Women love shopping.
Right? That’s what all men seem to think. That’s what all magazines tend to tell us. But do we, really?
If you’re like me, you did love shopping at one point in your life. Particularly, the point in your life where everything looked good in your tiny little girl body and your mom footed the bill. Now, however, my wallet and my patience are both much thinner than I am. And, let’s face it, I’d rather be wearing sweatpants and binge watching Parks and Rec than be prancing around the mall trying to find a pair of jeans that don’t make me look and feel like a busted can of biscuits.
But now, as in almost every aspect of life, there’s a website to fix that. Sites like Stitch Fix, Fabletics and Golden Tote are here to save the day! They create your profile online, note your likes, dislikes, needs and sizes and ABRACADABRA! A box full of beautiful new clothes shows up at your doorstep every week, every month, or every few months. No more mall walkers! No more soft pretzel and food court temptations! Everything in the world is solved!
At a price. My question is, is it worth it? I’ve done some digging around for you (us), and compiled a mini review of the aforementioned subscriptions.
For Stitch Fix, subscribers pay a baseline fee of $20 per month, plus the cost of whichever clothes you should choose to keep from your shipment. Should you hate hate double hate loath entirely your entire Fix, you can ship it back to where it came from for free and only pay the $20 monthly fee. Not bad, right?
It depends. My mother (who is quite stylish, btdubs), subscribed to Stitch Fix about six months ago and has received two shipments. The first time she received a box, I’d say it was worth it. She liked a basic long sleeved tee and a scarf, which she paid about $40. So, $40 plus the $20 monthly baseline fee= $60. Not bad, considering she didn’t have to enter the public eye or put forth a single shred of effort. The second box she received might as well have been a treasure box. She loved it all. She dropped $240 on it. Ouch. This one, she doesn’t think was worth it.
You see, Stitch Fix lists the prices of the clothing sent to you, but not the brand of the clothing. And after dropping a load of cash on her second box of treasure clothes, she began to question the quality of what she paid for.
Another growingly popular subscription company is Fabletics—also known as the workout clothes Kate Hudson looks so freaking good in on the side of your Facebook page.
Fabletics, despite what those $19.99 promotions say, charges $49.99 a month after your first discounted order. Most reviewers say that the outfits they’ve received are adorable and fit fantastically. The Debbie Downers of the reviewing world have complained about the following: slim pickins, unreliable delivery, and price.
At first, the $49.99 per month seemed outrageous. But, after looking into the subscription further, you’ll find that most outfits include some kind of capris or leggings and a top. And, while Walmart workout shirts suit me just fine, I do know that leggings can get pretty expensive. Look into a pair of Nike or Under Armour leggings and you’re talking at least $50 down the drain. Considering the specific expenses there, paying $49.99 for an entirely new outfit every month isn’t so bad. If you’re into looking cute in the gym, this one’s for you.
Lastly, let’s talk Trunk Club. Run by Nordstrom, Trunk Club is easily the closest you can get to actually shopping with a stylist Serena van der Woodsen style without leaving your chocolate-stained pajamas.
With Trunk Club, you get to decide how often your shipments come. A stylist from Trunk Club actually calls you (yes, talking on the phone is still a thing), and goes over your wants/needs/sizes with you. Awesome-stylist-person then compiles items for you, and sends images of them to you via the Internet. You have 24 hours to reject any of the items and have them replaced, and then your cute little trunk is sent to you a few days later.
Like Stitch Fix, the cost depends on what you choose to keep. Unlike Stitch Fix, however, Trunk Club does not charge a subscription feel and lists the brands of the clothing items you receive. Mama likey. What Mama probably won’t like, however, is the cost of the clothes. It’s Norstrom, people, and as much as all of us college gals would like to splurge, most of us are ballin’ on a budget.
Overall, clothing subscriptions are pretty fantastic. They’re affordable (especially for non-collegiette bank accounts), and they keep you out of the mall and the line at Wetzel’s Pretzels. If anything, a clothing subscription is something to motivate you towards getting that big girl job and big girl paycheck. Happy shopping—or not—my friends.
Photos from Google Images.