Are you ready to try a fashion subscription box? Subscription boxes are booming right now, and there are plenty of choices. We’ve narrowed down the selection to six of the best ones out there. There’s something for everyone here, from glamorous accessories to minimalist eco-friendly options. Personal styling services are unique because they let you try on clothes without commiting to buy them, and they generally expect customers to return a few items.
Stitch Fix, Daily Look and Dia & Co are all good options for styling services that cater to your tastes. Dia & Co specializes in plus sizes up to 32W. Curateur is a subscription box focused on accessories and beauty products, and it offers a curated selection. Frank and Oak is a sustainable subscription box with minimalist style. Trunk Club’s styling services are the best out of the bunch, while Stitch Fix offers decent styling on a budget.
Trunk Club
Trunk Club is owned by Nordstrom, and offers styling services for both men and women. They have an extended size range from 0 to 24W and XS to 3XL for men. This service offers the best communication with your stylist, letting you chat, send example photos, and more. That communication translates to great styling and helpful notes on how to wear items.
Pros:
- Amazing stylists
- Lots of items per box
- Quality clothes
The styling at TC reflects your style profile, so make sure to add as much information as possible to get the most out of it. With 10-12 items in each box, you’re likely to find at least one item you love. The clothes are from quality brands, from Levi’s to Chelsea28.
Cons:
- Short try-on period
- Fewer discounts
The box is huge, and can have as many as 12 items. Just 5 business days to try everything on doesn’t always feel like enough time. You can request an extension, but you need to get it approved by customer service.
Where to buy it: Trunk Club
Curateur
Formerly known as the Rachel Zoe Box of Style, this luxurious subscription box ships out once every season. It’s been known to contain skincare, makeup, jewelry and bags. They specialize in accessories, so most products are one size fits all. Each box is curated by Rachel Zoe herself, and includes items from hot brands you might not know about. This subscription is the perfect way to treat yourself: every three months, you’ll get a new box full of quality lifestyle goods and accessories.
Pros:
- Luxury items
- Variety of lifestyle goods
- Seasonally appropriate
The items that come in each box are luxurious and high-quality. Each box has a nice balance of beauty, lifestyle goods and fashion accessories. With the seasonal themes, you can expect rich tones for autumn, light tones for summer, and so on.
Cons:
- Relatively few choices
- Somewhat pricey
With Curateur, you get to choose between a few accessories, such as earrings or sunglasses. It’s best to make sure you like Rachel Zoe’s curation before you subscribe. The cost per box is relatively high, but the retail value is typically much higher than the actual cost.
Where to buy it: Curateur
Stitch Fix
Stitch Fix is a personal styling service for men, women and even children. They have extended sizing and thousands of brands to choose from. The service charges a styling fee, which is credited toward any purchases you might make. Stitch Fix has thousands of brands to choose from, so they can cater to lots of customers.
Pros:
- Boxes are cohesive
- 25% discount if you keep all items
- Affordable cost
What I liked most about my Fix was that all the items went together well. They offer a 25% off discount if you keep everything, and a cohesive box really increases the chances that you can find a way to incorporate it all into your wardrobe. The stylists will make sure to find clothes that fit into your selected budget, so this is a great affordable option.
Cons:
- Limited selection
- Weak styling
- Inconsistent quality
Stitch Fix sends out certain brands far more often than others, and it makes their selection feel limited. It also affects the quality of their styling, making it seem like they focus on in-house brands more than others. They carry cheaper clothing options, but those options are sometimes low quality.
Where to sign up: Stitch Fix
Frank And Oak
Their sustainable Style Plan incorporates eco-friendly alternatives every step of the way, from clothing production to shipping. The brand designs its own clothing line, and it embodies clean lines and minimalist styles. These are clothes you can expect to wear for a long time, both because they’re timeless and because there’s a lot of care put into production.
Pros:
- Sustainable practices
- Well-designed clothes
- Control over your box
Frank and Oak has an incredible dedication to sustainability, and they produce their own clothing. They use innovative production and design techniques, and it shows. They also let you choose between a few dozen items for your box, giving you plenty of control.
Cons:
- Inconvenient returns
- Difficult to cancel
Unlike the other subscription boxes on this list, returns through Frank and Oak are not especially convenient. The company charges for all clothes up front and can take 15 business days to process returns, meaning you could be waiting three weeks to get your money back. It’s easy to cancel each box, but you’ll need to actually talk to customer service to cancel your subscription.
Where to buy it: Frank And Oak
Dia & Co
This service is catered to plus size women who want better, more stylish options. Dia & Co specializes in helping women from sizes 14 to 32 find clothes that fit well and look great. They even have several of their own clothing lines. They offer plenty of styles, from glam to classic chic. You can count on their stylists to find great looks for you. Each box contains 5 items, and you get a 20% discount if you keep your entire box.
Pros:
- Wide range of sizes
- Lots of styles
- Choose up to 3 items in your box
Dia & Co has lots of stylish options for plus sized ladies who are left out of other subscription boxes. You can also choose up to 3 items from their shop before your stylist adds anything, so you have lots of control over your own box.
Cons:
- Fit can be hit or miss
- Only 5 items per box
Dia & Co aims to cater to plus size women with a variety of body types, which is great. There will always be clothes with a disappointing fit, though. I think it would be great if the service allowed more than 5 items, so customers can get a larger sample of Dia & Co’s clothing options.
Where to buy it: Dia & Co
Daily Look
Daily Look has a variety of premium brands available through their styling service. Their styling approach focuses on basics, so it’s great for anyone looking to build a strong, versatile wardrobe. On the flip side, those basic styles mean a more limited style selection. They carry popular brands like Liverpool and Kut from the Kloth that are known for quality and great designs. The company employs full-time stylists, so make sure to reach out to yours for more customized styling.
Pros:
- Quality brands
- Cute packaging
- Reject up to 3 items from box preview
They have lots of familiar, reliable brands, and each box arrives packed in an elaborate blue box with a ribbon on top. Why is rejection a plus? You can reject those items and have your stylist replace them with different ones that you might like more.
Cons:
- Limited size range
- Styling is so-so
- Box isn’t cohesive
Their sizing only goes from 0 to 12, which is more limited than other services. The styling doesn’t seem very customized, and focuses on the same basic items. The items in each box don’t go together especially well, which makes it hard to put together outfits from the box.
Where to buy it: Daily Look
Final Thoughts
Trunk Club is my favorite box, and it’s the perfect option if you’re ready to splurge a little. Your stylist will stay within your general budget, but the clothes here are a little more expensive on average. Items do go on sale regularly, though, so you might be able to find a deal. Through TC, you’ll find a variety of gems that will fit your wardrobe and color scheme. This service offers more communication with stylists than any other option, and that approach makes a big difference.
Stitch Fix is a great budget pick. Though their selections can be hit or miss, the company’s 1000s of brands yield some real gems. If you get lucky with your stylist and love all 5 pieces you receive, you could save 25% on your purchase. Their stylists work hard to keep items within your budget, so check out this service if you want to try something new but need to keep spending to a minimum.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do they cost?
Stitch Fix is definitely the cheapest option. If you set your budget low, your stylist will send you items accordingly. Dia & Co, Daily Look and Trunk Club are a little pricier, but their clothing is mostly in the mid-range, in terms of cost. Both companies ask for your budget in the styling survey, giving you some control over what items they send.
Frank and Oak carries only sustainable items from their own line, and those items tend to have higher production costs. It’s no surprise that their clothing is the priciest on average out of the clothing boxes. They’re also the only company that charges up front for everything in your subscription box.
Curateur has the highest flat cost, but you get to keep everything you receive. The retail cost of the items in the box adds up to much more than the cost per box. If you love luxury goods and feeling pampered, this box is a great deal.
What styles do they carry?
In these six clothing subscription boxes, there’s a lot of variation in styles. They all carry contemporary, wearable clothing, but beyond that, each box has a specialization.
Curateur focuses on glamorous luxury items, particularly accessories and beauty products. Their fashion items tend to be very current, with a touch of drama. Stitch Fix has trendy cuts and styles, and you’re most likely to find trendy clothes here. Think distressed denim and the popular trend of delicate rose gold jewelry.
Trunk Club has a solid range of styles, thanks to the many brands they carry. Their themed fall boxes have plenty of preppy flair, but they also carry items with a little more edge. Dia & Co focuses on plus size selections for several popular styles, including boho, glam, and classic chic.
Frank and Oak has its own line of clothing, and it’s sleek and minimalist. The minimalism means you can keep those pieces in your closet for years as trends come and go, so it meshes well with their sustainability angle. Daily Look also focuses on classic pieces that will fill the gaps in your wardrobe and avoid trends.
How do returns work?
Almost every subscription box listed here offers free returns. Most of these companies aim to make returns as smooth as possible, by sending you a bag and a prepaid shipping label to mail returns with.
There are only two exceptions. Curateur operates under the assumption that you’ll keep your box, so they don’t include a shipping label. Frank and Oak does offer free return shipping, but you’ll need to print the label yourself. They also ask that you use the same package they mailed your items in as a return package, to avoid waste.
