I HEART: LeTote

Okay so I currently have two obsessions right now… and that is NOT an exaggeration… If you talk to me for over 10 minutes it is guaranteed that I will start raving about LeTote or Plated… and with good reason! I’ve been utilizing both services for about a month now and I’m ready to give full reviews. First up is LeTote and I will discuss Plated tomorrow…

LeTote

So in two days I’m officially done with my first month of LeTote and I LOVE IT! If you haven’t heard of Le Tote, it is a clothing subscription box and  has been nicknamed the Netflix of fashion... YOUR WELCOME in advance for turning you on to this service.

Here is how it works…

Sign up on their website and browse through a virtual “closet” full of clothing, jewelry, scarves, and even a few handbags… As you are looking you can “heart” items to add them to your own closet. Meaning that these are items that you would like to see in your boxes. Note: Le Tote features great brands from stores like Shopbop, Anthropologie, Nordstrom, Piperlime and Lord & Taylor, and there is a good range of styles and price points. Plus they add new styles each month.

Once you pay your monthly fee of $49 they send you your first box and start the countdown on your first month. Each  box has 3 pieces of clothing and 2 accessories (I think that they guarantee at least 2-3 items from your closet will be in each box) . You can wear the items as long as you like, then send them back and wait for your next shipment. Fun, right!?

Here is the best part… you get as many totes as you want in a month! You can send it all back or buy the pieces you love at a discounted price. Theoretically, the best value is to wear the clothes/accessories immediately when you receive each tote then promptly switch them out for new ones. They offer free two day shipping both ways. That way you get the maximum number of new pieces to wear each month.  for me being on the East Coast (they are based in CA) I was worried that I would only get 2-3 boxes during my first month but I am pleased to report that I ended up with FOUR boxes!

Here is what I got in my boxes…

Loved the two sweaters and jewelry. In fact I asked to get the sweaters again in a future box. The green shirt had an odd seam through the stomach area and I didn't even wear it

This was my least favorite box out of the four... However, the statement necklace came at the perfect time to wear to a work Christmas Party and really made a pop with a plain black dress. After wearing the jewelry I immediately returned the box as the other items didn't really appeal to me. 

LOVED this tote! The black top had armholes that were a bit too big so that was the only item that didn't work for me. The dress was perfect for work and I also wore the red shirt with skinny black pants to work one day.I asked for the dress, red shirt, and necklace again!

This tote was another home-run. I never had a chance to wear the first dress. (Was going to wear it to the Kennedy Center last night but didn't have the chance to change before heading there) I'm wearing the French Connection dress TODAY to work as we have an important foreign visit. Other items were great too. I will likely ask for the two dresses again.

My review… 

When I first read about this service, I will admit I thought it was totally weird. Why would you rent clothing? Then I read a little more about it, looked at the styles they offered and thought about how nice it would be to have fresh things to wear each month. The items would be on trend and wouldn’t take up any permanent space in my closet. Plus it would cost far less than buying updated pieces each month. Recently I had found myself spending a lot on clothing through Stitch Fix and still only wearing the items once or twice. So LeTote actually makes perfect sense for me! Plus they handle all the dry cleaning. You just send the clothes back dirty, and they clean and disinfect all the jewelry.

While I didn’t end up buying anything I was SUPER tempted because the prices are so great! But I didn’t pull the trigger on the purchases because of another GREAT LeTote feature… if you really like something from your box you can request to cycle it back into your closet and it will show up in future box! What a great idea! This means that I can look forward to wearing it again one day without shelling out the dough! I actually ended up doing this with NINE items in my first month.

The Quick Skinny…

Pros:

• Can skip months anytime
• You get as many totes as you want per month (if you are quick about sending them back)
• Clothing/accessory prices are reasonable
• Less laundry and dry cleaning
• They frequently add new item and have a full reboot as seasons change
• You receive a credit to purchase something from within your first tote
• They cover 2 day Priority Mail shipping(each way)
• As soon as the box is shipped you can see the contents online on your account
• If you like an item you can request for it to be resent in another box
• Even though items have been worn they are in perfect condition. Every item is dry cleaned and sterilized before it arrives on your doorstep

Cons:

• You do not get to pick the specific items in each box… it is a surprise every time! Not really so much of a con for me as I love a good surprise but figured I had to put something in the con category
• If you want to wear one item multiple times, you have to wait to send back your entire tote (cannot send it back in pieces)
• There is always the risk that totes can be a complete bust

I LOVE this service and plan to continue using it!

This LeTote link is a referral link if anyone wants to give it a try. It will give you $25 off your first month!  

I've given my full and honest opinion here, so all the cards are on the table. I am not in any way compensated by LeTote for this post.