Forget Vogue and Netflix – subscriptions aren’t just for magazines or movies anymore. Did you know that you could subscribe to clothes, accessories, and even make-up services? Your closet has never been larger.
From Forever 21 to H&M and Zara, fast-fashion has taken over the retail industry. Gone are the days where the only times new styles were introduced are between seasons. Now, it seems that clothing stores are restocking every week if not every other day. Admittedly, it’s hard to keep up when that blouse you got just last week is already old news.
The solution? Subscription services! Rather than purchase a clothing item or an accessory and end up only wearing it once, there are now various online subscription sites on which you can subscribe to a seemingly endless and constantly evolving catalogue of clothes, jewelry, accessories, and even cosmetics. Below are the top three subscription sites to check out:
1. Le Tote
Pricing: $19/month for the Jewelry Box, which includes three accessories in each package
$49/month for the Boutique Box, which includes three garments and two accessories in each package
I randomly discovered Le Tote from a targeted ad on Facebook (kudos, FB, although it’s a bit creepy). Basically, for the $49-a-month Boutique Box, you are sent as many boxes of three garments and two accessories as physically and logistically possible. How does it work? You first set up a size profile, and then you browse the Le Tote site’s catalogue while “loving” items you wish to receive in a future Boutique Box. Once your account is set up, you start receiving Boutique Boxes one at a time, each containing a pre-paid USPS 2-Day Priority Mail envelope with which to ship back your clothes after they have been worn. (Bonus: no need to do laundry – just send back the worn clothes!) Once you send back the contents of the box and Le Tote has confirmed their receipt, you are quickly sent a second box through 2-day shipping, and so on. Billing occurs automatically at the beginning of every month; although, you can also pause your subscription through your online account at any time.
Le Tote carries popular contemporary brands like BCBGeneration, French Connection, and House of Harlow. If you end up really liking a particular item you receive, you can also purchase it to keep at a discounted price through the website. Customer service has also been very responsive in my experience; you are encouraged to rate the items you receive for fit and style, and if you appear dissatisfied, a Le Tote stylist will contact you personally to better tailor future boxes to your tastes.
Pricing: $29.95/year for PRO service, which includes yearlong free shipping, free insurance, and a free rental on your birthday
$75/month for Unlimited service, which includes three upscale statement items in each package
Individual, single-time rentals vary in price, ranging from around $30 to $450 for a 4-day or 8-day rental
Rent The Runway was a pioneer in the field as one of the first online clothing rental venues. (I actually rented my senior prom dress from Rent the Runway!) Its flagship service is its 4-day and 8-day individual dress rentals, and it carries an extensive selection of both casual and formal designer dresses. Recently, RTR has also added PRO and Unlimited services, which are more along the lines of a subscription service. The PRO service, at only $29.95 a year, is a great value even for one-time-a-year renters, since its complimentary free shipping and free insurance can save you up to $14.95 in just one rental. Plus, the free birthday rental itself is worth more than the service.
RTR’s newest offering, the Unlimited service, expands the site beyond just dresses to handbags and jackets. For $75 a month, the Unlimited service is reminiscent of those of Le Tote; you receive a box of three statement items – currently jewelry, handbags, leather jackets, and/or blazers – from your online queue. Once you send back an item, another item from your queue is sent to you, and so on.
3. Birchbox
Pricing:$10/month for the Women’s Box, which includes 4-5 deluxe beauty samples each month
$20/month for the Men’s Box, which includes 4-5 deluxe beauty/grooming samples each month
Birchbox is the oft-publicized beauty sample subscription service that is more along the lines of a monthly magazine subscription. For $10 or $20 a month for the Women’s or Men’s Boxes, respectively, subscribers are sent four to five deluxe-sized beauty samples each month. Birchbox is a fun way to try out cosmetics that you may not have discovered otherwise; in fact, it was through Birchbox that I discovered Color Club nail polish. You can also rack up points, which can be redeemed on the Birchbox site for full-sized items, by completing surveys for the items you receive in your box each month.
Will you be subscribing to clothes, accessories, and/or beauty products? Are you already a subscriber? Share your opinions below!
