Republic of G | Petite Sewing & Fashion

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Shopping on a Budget? This is the Store for You

Sometimes I’m willing to spend a pretty penny on certain items in my closet because I know they are going to last me a lifetime. We all have them, the versatile pieces that you can mix and match year after year. But sometimes, there’s a trend going on and I just want to indulge a little. There are sometimes those pieces that you know you will get a good use out of, but don’t particularly need them to be “high end.” For me, those pieces lately have been lounge wear and workout clothes. I know a lot of us are LIVING in those two categories right now and I’m right there with ya!

When Moda Xpress and Clothingunder10 reached out to me, I was skeptical for sure. Clothing with a price tag on it that ranges from $10-$30 is just a red flag to me that the quality is going to be so bad you’re not going to want to have it on for more than an hour, and when you go through it in the wash it will just fall apart. I decided to do a little research and see what the story was behind these two brands.

I found out right off the bat that they operate as two separate companies but are run by the same team. So their options are similar but versatile. Their website includes everything but dresses to shirts, jumpers and rompers, workout to loungewear and matching sets. Based in Miami, Moda Xpress’s options have a little more flare to them and are a bit sexier. The price range is anywhere from $20-$50. Clothingunder10 has more options that are cheaper in price and cater to more basics. Clothingunder10 addresses the price point of their items in the ‘About Us’ section of their website and states they have great relationships with their all American manufacturers and are buying large quantities of inventory in exchange for low factory prices.

I decided to say yes to the collab and picked out a few items from each store. Below are links to each item I picked out.

From Moda Xpress

  1. Activewear Anti Cellulite Butt Lift Light Blue Leggings // Size Small: These fit well they were just a little bunched at the bottom near my ankles. Not meant for petites but I still wore them to a workout! Maybe I will try and hem them with my new sewing machine!

  2. Blue Tie Dye Crop Top & Jogger Pants // Size Small

  3. Light Acid Wash Denim Romper // Size Small: This was big in my chest area. There was too much fabric around the front lapels and I was just swimming in the upper half of it. The length was pretty good.

  4. Off Shoulder White Floral Mini Dress // Size Small

From ClothingUnder10

  1. Heather Green Jogger Sweatpants // Size Small

  2. Navy Jersey Drawstring Jumpsuit // Size Small: This jumpsuit was long in the crotch

  3. Cuffed Sleeves Olive Romper // Size Small

  4. Button Detail Black Mini Dress // Size Small

The Pro’s

Overall, for the prices that are offered, the quality was decent, customer service was responsive and nice and items were exactly how they looked online. The loungewear definitely fit me the best and is super soft!

The Con’s

The only con I have is I ordered all my clothes in a size small. Some fit me great and I was swimming in others. This has definitely happened to me before when buying from brands who are outsourcing from different manufacturers. I always check the return policy before shopping for the first time online. For both brands, you can send your items back in 30 days and get store credit. I don’t love store credit only return policies because it’s just a wholeee commitment but hey, that’s just me. At least you have 30 days to find something else. I noted above the sizes of each item and which were too big on me.

Overall, I’m super grateful to have been gifted all the items I did from Moda Xpress and ClothingUnder10. I’m still taking COVID seriously and staying home a lot has me loving the lounge sets the most. For the other options that didn’t fit so well, I’m going to use them as practice to get my creative juices flowing. I’ve been super interested in embroidery lately and using my new sewing machine, so this is a great time for me to practice and turn nothing into something! More on that to come!