Mid-day; Mid Week [TBT]

Yikes! I hate mid days and mid weeks. I think these periods are designed specifically to allow the snooze monster to conquer your mind or maybe just an excuse for everyone to drift away in their tiny bubble and think of other things that are not so important at the moment.

Anywayyyyy... I hope everyone found the Boracay post helpful in some way. I tried my best to explain everything I could, from preparation to being there and now.. (ploop), I'm suffering from a mid-day, mid-week syndrome. Just want to escape from work and go shopping for the day, or just sit at home and watch shows that don't really make any sense at all. 

So, since I don't have the chance to head out for some shopping right now... I can always shop online!

As you all know, these days, blog shops, or online retail stores are losing their charm because of a fairly new introduction of  TAOBAO 淘宝 (TB). 

At TB, you get to find practically everything! I was first introduced to the website by an ex colleague of mine and initially, I got so so so so so hooked on shopping on TB. I even created a nickname for this activity - It's called TBT - Tao Bao Time! It was like joy during work (skiving actually), to go online and look at pretty clothes at relatively affordable prices.

The reason why I say affordable instead of cheap is because of the shipping costs that are involved when you cart out. Although Singapore Currency is still stronger than China, but as each minute passes, the Ren Ming Bi 人民币 is getting stronger and stronger. Soon, I will not be able to divide the price by 5 but 4 or even 3. 

Oh wait, but that's not my point of talking about TB. The reason is, there are so so so so so many unethical blogshop owners, I won't name who, that orders from TB and charges exorbitant prices back on consumers like you and me. So many blogshops are hosting "backorders" now because they all buy from TB! Some even worse, they would say  self-manufactured or it is exclusive to them, sew their tags on, then...the next minute you see its replica on another blogshop that probably isn't as famous.

Because I visit TB quite often, I know what are the upcoming designs and when I see them on certain blogshop claiming that they manufactured it, a little devil in me, really wanted to take a screenshot and paste it on their facebook wall. But that would be a very very very bad move. So... I decided to take it to my blog. 

YES PEOPLE. BEWARE OF UNETHICAL BLOGSHOPS!

How? You may ask... well, simple. Simply head on to www.taobao.com and you would discover that what I have said is all true. Certainly there are risks in the size that are being portrayed as well as the colour, but fret not, they also have review section in each of the "mini shop". They work just like how Qoo10 works for Singapore. 

Of course, there are bound to be hit & misses. Just take the same amount of caution you have when you purchase them by reading on the reviews first and checking the shop owners' credibility - usually diamond/hearts/crown

Go under Women section and click on NEW ITEMS - as indicated in Picture

Trust me, you will be shocked.

But of course, to visit TB, you really need to have the ability to read Chinese characters. At the beginning, it was a little overwhelming for me as there were just TOO many Chinese characters to read at one go. But subsequently, I picked up a few important words like.. dresses are called "连衣裙" and the rest, I leave it up to you to explore.

By the way, they really sell everything under the roof! A pretty amazing site for any shopper at any age. 

But please don't get me wrong. There are still a handful of blogshops who are very honest in their business. They would tell you that it is imported or really self-manufactured. It is very obvious when the item is self-manufactured. The design, the cutting and the materials used will be different and of better quality that what are usually sold "off the racks". I think that as long as Blogshops stay honest, then it is ok. 

Otherwise, just boycott and shop on TB. The timing of arrival is just like every other BO carried out by Blogshops. 2 - 4weeks. 

Ok, 3PM already. TBT!! 

Happy Shopping Everyone

Bahhhhhhhhhhhxx
Andrea