A Shopaholic's One-Month Experience with LeTote

So Facebook and Instagram are doing a great job of using their "cookies" to track my interests, because they keep showing me advertisements that intrigue me.  One February weekend when Terry was out of town, I was browsing Facebook and an advertisement post for LeTote came up.  A monthly clothes rental?  You know me, I love my delivery box services, but I've never gotten into the clothes ones, because I'm not sure a stylist can give me clothes I like, like Stitch Fix.  After I clicked on the link, I became even more intrigued.  So I signed up.  

ABOUT LETOTE

In signing up for LeTote, I  received "unlimited" clothes rentals for the month.  The basic package is 59.95 a month (I got a discounted rate for my first month) where you receive three clothing items and two accessories per box.  There are two other options--one with only four clothing items for $69.95 a month and another for $79.95 for five clothing items and three accessories. The perk of the subscription is that once you use the items in your first box, you can return your items in a postage paid shipping bag and receive a whole other box of three clothing items and two accessories to wear.  This encompasses the entire month that you pay.  Once the USPS scans your return package, you will get a notification to choose the items for your next box.  I recommend choosing your items ASAP so they can go ahead and get your next box shipped out to you.  

In reading about LeTote, they shared that most LeTote subscribers receive about 2-3 boxes a month.  I was on a mission to get as many boxes as possible (of course to get the most bang for my buck).  

As I mentioned, my first month was a discounted rate ($20 off).  I immediately downloaded the LeTote app on my iPhone.  I was so excited.  The choices of clothes I was able to rent were high end brands, as well as some of LeTote's own brands, which were actually some of my favorite pieces.  Most of the lines of clothing were brands that you would see at high-end department stores like Nordstrom, such as BCBGeneration, BBDakota, Free People, Kate Spade, Betsey Johnson, Calvin Klein, Max Studio, French Connection, Cupcakes and Cashmere, Jessica Simpson, Vince Camuto, Kenneth Cole, Summer and Sage,  and Philosophy, just to name a few.  Believe it or not, I don't shop a lot at Nordstrom, so I thought this would be a great way to try some different brands I have never tried or usually wear.  Plus, I thought this may be a great way to save money.  I shop all the time, and let's face it, once I wear an item (unless it's a closet basic), I will likely not wear it again for at least six months (or until the next season).  I thought this might be a good way to save money on buying super trendy or unique clothing items that will get minimal use in my closet.  

If you do end up liking an item enough to keep it, you can buy it at a discounted rate.  You can also purchase an entire tote for a discounted rate and get your next month of LeTote free.  This may sound attractive; however, each tote ranges from about $250-$350 each to purchase the entire thing.  

Once I downloaded the app, I made a profile about my sizing and measurements.  This is a must, as they will tell you whether or not an item will fit you well.  I actually have pretty universal measurements, but this was nice, as it even said if something would be a little too long or too short.  After I completed the profile, they picked out my first box for me.  As I suspected, I didn't like any of the choices they had for me, but I was able to change out their items for items of my choosing.  There were so many options.  I put all my favorites in "my closet" on the app, which allowed me to go back to ones I liked or save for my next box.

I chose my first box.  It came very quickly.  I finalized my tote by Saturday or Sunday, it shipped Monday, and I received it Wednesday.  Throughout the month, my tote usually arrived within 2-3 days of picking out my tote.

MY FIRST TOTE

My first tote included:  A basic black and white turtleneck (I thought I may purchase this if I liked it, since my striped turtleneck was pitched due to a hole in the neck) by Splendid, a BCBGeneration pattern blazer, a BB Dakota striped sweater dress, a gold bangle bracelet, and a cute black clutch that was a dupe for the Chloe Nile Minaudiere bag.  I loved all items except for the gold bangle, which was cheaply made (definitely NOT the $30 price tag that came with it) and was difficult to open.  I did not get a photo of this one.  

Even though the black and white striped turtleneck was basic, I really wanted to try to come up with a super unique outfit idea to try with this turtleneck (especially if I was going to wear once), Thanks to Pinterest, I put this outfit together. I also love the idea of this turtleneck with skinny ankle pants and heels with a red lip and updo--so Audrey Hepburn. I actually might have done that if there wasn't snow on the ground (no heels)! A black and white stripe turtleneck is a basic for any wardrobe. Maybe that will be another blog post for next fall or winter!

This turtleneck was a winner. I was tempted to keep it, since it was such a basic, but I thought the $42 price tag for this was a little high, and winter was on its way out at that time (it was March). I knew I could find it cheaper elsewhere; however, it fit PERFECTLY. I hope I don't regret not getting it next fall! Maybe it will still be available!

I absolutely loved the BCBGeneration blazer. I own a black and white one, so I knew this would fit ok. I think I would size up to a small instead of an xs. It was a little short in the back for me, and the one I own is a small. Despite that, I loved it. If you follow me on Instagram, you know I love blazers, but sometimes it's nice to wear one that is a little softer and less bulky (almost like a structured cardigan) like this one. It does have shoulder pads, but they are thin.

I was tempted to keep this one since it was soft and fit well but alas, it went back. Because it was such a unique pattern, I knew it would be awhile since I wore it again, especially since I wore It two ways--to work with black pants and to dinner with Jeans. I think this would look cute with a black mini, tights, and booties, but let's face it--that outfit isn't probably going to happen until the fall.

This striped sweater dress was by BB Dakota, and I LOVED it. It was sooooooo flattering. It fit perfectly in so many ways. I paired it with the clutch for the photos, even though I didn't use the clutch that day. I almost bought this dress and am somewhat regretting it now as I'm writing, just because I thought it was so flattering and so versatile. I can see wearing it to a couple dinners I have planned this month with bare legs (hopefully), heels, or peep toe booties, topped with a Moto jacket or even a jean jacket, if it's cool. But it went back. I justified it by saying it was a unique and bold pattern that I probably wouldn't wear twice in a month. Although I love it, I thought it would get pushed to the back of my closet until September or October, which quite honestly, might be the case, but I kinda wish I still had it. :-/

I actually ended up keeping the clutch, surprisingly. I love dupes that are not advertised as exact duplicates but are reminiscent of the real design. I don't have a lot of clutches, and I thought it might be Time to add a new one to the mix. I'm also trying to change up my outfits by using different bags. Even though this is soooooo small, I really want to try to use it more often for dinners and such.

My Second Tote

Outside of the bangle bracelet, I was super impressed with my first tote.  Once I wore the dress, I packed up everything but the clutch and sent it back.  It wasn't as hard as I thought to part with the items, mostly because I was getting an entire new box of clothes!  For this tote, I chose a French Connection sweater, a Jessica Howard Sweater Dress with a ruffle, a sleeveless sheath dress, a double buckle belt, and a pair of Kate Spade owl stud earrings (which I did not wear or get photos of--they were much smaller than I anticipated and did not go with any outfits I had planned.  Bummer.).  

I wore the "Apple of My Eye" French Connection Sweater first. Unfortunately, March was cold and brought absolutely no spring weather. It was basically an extension of winter. Although this sweater was super cute and I loved creating an outfit, I was fine with being one and done. I knew I would not wear this again until next fall or winter, even though I think it would be cute with jeans, a red skirt, or red pants, it's so unique, once was enough for me, so I wore once for a great outfit (the beauty of LeTote) and sent back. It was fun to style, as I paired it with a bunch of my closet favorites.

This Jessica Howard Sweater Dress with a ruffle was my second pick. Again, this illustrated the beauty of LeTote. I would probably never buy this, and I think the ruffle is very on trend, so why spend the money? But, it was great stepping out of my comfort zone into something different and trendy. I had a work event and got a ton of compliments and loved it, but I had no reservations sending this one back after one wear.

This sheath dress was my third clothing pick. It was sleeveless, but I knew it was too cold to wear it on its own and planned to top it with a black blazer for a work event. This was another item of clothing I debated on keeping. I knew it was so versatile. Heck, I just wore it with a blazer. I could see recycling it this spring with a brightly colored blazer ,and colored heels and wearing it on its own, sleeveless, with black heeled sandals in July. As I'm writing this, I'm again regretting sending it back! I got a bunch of compliments on it. It was a good pick, but I sent it back, primarily because I didn't want to spend the money!

This is the double buckle belt I got and wore with denim trousers for casual Friday. I actually really liked this belt and kept it, because it was cheaper than other double belts I saw. Although it's trendy, I figured I would get my use out of it at work. Plus, I'm trying to up my accessorizing game by using more handbags and belts!

MY THIRD TOTE

I was heading into my last week of my month subscription and wanted to try for one more LeTote box!  Because I was on vacation this week, I decided to get more casual outfits and see how this tote played out.  I got a slouchy, oversized sweatshirt, a bell sleeve sweater that had the graphic "LOVE" on it, a reversible bomber jacket (floral and black--which I did not wear), a pair of Betsey Johnson cat stud earrings (which I did not wear or get photos of), and a gold star ring (which I did not get photos of or wear either).  This was probably my least used box, and I attribute that to being on vacation!

This was the Maison Scotch Romantic Sweatshirt. If you follow me on Insta, you know I love slouchy sweatshirts for my casual style, and it was great to change it up with this one. This sweatshirt was actually only $7 if I purchased it, but believe it or not, I didn't love it enough to get it at that price.

This was the Summer and Sage LOVE sweater with the bell sleeves. I paired it with jeans and liked the outfit; however, this was not a "I'm in love" sweater. I liked it enough to wear once but not keep. Le Tote does all the laundering, and even though they do a great job, I could tell this had been washed several times.

My three clothing items from the third box.

LETOTE WRAP-UP

Here are my thoughts on LeTote in a nutshell:

1. This is an awesome option for women who are expecting. They have a maternity LeTote! I would so subscribe my entire pregnancy if I was pregnant. It's like $10 more a month for each subscription, but why not? You don't really want to spend a ton of money on maternity clothes and for a monthly fee, you can get unlimited boxes of high-end maternity clothes that fit you and that you aren't trying to make what you have work. My friend got a referral from me, and she looks so awesome in all of her LeTote finds at work!

2. I would totally do this again. I was so excited to receive each box and loved picking out all my items for each box. I got tons of compliments on every item I wore! As I'm writing this up, I'm tempted to re-activate my account.

3. Beware if you want to opt out for a month. You are able to "pause" your account if you would like to, but your LeTote box needs to be received five days prior to the end of your account. I am not a fan of this policy, as this basically puts you at only two Totes a month. I was able to get three and sent my final tote back the day before my subscription ended. Since they scan your USPS code when you send it, I think that should count. I ended up calling, and they are refunding my April payment, but I'm not a fan of that. I'm all about the most bang for my buck in order to continue to use the service!

4. Yes, I did pause for April, and this wasn't because I didn't like the service. I just have been shopping all March for spring fashion and reorganized my closet to make old items alive again. Because I have so many new things to wear this spring, I don't see a need to subscribe right now. That absolutely doesn't mean I won't. We will see how April goes. If I'm ready for another month, I may go for it this May (although I think the summer options are very similar to what I already own).

5. I will likely subscribe to this service in transition months. I often find I get bored with my closet in between seasons (i.e., August, September, March) and would definitely access this service during those times.

6. I do like the three items of clothing with two accessories, especially seeing how the only two items I actually ended up purchasing were accessories; however, I can see how people may like the four clothing items per month for $10 more. I liked the accessory and jewelry options, but I felt I didn't get my use out of them and was more tempted to buy them! It's a toss up for me. I don't think I would go for the five clothing items and three accessories based on the time needed to ship back and receive your tote. I think you get just as many items with the $49 tote per month as you would the more expensive one as long as you wear and ship back quickly.

7. I think I would only primarily use this for work clothing. Although I liked the casual options, I wouldn't get a full on casual box like I did the last month (but that's me being at home the entire vacation. It may be worth it if you were going on vacation or were going out quite a bit). I just didn't get my use out of it like I thought I would and didn't love the items as much.

8. This is NOT a replacement for your closet. I do believe it can curb spending, but in order to wear the items in the tote, you need items in your closet. Regardless, I still shopped and did this. I also needed to make outfits from my closet when I was in between totes. Not sure if it's more cost effective or not.

9. It wasn't as hard to ship back as I thought. Although now I may regret not keeping some items (and believe me, I'm not losing sleep over it), I was so excited to get my next tote, I was not sad about sending back.

10. I was more creative with making outfits with my new items and items from my closet. I think my striped turtleneck look and French connection sweater look are indicative of this, although I can think of tons of ways to wear my houndstooth sheath dress and BB Dakota sweater dress again.

So those are my thoughts.  I LOVE this service and definitely plan on using again, but I'm not sure I will consistently use it 12 months a year.  It's a great way to spruce up your closet when you get bored but don't want to invest hundreds of dollars in new clothes.  I also think (as I mentioned above) it's an absolute MUST if you are expecting (working, casual, etc).  

If this  is something you are interested in trying, I can send you a FREE (not discounted) box.  Just comment on here or email me using the comment box on the webpage OR comment or message me on Instagram!  

I've seen Rent the Runway also has a subscription service.  I may be trying that soon, so be on the lookout!  Have you used LeTote or Rent the Runway? What are your thoughts?!