Notes

On Taoabao, the sizes are screwed, especially from an American point of view. The first couple times I ordered from Taobao I really had no idea what I was doing. I ordered a size up on everything (because it's pretty much basic knowledge that you always do that when ordering clothes from China) but when everything arrived they were still much too small on me. So after trial and error I'm here to share my biggest tip for shopping on Taobao (especially for those like me who like oversized fashion). CHECK THE MEASUREMENTS. 98% of Taobao listings will have a chart with measurements. For shirts they'll list the body length, sleeve length, and chest width. For pants/shorts they'll list waist, thigh, and hip width.
First off, find what you want. It's extremely helpful to type in the word 'oversized' (IN ENGLISH) after whatever thing you want in the search-bar. That will bring up items that are loose in design so they'll have a better chance of fitting you if you're a bit big anyway or just like bigger stuff.

Here's an example of a chart on a sweater I found:
size/尺寸:
M：衣长66 袖长68 胸围116
L： 衣长68 袖长69 胸围120

Here's the translation:
衣长 = body length
袖长 = sleeve length
胸围 = bust width

Measure yourself and carefully look over the measurements for each listing. This along with searching tags or specific brands will help you narrow down your options and almost always find clothing that fits.

Tips:
1. Letter sizes on Taobao (i.e S/M/L/XL) almost always mean nothing when looking for oversized clothing. I ordered a shirt in XXXL and it fit me like a regular American size L. Checking the measurements for each listed size will help you avoid such situations upon receiving your order.
2. If you're a woman who has a large bust yet prefers oversized clothing, checking the listed bust measurements of clothing on Taobao is your best way to avoid annoyance. My bust is 104cm and I only even consider a listing if the bust is at least 120cm. 120cm fits like an American L on me so anything above that would usually be an XL.

Labels: fashion, taobao, tips