Asian Fashion Adventures: Silk Maison

Silk Maison is one of countless web-based direct-to-consumer brands that advertise heavily on social media. And as someone who is susceptible to being worn down by these ads, I placed two orders last year with the brand without putting up much of a resistance.

Because my shopping experience was mixed, I wanted to share my thoughts with those of you who might be contemplating a purchase.

QUALITY & DETAILS

Most Silk Maison styles are made from mid-weight wool (for outerwear) or 19 momme mulberry silk (aka charmeuse–the type of lightweight silk material you are likely to find in lingerie or pillow cases) so fans of natural fabric should have an easier time shopping the brand. However, as I mentioned in an earlier review, the craftsmanship leaves something to be desired: the stitch width is often too wide for outerwear, and thread ends can be found on just about every garment.

And in terms of design, issues that plague most Chinese fashion brands affect Silk Maison too, just to a lesser degree: still, nearly all of their offerings are overdesigned in some way or have key design details that are not properly executed. For the Patch Pockets Oversized Wool Coat, it’s the useless strap dangling from mid-sleeve. And for the V Neck Scarf Wool Coat, the oversized scarf does not interrelate with the coat, so this accent feels like an afterthought.

SIZING

For dresses and styles made from silk, Silk Maison’s standard size chart (see below) works for smaller sizes (size M and smaller). But I have read that the brand does a poor job of reproportioning their designs for curvier bodies, so please keep that in mind when considering your purchase.

For outerwear, take your normal size, or size down if you are petite (or have a smaller frame) since most coats come in a longer length and fit oversized.

LOGISTICS

I only have a few data points, but Silk Maison appears to dropship from a warehouse in southeastern China. My orders, which qualified for free standard shipping, shipped within 24 hours, and took nine days to arrive in northeastern US. But I was able to track my orders using AfterShip to ensure that the shipments were progressing normally–my orders were first handled by YunExpress, and later delivered by the USPS. The clothes arrived in an unremarkable white poly(ethylene) mailer, and each item was individually bagged in clear sliding channel plastic bags.

RETURNS & EXCHANGES

Like many e-tailers, Silk Maison does not allow changes to orders after they’ve been placed; you can try emailing their customer service team (support@silkmaison.com) with your request, but definitely keep your expectations tempered.

And like other international DTC brands without a network of brick-and-mortar stores or a US-based warehouse, Silk Maison’s return and exchange policies are unfavorable to the customer. While you have 14 days to return an order (requests must be submitted through email), the onus is on you to ship the merchandise back to Silk Maison. And for exchanges, the customer is also responsible for the return shipping costs.

Would I shop Silk Maison again? Probably, with the right sale. Given the brand’s inconsistent sizing and stingy return policy, I have many reasons to want to abandon my shopping cart before checking out, so it would take an incredibly attractive sale to lure me back in.