Hello Stargazers!

Thank you so much for the overwhelming support for Stardust! Despite the awkward holiday timing, Stardust was still very successful, all thanks to you!

We know this time of year is tough, especially after all the holiday shopping. Due to a packed production schedule in the first half of 2026, we had to launch sooner than later. In order to stick to our timeline, we’re starting production as soon as our cancellation window ends.

Speaking of, the last chance to cancel your order is Sunday, January 4th at 8pm EST. Now is a good time to review the pre-order kick-off post and our refund policy if you haven’t yet!

What to expect

Production

Our manufacturers are racing the clock this month to get production wrapped up before Chinese New Year (CNY). They are just at the tail end of production for our upcoming Enemies to Lovers collection and will be transitioning to production for Stardust as soon as they are done.

Production typically takes 25-35 days, so we’re hoping they can complete production before they go on holiday on February 5th.

If not, production will be finished when they return in early March, then shipped to us via sea freight.

Our anticipated timeline as stated in the product listings and in the pre-order kick-off blog are assuming that production will not be completed before CNY. If we’re lucky, we’ll have them early, otherwise, we expect to start fulfillment in May to June depending on the item.

Each of the factories we work with has different capacities and lead times. If we receive some items much earlier than others, we may ship some orders early. If we do, we will share the details once the decision is made.

Knits

Knits are the fastest to produce and are likely to ship to us before CNY. We expect to have the knits before any other items.

Tees and Hoodie

Tees and Hoodies take a little longer than knits and the manufacturer handling these is behind on our previous order. They expect to start production in the second week of January. We hope they can finish production before CNY but are expecting that the order will be finished once the factories reopen in March.

Bags

Expected production time is 60 days. There is no way for production to complete before CNY, so bags won’t be finished until late March and will likely be the last to fulfill.

Freight

Freight is the most volatile part of the supply chain. Though relatively consistent, moving products across the ocean and over borders comes with challenges.

Sea freight typically takes 30-45 days assuming no delays or shipping disasters. Out of dozens of sea shipments, only two have ever been significantly delayed, but we like to use this a reminder that anything can happen. See the “Delays” section below for more information about delays.

Fulfillment

It’s smooth sailing once the shipment arrives at our warehouses! Our fulfillment partners usually need about a week to prepare for fulfillment.

While they’re getting ready, we’ll send out an email (just like this one) a few days before we’re ready to start fulfillment as a reminder to update your address if you’ve moved since placing your pre-order. Make sure you add us to your contact list so you don’t miss the email!

Post-Fulfillment

This is the exciting part! We hope your order arrives just as you expected, but we leave some buffer time for the restock in case of shipping mishaps and size exchanges.

Delivery

Most orders will arrive within 1-2 weeks of fulfillment. We will monitor delivery statuses to make sure everyone has received their orders or reparations are in order for shipments still in transit before we open restocks.

Please reach out if your order has been in transit for longer than the times stated below:

Canada - 10 days

US - 10 days

Everywhere else - 21 days

VERY IMPORTANT FOR ORDERS DELIVERED OUTSIDE OF CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES

Canada and US-bound orders are shipped domestically and are not subject to import fees. If you are in Canada or the US, you can skip the next paragraph.

Orders outside of Canada and the US are subject to import taxes and fees. As stated in our shipping policy, you bear the sole responsibility for understanding your regional import tax laws and rates. Carmico does not ship DDP which means you must pay the import fees as decided by the carrier. Carmico has no control over this process and any incurred fees are charged by your local government and the carrier company.

Please note that rejecting the package will void your opportunity for a refund as per our shipping and refund policies.

Returns and Exchanges

Returns and exchanges will be available through our return portal up to 60 days from the date of delivery, though we encourage you to place any exchange orders as soon as possible. As our return policy states, returns will be for store credit only. There are no original payment refunds for pre-orders unless you cancel before the cancellation window closes (Sunday, January 4th at 8pm EST).

Restock

We will restock all the remaining extras once we’re confident all customer inquiries regarding their pre-orders have been handled. At this point, we will send one final email reminding you to contact us about any order issues requiring replacements.

Delays

Delays happen. We’ve only ever experienced one major supply chain delay of the dozens of collections we’ve dropped in the last five years, but it’s important to note that delays are always possible.

We’ve done our best to make reasonable estimates for our timeline based on data from our past pre-orders. If there are any delays, we will communicate them with you via blog and email, just like this one.

Please be patient, it’s in everyone’s best interest that we deliver as quickly and accurately as possible!

Closing Remarks

Thank you all once again for helping realize yet another stellar pre-order!

Going forward, we’ll be in touch on the first Wednesday of every month. The next update will be Wednesday, February 4th at 12pm EST.

2025 was unfun for everyone. Let’s all wish upon a star and hope that 2026 brings us all health and wealth.

At the very least, a spring/summer Carmico package will add a little brightness to your year.

Until next time,

—The CarmiCrew