Is Quince Actually Good?
A millennial (it’s me) goes shopping to find out.
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Hello friends! At almost 9 months postpartum, I’m finally back to my pre-pregnancy weight. I’m still 10 pounds away from my old “normal” weight (I gained weight thanks to a bad ovary in 2019 and also because I ate 655 small bags of white cheddar PopCorners in March 2020), but it’s giving progress.
One of the reasons I was so excited to lose weight was so my clothes would fit again. However, what clothes was I referring to? I’ve sold hundreds of items on Poshmark in the past five years, which is scary because why did I have that much clothing in the first place? Also, over five years have passed. Do I even still want to wear these clothes?
I tried on some old clothes I kept the other day and realized I had nowhere to wear this shit anymore. I bought most of these items when I was 30, childless, and still fun. Now, I’m a 36-year-old suburban mom who goes grocery shopping for fun. What the fuck am I going to do in a little black Reformation dress???
That said, I need new clothes. The dilemma is that I also need a job. I’ve been renting clothes on Nuuly for a while now, and that’s been holding me over, but I can’t wait forever to buy stuff—especially if prices be rising.
That’s why I decided to do a Quince haul.
What is Quince, and Also Why?
This was my first time shopping at Quince, the D2C retailer you’ve likely seen approximately 6,485 ads for this year alone. With categories for clothes, shoes, home decor, furniture, jewelry, and luggage, they literally sell everything, from nap dress imposters to boucle beds.
The best part about Quince is that they have absolutely no shame about selling knock-offs. There’s no going through some speakeasy door at some sketchy shop, heading down a sketchy hallway, and taking sketchy stairs to a sketchy room to buy things that people without a clue might think were made by certain brands and designers that weren’t. Instead, Quince literally screams in your face that they exist and proudly lists the “comparable brands” for each item they sell.
I’ve ignored Quince’s ads for the past couple of years, but now that I’m looking for good clothes at a good price, they got me.
The Quince Haul
The first thing I noticed about my Quince clothes is that they smelled. That made me skeptical of my entire order and where it came from, but I tried things on anyway!
Here’s everything I ordered:
1. Flowknit Breeze Fit & Flare Dress
“Comparable brands:” Beyond Yoga ($138), Vuori ($118), Marine Layer ($98)
Quince price: $49.50
Keeping or returning? Returning
I love Beyond Yoga and was excited to try this dress. I got it in black, which looked similar to Beyond Yoga’s darkest night color. I had two issues with the dress though. First, it was really small in the chest and big everywhere else. Second, the pockets stuck out on the sides, and I couldn’t justify altering this dress to fix it.
Buy the Flowknit Breeze Fit & Flare Dress
2. 100% Organic Cotton Gauze Tiered Maxi Dress
“Comparable brands:” Marine Layer ($108), Faherty ($158), Michael Stars ($168)
Quince price: $59.60
Keeping or returning? Keeping
I really like this dress! The fit is great all around, and while it’s not a fitted dress, it’s flattering for what it is. I got the “Indigo Blue” color, which is navy.
Buy the 100% Organic Cotton Gauze Tiered Maxi Dress
3. 100% Organic Cotton Fisherman Boxy Cropped Cardigan
“Comparable brands:” Everlane ($138), LA Linge ($295), Jenni Kaye ($345)
Quince price: $49.90
Keeping or returning? Keeping
I wasn’t sure about this one at first, but it grew on me. The quality is good, and it’s something I’ll wear all the time. Obviously a comparable brand by looks could be Target or Amazon lol, but this one is legit. The color I got is Ivory.
Buy the 100% Organic Cotton Fisherman Boxy Cropped Cardigan
4. 100% European Linen Fit & Flare Midi Dress
“Comparable brands:” Dissh ($189), Reformation ($278), Chloe ($3,200)
Quince price: $79.90
Keeping or returning? Returning
So I don’t know how this can possibly compare to a $3,200 Chloe dress, but I knew right away it didn’t compare to the $278 Reformation dress. The linen material was a bit thick, and the zipper in the back felt cheap for some reason. The straps sat in an uncomfortable place and there was extra space in the chest area, too. Lastly, I’m short and prefer the waist line to hit in a higher spot. I loved the color/pattern though! It’s Classic Mini Gingham.
Buy the 100% European Linen Fit & Flare Midi Dress
5. 100% European Linen Button Front Dress
“Comparable brands:” Reformation ($218), Cuyana ($248), Faherty ($298)
Quince price: $59.90
Keeping or returning? Keeping
I really like this dress! It’s professional, but it can also be casual with sneakers, and the linen material is MUCH thinner than dress #4 above. It’s also black, and you can never have too many black dresses (or at least that’s what I keep telling myself).
Buy the 100% European Linen Button Front Dress
6. 100% European Linen Pants in White & 7. 100% European Linen Short Sleeve Shirt in White
This picture shows two items:
100% European Linen Pants in White:
“Comparable brands:” Mate the Label ($138), Aritzia ($148), Reformation ($178)
Quince price: $39.90
Keeping or returning? Returning
100% European Linen Short Sleeve Shirt in White:
“Comparable brands:” Aritzia ($78), Reformation ($128), Frank & Eileen ($218)
Quince price: $34.90
Keeping or returning? Returning
WHY does everyone look so cute and trendy in matching sets and I look like I’m joining a cult in pajamas???? Even if I could pull this look off, the items are see-through so it doesn’t matter. One of the white dresses I ordered for my daughter was also see-through, so Quince might not be the place for white clothing.
8. 100% European Linen Pants in Black & 9. 100% European Linen Short Sleeve Shirt in Black
This picture shows the same two items as above, but in black!
100% European Linen Pants in Black:
“Comparable brands:” Mate the Label ($138), Aritzia ($148), Reformation ($178)
Quince price: $39.90
Keeping or returning? Returning
100% European Linen Short Sleeve Shirt in Black:
“Comparable brands:” Aritzia ($78), Reformation ($128), Frank & Eileen ($218)
Quince price: $34.90
Keeping or returning? Returning
Same outfit, different color. Obviously the black isn’t see-through so that’s good. But I still look I’m wearing pajamas. It’s just less cult-like in black I think. I actually really liked both of these! They were just a little too big, and sizing down wouldn’t solve the length issue.
10. 100% European Linen Vest
“Comparable brands:” Aritzia ($118), Faherty ($128), Veronica Beard ($348)
Quince price: $39.90
Keeping or returning? Returning
I keep trying vests and none of them are working. I thought maybe this one would because it’s a v-neck, and I love a v-neck, but the fit was off. The straps were huge, and I can’t size down because the bottom was more fitted. Very weird.
Buy the 100% European Linen Vest
11. Toddler Organic Cotton Skater Dress
“Comparable brands:” Boden ($39), Alice + Ames ($46), Hanna Andersson ($48)
Quince price: $19.90
Keeping or returning? Keeping
I love this dress! The color is Pink Stripe Floral, and my daughter is obsessed with pink and flowers, so this seemed very on brand. She loves it.
It’s important to note that “comparable brands” Boden and Hanna Andersson are always having sitewide sales, so you can’t really compare the MSRPs to the Quince price.
Buy the Toddler Organic Cotton Skater Dress
12. Toddler Tankini Swimsuit & 13. Toddler One-Piece Swimsuit
Toddler Tankini Swimsuit in Rainbow Stripe
“Comparable brands:” Boden ($49), Hanna Andersson ($52), Minnow ($64)
Quince price: $19.90
Keeping or returning? Returning
Toddler One-Piece Swimsuit in Strawberries
“Comparable brands:” Boden ($32), Tea Collection ($39), Hanna Andersson ($44)
Quince price: $19.90
Keeping or returning? Returning
Both bathing suits are very cute, but they seem very small for 4T. It’s also not a massive steal because the “comparable” bathing suits are always on sale. I would have probably kept them if they didn’t run so small, though!
NOT PICTURED:
I got my daughter a second dress: The Organic Cotton Fit and Flare Pocket Dress ($19.90) in Lemons. It was see-through, so I’m returning it!
I also got the Bamboo Sleep Bag in Granite Green for my 8-month-old, but it seems very light, so I’m returning it.
So Is Quince Good?
Quince seems like a case by case brand. Some stuff is good, and other stuff, not so much—especially for the price.
While Quince doesn’t have super cheap stuff like at Old Navy and Nordstrom Rack, it’s Abercrombie pricing for better materials—or what they claim to be better materials.
So yes, I’m returning most of the stuff I got, but that was the plan. HOWEVER, remember how the clothes smelled? That’s a big reason I won’t be rushing to buy a ton of other Quince stuff right now. That and the unemployment thing. I’m sure I’ll try more stuff soon though!
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I’m a big quince millennial girly. Their cashmere sweaters are great but what really stand out are their sweatpants/sweatshirts. They are somehow insanely comfy and soft but look more polished than your average sweats. I’ve bought them as gifts many times and they’re always a hit.
this is actually so helpful. i keep seeing and hearing Quince ads everywhere too and have been so curious about the items there!!