Warning: Extremely Long Post Ahead!
Something I've given a lot of thought about is a clothing subscription box. Partially because I'm not the most fashionable girl around- I'm a jeans and tshirt kind of girl living in a business casual world. I think I can put things together okay, but I almost always ask for someone's advice (Hi, Jenna!). And I pretty much stick to basics: cardigans and camis, or sweaters over sleeveless tops for work. Every once in awhile I'll step outside of my comfort zone, but I almost always regret it because I'm not 100% comfortable, and then I end up putting it in my donation pile- such a waste of money!
I've seen some clothing subscription sites around, and it was basically a choice between
Stitch Fix and
LE TOTE. The reason I chose LE TOTE is because, for the Boutique Box, you pay $49.00, and you can get unlimited totes for that month, and just return them when you're done. You put items in your closet from their site, and you will get those items and some similar- for the Boutique Box, that's 3 clothing items, and 2 accessories. If you want to keep an item in your tote, you can just return the items you're not interested in, and they will charge you for what you keep.
(If you want to know more about Stitch Fix, there are a TON of blogs that talk about it, and it is something I may look into a bit down the line, but for now, I'm sticking with LE TOTE.)
The biggest difference between the two is that at Stitch Fix, you are buying the clothes you like, and returning the rest (and you only have three days to do that, so it's not like you can just be sneaky and wear them). At Le Tote, you can still do that, but you are basically renting them and returning them if you don't like them enough to buy them, and the encourage that because you can keep the tote as long as you want. And you don't have to wash them- you just stick them in a prepaid return envelope! If you like an item and want to keep wearing it, but now you don't want to purchase it, you can still return it- you just have to wait and return all of the items at once. That's really the only downside, and probably how they end up getting people to purchase the items. But, honestly, if I fall in love with one piece, why wouldn't I just buy it if it's a good deal?
Also, the clothes are used, but because of that, you get a deep discount compared to what they cost retail. You can see how much of a price difference it is on my reviews below.
You can also make special requests by emailing them, which I think is kind of cool. Like, if I know I'm going to be getting another tote before a girls night or a fun event, I can email them specific pictures from their site and ask if I can please receive those items, or ones like it, in my tote. I think that is a really fun feature, and I might play with that a bit!
I ordered my first tote on August 6th in the evening, and received a shipping confirmation on August 7th in the evening, so it was a 24 hour turnaround time to get my first tote shipped! My tote shipped from San Francisco (where they are based), and I received it on August 9th.
If you've been reading this blog and have seen my
Birchbox and
ipsy reviews, you know I can't resist spoilers, so I definitely peaked at what was coming on the morning of August 9th!
While I was waiting, I went through all the items listed on their site, and added what I wanted to my closet. This is done by clicking on the heart, which you can see in the example below.
(The red heart means that it's in my closet.)
As of the day I'm starting to write this post, I currently have over 100 options selected. They recommend at least 40, so they can get an idea of what you would like to see in your totes.
They also add new items bi-weekly, if not more often, and have a special first look page for new members. Through the month I have been frequenting that page to make sure and add items to my closet. It's basically my new obsession.
I've seen a lot of people call this "Netflix for clothes". This is the general idea, but it's not like your queueing up items to get- you're saving items to your closet that you may receive, but they also just use that to determine what kind of things you want to see.
My estimate before I starting getting the totes was that I would receive 3 this month. So for $49.00, I estimated I would receive 3 totes, which would equal out to about $16.34 a tote.
TOTE #1 (received August 9th, 2014)
Here are my spoilers:
The romper was the only thing not in my closet (I thought the first shirt wasn't, either, until I realized it was a First Look item (which is only for members), so it doesn't appear in my closet yet. The romper is definitely out of my comfort zone.
Here's the unboxing:
This made me feel good, actually! I love little details like this.
All wrapped up!
This card indicates how to go about utilizing your "LE TOTE" experience.
The jewelry is in individual baggies and sealed with a bubble wrap ziploc thing.
And the bottom of the tote explains how to get your next tote.
The following are what I received in my box. Clicking the link will take you directly to the page where the item is listed on LE TOTE.
Eight Sixty Mitchell Ponte Romper (retail price: $88.00; member price: $64.00)
For reference: this is a size Large.
This wasn't an item that I put in my closet, because I'm not a fan of rompers. At least I wasn't, until I put this on. It was very comfortable, and was a great fit. I was going to wear it out to dinner with friends, but then mother nature decided to throw a big wrench into those plans.
Speaking of mother nature,
this is a funny article I read about how you pee in a romper.
Daniel Rainn Molly Pleated Blouse (retail price: $68.00; member price: $54.00)
For reference: this is a size Large
This was an item that I put in my closet. It's sheer-ish (for the office I'll probably have to wear a cami under it), but really well made. I also really love the botton details.
Daniel Rainn Dee Diamond Print Top (retail price: $68.00; member price: $54.00)
For reference: this is a size Medium (they base off of sizes you list, as well as your measurements, which is probably why I got a Medium in this, but a Large in the other Daniel Rainn top).
This is a First Look item, so I was surprised to see it in my tote, because it wasn't even in my closet yet! The lace on this is beautiful and I loved it the second I pulled it out of the box. I even verbally said "Uh Oh," because I knew I loved it instantly.
J Luxe Troy Pyramid Necklace (retail price: $24.00; member price: $18.00)
This was very cheap feeling- definitely not something I would pay $18.00 for- it feels like the cheaper Forever 21 jewelry. I knew all of this was costume, but this was way beyond that, it felt very plastic like. I knew I would return it immediately, and I only wore it to take this picture. I had this in my closet, but I have taken it out and rated that I didn't like it.
Gazel Aphrodite Earrings (retail price: $24.00; member price: $18.00)
These earrings are really cute! They're not super heavy, but they don't have that plastic-feeling like the necklace. I'm not a huge fan of huge dangle earrings (I'm really against saggy earlobes), but I can definitely see myself hitting resend on these one day. This was in my closet, and it's staying there.
And here's something I PROMISED myself I would do- pictures of myself in all of the clothing items. That was one of my biggest gripes when I was looking through reviews- very few people were posting pictures of themselves in the actual items! And I wanted to see what they look like on real girls- not just the models.
In the romper. It was actually a lot cuter on than I thought it would be. I probably won't get it again or anything, but it was comfortable. The reason I won't get it again does have to do with the whole "how do you pee in it?" but in a broader sense- the zipper on this is in the back, and I can't undo it by myself! I don't mind if I have to take it completely off, but only if I can do it by myself. In researching rompers more, I've discovered a lot of them have side zippers, which makes more sense. Or, they just don't have them at all.
In the Dee Diamond top: I really liked this one, so eventually I will ask them to resend it (which you can do where they show what you've received in your totes). It's $54.00, and a bit out of my price range right now, but I did really like it and wouldn't mind seeing it come again, and then deciding. Ultimately, I'll probably just have a it resent a couple of times, because it's handwash only, and "ain't nobody got time for that!"
The only problem I saw with this was that if I was sitting down and slouching, my bra showed on the side. Not a huge deal, because it encouraged me to stay sitting up straight, but it is something to note. I definitely need to invest in some fashion tape. I wore a standard bra with this with no problem, and you couldn't tell through the lace at all.
In the Molly Pleated Blouse: This was cute, but a little more sheer than I like. (I wore a cami under it for work, but for day I probably would've just worn a darker bra. It wasn't super sheer, but sheer enough.) I also had an issue with the top button popping if I stretched my arms too far. It was a good fit otherwise. I did noticed that this wrinkled up quite a bit throughout the day.
They encourage you to rate the items you receive, because this will help improve what you receive in future totes. I did this right after I finished trying everything on.
Each piece is individually priced as listed above, or if you like your whole tote, they total up the items for you- and it looks like you also get one month free, which is a pretty good perk considering the upfront cost is already $49.00. And, if I haven't already said it enough, you get multiple totes per month if you're good about sending them back.
I purchased a total of 0 items from this tote, and returned it on August 12th.
TOTE #2 (received August 16, 2014)
This took 4 business days to get to me- 2 days there, 2 days back, which is as promised. Here are my spoilers:
All of these were items from my closet. As great as that is (and I do have a lot of stuff in my closet), it would have been nice to get at least one surprise item. If that continues to happen, I might email them and ask them to send me at least one thing not in my closet, whether it's clothing or jewelry. Because I wouldn't mind trying something- that's the fun of this!
i. Madeline Plaid Button Down V Neck (retail price: $68.00; member price: $54.00)
For reference, this is a size Large.
I really liked this shirt, though it's not my "usual style". It was super comfortable. I kept the sleeves rolled up, as you will see below in my outfit picture.
Here's a little detail I liked along the buttons- you can't see it but I still liked it.
I didn't consider keeping this, but I did like it. I wore it on my day off, when I went on the train ride. It didn't wrinkle at all. I wore it with shorts, and it definitely made me wish I had invested in a pair of boots. That's on the list of things I definitely need to get! (I took the picture like this to show the cut.
Daniel Rainn Lindsey Tunic Blouse (retail price: $68.00; member price: $54.00)
For reference, this is a size Medium.
I thought I wouldn't like this on because of the pocket placement. And the fact that it was very, very flowy.
But, I ended up really liking it, a lot. It did wrinkle, but it wasn't so bad that I was obsessed with the fact that it was wrinkled. (Does that even make sense?!) The only thing is that it's HAND WASH ONLY, and I try to avoid those types of clothes because they just sit on my closet floor, waiting to be washed, and it takes me like a month or longer to finally get around to doing it.
However, this top is extremely roomy, and with a baby potentially around the corner (no, there isn't one yet!), it would be a good option if I decide to keep getting totes in that period of time. So this one might be a repeater!
Collective Concepts Heather Geo Blouse (retail price: $59.00; member price: $38.00)
For reference, this is a size Large.
This was so sheer. Luckily, the Sunday after I received this tote, Target put all their camis on sale. So I went and bought a couple skintone ones and a white one, just to have on hand when Le Tote sends me super sheer tops. Plus, you can never own too many camis!
I actually ended up liking how it was shorter in the front and longer in the back- I never had thought I would, but I did! I also liked the colors, and how the shirt was both casual and dressy. (Really, it was more on the casual side, but I wore it to work with no issue regarding dresscode, and I work in a business casual environment... though, we can wear jeans to work.) I could see myself asking for this top again and considering purchasing it, but it seems very trendy at the same time, and I'm not one to spend a lot of money on trend pieces.
Gazel Corded Necklace (retail price: $48.00; member price: $34.00)
.... Umm. No, this is not me, at all.
I stuck this in my return bag right after I tried it on, and promptly removed it from my closet.
J Luxe Rose Gold Stud Earrings (retail price: $14.00; member price $10.00)
I LOVE these so much.
I wore them every single day I had this tote, and reluctantly returned them. I have that $10.00 credit on my account, so it's not like I would've technically been paying for them... but something kept me from keeping them. Maybe it was that my husband said he would like them better in silver. Or maybe it's because I can ask for them again, and decide later. Either way, I didn't keep them. But they will definitely be coming back to me, soon.
I purchased a total of 0 items from this tote, and returned it on August 21st.
TOTE #3 (received August 25th, 2014)
This took 4 business days to get to me.
Here are the spoilers:
All but the last top were in my closet.
I ended up only liking the way the tank top fit, so I didn't even keep the tote to wear any of it. I told myself that if I didn't like at least 2/3 clothing items, I would return the whole thing the following day. So that's exactly what I did.
French Connection Polly Plains Tank (retail price: $48.00; member price: $38.00)
For reference, this is a size Large
This was the only clothing item I liked in the tote. It's a pretty basic tank, but I liked the way it fit me. I didn't take any pictures in it, because I ended up returning the tote the next day. But I did ask them to resend this. (Which is the little "resend" icon above in the spoiler picture that looks like a circle with arrows. It reminds me a lot of a shuffle icon.)
JOA Marina Striped Full Skirt (retail price: $78.00; member price: $47.00)
For reference, this is a size Large
I did take a picture of myself in this one because I didn't really had a great way to display it, otherwise. It looks find in the pic, but I personally felt that I had to wear it really high, and it cut into what I have started to call my underboob roll. Does anyone else have that? It's like a tiny roll of whatever that is right under where my bra is, over my ribs. It's super attractive, but also made this skirt really uncomfortable. I don't believe the Large was quite large enough to fit where it should have, and it looks like that is the largest they have on the website.
French Connection Elliot Top (retail price: $48.00; member price: $34.00)
For reference, this is a size Large
I also didn't take a picture of myself in this one, because it was so awkward. I am not a huge fan of higher necklines, because I am busty and have broader shoulders, so it just looks weird! It also cut in weird by my armpits, and flared out in a way I wasn't fond of.
J. Luxe Era Silver Bar Earrings (retail price: $18.00; member price: $14.00) &
Baron Moustache Necklace (retail price: $27.00; member price: $17.00)
I really loved both of these jewelry pieces, but not enough to just buy them outright (at least not right now), so I just hit resend.
(I forgot to take a screen cap of the "Take Your Tote" image for this tote, and it's no longer available. Sorry!)
I purchased a total of 0 items from this tote, and returned it on August 26th.
TOTE #4 (received August 30th, 2014)
This took 4 business days to get to me.
Here are the spoilers:
Every piece was in my closet. And initially, I did kind of like all of it. But then I couldn't wear the dress because it became "that week" of the month and I am just not into wearing dresses during that time. And the blue top has a weird seam in the bust area that just ended up being so weird on. So I only wore the necklace one day and the other top another, and sent it all back, but I will be requesting the necklace and earrings again.
Collective Concepts Nautical Tube Dress (retail price: $72.00; member price: $37.00)
For reference, this is a size Large.
This fit fine, and I planned on wearing it to work, but like I said above, it wasn't the right week for me to be wearing a dress. I might request to get it again, I haven't decided yet.
Gazel Angel Wings Necklace (retail price: $48.00; member price: $34.00)
This necklace was so pretty and delicate. I also love the rose gold color. I hit resend on this, because I would love to get it again later.
Bronx Link Earrings (retail price: $24.00; member price: $12.00)
I tried these on and I liked them, but I forgot to wear them when I wore the only top that I wore. So back in the bag they went.
Sanctuary Mila Blouse (retail price: $79.00; member price: $47.00)
For reference, this is a size Large.
I didn't think I would like this top because of the way it is gathered on the bottom, but I did. I worse it with a white cami under it for work. I loved how loose and flowy the sleeves were, though, it did keep getting caught on the arms of my chair. But I love the color palette and pretty much everything else about this But it definitely wasn't worth it for $47.00, because it is a pretty trendy piece. I did like wearing it, though.
Daniel Rainn Majestic Lattice Crochet Blouse (retail price: $68.00; member price: $54.00)
For reference, this is a size Medium.
I really wanted to love this top, and I did, until I put it on to wear it to work and realized the seam on the bust line looked so weird! And it was probably just me, but I couldn't get past it enough to wear it. It was in my closet, but it has been removed.
I purchased a total of 0 items from this tote, and returned it on 09/03/14.
For the month of August, I received a total of 4 totes with a total of 20 items (5 items in each tote), and I purchased none of them. So, for $49.00, I received 4 totes, which means each tote was $12.25. I had a $10.00 credit on the site for signing up, and I still have it because I didn't decide to purchase anything.
Disclaimer: My LE TOTE subscription was purchased by me with my own money. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This post contains an affiliate link for LE TOTE. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.
