Compared to the big fashion chains, Farfetch has a different ethos. Farfetch has scouts that they send around the world to major fashion boutiques where they meet with management to discuss how selling on Farfetch.com can benefit them. To help you figure out how Farfetch can benefit you, we thoroughly review the site below.
About Farfetch
The best fashion boutiques from around the globe are brought to an international audience with Farfetch, a cutting edge ecommerce company. Farfetch has quickly grown into a truly worldwide company since its launch in October of 2008 by founder José Neves. They have offices in Guimarães, New York, São Paulo, Los Angeles, and London.
Their staff has over 300 people. And, their family now includes over 280 independent boutiques across North America and Europe. Farfetch’s goal is to unite fashion lovers with independent boutiques from across the globe. Because of this, Farfetch.com forms the hub of a worldwide fashion community. They only partner with the most forward thinking and influential independent businesses.
Top Features of Farfetch
On Farfetch.com, it is clear that they want to be more than just another online retailer. There is an impressive amount of non-shopping, editorial content. This works to their advantage. You can get a real sense of where and who you are buying from with the loads of information about the designers and boutiques that is included on the site.
The People section has a variety of different blogs that feature interviews, features of the boutiques, and inspiration. It is better than a lot of style blogs and magazines. For about an hour, I got lost in it clicking on one article after another. The only problem is you have a lot of amazing clothes for sale right alongside all of the articles!
There are three departments into which the designer clothing is organized:
- Lab – This department consists mostly of new designers.
- Contemporary – Denim, casual, and diffusion labels are found in this department.
- Luxe – This is where you find the proper big designer brands.
It blows my mind how much stuff is available on Farfetch.com. When you shop in the Contemporary and Lab departments, there are lots of fabulous homewares, art, and jewelry along with clothing that works great with just about any budget. There are great selections of independent designer and designer designer pieces.
I absolutely loved what I ordered from Farfetch. It came from a boutique in London that had clearly put a lot of attention into the detail of the design.
When it comes to shipping, Farfetch will deliver anywhere in the world mainly using DHL Express with some countries being serviced by UPS. For most of the United States and Europe, delivery takes between two and four days. I got my order within two days. If you live outside of these areas, you should expect your order to take up to a week.
You receive an email acknowledging receipt of your order once it is placed. They will then email you again to inform you of your payment details, that your order is being shipped, and to verify your order. You will also get an email in the rare event that there is an issue with your order. Also, at any point in the process, you can track where your order is.
Sizing at Farfetch also deserves mention. On Farfetch.com, there is a standard sizing guide. However, you have no idea whether any of the many different labels actually conform to the standard sizing guide or not. In the pictures, fortunately, you are told what size the model is wearing. You can sort of gauge for yourself how it would fit you because you are also given the model’s measurements.
For example, I am slightly more medium than small according to the sizing guide. I decided to go with a large though when I saw the model had hips and bust measurements that were about four inches smaller than me, and she was wearing a medium. And, surprise! The large fit perfectly. It would be nice to have a sizing guide for each designer or boutique, but that would be somewhat impractical.
Farfetch Prices
My first thought when I initially visited Farfetch.com was that it was not for me. Everything on the front page was at a price level that was way outside of my budget, which was tragic since it all looked so beautiful. There was a bag for $2,200 and a coat for $4,100 on the front page of the women’s section when I visited it.
Fortunately, I soon found the handy price filter on the left hand side of the screen and set the max price to $75 in an effort to hopefully make it out alive with enough money to eat for the rest of the month. Farfetch did not disappoint. There were plenty of gorgeous designer options that were very reasonably priced. Essentially, Farfetch has something for anyone, no matter their budget.
Criticism of Farfetch
My biggest criticism is that I cannot afford some of the items that really caught my eye. Farfetch.com is the premier site for those who have a large disposable income. It is also a great site for the rest of us who can set limits on how much we spend. My only other criticism has to do with the sizing chart, but the workaround worked great for me.
In the “What I Would Have Liked to Have Seen Department,” I was hoping for user reviews and ratings of each of the items for sale. There were none. On other sites, you can read reviews from people who have actually purchased the items. This would help with any sizing issues too, since users could shine light on how the sizing compares to the guide.
I did some Google searching to see if I could find any criticism of Farfetch. There were a lot of positive articles from reputable sources. There were few negative reviews or comments about Farfetch aside from the random people who did not like what they ordered.
Customer Support
Farfetch offers an array of options for contacting them. You can contact them over the phone any day of the week during extended Pacific Standard Time business hours. Via the site, you can fill out a contact form and someone will get back to you. There is also an extensive FAQ section.
I gave them a call on a Sunday evening and was greeted by a cheerful and enthusiastic customer service representative. She was able to give me more than enough information. And, she would not let me off the phone until she knew I was completely satisfied.
Final Thoughts
Farfetch.com is where top designers and up and coming designers are connected with a worldwide audience. It used to be that you had to travel the globe to get the best fashion. Now, through Farfetch, you can have the best fashion delivered to your door step in a matter of days.
I was impressed with every aspect of Farfetch.com. Even though I have a tight budget, I do not have to look like I’m broke. I highly recommend Farfetch to everyone who strives to be fashionable.