An Average Site for Younger Women Who Don't Mind Higher than Average Prices
Delia's
I used to shop quite a bit at Delia's a couple years ago then moved on to other clothing stores. I recently revisited Delia's because they were having a sale and it was time for some fall clothes.
The site is basically unchanged from when I was there last but the prices have risen and the quality has gone down. I also think the selection of items has been reduced.
What Delia's sells
Delia's sells clothing, footwear, accessories, roomware, and other items for younger women. It is very obvious this site is geared more toward high school and college aged girls rather than old ladies like me. But I like trendy things and I don't care about age appropriateness.
Navigation and Buying at Delia's
The homepage is clearly geared toward young women and is simple yet has quite a few areas to click on, some having nothing to do with their clothing (Today there is an ad for tampons and a quiz to find out what your "vibe" is.). Categories line the top of the page: Apparel, Shoes, Accessories, Room, Outerwear, and Clearance.
You can search by keyword or catalog item number.
All the links you need are clearly visible and easy to get to which makes navigating simple.
Click on a category and browse or pick a subcategory.
Photos are OK but often not shown on models which diminishes their value for me. The descriptions are scant but adequate.
There aren't many things in each category but, to their credit, their sizes run up to 19/20 in pants and 2XL in tops. However, all the models are very young, very thin girls which obviously gives off the message that, to be cool and trendy, you have to be skinny. I don't have a daughter but that isn't what I would want her to think while she browsed an online store geared toward girls and young women.
Pick the size and color combo you want and click to put it into your cart. When you are finished shopping, you will head off to the checkout area.
If you are a registered member, you can sign in with your email address and password. If not, you need to fill in your personal details and email address.
Choose standard, express, or next day shipping and provide your major credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, or JCB) details and answer some questions about college and other young girl things (They even ask your birth date, sheesh) and you will get a confirmation number and an immediate email with your details.
When your order ships, you will get another email with tracking. Orders usually arrive within a week to 10 days but my last order took 19 days which I thought was a bit excessive.
My Experience
I'm hooked on the new skinny jeans and they had a sale on a pair that I liked. I put them in my cart then browsed around. I didn't like most of the prices. Simple T-Shirts with graphic designs were between $24.00 and $29.00. Boots I could get at Payless or other shoe stores were $79.00. Sweaters were $49.00 for simple stuff. I don't mind paying more for quality or unique items but most of these items were simple cotton and none were name brand. The prices are not crazy excessive but they seemed to be more than they should be for the quality. The things I have bought at Delia's have been Target or Wal-Mart quality. Not terrible but not boutique or even higher end department store quality.
Ordering was easy. I knew my size and they do have a good variety of lengths in pants which is a plus for long legged women like me. I almost bought a pair of boots but they just weren't worth the cost in my mind.
I was shocked at how little variety the site had. They only had 14 pairs of boots for sale and this is the prime boot season.
I had no trouble with checkout using my MasterCard but I was a little shocked when they asked what my college GPA was. Uhhh, whatever.
My confirmation email came immediately and my shipping one arrived in a couple days but the wait for my items seemed eternal. It was only about 19 days but that is a long time to wait and I had paid a good amount for shipping.
The clothing fit and it was of satisfactory quality but I would not have paid a dime more for what I bought. I got the jeans on sale and a top on clearance so I wasn't out too much. However, I sure wouldn't pay $49.00 for a simple sweater at Delia's when I can go elsewhere and get better quality for less.
I didn't need customer service but have contacted them before and they were decent. I have returned items in the past and have not had any hassles getting credit.
My experience was fine. I just don't think I will be a frequent shopper at Delia's because they don't have enough to keep me coming back. Selection, variety, prices, everything is just ehhh. There are so many online stores that have cooler stuff for better prices and less shipping. But, if I happened to see something I just had to have at Delia's, I wouldn't hesitate to buy from them. They never gave me any trouble.
Shipping and Returns
Shipping runs from $5.95 for orders under $25.00 to $15.95 for orders over $150.00. If they happen to be having a free shipping special, they will charge you a handling fee. That kind of stinks. Tax is charged as well in most states.
Expedited shipping is available for a fee.
You can return items for a credit or refund within 60 days. You can return items after that timeframe as well but you will only get store or site credit. They also exchange items.
You will not be refunded for shipping charges but exchanges are free to send to you.
They will not accept worn, soiled, or altered clothing and will not accept swimwear or lingerie for any reason.
They enclose a "smart label" which you can use to make returns. You will be charged $5.95 if you use it. Otherwise, you can just send things back and pay the exact amount. I find smart labels to be cost efficient and much easier than sending things back by weight but either way works.
Contact Info
They have an onsite email form you can fill out to ask questions or make comments.
You can call customer service at 1-888-533-5427
Mailing Address:
DELIAS
PO BOX 6143
WESTERVILLE, OH 43086
Conclusion
Delia's is a site for younger women — or those young at heart. They have some cute items but the prices are a bit hefty for the quality you receive. Nothing is awful about Delia's. They fulfill orders, they have a decent returns policy, and they eventually get your order to you. But I am not very impressed with them. Their selection is very small and very nichey.
Delia's used to be a pretty cool site but now it seems like Target or Wal-Mart stuff. I am giving the site 3 stars. It is average. You may like what they offer although the selection is limited. Their returns policy is pretty good and they do have a large range of sizes. I will recommend this site since I had no problems with it but I will also warn you that they don't have much variety and that their prices may be higher than you want to spend for non-branded every day things you see everywhere.
Recommended:
Yes
