Tuesday, December 2, 2014

This Is What Happens When You Order Ridiculously Cheap Clothing From ...



Posted:



Scrolling through Facebook a few weeks ago, I came across this photo on a friends' page:


Now this was my kind of coat! But... NastyDress? What the heck was NastyDress?


Intrigued, I clicked on the link-- Yep. It was pretty nasty, all right. Most of the dresses would get a girl arrested for indecent exposure if she were to wear one of them in public.



But when I looked at the coats and sweaters, I found plenty of options I loved. And the prices were AH-MAZ-ING.


Tops were $10 - $15! Sweaters were $15-$20! And coats were all under $40!


Even though NastyDress is located overseas, the site offered free shipping- or expedited shipping with a tracking number for just $1.20. Yes. You read that right. $1.20. It all seemed like it was too good to be true-- But I filled up my virtual shopping cart just in case! Then I did some research to make sure this company was on the up and up.


YOLO.

I was dubious and disappointed when I couldn't find a single independent review of NastyDress online. What was up with THAT?! But after much searching, I finally found a blurry shot on Instagram of some clothes on a bed with a caption that read: 'My package from NastyDress arrived.'


This questionable image (and the fact that NastyDress accepts PayPal) was enough to convince me to place my order, because...



Then, since I am a very private person, I shared my news on Facebook. Immediately, my friends jumped on the news. A long discussion on all things NastyDress ensued in the comments. What was this NastyDress of which I spoke? Could those prices seriously be legit? Would I please, please, please report back on my findings when (AND IF) my NastyDress package arrived?


Well, friends, after about two weeks of anxious waiting, my NastyDress package has, indeed, arrived. On the plus side, it was shipped via DHL with a tracking number, so I was able to monitor where it was, from Singapore to Hong Kong to Ohio, and when it would get here.


On the minus side, it was missing two items from my order. One of those items has since shipped, but via an unknown carrier, so I can't track it. No word on the other.



However, here's what I can tell you so far:


First, let's look at the gray coat- My most pricy NastyDress purchase.



I felt like I couldn't go wrong with what NastyDress called a woollen gray coat. I carefully consulted the NastyDress size chart, converted the centimeters to inches, re-measured myself, and ordered a size large instead of my usual medium.


When the coat arrived, it looked a little different from the photo- My 'woollen' coat was actually... fleece. It was cute, though. Anxiously, I tried it on.


Uhhhhhh. This coat clearly was not going to work on me. Not only was it cut for a person with no boobs, the sleeves ended far above my wrists. I checked the label again. Size Large. Size Large?! 'Size large for KIDS, maybe,' I snorted. And that's when it hit me.


'Punky!' I called downstairs.



'Yes, Mom?' my ten-year-old answered.


'Come here!' I shouted. 'I have something for you.' My daughter came upstairs and grinned from ear to ear when I asked her to try on the coat.


'I love it!' she squealed after checking herself out in the mirror. And I had to agree. It looked far better on her than me.


'Okay, you can have it,' I said. She jumped up and down excitedly.



'Thank you, Mom!' she said. 'I love it so much!'


'And you should probably stick around for a bit,' I said, eyeing my NastyDress pile suspiciously. 'You might end up with a few more things.'



For one thing, there was this ' Elegant Dress.' Looking at this picture, I thought it would be super cute with leggings and boots, and once again, I had ordered a size up, just to be on the safe side. I found it in the pile and tried it on.


The hell?


The photographer, i.e. my daughter, was laughing a little too hard at my misfortune.


How could this possibly be the dress I had seen in the photo? The 'skirt' portion was only about two inches long! The only explanation was that the model was the size of an American Girl Doll!


'Here. You try it,' I muttered after I had removed it, tossing it to my daughter.





This was so totally NOT FAIR. So far, Punky: 2. Lindsay: 0.



I had high hopes for NastyDress's 'plunging neck' top, but when I pulled it out of its plastic packaging, I realized that once again, the sizing was way, waaaaay off.



The neck wasn't exactly plunging -- and it was a lot shorter on me than on the model in the picture. Surprise, surprise...


It also had holes in it and random strings hanging from the sleeves. FAIL.



My daughter, on the other hand, thought the top was fabulous. She clipped the strings, sewed up the hole with a little needle and thread and wore it to school the next day. DAMMIT.



'Don't look so smug, Punky,' I told her. 'I'm pretty sure I'm keeping this ' loose-fitting dolman sleeve sweater.' It definitely looked bigger than the other tops, and I'd had visions of wearing it over a pair of leggings or skinny jeans.


Wonder of wonders, the sweater fit! But on me, it settled in an unflattering spot on my upper hips, like a sweatshirt. It wasn't very flattering.


Still, I was determined to make the best of the bad situation! IT FIT! IT FIT!



'Can I try it on, too, Mom?' Punky asked. I hesitated for a moment. The truth was, if I had tried this sweater on in a store, I would never, EVER have bought it.


'Okay, Punky,' I sighed. 'Let's see how it looks on you.'



Of course, it looked fabulous. OF COURSE.


The sweater was added to Punky's pile. My situation was looking dire.


My final item was this pretty red ' Leisure Knit Coat.'



Is this not a fantastic head-to-toe look? I pinned this photo, I liked it so much. The coat was simply awesome.


Until I put it on.


Cute, but... On me, the coat was a shrug. That model had to have been, what.... THREE FEET TALL?!


I took it off and handed it wearily to my daughter without comment.



Life is so not fair!




Oh, come on. Do you HAVE to kick a mom when she's down?!


This was totally not okay.


'Take the clothes, AND GO,' I said in a strangled voice. My daughter had a whole new fashionable wardrobe. And I? I had nothing. Nothing.


'NastyDress,' I whispered. ' How could you?' And then I threw myself on my bed and cried for the rest of the day.


In closing, I heartily recommend NastyDress to all of you who are no larger than a girls size 10/12, who don't mind if your new clothing arrives with holes in it and (lots of) random strings hanging from the seams, and who understand that the photo of the garment you're ordering is just a vague approximation of what it will REALLY look like -- if you were to put it on a doll.


You should also know that there are a lot of different websites out there that appear to be part of the same company, and offer the same exact clothes-- SamiDress.com and DressLily.com and RoseWholesale.com, just to name a few. Singaporean readers have informed me (over and over and over again) that the NastyDress site is registered in China, but all of the clothing I received came from Singapore. What could that mean? I have no idea.


The bottom line is that the next time I have a hankering for cheap clothing at rock bottom prices, I'll hit up Forever 21.


Keep up with all of Lindsay Ferrier's suburban turmoil by following her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! All NastyDress website images via NastyDress.com.

My daughter, however, has added another item to her Christmas list: MORE CLOTHES FROM SINGAPORE!


Does Santa take orders from NastyDress? I guess we're about to find out...


International Premier Tennis League Results 2014: Singapore Scores and ...

Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more stories



Tennis is always looking for new and fun ways to get fans involved, and the introduction of the International Premier Tennis League in 2014 has created a legitimate buzz around the sport.


Some of the top stars in tennis were assigned to four separate teams, and the respective groups will do battle with team supremacy on the line. The second leg of the tournament began in Singapore Tuesday, and the results were even more entertaining than anticipated.


Here are the Day 4 results from the International Premier Tennis League.


Breaking Down Tuesday's Action

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images


The first game of the day featured the .com Royals taking on the Indian Aces. The Indian Aces are the top team in the standings, but the Royals came into the day tied for second place.


The women's match of Ana squaring off against Kristina was one of the highlights of the day. is one of the top stars in the world, and she put her skill on display in the lopsided 6-2 win over .


While the Indian Aces managed to win the mixed doubles and past champions' singles events, it was Gael who really was the MVP for the team on Tuesday. Not only did he beat Marin in the men's singles event, but he also teamed up with to steal the victory in the men's doubles competition.


So far I think the format is very interesting, everyone was talking about it from the start, I think it shows the team atmosphere and the team spirit brings the most wins and results. It's definitely exciting for the fans to interact with the players and see different things than they are used to. For players it's different, you have to be into the matches more than usual, emotionally and as a team.


In the other matchup of the day, the Manila Mavericks continued playing well and took down the Singapore Slammers 29-21. There was intense competition throughout this matchup, and the result was a hard-fought victory for Manila.


Women's tennis star Serena Williams was the only winner on the day for Singapore, beating Kirsten , 6-5. did manage to beat Williams in the mixed doubles along with her partner Daniel Nestor.


Singapore was hoping legend Andre Agassi would be able to pull out the win in the past champions' event, but Mark stunned the arena and sent Agassi and his team out with a lopsided loss.


Pic of The Day - The unmistakable strength and the unmistakable return of Andre Agassi #iptl #breakthecode http://ift.tt/1yGmVRN


- Pro-Direct Tennis (@ProD_Tennis) December 2, 2014

Jo-Wilfried was a big part of Manila's success as well, notching a singles win over Tomas and a men's doubles win alongside Treat Huey. This was the best match of the day, but it was still a definitive win for Manila and a tough loss for Singapore.


Manila is back in action on Wednesday against the Indian Aces, and Singapore will take on the Royals. With the top stars in the world going head-to-head, all tennis fans should be tuning into the 2014 International Premier Tennis League.


Follow @Donald_Wood

AFF Suzuki Cup aftermath: Singapore score own goals on and off the pitch

SINGAPORE - On or off the pitch, it has not been a happy AFF Suzuki Cup campaign for the Lions.


A disastrous defence of their South-east Asian football crown has been accompanied by unsportsmanlike behaviour, poor conduct by fans and accusations of being an inadequate host during the tournament.


Singapore's controversial 3-1 defeat to Malaysia in front of nearly 50,000 fans at the National Stadium on Nov 29 was exacerbated by the actions of some local supporters, who hurled bottles on the pitch and prevented the match referees from departing.


Riot police had to be called in to escort the officials off the field.


Referees finally leave with help of riot police. Drama. http://ift.tt/1wltESD


- ST Sports Desk (@STsportsdesk) November 29, 2014


Even as the lacklustre performances of the players, as well as coach Bernd Stange's tactics, were igniting fierce debate online, a video has emerged to cast doubt over the sportsmanship of Singapore's players.


Facebook user Jeffry Catz on Monday posted a short clip of an unidentified player losing his cool in the dug-out during the game. He had to be physically restrained by physiotherapist Nurhafizah Abu Sujad and substitute goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud.


It garnered more than 80,000 views and was shared almost 1,800 times in just five hours, with Catz calling for the Football Association of Singapore to act on what he deemed a 'disgrace'.


Malaysian fans have taken to social media to rebuke the Republic as poor hosts, posting inflammatory remarks, photos of derogatory posters and even a video which showed one supporter mocking their rival fans following the Tigers' last-gasp victory.


A photo posted on Instagram showing Malaysian fans holding up a derogatory poster slamming Singapore supporters. The post, which was taken down, also slammed Singapore for being the 'worst host ever'. -- -- PHOTO: STOMP


Last week, the country's Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin also criticised Singapore authorities' alleged treatment of Malaysian fans attempting to cross the Causeway for the tournament. He claimed that some fans who wanted to watch the match between Malaysia and Myanmar on Nov 22 were turned away at the Tuas immigration checkpoint.


mklee@sph.com.sg

IPTL: Singapore Slammers' winless streak continues

SINGAPORE: The second leg of the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) kicked off at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Tuesday (Dec 2) - and tennis legend Andre Agassi made his much-anticipated debut for the Singapore Slammers.


But the 8-time Grand Slam Champion lost 6-3 to Australia's Mark Philippoussis.


Despite the defeat, tennis fans were happy to see Agassi return to the court, and one of them was Talal Dar, who tweeted that he was in tears as he watched his hero in the IPTL.


But pure sentiment did not help the Slammers - the Manila Mavericks beat them 29-21. Agassi's star power and home advantage failed to inspire his side as they lost the first four games.


But there was a silver lining - world number one Serena Williams notched her second victory in the IPTL by overcoming Belgium's Kirsten Flipkens 6-5. Still, the Slammers' winless streak continued as they remain rooted at the bottom of the four-team tournament with zero wins.



Meanwhile, the Indian Aces grabbed a resounding 30-11 victory over the UAE Royals. The team comprising of Ana Ivanovic, Gael Monfils, Sania Mirza, Rohan Bopanna and Fabrice Santoro have a perfect four wins out of four matches. The Aces won all their games against the Royals.


IPTL: Singapore Slammers hoping for home ground advantage

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Slammers will be looking to impress their home fans when the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) visits the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Tuesday (Dec 2).


This will be the 2nd stop on the IPTL, which began in Manila, Philippines on Friday. There the Slammers suffered a shaky start, losing all three matches, despite boasting the likes of World No 1 Serena Williams in their ranks.


Tomas Berdych, who is part of the Slammers, is looking to turn things around. The World Number 7 said: 'For us it's going to be the home city. So I'm really looking forward to bring some better results. We didn't start the way that we would like to but that's how it is. I think this is going to be a great place to show our form and our strength'.


The IPTL will end its Singapore leg on Thursday (Dec 4), before heading to New Delhi, India on Saturday (Dec 6).


TICKET SALES GOING WELL

Despite it being held on weekdays, organisers are confident of a healthy turnout at the Indoor Stadium.


Mr Eric Gottschalk, COO, IPTL, said: 'Ticket sales have been going quite well. And with DBS the strong title partner now of the Singapore Slammers - they're doing a lot of promotion. And like I said, we expect to have an almost capacity house tomorrow, even though it is going to be during the week.'


'I think that the people like it (the IPTL) here. They already showed it during the women's finals here. I think this is even more exciting than that. And they can get much more involved and I hope that they're going to enjoy it,' said Berdych.


World number one Serena Williams also expressed her excitement at being in Singapore for the IPTL in an Instagram post.


'The #iptl arrives to Singapore. Let's go #singaporeslammers,' she said.


AGASSI KICKS OFF FESTIVE SEASON WITH CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHT UP

Joining the Singapore Slammers is eight-time Grand Slam winner Andre Agassi, who kicked off the festive season by lighting up a 17-foot-tall Candy Sweet Christmas Tree at the Shangri-La Hotel for a good cause.


The tree is adorned with over 100 floral candy arrangements and giant lollipops, and the candy arrangements will be sold for S$250, while the lollipops are on sale for S$50. Part of the proceeds from the sale will benefit the VIVA Foundation for Children with Cancer.


Virtual Singapore project to be ready by 2017

SINGAPORE: The Republic is likely to see its first three-dimensional (3D) city model platform for knowledge sharing and community collaboration by 2017, said the National Research Foundation (NRF) on Monday (Dec 1).


The NRF unveiled plans for the S$73 million Virtual Singapore project - one of the projects under the Smart Nation vision outlined by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong last week.



The money will go towards the development of the platform, as well as research into latest technologies and advanced tools over a period of five years. The project will be deployed progressively from 2017.


POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS OF THE 3D MAP

The 3D map is intended for use by the public, private and research sectors. Its potential applications include locating facilities or amenities in the neighbourhoods, sharing information and resource between the community, simulations of crowd and evacuation measures as well as enabling planning and decision-making when it comes to delivering municipal services and analysing pedestrian flow.


This can be done because the 3D model contains detailed information about Singapore's physical landscape and structures. This includes geometric and geo-spatial data, as well as dynamic and real-time data. For example, models of buildings will include geometry and their components, right down to the building material.


Communities can make use of the platform to simulate possible scenarios of future amenities in the neighbourhood and give feedback, or simply share information.


Mr George Loh, director of physical sciences and engineering at the National Research Foundation, said: 'We aim to push Virtual Singapore to tablets, to handheld devices, where the community, the people could for example take picture, and just post it ... with geo-spatial information in 3D.


SAFEGUARDS TO PROTECT DATA

'So for example, there is a lost pet and somebody finds a cat somewhere at a certain level. They get a picture, post the picture to Virtual Singapore, and it will have 3D information of this cat at this block, and at this level.'


NRF said safeguards will be put in place to protect data. For example, data will be anonymised and aggregated to prevent it from being traced back to a particular individual. Access to more sensitive information will also be controlled.


Mr Loh elaborated: 'The right people will get the right access to the right information, so they will not be given more information than they need. Even businesses or Government - not all Government employees will get same access, it depends on the role.


'So if you are a citizen, resident, businesses, public servant, depending on your role, you get the 'right' access to the right information.'


The Singapore Land Authority will become Virtual Singapore's owner and operator when the project is completed.


Singapore Slammers vs Manila Mavericks, IPTL 2014: Where to watch, preview ...


The Manila Mavericks take on the Singapore Slammers in the second match on day 5 of the 2014 International Premier Tennis League in Singapore.


Where to Watch Live

The match starts at 11:30am GMT. There is no Live TV coverage of day 1 of the 2014 IPTL in Singapore


Overview

It is the repeat of the final match of the Manila leg, where the third and fourth place teams the Singapore Slammers and Manila Mavericks face each other.


The Mavericks got their first win of the tournament after beating the Slammers, who are yet to register their first win of the tournament.


The arrival of Serena Williams did not give them their first win, but they will be looking to quickly avenge their defeat and get a win for the home fans.


They have received yet another boost following the arrival of Andre Agassi, who gets straight into the action and takes on Mark Philippoussis, who has been brought in by the Manila team as a replacement for the injured Spaniard Carlos Moya.


MATCH LIST

JW Tsonga vs Tomas Berdych


Andre Agassi vs Mark Philippoussis


Kirsten Flipkens vs Serena Williams


D Nestor / T Huey vs Hewitt / Berdych


Williams / Soares vs Flipkens / Nestor


SQUAD LISTS

Singapore Slammers: Serena Williams, Andre Agassi, Tomas Berdych, Leyton Hewitt, Nick Kyrgios, Daniela Hantuchova, Bruno Soares, Patrick Rafter


Manila Mavericks: Andy Murray, Maria Sharapova, Daniel Nestor, Kirsten Flipkens, Carlos Moya, T Huey, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Mark Philippoussis