A Clothing Site Geared Toward Skinny Minnies. Inconsistent Sizing Drove Me Away.
Body Central
I must get 20 catalogs or more a week in the mail. I am obviously on the “sucker for anything” list because some catalogs are for really wacky things. I received a catalog for Body Central and liked what I saw. So I headed over to the website to check things out and make an order.
I was hoping to reduce the money I spend on seasonal and trendy clothing and I did — but this site makes up for its low prices in inconsistent sizing and other problematic things that led me to stop shopping there after the second go round.
What the Site Sells
Body Central sells women’s trendy tops, jeans, skirts, dresses, shoes, and some accessories. They are definitely geared toward smaller sized woman. Their sizes run to size 11 or 13 (dependent on item) in bottoms but they are cut very small so anyone over size junior’s 11 at the most won’t find anything for them at this site. Their tops are sized S, M and L and the Large size is a department store junior’s Medium. Large, they claim is size 10-12.
Navigation
This site is very simple to navigate. There is a list of categories down the left side and a search box for inputting catalog numbers or keywords. Looking through their entire inventory isn’t hard to do. They are very limited in choices in all areas.
Photos are decent and shown on models which helps to envision how the pieces actually look and descriptions are adequate. There is a simple size chart on the site but it is inaccurate judging from my experience. For reference, their Large sized dresses fit sizes 10-12, they claim. However, I would say they fit more like a size 8 at best.
When you find something you want, choose a size (usually their items come in just one color choice) and add it to your cart. When you do that, you are taken to a page that displays your total and the shipping charges. I like that feature. You know immediately what you will be paying for shipping with each addition to your cart.
When your shopping is complete, you need to fill out your personal info then preview your order. If all looks well, input your major credit card (or you can call to complete your order by phone) and you’re done. A confirmation email comes right away.
I never got a notice of shipping email nor did I ever get a tracking number. The orders I placed took almost two weeks to arrive. I am not sure if that is the norm but it is for me since I shopped on the site twice and had the same experience.
My Experience
Luckily, I suppose, I am a thin woman and can shop at the sites that have limited sizes. I wasn’t overwhelmed with the clothing but it is inexpensive and presented well. I bought a couple tops and a pair of jeans my first time shopping there. The second time, I bought a dress and a pair of shoes.
The navigation was impossibly simple and I was able to look at every single item the site sells in under an hour. Purchasing from the site is also simple and I had no issues using my MasterCard to make my purchases. I received a confirmation email but then heard nothing about when my order would be shipped. It took about two weeks for my first order to arrive and about the same for my second — except the dress was on backorder. The site indicated that the dress was in stock when I bought it and I was not notified otherwise until the shoes came alone. There was no “expected shipping date” on the invoice so I wrote to customer service and asked when I could expect the dress. They responded (after four days) that their inventory quickly sells out and that they did not have an exact date but assured me it would be “soon”. The dress came about 16 days later. And it was too small. To Body Central’s credit, I wasn’t charged for the dress until it was actually shipped.
I returned the dress at my expense and did receive a refund without incident.
I shop a lot so I know every store or site has a different sizing range. But this place must be made for Barbie Dolls. I am 117 pounds and 5’5″ and found that their size Large tops were straining to burst open on me. One was mildly tight, the other was almost too tight to wear in public and look presentable but I kept it rather than waste money sending it back. The jeans, which were Doll House Brand and I have worn before, are super junior sized and I needed a size 5 rather than 3. The dress, which claimed to be size 10-12 was impossibly tight across the bust. I generally wear a size 8 in dresses that are form fitting so I thought for sure the size Large would fit. I was disappointed that I waited so long for a dress that would fit a 12-year-old. A skinny 12-year-old.
The shoes run true to size as far as I can tell. The shoes I ordered were opened toed and fit fine. None are leather though and they are cheap looking. You can find shoes of the same quality and style for lower prices at places like Payless Shoe Source.
As cute as some of the items are on Body Central they’re inconsistently sized and run small. The quality is fairly low like items you would get a mass-market store like Wal-Mart.
I won’t be going back to this site but if you are very small and thin, you may like the styles they offer. Just be sure to order up a size from your usual size if you are unsure of the fit because the stuff is definitely sized small and inconsistently.
Shipping and Returns
Shipping costs are based on the total amount of your order. Tax is charged for those in several states, but I didn’t have to pay tax, which was a plus.
Shipping charges start at $4.95 and go to $16.95. Beyond $300.00, shipping is 6% of the total order. They offer expedited shipping for $5.00 and $15.00 extra depending on how fast you want your order.
The site info says that an email will be sent with tracking info although I never got one with either order.
Unused and unworn items in original packaging may be returned within 45 days for a refund or exchange, minus shipping charges.
There are a few exclusions but, in general, you can return ill-fitting or poor quality items and receive a refund without a big hassle.
Contact Info
There is an onsite form to write to Customer service or you can email or snail mail them.
Body Central
Attn: Catalog Customer Service
6225 Powers Ave.
Jacksonville, FL 32217
1-800-741-9696
Mon-Fri 9AM-5PM EST
Recommendation
Tiny girls unite! This site is obviously designed for you. I am considered quite thin and I barely fit into their size Large tops. Bottoms run small but a size up and I am fine. Quality of clothing is not as high as I expected. The photos really make Body Central’s clothing look great. The reality is they aren’t so great. They’re OK. It’s like a day browsing the racks at Wal-Mart only some styles are quite trendy if a bit low quality.
I wanted the merchandise sold on this site to be as represented because their prices are quite good compared to similar looking styles on other clothing sites. But for me, it’s just too chancy to order from them. One size Large top might fit and the other will be too small. Still another will be too big (that would be rare though). The bottoms run inconsistently as well so you really just have to luck out to get an item that fits and, if you’re over about 130 pounds, forget it. You won’t fit into most of what this site sells. It is reminiscent of a store we have in the mall called the 5-7-9 shop that only sells those sizes. Although Body Central sells a wider range of sizes than that, it’s obviously geared toward juniors. If I, at size three on the bottom and Medium on the top have trouble finding clothing that fits, what will someone slightly larger do?
The quality is average. Most items look far better on the site or in the catalogs than in person.
If you’re small and have a Body Central store in your area, you may want to try on some items before ordering from the catalog or website. If you don’t have a brick and mortar store near you (like me), then you could take your chances and hope things fit properly.
I can’t recommend this site based on my experiences. I really want to like the site and want to try them again but I just can’t. It’s too expensive to pay shipping both ways if something is inconsistently sized.
I have to go with a 2 star rating for the site. It looks great but there are too many negatives to make a shopping experience positive for most people.
I would be interested in hearing from others who shopped on this site and if their experiences were the same as mine.
Recommended:
No
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