As I mentioned in my last post, I’ve recently started a new job. That job is in a new, somewhat more “formal” city, and my position is more senior as well. That translates to one depressing reality: the t-shirt-and-jeans uniform that I rocked for years in the tech world was just not going to cut it in my new role.
But, there was one big problem with that: I HATE clothes shopping. Loathe it, in fact. To the point that for the past few years, I’d simply done one “bulk” order for both my husband and myself, from a single retailer, online, each year, then ended up returning about half of it.
It wasn’t efficient, and I didn’t look particularly fashionable either.
However, I’ve recently found a new solution, and a couple months in, I’m absolutely loving it! Gwynnie Bee, one of several new “rentable fashion” companies, lets you rent designer apparel pieces that appeal to you — wear them on your schedule — and then either return them or buy them at a discount.
How Gwynnie Bee Works
The process works like this. First, I go to the Gwynnie Bee website and select items on their website that I like and put them in my virtual closet. They feature a number of designers such as ModCloth, eShakti, Vince Camuto, Jason Wu, Johnny Was, just to name a few.
Next, the GB folks choose some number of items from my closet (the plan I chose allows me to have “two items out” at a time, though they have plans that are much more extensive) and send them to me. Once I receive my items, it’s really up to me to decide what happens next:
- if something doesn’t fit, it gets sent back right away, in a postage-paid envelope that comes provided in my GB package.
- if I like something, I work it into my wardrobe schedule, then send it back when I’m done. There’s no need for me to launder it, I simply ship it back in the (again, postage-paid) provided envelope.
- if I LOVE something, I also have the option to keep it forever — and at quite a discount. Buying an “at-home” option generally allows you to purchase the item at anywhere from 10-50% off the retail price. Then, GB automatically sends out my next item to fill the spot left open by my purchased item.
Much like the Columbia House CD deals of yore, however, this sort of system really works best for those who are on top of their subscriptions; there’s no limit to how many items you can rent per month, but as you can only have a certain number of items out at a time, it’s in your best interest to return unwanted items quickly.
I’ve found that (as long as I’m staying on top of my returns) I’m able to try at least 8-10 items per month with my $75 a month plan. And it’s encouraged me to try a few things that were out of my normal fashion comfort zone too…with, let’s say, “varying degrees of success. (Peplum tops? Surprising success! Shift dresses? Best left to the thin and un-bust-y, lol.)
One other note about Gwynnie Bee in particular, as compared to Rent The Runway or Le Tote, two of the other leading companies in this market, is that GB offers a very wide range of sizes, e.g 0-32. Since I tend to fall right on the cusp of normal sizes vs. plus sizes, this has been especially appealing to me.
Even better, GB learns my shape over time; each item I return comes with a quick questionnaire – how did it fit in the bust, waist, hips, sleeve, overall length? Then, after my first few items, they were able to begin suggesting the size they believed would fit me in any particular item, which has ranged from a size 8 to a size 18!!! It’s been great to have someone doing the sizing work for me, as nearly everything I try now fits the first time.
Try it for Free
It’s worth noting, I didn’t receive any sort of compensation from Gwynnie Bee to write this, I’m just generally a fan. But the links in the article do connect to my personal referral code, meaning that if you sign up through one of these links, you get a free first month to try out the service, plus $10 off your first paid month if you continue, and I get $25 towards my monthly account fee as well.
I’ve really enjoyed trying new styles via this service. Happy closeting, all!
