Armoire is a monthly rental service with a great selection of clothes to expand your wardrobe. They give suggestions on items to rent, but you make the final decision on what goes in your case.
This month, I got 4 items from Armoire. I got a few workhorse pieces, like a pair of black trousers from Wildfang and a plaid bomber jacket from Rachel Zoe. I was a little more adventurous with a pair of satiny polka dot pants from Amur and a fitted jumpsuit from Joie. This service makes it easy to find clothes you’ll incorporate into your everyday wardrobe.
My Armoire Case
Armoire sends their clothes in a printed poly mailer. They ask that you send the clothes back in the same envelope to cut back on waste. They still send you a return shipping label to make returns as seamless as possible.
The clothes come tied with string instead of wrapped in plastic or tissue paper. They also added a cute little piece of origami and a sheet of tips on how to make the most of your subscription. You don’t have to use a lot of wasteful wrapping to present things nicely!
All the items you rent are available for purchase at a discount. In my case, the discounts ranged from 40% to 55%. If you buy everything in your case, you save 20%. The prices tend to be pretty steep, though: most of the items were over $100 even when discounted.
What We Like About Armoire
Armoire had a great selection of clothes in all styles. They’ll help you get dressed whether you’re looking for fun trendy clothes or something for the workplace.
Once you sign up, they help you keep track of your order history and its value, which is always fun.
Sustainability
Sustainability is a focus at Armoire. They have a sustainability page devoted to showing you just how their company reduces purchase of new clothes and makes use of deadstock items, AKA leftover, unsold items from a company’s manufacturing run.
They’ve made an impressive 17,000 clothing repairs since the company started! Minor repairs and stain removal are included in the cost of your subscription, which I appreciate on a customer level as well as a sustainability level.
User-friendly Website
The search function lets you filter for items that are in your size profile. I had multiple sizes in my profile because I like to size down or up depending on the unique fit of an item or the company making it.
Armoire has a social media aspect to it that I really appreciate. Subscribers can add reviews and photos like many other sites, but they can also create themed lists. For example, if you look at a pair of shorts, Armoire will show you lists that include that item. It’s a great way to stumble across clothes you might not have seen otherwise! You can even follow a user who makes great lists.
Clothing Selection
The company has a large selection. It felt like there was always more to see as I looked up different brands or search terms. You can search for keywords like “red pants” or “black blazer,” making it easier to find items you’ll really wear.
Armoire also has a maternity subscription, which is an excellent idea. I didn’t try it, but I imagine renting instead of buying definitely has its appeal for maternity clothes you’ll only wear for nine months.
What We Don’t Like About Armoire
Higher Cost
Armoire costs $79 per month for four items and $119 for 7 items a month. Their unlimited plan is $249 a month. To me, that’s a little steep for the selection they have and what they offer. Their prices are almost on par with Rent the Runway, but RTR has much more luxurious items. However, I do think it’s easier to find everyday clothes through Armoire than RTR. RTR is better for special occasions or people who need to dress to impress for work.
Perfume on One Item
One of the items I received had a perfume-y smell. Maybe the previous wearer was one of those people who put on so much perfume it lasts through several washes, but it made me question the cleanliness of the item. It also made me not want to wear an item I otherwise liked, because who wants to smell a stranger’s perfume for the whole day?
This is my first Armoire case, so I don’t know if this is a common problem, but I found it pretty noteworthy.
Cate Button Front Wool Plaid Jacket by Rachel Zoe
This bomber jacket is comfortable and warm. It looked like a great everyday piece that I could wear multiple times before I have to send it back, and I was right! This wool blend is cozy but not itchy. It’s casual but still cute and adds some interest to an outfit.
As you can see, the plaid matches up across the arms and front, which always shows that a garment was made with care.
Tailored Fit Crop Pant by Wildfang
I’ve been wanting to try something from Wildfang for years, and now I finally have! These pants are pretty straightforward chino-type pants. They have a relaxed, very comfortable fit. Since they’re so plain, they’re perfect with a printed shirt or graphic tee.
Usually I use rental services to try flashy outfits, but this time I wanted something practical that I know I’ll wear. I like the fit of these, and they’re very wearable. I’m not sure how much I like the cropped look for these particular pants. I’ll definitely wear them, though!
Amur Self-Tie Lisette Pant
Wow! These pants immediately struck me as clownish in person, and they probably look even more so with my patterned shirt and red socks. These pants came with the belt tied in a big beautiful bow that I couldn’t replicate, but kudos to the Armoire packaging team.
I took a risk ordering these pants, and I didn’t end up liking the look. That’s one of the benefits of rental services, though: you can try things out and it’s not a big deal if you don’t like what you get.
Cropped V-Neck Jumpsuit by Joie
I loved the look of this jumpsuit on the website, and I also like how it looks on me! It fits even better than I was expecting. Some jumpsuits feel a little too mechanic-y to wear in a normal situation, but this one has some utility details while still being feminine and cute. It has a slightly dropped shoulder that makes it feel
The crotch looks a little awkwardly wrinkled in this photo, but it’s not as noticeable when I’m moving around normally instead of posing.
One drawback is that this jumpsuit has a noticeable perfume smell to it. At first I thought it might just be because of the Armoire cleaning process, but no: this has a distinct perfume scent that the other items don’t have. Thankfully, it isn’t super strong, but it’s a little weird to wear something that smells like someone else.
Final Thoughts
Armoire offers monthly rentals to expand your current wardrobe. They also make it easy to find exactly what you want. You can also get clothing recommendations from other users.
They have lots of truly wearable clothes you can incorporate into everyday outfits, like a trip to the grocery store. Since the weather’s getting cooler, all I want to wear is casual, comfortable outfits.
I appreciate the variety of their selection and how easy they make it to search their site. You can find practical items like sweaters alongside ruffled dresses and palazzo pants. I recommend this subscription service if you want to look great on all occasions!
