Some people can shop ‘til they drop, while others loathe just the thought of setting foot in a store or scrolling through endless options online. Or maybe you just don’t have the time to shop and style your own wardrobe. Hiring a personal shopper is out of most people’s price ranges. This is where monthly clothing subscription services come in. These services offer a plethora of options that can make styling your wardrobe and stocking your closet so much easier. Read on for a comparison of some popular options.
Stitch Fix
What they offer: Personal styling services for men and women that evolve with you as your taste, style, and preferences change.
How it works: After taking a detailed style quiz, you’re paired with a personal stylist – yes, it’s a real person! - who helps curate a customized box of clothing for you each month. When your box arrives, try on the items that were chosen for you. Keep the ones you love; send back the ones you don’t.
Cost: $20 styling fee each month. If you end up keeping any of the clothes that were sent to you, the $20 is applied towards the cost of the clothing. Individual clothing items range from $25-$500, so Stitch Fix is great for a range of budgets. Free shipping both ways.
Extra details: With Stitch Fix, you can leave notes for your stylist, communicating directly with them about what you loved or didn’t, what fit great or didn’t, what kinds of pieces you’d like more of, etc. Also, you set your preference for cost per piece of clothing, so you’re not being sent pieces that are out of your price range. Inclusive sizing and kids’ clothing are also available with Stitch Fix.
Nuuly
What they offer: A monthly clothing rental subscription service designed to help customers discover new trends and love the clothes they wear. They’re also focused on “exploring how to wear, buy and sell it in ways that are gentler on the planet—and bank accounts.”
How it works: You rent six pieces of clothing of your choosing per month from over 150 brands. Everything from casual everyday looks to work wear, special events, and vintage finds are available on their site. You can curate your personal “closet” on their app, building a virtual wardrobe you can easily choose from each month. Wear your six pieces as much as you want all month long and when time’s up, simply mail back the pieces you don’t want to keep.
Cost: $98 per month. Love an item and want to keep it? You’ll get a major discount on the cost for being a Nuuly member. Free shipping both ways.
Extra details: Since this is a clothing rental service, the clothes in your shipment each month may or may not be brand new. Some clothing arrives with tags still on, never worn, and some have been worn before. Each piece of clothing that’s worn and returned is thoroughly sanitized and dry cleaned before shipping out to someone else. Nuuly also offers inclusive sizing options.
Rent the Runway
What they offer: Special event and formal clothing rentals and/or recurring monthly clothing rental services. Started in 2009 by a Harvard Business School student and her friend, Rent the Runway’s original intent was to give women an option to rent designer and formal clothing for special occasions without the insane price tags.
How it works: Today, you can stick with the original model of renting a single piece of clothing for a set date and keep your item for four or eight days at a time, or you can subscribe to their monthly clothing rental service. To build your closet on their app, you simply “heart” items, and when it comes time for a new shipment, just drop items you’ve already browsed into your cart.
Cost: Starts at five items per month for $94. Can’t let go of that dress or sweater that came in your latest shipment? Just like Nuuly, you’ll get a discount when you purchase it! Free shipping both ways.
Extra details: Again, since this is a clothing rental service, the clothes in your shipment may or may not have been worn previously. But, Rent the Runway has a fastidious cleaning process that each garment goes through before it’s sent to anyone else. Bonus: inclusive sizing is available.
Dia & Co.
What they offer: Monthly clothing subscription boxes exclusively for women’s sizes 10-32. Their founder had trouble finding stylish clothing at a range of prices to fit her body and started Dia & Co. as a way to ensure all women, regardless of their clothing size, can look and feel great.
How it works: Choose as few as three or as many as seven items per month. Your personal stylist will curate a box for you based on your style quiz and your feedback. Try on the clothes at home, keep what you love, and send back what you don’t.
Cost: Starting as low as $6 per month, billed quarterly, for three items monthly, Dia & Co. is extremely affordable. If you opt to purchase a piece of clothing in your curated box, your monthly fee is refunded. Items you choose to keep are offered at a 20%-30% discount off the retail price. Free shipping both ways.
Extra details: As a Dia & Co. member, you’ll get early access to secret sales and free styling on themed boxes. Just like Stitch Fix, you get to set your budget for individual items and communicate directly with your stylist.
Comma Vintage
What they offer: Self-described as the “world’s foremost vintage clothing subscription service,” if you love thrifted and vintage clothing, this service hits the mark. Each month, sizing and styling are done by real people for a totally unique box curated just for you.
How it works: Subscribe to either a monthly or quarterly shipment of single stitch 80s tees, sweatshirts and button downs, jackets, jeans made in the USA, and more. Stylists use your style quiz to craft the choices for your box. Comma Vintage is currently only supplying menswear to subscribers.
Cost: $59.99 per box, regardless of whether you choose the monthly or quarterly option. Discounts are available for prepayment. Each box contains one to three items. Free shipping included.
Extra details: Each item you receive is yours to keep. If you don’t love something or feel its condition isn’t up to your standards, Comma Vintage will handle returns on a case-by-case basis.
Kid Pik
What they offer: Kid Pik is a monthly clothing subscription service for your kids. They encourage parents AND kids to pick out the clothing they want to receive together, building customized boxes of high-quality clothing at affordable prices.
How it works: Choose from a variety of box sizes and frequencies that fit your needs and budget. There’s no styling fee, and you keep only what you love, sending back what you don’t. Once you receive your box, you have seven days to try everything on and decide what to keep.
Cost: Only pay for what you keep! The average cost of items in the boxes starts at $16.95 each. Free shipping both ways.
Extra details: Kid Pik offers a 20% off birthday discount each year for your child’s birthday, subscriber-only sales, and free gifts each year on your subscription anniversary.
Clothing subscription services are a fun way to keep your wardrobe fresh without breaking the bank. There’s practically a subscription service for every taste and budget that conveniently delivers to your doorstep. So, if you’re looking to update your wardrobe with little fuss, these subscription services are the way to go. And, if you’re looking for more financial education resources, we’ve got you covered – so to speak. Check out our Resource Center for more blogs, videos, activities for kids, and more.
The content provided in this publication is for informational purposes only. Nothing stated is to be construed as financial or legal advice. Some products not offered by PSECU. PSECU does not endorse any third parties, including, but not limited to, referenced individuals, companies, organizations, products, blogs, or websites. PSECU does not warrant any advice provided by third parties. PSECU does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided by third parties. PSECU recommends that you seek the advice of a qualified financial, tax, legal, or other professional if you have questions.