Let’s address the main question. Is bellabarnett.com (the formal dress-focused clothing shop) a legit website? The short answer is yes, they are legitimate. I received my clothing order and successfully returned everything for a refund. Now the biggest question is, would I shop here again?
In this honest and detailed review, I will share my purchase and return experience, my thoughts on their clothing, brand information/research, and my final verdict/recommendation. Keep reading for more!
Table of Contents
About Bella Barnett
Is Bella Barnett sustainable?
No, they likely are not. According to their About page, they allegedly prioritize social responsibility by ensuring worker well-being, minimizing environmental impact, and adopting pre-order and small-batch production to reduce waste. Since they don’t substantiate any of these sustainability claims, I am inclined to think they are green-washing.
I can confirm, however, that my items arrived in recyclable packaging/a cardboard box.
Check out this article, 13 Easy Ways To Know If A Brand Is Fast Fashion by Panaprium, for tell-tale signs of a fast fashion company.
Where is Bella Barnett located?
According to the ICANN lookup tool, they are located in China.
As further supporting evidence, most of their Facebook page managers are located in China/Asia (according to Facebook’s Page Transparency tab).
Where does Bella Barnett ship from?
My order was shipped to me from warehouses/distribution centers in Georgia and California (United States).
More Shop Details
Statements & Press Details
- They ‘pledge’ that their gross profit margin does not exceed 20%.
Policy & Program Details
- They offer a 15% discount to students, graduates, teachers, and healthcare workers.
- They offer free shipping over $99.
- Returns:
- They accept returns within 30 days of delivery.
- In my case, they provided me with a prepaid return label for $9 (which is deducted from the refund). Sounds like this prepaid label option isn’t always available.
Product Details
- They carry standard sizes from XS to XXL.
- They sell their items wholesale, and sell/list their products on Amazon. Check out Bella Barnett’s Amazon Storefront!
Domain Details
- The website bellabarnett.com was registered in March 2020.
Bella Barnett Review and Order Details
I ordered the below items on 1/27/2024 to my address in North Carolina (United States). I paid a total of $237.12 to TopTech (emergency@tuopus.com) via PayPal. The charge appears on my credit card statement as “PAYPAL *TOPDF62”. – View Order Confirmation
1) Clara Golden Sequins Dress
Brand Label: Bella Barnett
Color/Size/Cost: Gold / L / $69.90
Country: Made in China
Material: 95% Polyester / 5% Spandex
Expectation: It is exactly what I was expecting in terms of overall appearance.
Quality: In my opinion, the quality is okay. See my Quality Comparison & Rating Chart to know my current quality-rating standards.
Fit: I ordered based on the size guide provided, and it fits one size too big, most notably in the bust area. View my Body Measurements for size reference. Please note that I am wearing 3.5 in/8.9 cm heels.
Keep or Return: I would return this Bella Barnett Clara dress.
Though it is stunning, has silicone lining along the top of the bust, has built-in cups, and fits well in the hips and waist, it is too big in the top, extremely long (even with heels on), and feels cheaply made. This feels like something I could get off a rack at Ross for less than $40.
2) Aleah Bandage Jumpsuit
Brand Label: Bella Barnett
Color/Size/Cost: Black / L / $71.90
Country: Made in China
Material: The product page states ‘73.6% Viscose / 24% Polyester / 2.4% Spandex’.
Expectation: It is what I was expecting, for the most part, in terms of overall appearance. The bust area doesn’t fit like it does on the model. I think this is due to a difference in body proportions and sizing.
Quality: In my opinion, the quality of the main spandex material overall is decent, however, it is somewhat poorly constructed. It has lots of frayed edges and small threads sticking out everywhere. See my Quality Comparison & Rating Chart to know my current quality-rating standards.
Fit: I ordered based on the size guide provided, and it is the right size, but not the right fit for my body shape. My torso is too short. View my Body Measurements for size reference.
Keep or Return: I would return this Bella Barnett Aleah jumpsuit.
This jumpsuit is overall ill-fitting and unattractive (in my opinion). This is meant for a longer/taller person. As you can see, the bust doesn’t sit in the right place at all, the straps are very stretchy and offer very little support, the back zipper is very bumpy and the obnoxious gold metal color makes it look worse, the vertical stripes going up and down the legs look and feel weird, the waist belt feels like a wide stretchy shoelace, the zippers at the bottoms of the ankles feel clunky, and it is overall not sewn cleanly with tons of short-cut threads sticking out all over the place. I also think this is a bit overpriced.
3) Rowena Ruched Mesh Bandage Midi Dress
Brand Label: Bella Barnett
Color/Size/Cost: Black / M / $71.90
Country: Unknown
Material: The product page states:
- Bandage- 90% Rayon / 9% Nylon / 1% Spandex
- Tulle- 100% Polymide
Expectation: It is exactly what I was expecting in terms of overall appearance.
Quality: In my opinion, the quality is decent. See my Quality Comparison & Rating Chart to know my current quality-rating standards.
Fit: I ordered based on the size guide provided, and it fits one size too big. View my Body Measurements for size reference.
Keep or Return: I would return this Bella Barnett Rowena dress.
This dress is REALLY cute and I love the unique style. The base material is a thick and stretchy spandex, and the outer material is an ultra-thin, semi-stiff mesh. It also has silicone lining along the top of the bust which is great for keeping it from sliding down. If this dress were a size smaller, I would consider keeping it.
4) Caitlin Satin Midi Dress
Brand Label: Bella Barnett
Color/Size/Cost: Red / L / $35.90
Country: Unknown
Material: Unknown
Expectation: It is what I was expecting, for the most part, in terms of overall appearance. The bottom of the skirt part is baggier-looking on me.
Quality: In my opinion, the quality is decent. See my Quality Comparison & Rating Chart to know my current quality-rating standards.
Fit: I ordered based on the size guide provided, and it is the right size, but not the right fit for my body shape. The bust and waist fit like a glove, the hip area is at least 2 inches too tight, and the bottom of the skirt is baggy and not at all form-fitting. View my Body Measurements for size reference.
Keep or Return: I would return this Bella Barnett Caitlin dress.
While this non-stretch dress looks stunning, fits beautifully in the bust and waist (gives me a great curvy shape), the material feels thick, and the entire bust area is double-lined, it is ill-fitting everywhere else. The hips are INCREDIBLY tight (it flattens my butt quite a bit), and the bottom of the skirt has a lot of excess material that dangles and looks baggy (it is especially noticeable from the back and side view). If this fit, I would keep it as it is a great price!
Shipment Info
I received four items in two packages at my address in North Carolina (United States). One of the packages originated from China, and the other from the U.S. I received them both from warehouses/distribution centers in the United States. I was provided tracking numbers through Amazon Swiship US, USPS, and Yanwen Logistics.
Packages Shipped From:
- Union City, Georgia (United States)
- 746 S Glasgow Ave., Inglewood, CA 90301 (United States)
Shipping Timeline:
- I placed my order on Sat, January 27th
- My order shipped on Tues, January 30th
- I received my packages on Wed, January 31st / Fri, February 9th
Total time of 13 days (to receive the complete order)
Their shipping policy states up to 15 business days (including processing time) for standard U.S. shipping.
Return & Refund Info
I emailed support (hi@bellabarnett.com) to request a full return on February 15th. My request was approved seven days later on February 22nd, and I was provided with a prepaid return label. I mailed the package on February 29th via USPS.
Provided Return Address: 500 Kennedy Dr., Sayreville, NJ 08872 (United States)
Return Instructions:
- Pack the items you’re returning.
- Print your return label and attach it to the package. Cover any existing shipping labels.
- Give the package to the carrier identified on the label.
I received a full refund of $228.12 (minus the $9 return fee) on March 14th. I received it fourteen days after I mailed the package. – View Refund Receipt
Customer Service Experience
General Responsiveness
I had to follow up FIVE DAYS after not hearing back about my return request. It took an additional two days for them to respond to my follow-up email. They apologized and told me that their customer service team was on vacation.
In total, I had to ask for the return address FIVE TIMES.
Return Details
They offered me the following return/refund options:
- Standard return (using their $9 prepaid return label)
- Free exchange + 10% discount for next order
- 40% partial refund + 10% discount for next order + keep the items
Is Bella Barnett Legit or a Scam?
Similar Sites & Analysis
Reverse Image Search:
Based on my findings, there are MANY other small boutiques/online shops/marketplaces that appear to sell many of the same items as Bella Barnett.
In this case, since Bella Barnett also sells wholesale, I believe they are the source of their product images.
Possible reasons for this include the use of the same suppliers, this shop operating as a wholesaler or marketplace, the same owner operating multiple stores and/or selling on multiple platforms, the use of stolen images, etc.
I highly recommend doing Reverse Image Searches when shopping online for price and quality checking purposes. You might be surprised at what you find!
Website/Company Search:
No suspicious information (such as lawsuits or alerts from the Better Business Bureau) was found.
Do I Recommend This Shop?
Based on my experience, they are a legitimate shop. I paid for my items, received them within the estimated time frame, successfully completed a return, and received a full refund.
With that being said, I personally would not shop here again.
Even though the dresses are mostly decent quality and my return was domestic (fairly low cost), I would not shop here again for these 3 reasons:
- I am skeptical of their sustainability claims since they don’t provide much information beyond vague statements.
- Support was difficult to get a hold of, and it took repeated requests to initiate the return.
- Their sizing is inconsistent and nothing fits. The items are either too big or not the right proportions for me. Also, just looking at the actual size letters, I would need an S in the mesh dress, an XL in the red dress, and an M in the golden dress. EXTREMELY inconsistent and feels near-impossible to get it right the first time.
Overall, my experience wasn’t great despite liking some of my items. The issue with the fit and sizing is enough for me to keep looking.
HOWEVER, I would be willing to try this brand on Amazon since they are a much more reliable/convenient shopping platform (from easier returns to product-specific customer reviews, etc.). So, if you want to try this brand at a lower risk and more conveniently, check out Bella Barnett’s Amazon Storefront!
To wrap up this post, regardless of my experience, be sure to read as many customer reviews as possible. If you found this post helpful in your search for Belle Barnett reviews, please consider sharing this with your friends and commenting (via Reddit) below.
Thank you very much for your support and readership!
Take care,
– Noelle
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