you probably should not expect to find another “hidden gem” or a “holy grail” of online shopping among fast fashion brands.
So, have I cleared all your questions regarding the Solado shop? Or did I miss anything? If you had an experience with them and would like to share your opinion, please comment below. I’m sure that many will thank you for taking the time to share your opinion and experience. Happy shopping!
