I couldn’t escape this cute orange sweater for months. Shop Cider ads kept popping up everywhere on my feed and then on my TikTok FYP. But I didn’t know anyone in person who has tried them, and all the gals in the ads were nowhere close to my body type.
So I decided it was time to test them out myself for you guys for another round of Saw It On Social, where I give honest unsponsored reviews on all those Insta and TikTok famous brands and products we see online.
Let’s go chat Shop Cider reviews and figure out: are they legit or a scam?
As with any new online clothing store website I encounter, I always have some doubts on if it’s just another crappy fast drop shipping company like Halara is, or another extremely unethical fast fashion company like Shein (seriously, don’t shop there.)
When it comes time for these reviews and brand deep dives, I always try to figure out who owns the company, what their BBB rating is, if they’ve had any super bad press and a general background check for you guys.
I do go into all that and more, but first, let’s chat why I was drawn to Shop Cider in the first place.
Why I Was Drawn To Shop Cider Clothing
As a gal who loves colors and whimsical clothing but lives in a world where neutral Kardashian-style pieces always seem to dominate the market, I think I audibly gasped the first time I saw all the Cider clothes.
Quirky sweaters, vintage feeling tops, romantic lace dresses, pants with freaking mushrooms on them for goodness sakes, it’s like an urban cottagecore wet dream over there.
They even break aesthetics out for easy shopping. Looking for something romantic, or K-pop or retro? You can easily shop those curated categories to build out your dream closet. It’s really that easy.
As with all my reviews, I make sure to buy a variety of pieces (pants, dresses, tops, etc) so get a holistic view on the quality of work compared to the price points. This is what I ended up buying:
What I Ordered From Shop Cider & How It Fit My Size 14 Body
- Orange Sweater, Size IX
- Daisy Dress, Size XL
- Beige Halter Crop Top, Size XL
- Summer Halter Top, SizeXL
- Mushroom Jeans, Size XL
- Rainbow Sweater, Size XL
- Cactus Earrings
Shop Cider Orange Sweater Review
This is the famous Orange Sweater I’ve been lusting over for ages! It was all sold out on the straight sizes but the exact sweater was available in the plus sizes still. (Annoying it’s on a separate listing but I rant about the size chart issues later).
You could see the green stripe under the white top a little more than I expected but otherwise, it’s exactly how it looks online.
Really soft and the perfect thickness for lounging around the house (not to thin, not to warm). And i get compliments every time I wear it. 10/10.
Daisy Dress Review
I loved this fun dress for summer! The yellow daisy pattern is super cute for warm months. and I could instantly picture myself wine tasting in this dress. BUT, it’s a little wonky.
The sides of the dress stick out a bit on my body and it’s hard to tie yourself, you’ll need a partner.
The fabric itself is good quality and thick, no see-through happening here! 6/10 for the sides.
Beige Hatler Crop Top Review
I picked this halter crop top out because I like the fun front design, but mostly because it was tagged as one of the most popular crop tops on the site.
I always like to test out the popular items for these reviews! And, at $12 ($16 without a sale) I was intrigued.
So, I give this top an 8/10. The fabric is thick and quality and it looks like the photos in terms of color, which is great. But, it doesn’t lay on my body the way it lays on the model’s body.
It caves in a bit at the top. I’m not sure if this is a personal titty size/shape issue or a shirt issue.
That being said, I love the sleek look of this top and it pairs oh-so-well with high-waisted anything. I will be wearing this a lot in the future!
Cactus Earrings
I always like to try out the jewelry at a store because you can learn a lot about how that brand makes products by the jewelry.
I’ve tired earrings from Shein and Romwe, both of which were held together by what looked like hot glue and of course, fell apart while I was wearing them the first time.
I’m happy to report these cute cactus earrings are made pretty well! Nothing high end here, but metal is used for the cactus portion and they aren’t held together by hot glue so that’s a win!
Retro Crop Top Review
As a gal who loves to run around sunflower fields each summer, the second I saw this retro top, and the model in the listing posing in a sunflower field, I knew I had to get it.
I do love the colors of this crop top, but this top isn’t designed the best. The strap is too long so I have to tie it up or my girls fall out the side of the shirt.
And after ordering it, I looked at the other customer reviews on the product listing and saw many people also had issues with the long strap. BUT, it is easily fixed and I don’t mind tying it up. I can’t wait to wear this in the summer. 9/10.
Mushroom Jeans Review
Sadly, I accidentally ordered these mushroom jeans in a size XS instead of XL, so I can’t fit them on my body to do a full review here. They do feel like quality denim and the mushrooms don’t look painted on or anything shady like I’ve seen with other fast fashion companies.
If you also have a pension for mushrooms and cottagecore designs, you’ll love these!
Rainbow Sweater Review
So, I ended up returning the Mushroom Jeans but they gave me the option to keep the jeans and instead get a promo code to buy something new.
With that code, I picked out this super whimsical rainbow sweater! I haven’t gotten it yet, but I will be updating this post with photos and reviews once I get it.
UPDATE – I got the sweater!! And it’s know one of my favorite pieces of clothing. Everyone says it’s really fun (I get stopped on the street by people asking where I got it!) and I could wear it for days on end.
It just makes me so happy. Cute clothes like this that are truly special are hard to come by.
Pictured above is from Copenhagen, where I’m living for the summer of 2022. I love clothing reviews where I get to see people actually wearing the clothes out and about instead of all in front of their mirror at home.
I’m not an official shop cider influencer but I do rep their stuff all over the world now I guess lol!
Shop Cider Clothing Reviews: All The Questions You Have, Answered
Let’s dive deep into the brand backstory. Every brand is more than just its products.
Shop Cider Is Unique To The Fashion Landscape
The Cider shop is taking a different approach to the fast-fashion world, which intrigues me. According to this article, the company acts more like the picky curator between Chinese clothing manufacturers and the consumer.
While stores like Shien, Romwe and Zaful will grab anything from Alibaba and put it on their website, Shop Cider uses data to pick out quality pieces in very specific styles that they know customers actually want to buy.
They have plans for getting to know their customer accounts better to, building a website that uses dates to recommend pieces YOU will like the best, kind of like the way the TikTok algorithm knows what content you want.
But what really makes them stand out is that they use the made-to-order model. When a consumer buys it on the shop Cider site, the piece is then made at the factory and drop-shipped to the United States to the customer. This helps reduce the amount of fashion waste.
This is why you may see that the dress you ordered from Cider clothing won’t arrive for a couple of weeks. They have to make it first. And honestly, this is a refreshing way to tackle the fast fashion game.
Fast fashion is never going away, so why not build a system that at least cuts out all the inventory waste?
Shop Cider Sizes Reviews – Is The Size Chart Accurate?
What most cider clothing store reviews won’t tell you is that their sizing chart is a bit frustrating, so is the way they display sizes. The measurements are a little wonky.
The XL is basically the same as the 1X size, but they are listed separately.
The shop has also decided to make Plus Size a totally different section and it’s a sad section with a fraction of the pieces that the rest of the shop has.
Considering they market towards US Women, who average size 16, it’s disappointing to see yet another company cater to the thin market.
Shop Cider Sizing UPDATE 2022- Great News!
UPDATE! I was so happy to be poking around the Cider site and saw they finally made their sizing experience so much better.
I hate the disjointed shopping experience of finding a piece I really loved in the straight section and having to dig around the plus size to see if they had it in extended sizes, too.
Finally, Shop Cider has reconfigured its system so when you find something you like and it’s available in more sizes, you can easily click on over. Thank you, team!
Shop Cider Is Guilty Of The Fat Tax
On the note of sizing, Shop Cider is absolutely guilty of using the Fat Tax. This is a term used to describe when a clothing store increases the price of a product in the plus sizes.
This is similar to how pink razors are priced higher because they are pink, and marketed towards women.
For the orange sweater I love so much, it’s $35 in the straight sides, but $37 in the plus sizes. As we covered in this article about size inclusivity in the fashion industry, there’s no ethical reason a company should be using the Fat Tax. Read the post if you want to learn more.
To wrap up the size chart bit, I would love to see Shop Cider ditch the Fat Tax and merge listings betters. If a dress is available in size Small-XXXL, put them together on the same listing, and offer more plus-size options to begin with.
This is a made-to-order company after all, I find it hard to believe they can’t make to order more 3X clothes.
Who Owns Shop Cider Clothing?
Shop Cider is founded by Michael Wang.
Where Is Cider Clothing Based?
Shop Cider is based in Guangzhou, China.
How Can I Do Ship Cider Returns Or Store Credit?
When you are ready to make a return on something, you have to do it all at once. I made the mistake of processing the return for this pair of mushroom pants that didn’t fit, and later it wouldn’t let me try and return other items.
The order model system is a little wonky.
Most likely, you will be given the option to get store credit or mail back your pieces for a refund. I opted for store credit as I had my eye on other pieces I saw just drop via social media.
Is Shop Cider Fast Fashion?
Is Cider fast fashion? Yes, Shop Cider is considered fast fashion.
Is Cider Clothing Ethical?
Honestly, it’s a grey area. At the end of the day, all fast fashion can be considered unethical in terms of sustainability and also worker conditions.
Because Cider works with many different manufacturers it’s hard to know what the working conditions are in each factory.
Working with so many designers across the country, and manufacturers mean the headquarters may have a hard time verifying designs aren’t stolen.
I have seen an artist on Instagram claim Cider has ripped off their designs, which is concerning for sure.
But their made-to-order model is a super refreshing way to approach the fashion industry. Personally, I feel way more ethical shopping from Cider than I would at Amazon or Shein, and I plan on shopping from them again in the future.
How Good Is Shop CIder Customer Support?
Really fast! I had a problem using a code on the site, so I emailed Cider Customer Support and heard back within 24 hours. That’s a lot faster than many other brands I’ve had to contact over the years.
Honest Cider Shop Reviews: Are They Legit?
After testing out so many other clothing brands, I can happily tell you Shop Cider is legit, and they actually have a fairly good product that ships fast with minimal packaging and quick customer support.
Some of the clothing pieces have minor flaws, but their designs are unique and make me happy.
Their sizing strategy is frustrating, but as a size 14 woman, I can find many cute clothing options o wear there. If you wear a larger size, you will struggle.
While I am personally working on slowly editing my wardrobe down, I do foresee myself curating more special pieces from Shop Cider to complete it in the future.
Like reordering those mushroom jeans, but in the right size this time. Because they are TOO COOL not to have.
I hope this article helps you decide if shopping Cider clothing is for you or not!
Got your own Cider Shop clothing reviews to add? Leave a comment below so everyone can see your experience! I would love to hear if you use the Shop Cider app since I’m old and only do Desktop things.
Got questions? Drop a comment or DM me on Instagram @thewhimsysoul and I’ll try and help.
Let me know what company you would like me to do a deep dive on next!
48 comments
Great article, thanks for sharing. Loved the pics. Also the blue dress looks awesome on you don’t return that!!!
Ads were pretty insufferable on the mobile site though, just fyi
Hi! Yes, the ads are cranked up high for the next week or so for a specific reason, but will be turned back down very soon. Thank you for scrolling through!
That’s not true. They’re still ridiculous.
If you purchase from this company you will not be able to return. Their systems do not work. Plan on losing money.
Was shipping fairly quick?!
very fast!
HI! I have been eyeing this site and adding to my cart over the last few weeks. Once you placed your order, exactly how long did it take to arrive?
super fast – under a week!
I ordered 09/05, some items that are made to order state on the listing when they will be shipped and everything is posted together, they shipped 13/05 and are due to be delivered this weekend (been tracking in the post) I live in UK but I think it’s the same in US
I’ve been enjoying Cider more and more. They actually approached me and some other plus size instagrammers to help them develop their Curve range. It’s legit refreshing for a brand to ask its audience what we want, and ask for our criticisms. They aren’t perfect. But I can see they seem committed to do their best within the restrictions of their business model.
Ohh this is great to hear!! i have noticed that they seem to have updated their Plus section a bit since writing this article
If you purchase from this company you will not be able to return. Their systems do not work. Plan on losing money.
Very helpful, thanks for sharing this! ❤️
My daughter needs a dress for a dance and she likes a few of them on Shop Cider. I want to buy a few of them but will need to return the ones she doesn’t like. When you did your return you said they offered a code and keep the jeans or return them. Why? Is returning an issue? Did you still pay for the jeans? Do they offer free returns? There website says you can return one item at a time…What does that mean? You didn’t really talk about that. That’s the most important part for me. We have ordered from sites that say free returns/easy return and they were far from free or easy. Sorry so long, just need to make sure before ordering.
I’m sorry you didn’t hear back from the writer!! I e been doing lots of research and the return policy is honestly horrible it seems. You can get store credit and keep the items, or you have to pay to ship the return to the U.S which may or may not be worth it, they have a third return option which is to get around 50% of your money back and to keep the items. Hope this helps!
I’m amazed you had a great experience because mine was horrible. I’m a size 10-12, L-XL because I carry a donk. I ordered two difference pieces, one of them in two different sizes. I got a linen two piece set and this super cute skirt two piece set. Let’s start with the linen: Thin, thin, thin. Also, terribly sized. I ordered this set in a L and XL, according to their charts I should’ve fit into the XL, I didn’t. I could not get the vest on, and the pants were so tight. I’m extremely honest with myself about what size I wear because I like to be comfortable in my clothes.
The skirt set. Jesus. It’s like it was made for a prepubescent girl and it was sized an XL. The top had a zipper, but I guess they forgot to account for breasts because there was no way. The skirt fit like someone took two rectangles of fabric and sewed them together.
Their shipping took forever, but you are right, their customer service was quick to respond. The last downside; I returned the items (in the appropriate return time frame) and had to email them about the status of my refund nearly a month later because I still hadn’t received it. Turns out it was sitting in there return pile and hadn’t been processed by staff. For. A. Whole. Month?
Either way, I tell people not to shop there because the only bright side of my experience was the customer service interactions.
I’m pretty sure her review is slightly fake, although she states otherwise… :/ your review is as the same as everyone else’s on other review sites
I’m not sure what you mean by fake? All of my brand reviews I pay out of pocket for and have no affiliation with the company in order to bring my readers an honest shopping recap.
have you ever considered the quality is actually good? she stated the flaws with the brand, what more do you want? lies?
do u know there return address ive been looking for over an hour and cant find anything
Thank you! I’m the exact same size and I’ve seen so many cute clothes on this site but I was so skeptic ordering from them
Do there clothes look exactly like the picture
I have not come across a genuinely informative blog in a while. This was so helpful. Thank you.
Has anyone noticed when using the coupon codes Saraheae20 or Peacock that it now only discounts 15% rather than the 20%?
Are there any alternatives?
Total rip-off, after months of waiting for my order and them telling me to wait, I got tired and demanded a refund, after telling me to wait for a refund I told them where was it and they said that the time to give me one had expired!! Will never shop with them again and you should do the same!
I must admit I kinda like the plus sizes being listed separately! As a plus size gal I can’t imagine what pieces look like on my body type so it’s nice to be able to filter it down and scroll down looking at items on plus size models rather than smaller models and having to individually click to see my body type! That being said it would be nice if they were still linked ie a section on the listing that says ‘plus size version click here’ or something similar
Very helpful thanks!
I’m scared that CIDER is just like Shein when it comes to fast fashion, so what differentiates cider from shein and why are they different? how did you find out they (cider) was ethical/sustainable? was it from a reliable source? sorry for all these questions but i’m kinda nervous
I’m curious to know what the rainbow sweater looked like.
we should fat tax more
if’ I’m american size 4-6, the manufacturer needs much less fabric to make a garment for me than for the “average size 16”. and if the pieces all cost the same, then who is buying for the extra material? definitely not the manufacturer.
it’s me, the consumer who is buying. and i ain’t paying for your plus size, sorry girl.
you can just say you hate fat people lmao
Girl, who says your size is the right size
Offta I’m only leaving your comment up as a prime example of what fatphobia is on top of a huge misunderstanding of how the fashion industry actually works. Your outlook is not only wrong but extremely problematic. Do better.
As a size 0, I apologize on behalf of the skinny people who are so ignorant. You shouldn’t pay more for plus size. If they charge by material, at least charge less for smaller. Although I would think it would all average out in the end. Keep everything the same. Thanks for the great review! And please ignore those who feel the need to body shame. They obviously have their own issues. Btw, I’m not skinny by choice. It’s health related so please don’t comment and tell me how lucky I am.
What an opinion, it’s always so great to hear someone who the market caters to push down on those excluded by it. Go girl, give us °˖✧revolting disgust at your lack of self acknowledgement✧˖°
Actually I would agree if that’s the way it worked. It actually costs more to make a size 4-6 as petite, big and tall, plus size etc, costs the industry more to make as it is outside the norm. Cost has more to do with the manufacturing process rather than the material, which doesn’t cost much at all in the scheme of things.
Thanks for your review! Do you have the name of the sweater on the website?
The link redirects to the main page and I can’t find it
If it redirects to the homepage that probably means the item is sold out or discontinued. Sorry!
Super helpful, thanks! I was laughing because you wrote “a pension for mushrooms”. I think you meant penchant? 🙂
Heyy, their website says you as a customer have to pay for duties and taxes. I am wondering how much that could be for order of $60? Did you pay duties as well and how that actually worked?
Thank you
I think some countries may have extra duty taxes, like Australia. I didn’t have to do anything for the US
Thank you for this article! It was very helpful I so appreciate your time! You are lovely, have a great day 🥰🥰
I really love this brand, it’s so hard to find vintage-ish type of clothing without paying a shit load. Majority of the clothing i’ve received is of good quality, and I get so many compliments. I recommend them to all my friends, they really do have just great variety. I do also struggle with the sizing chart, I feel they run small on certain items . loved this review!
I’m really intrigued with the clothes on Cider. How do they hold up after washing?
Cider doesn’t provide transparent information about its practices.
We tried to dig a bit deeper, but we found, well, nothing—the brand provides insufficient relevant information about how it reduces its impact on those three areas. As a result, Cider is rated “We Avoid”, our lowest possible score. As a shopper, you have the right to know how Cider’s production practices impact the planet, people, and animals.
Cider is indeed a mysterious brand and, like SHEIN, sits up there in the fast fashion brands we recommend you avoid at all costs. It is the prime example of an ultra-fast fashion brand—even though the brand prides itself on “celebrating smart fashion”, it still launches new collections at lightning speed, implementing high-scale production as soon as a product is on demand. Yikes.
Cider needs to start disclosing more information about how, where, and by whom its items are produced, as well as the materials used. Transparency is crucial to more ethical and sustainable fashion and is the first step towards reducing a businesses’ impact. -Good On You.com
NEVER ORDER FROM THIS SITE. I tried ordering a homecoming dress for my daughter. They took out the funds from my account immediately after completing my online purchase and then immediately after, I received an email stating that my payment wasn’t received and my order got cancelled.
The only way to contact them is via email, WhatsApp or fb messenger. After reaching oit via fb messenger, I received a message stating my order was cancelled due to funds not being received and since the order was cancelled they would issue me a refund. I asked how would you refund me when you’re stating the funds were never received and that’s why my order was supposedly cancelled?? They said to wait just 1 to 7 business days for the refund (for the funds they supposedly never received).
I contacted my bank to claim fraud and after explaining what happened to my bank, even they said theu wouldn’t be able to process a refund if they never received any funds to begin with. However, my bank showed the payment was completed and Cider did on fact take out the funds. so mu bank is helping me with doing a chargeback.
So not only did Cider take the funds out of my account, but they cancelled my order and claimed it was due to never receiving funds. They did little to nothing to try and resolve the issue that was created on their end. The best answer they could give me after stating the funds would be returned and it was too late to do anything because the order was already cancelled for non-payment, was that I should try and update my shipping address and send payment 🤦♀️
This website is a joke.
Thanks for the thorough review, just what I was looking for! I’ve also seen ads for the quirkily cute items, but I’m always very suspicious of any company new to me.
Really helpful to know what you get (especially when ordering normal and not rail-thin sizes), and about the downsides – such as possible issues with returning. I can then take the precaution of ordering only something not too pricey, which I don’t mind giving to a friend or re-selling, if it won’t fit me.
Based on Trustpilot also, various issues with returns seem to be the main thing people complain out. (I’m hoping the issue from comment 13 Oct was an anusual glitch…) Was a bit odd therefore to see the comment here that the review here must be fake, since it’s positive 🙂 Most people – myself included – only tend to vent when there’s something wrong. That’s why it’s helpful to see a review based on an average experience.
I ordered a few items yesterday so I can’t speak to the quality yet, but usually I’m concerned about ordering China made fashion because of all the chemicals they use in the process of making fast fashion. There have been many test done and a lot of those cancer causing chemicals do not wash out.
Did the clothing smell or have a specific odor when you received it?