Cottelli Collection Wetlook Mini Skirt XS: review

Cottelli Collection Wetlook Mini Skirt at a glance

Cottelli Collection Wetlook Mini Skirt is a short, body-hugging skirt in black wetlook with a ruffled seam in the middle of the back that gathers the fabric over the buttocks. It is manufactured by the German Orion in Flensburg, which sells it under its Cottelli PARTY series, and this review applies exclusively to size XS, with EAN 4024144304424 and Orion’s item number 27702881011.

The specification is short but unusually complete for a garment in this price range. Orion lists the fiber composition as 92 percent polyester and 8 percent elastane, a weight of 112 grams in XS, a packaging size of 21 × 15 × 3.5 centimeters, and a country of origin of China. The manufacturer also publishes a complete size chart with bust, waist, and hip measurements per size. The XS version is sold by ORION.

For a garment without any technology, what can be reviewed is the material, size information, construction, care, and price — and how consistently the details are presented at the store level. The last point turns out to be interesting here as well: stores call the same skirt wetlook, PVC, and lingerie, and some of them list a weight that doesn’t match the manufacturer’s.

What’s the difference between wetlook, vinyl, PVC, and latex?

The words are used interchangeably in stores, but they describe four different things, and the difference determines both how the garment should be cared for and who it’s suitable for. For this skirt in particular, the answer is straightforward to substantiate: Orion declares the material as 92 percent polyester and 8 percent elastane and calls the surface wetlook. So it’s an elastic synthetic fabric with a glossy surface — not rubber, and not plastic.

Wetlook is a term for the appearance — a glossy, "wet" surface on a stretch fabric. Orion doesn’t say how the shine is achieved on this item; no coating is included in the material declaration, unlike how the same manufacturer specifies its vinyl garments. Vinyl is, in Orion’s own assortment, a coating material: the Black Level Vinyl Skirt is declared as 100 percent polyester with a polyurethane coating, meaning a PU coating on a textile base. PVC is a Swedish collective term for shiny garments and doesn’t say anything about the material itself — a shop sells this skirt under the name "Lack Minikjol" even though the manufacturer doesn’t specify any PVC coating. Latex, finally, is natural rubber without any textile reinforcement. Orion’s material guide states that latex clothing therefore tears more easily than, for example, vinyl clothing, and that latex as a natural product can cause allergy with skin contact.

In practice, this skirt is neither a latex garment nor a PVC garment. Anyone looking for the stiff, plastic type of latex clothing gets something else here: a stretch fabric that, according to the manufacturer, is soft and elastic. If you have a latex allergy, there’s no latex to take into account in the material declaration.

XS and EAN 4024144304424 — how the variant was verified

The skirt comes in five sizes from Orion, and each size has its own item number and its own EAN. Orion’s wholesaler page links 27702881011 (XS) to 4024144304424, 27702881021 (S) to 4024144304431, 27702881031 (M) to 4024144304448, 27702881041 (L) to 4024144304455, and 27702881051 (XL) to 4024144684540.

ORION sells this item. The same variant is listed on three product pages, with EAN 4024144304424 and item number 27702881011 on one X-Small variant, and item number 27702881011 and size XS on another product page. So there was no need to remove any product page from the comparison. However, none of the product pages lists size XL: one offers X-Small through Large, and another lists XS through L.

One detail is worth mentioning for anyone buying exactly XS. The packaging that Orion shows in its product gallery has a size row where S, M, L, and XL are visible as checkboxes. So which size an individual package contains is determined by the marking on the box, not by the print itself — and XS isn’t included among the boxes in the image the manufacturer publishes. Check the label on the garment if you’re unsure what was delivered.

Material: 92 percent polyester and 8 percent elastane

The fiber composition is the most important hard detail for a textile item, and it’s published by the manufacturer in two places: the wholesaler page and the consumer shop orion.de both list 92 percent polyester and 8 percent elastane. Orion’s English product text says the same thing as "8% spandex" — spandex is the American name for the same fiber. None of the shops publishes any percentage at all. One shop only states "Wetlook" in the material field, and other shop descriptions describe the material with words like glossy, soft, and flexible.

That the composition is published at all isn’t a voluntary service. The EU textile labeling regulation requires that a textile product be labeled with the name and weight percentage for all types of fibers in descending order, and the regulation allows a tolerance of 2 weight percent of foreign fibers when it’s technically unavoidable. 92/8 is therefore a declared value within an allowed range, not a lab value down to the decimal.

What 92/8 means for a tight mini skirt

Polyester is the core: a synthetic fiber that is shape-stable and withstands wear. Elastane stands for stretch. Eight percent is a moderate proportion that makes the fabric pliable without turning it into a compression garment. Orion describes the skirt as soft and elastic for high wearing comfort and freedom of movement — that is the manufacturer’s wording and not something that can be controlled in any other way than through the material declaration.

The number becomes more interesting when compared with the same manufacturer’s other skirts. The red matt-look variant of exactly the same model, article 27702883011, is declared as 85 percent polyester and 15 percent elastane — almost twice as much elastane. The Mini Skirt with Buckles in wetlook is declared as 90 percent polyester and 10 percent elastane. The black wetlook skirt therefore has the lowest elastane content of the three. That suggests it gives a little less than the sister items, which is relevant for someone who is at the upper end of a size range.

Elastane is also the fiber in the blend that ages the fastest. It breaks down from heat, chlorine, and oils, and once the recovery is gone, a tight skirt no longer sits the way it should — no matter how intact the polyester surface is. That explains why Orion’s care instructions are so cautious, which is covered further down.

Dyes and softeners: what applies to a polyester garment

A black synthetic garment is heavily dyed, and dyeing is one of the steps in textile production where most chemicals are used. Kemikalieinspektionen (the Swedish Chemicals Agency) states that dispersions dyes are generally used for polyester and nylon — meaning exactly the fiber that makes up 92 percent of this skirt. The authority also states that azo dyes that can form health-damaging arylamines are prohibited from being used for dyeing textiles. The ban applies to all textiles sold within the EU, regardless of the country of manufacture. Orion lists China as the country of origin.

With PVC garments, the question about phthalates usually comes up, and it’s relevant when the material is PVC. Kemikalieinspektionen (the Swedish Chemicals Agency) describes that plasticizers like phthalates occur in plastic prints, plastic parts, and faux leather, and that certain phthalates are restricted in goods because they can affect reproductive capacity. This skirt is not declared as PVC and has no declared plastic coating, so the phthalate issue has no obvious application to the material as described. No material certification — Oeko-Tex Standard 100 or equivalent — is indicated by Orion,, and none of the three stores does either.

Weight and packaging: 112 grams — or 84?

Orion’s wholesaler page states that the weight is 112 grams for size XS and that the packaging measures 21 × 15 × 3.5 centimeters, with 57 packages per carton. The flat box means that the skirt is delivered with weight and that the package becomes small.

Some retailers instead state 84 grams in their product data, and the same figure for all four sizes from X-Small to Large. It is unlikely that the weight would be identical for XS and L for a garment where more fabric is used in larger sizes, and the number differs from the manufacturer’s by a quarter. The manufacturer’s stated figure is: 112 grams. This is not decisive information for a purchase decision, but it shows that the retailers’ product data is not taken directly from the manufacturer’s datasheet.

As a comparison, Orion lists 134 grams for the red matt-look variant in XS, 146 grams for the Mini Skirt with Buckles in size S, and 343 grams for the Black Level Vinyl Skirt in XL. The black wetlook skirt is the lightest of the four, which matches the fact that it has the simplest construction: no zipper, no buckles, and no coating.

Fit and sizes: a published size chart

This is the point where Cottelli differs the most from many other patent-leather clothes in the same price category. Orion publishes a complete size chart for women’s sizes, and the same chart is also found on the wholesaler’s page, on orion.de and — under the name "Cottelli Size Chart" — on the Adults product page. The fact that three independent pages show identical measurements makes the information reliable.

Which size in Cottelli should you choose?

For size XS, Orion lists clothing size 32/34, bust 74–81 centimeters, waist 59–64 centimeters, and hip 84–91 centimeters. For a skirt, waist and hip are the decisive measurements. Size S corresponds according to the same chart to 36/38 with waist 65–73 and hip 92–98 centimeters, M corresponds to 40/42 with waist 74–81 and hip 99–104, L corresponds to 44/46 with waist 82–90 and hip 105–112, and XL corresponds to 48/50 with waist 91–102 and hip 113–121 centimeters.

Two things are worth noting. The first is that the chart is general: it applies to Orion’s women’s clothing range as a whole and continues up to 4XL, even though this particular skirt is only available in XS to XL. The second is that the XS range is narrow at the waist—five centimeters, from 59 to 64—while the hip range is seven centimeters. If your waist is in XS but your hips are in S, it is the hips that determine the fit for a skirt that sits low, and the lower elastane share of 8 percent provides less room than the red sister skirt’s 15 percent.

Orion does not publish the garment’s own measurements—the skirt’s length and the waistband circumference in relaxed position—and none of the three stores does either. Some retailers describe the skirt as short and body-hugging, and another describes it as "muskort", but none of them provides a length in centimeters. This is by far the biggest gap in the specification for anyone who wants to know where the skirt ends on the thigh.

Construction: rynkning back, no closure

Orion describes the construction in three steps: a mini skirt in wetlook, with enhanced wrinkling over the hips, soft and elastic for high wearing comfort. The wrinkling is the only construction detail. In the manufacturer’s picture of the back, it appears as a vertical seam in the middle back where the fabric is pulled together from the waistband down to the hem, and Orion writes that it is supposed to emphasize the hips.

Orion does not state any closure—zip, snap, or drawstring—, and the manufacturer’s pictures of the skirt on an invisible mannequin show neither a zipper nor buttons. The skirt is therefore pulled on, which is normal for a stretch garment and explains why the elastane proportion matters. For the red carpet look variant, Orion explicitly states that it has stretch lining; for the black one, nothing is said about the lining, but the picture shows a sewn edge at the top. There is no adjustability in any form.

Orion’s included items are as limited as the construction: a mini skirt. Nothing else is included. The manufacturer’s model pictures show the skirt together with a sheer top and boots, but they are not included.

Cottelli Collection or Cottelli PARTY?

Anyone looking for the skirt will find it under several names, and it’s easy to believe they are different products. Orion sells it under the series name Cottelli PARTY on both the wholesaler side and orion.de, and the packaging has the text "Cottelli PARTY" and "SKIRT" on the front and "Cottelli Collection" on the side. Other sellers use the umbrella name Cottelli Collection. Some retailers write the brand "Cotteli Party"—with an l—in their product information. All point to the same item number, 27702881011.

Washing and care: hand wash with a mild detergent

Orion publishes the care advice on orion.de: gentle hand wash with a mild detergent. The included customer information, which the manufacturer publishes as a PDF, adds two instructions: wash the garment according to the care instructions before the first use, and wash dark colors separately.

Orion does not publish any maximum temperature, any information about tumble drying, ironing, or dry cleaning either on the wholesaler side or on orion.de, and none of the three shops provides any care advice at all. So all that exists is the advice about hand washing, and what is missing must be read on the wash label on the garment.

How do you wash PVC clothes in wetlook?

For this skirt, the manufacturer’s instruction is hand washing, and the reasons for the caution can be traced back to the material. Elastane loses its springiness when exposed to heat, so lukewarm water is more reasonable than hot. The glossy surface is the part of a wetlook garment that is most sensitive to abrasion, so hand wringing without twisting and line drying protect it more than centrifuging and tumble drying. These are conclusions drawn from the material, not statements from Orion.

The advice to wash dark colors separately is worth taking seriously for a black synthetic garment. Together with the advice to wash before first use, it means that the skirt should be washed on its own before it is worn for the first time.

Care differs significantly from real latex garments. Latex requires its own care products, is protected from light, and is broken down by massage oil according to Orions material guide, and the polyurethane coating — the thing that makes vinyl garments shiny — can be damaged by strong cleaning agents and massage oil according to the same guide. This skirt is declared as a pure textile garment, and none of those warnings has direct applicability to the material declaration as it stands.

What wears out first on a wetlook skirt

A stretch garment without a zipper and buckles has few parts that can break, and that’s a strength. What wears out is the fabric itself: the elastane’s resilience, the shiny surface where it gets abraded against itself or against the surface beneath it, and the seam in the middle back where the rucking pulls the fabric together. None of the parts can be replaced.

Orion does not publish any expected service life or manufacturer warranty. For buyers in the EU and EEA, online purchases generally come with a 14-day right of withdrawal starting when the goods are received. Under EU rules, sealed goods that are not suitable for return for health or hygiene reasons are exempt from the right of withdrawal once unsealed. In the EU, the seller is liable for defects that exist at delivery and appear within at least 2 years (the legal guarantee). Rules outside the EU differ.

Cottelli Wetlook Mini Skirt compared with the alternatives

Three comparisons are relevant: against the same model in a red mattlook, against another wetlook skirt from the same series, and against a vinyl skirt from Orions more expensive brand Black Level. All four articles come from the same manufacturer, which makes the specifications directly comparable. Prices in euros are Orions recommended prices; other prices come from retailer listings.

Against Cottelli PARTY Minirock in red mattlook

Article 27702883011 is the same model in a different surface: the same rucking over the buttocks, the same package size with 57 per carton, and the same recommended price, 39,95 euro. Orion also explicitly states that it has stretch lining.

The differences are two, and both are concrete. The material is 85 percent polyester and 15 percent elastane versus 92/8, so almost twice as much elastane, and the weight in XS is 134 grams versus 112. So the red version is both heavier and more stretchable. If you want the shiny wetlook surface, you choose the black; if you prioritize stretch between two sizes, you have more to gain with the red.

Against Cottelli Mini Skirt with Buckles

Article 27705041021 is a tight wetlook skirt with transparent mesh inserts on the sides and four small bands with a buckle over the inserts. The material is 90 percent polyester and 10 percent elastane, the weight is 146 grams in size S.

The comparison shows what the same price buys in two different directions. Mini Skirt with Buckles has more details — mesh and buckles — but also more parts that can break. Wetlook Mini Skirt has the simpler, lighter construction, with the ruffling as the only detail.

Compared with Black Level mini skirt in vinyl

Black Level is Orion’s own brand for vinyl clothing, and Minikjol av vinyl is the closest competitor in this round. In size XL (EAN 4024144152704), Orion states it as 100 percent polyester with a polyurethane coating and gives the weight as 343 grams and a recommended price of 59.95 euros. Orion describes it as heavily flared, with a two-way zipper at the front and small buckles at the waistband.

This is a different kind of garment: a coated vinyl skirt with a zipper versus an uncoated stretch skirt without a closure. The vinyl skirt weighs 343 grams in XL, compared with the Cottelli skirt’s 112 grams in XS. If you want the stiff, high-gloss vinyl feel that the word “patent-leather clothing” often refers to, you get it in the Black Level skirt, not in the Cottelli skirt. If you want a cheap, stretchable wetlook skirt, you get it in the Cottelli. The same manufacturer’s Black Level Vinylklänning with a flared skirt is an alternative for anyone who wants an entire garment made of vinyl.

See the shops above for pricing.

The XS variant with EAN 4024144304424 is sold by ORION.

Shipping costs can eat up part of the difference. Shipping terms and fees vary by retailer, so check the details on the product pages before placing an order.

Recommended prices and campaign offers can differ, and the retailers’ price information varies.

ORION sometimes present different details.

The review of the three store pages found four discrepancies against the manufacturer’s details. None of them mean that any store sells the wrong product — item number and EAN match everywhere — but they show that the store texts are a worse source than Orion’s datasheets.

Weight: Some listings state 84 grams for all sizes, versus Orion’s 112 grams for XS. Material: One listing calls the skirt "Lack Minikjol", while Orion declares an uncoated polyester-elastane fabric with a wetlook surface. Construction: One listing writes that the skirt has "ruffles at the back", but Orion’s description and pictures show ruching, not ruffles — another listing’s "ruff over the butt" is closer. Brand: Some sellers write "Cotteli Party" with an l, which can mean the skirt doesn’t show up in a search on Cottelli.

Who is the skirt for — and who is it not for?

It’s for you if you want a simple wetlook skirt with a published material specification and a published size chart. 92 percent polyester and 8 percent elastane, 112 grams and a size chart with waist and hip measurements give a concrete basis for the purchase.

It’s for you if you have a latex allergy or want to avoid PVC, because the material specification contains neither latex nor PVC. And it’s for you if you want a garment without a zipper or clasps that could chafe or break.

It’s not for you if you want to know exactly how short the skirt is before you order — Orion publishes no length. It’s not for you if you’re looking for the stiff, high-gloss surface of coated vinyl or real PVC; there, Black Level Minikjol in vinyl is a better choice despite the higher price. And it’s not for you if you fall between two sizes and need a lot of stretch: 8 percent elastane is the lowest percentage among the Cottelli skirts compared here.

Complaints (legal guarantee of at least 2 years), the 14-day right of withdrawal, and the health-and-hygiene exception

Orion doesn’t specify any voluntary manufacturer warranty for the skirt. What applies are your statutory rights. Under EU rules, the seller is liable for defects that exist at delivery and appear within at least 2 years (the legal guarantee). Normal wear and tear is not a defect.

For online purchases, consumers generally have a 14-day right of withdrawal under EU rules, starting when the goods are received. Under EU rules, sealed goods that aren’t suitable for return for health or hygiene reasons are exempt from the right of withdrawal once unsealed.

Orion’s own customer information provides practical guidance: always wear panties when you try on the garment, because the manufacturer, for natural reasons, only takes back faultless goods. It’s good advice regardless of the store. Read the store’s return terms before you order, and save the packaging until you know the size is right.