Asian Fashion Adventures: LaCaCl

Previously on Asian Fashion Adventures: MexyShop and Persun Mall.

Accepting gifted items can feel like striking a Faustian bargain. How much can I accept (if at all) if I intend to maintain some semblance of neutrality and preserve credibility with those who read my blog? Can I really speak the truth if I want to enjoy a friendly relationship with sponsors?

I am relieved to report that with LaCaCl, a company based out of South Korea, I did not have to draft the dreaded “sorry, can I send your clothes back because I don’t want to blog about them” email that I am sometimes obligated to write.

LaCaCl prices are on the higher end for fast fashion ($125 for this dress that I was thisclose to buying for myself before it sold out) but I am personally willing to pay a premium for uniqueness. I am quite happy with all five items I received but think some common sense needs to be employed to avoid inevitable pitfalls in every retailer’s sourcing decision.

I hold a generally more favorable opinion of South Korean retailers than I do Chinese/Taiwanese/Japanese/Hong Kong-er retailers. Before you tar and feather me, I want to emphasize that my bias is not unfounded and is grounded in a lot of personal experience (though I recognize that a few anecdotes do not a whole truth make).

That said, it is unclear if LaCaCl manufactures its own products or if it’s merely an intermediary (my instinct tells me it’s likely the latter). If I am right, that could explain why prices are higher than what you’d expect from an Asian retailer (though South Korean fashion tends to be more expensive than its neighboring counterparts, even at wholesale prices).

LaCaCl quality is good and on par with what you’d expect from the likes of Zara. I do think some items are of better value than others but quality is so hard to assess from pictures (of which LaCaCl provides plenty).

The return policy is flawed; you only have three days upon receiving your order to request a return or an exchange. If the return is not due to a manufacturing defect, you will have to pay both the original shipping charge and the return shipping fee. I can imagine those shipping charges being expensive if you are located outside of East Asia.

Most items come in only three sizes (S, M, or L) and measurements are always provided on individual product pages to account for (sometimes wildly) irregular fit. For those of you familiar with my size, I wear a size S (pants can be too tight because of my stocky legs and the length can sometimes be too long because I am 5’2 but size S is generally the right size for people who are built like me).

My favorite item, which happens to be the cheapest of five at $19.99, is the Unique Illustrated/Printed Blouse seen in this post.

I love this blouse and the only issue that has bothered me is its smell (it had a fairly pungent industrial smell which has faded after a few washes).

Note that beauty products, sale items, and discontinued styles are all final sale and cannot be returned.

Shipping can be expensive to countries outside of the Asian continent but free worldwide shipping is offered on orders of $150+. A no-minimum free shipping code can be found at the end of this post if you want to place an order.

LaCaCl ships by EMS (Express Mail Service) which is reliable, track-able, and expeditious. My order took less than three days after dispatch to arrive (no small feat from South Korea to this NE corner of the US). The packaging is frills-free, compact, and economical.

LaCaCl provided three coupons for those who are interested in placing an order (there is a one-coupon per transaction rule): use code THANKYOU for free worldwide shipping (no minimum), SUMMERLOVE for 10% off everything, or WELCOME for $5 any purchase.

The pants I wore in this post are on sale (…final sale!).

If you have additional questions, please leave a comment below.

Disclaimer: I received five items as gifts from LaCaCl. No other compensation–monetary or otherwise–was given for writing this post.