Amazon offers convenient ways to get books, groceries, and almost anything you can think of, so why not clothes? Most people don’t immediately think of clothes when they think of Amazon. The company just added this personal styling service to its website last summer, as subscription services have been getting more and more popular. Personal Shopper aims to help you find the perfect pieces to fill the gaps in your wardrobe. They offer personal styling for women, and in the past few months they’ve added styling for men, too.
Personal Shopper creates 5 outfits for you based on your style profile and the comments you leave for their stylist. You can choose up to 8 items from their selections and get them shipped to your home. The company carries a huge selection of brands, and their stylists can choose from those to create personalized outfits for you. You can request styling for a special event or for a certain area of your life, like working out. Try this service to find new styles and brands at affordable prices.
Personal Shopper by Prime Wardrobe Overview
This service is still relatively new, but Amazon is such a large company that you can still expect a certain level of smoothness to your experience.
Pros:
- Large selection
- Control over what you get in the box
- Options for all price points
Amazon’s known for its vast warehouses and diverse stock, and their stylists make sure to
Your stylist will put together 5 potential outfits for you, and you can mix and match items from the different outfits to pick your favorite 8 pieces. So while your stylist selects items for you, you still get to make the final decision on what goes in your order.
Personal Shopper does its best to match your shopping budget. Since Amazon is known for its bargain prices, you can find lower prices here than through most subscription services. If you choose a low budget, your stylist might even include discounted pieces.
Cons:
- Hard to verify quality of clothing before you try it
- Available on mobile only
- Company puts a hold on your card for the total cost of the items you’re trying on
Amazon’s quality checking isn’t always robust, but customer reviews on their items are a lifesaver. I check reviews pretty closely before I ever buy anything from them, to make sure there aren’t any major issues with the product. When you click on the pieces your stylist has selected for you, though, there’s no way to see the reviews. You can always search up the items and look at reviews that way, but that was too much of an inconvenience for me, and probably most customers.
This service is only available on mobile, which is annoying. I prefer to do my shopping on a computer, because it’s easier to check reviews and cross-check prices that way. Amazon probably wants you to download their app, but you can still access Personal Shopper on your mobile browser.
After you make your selections, Amazon actually asks you to authorize your card for the total cost of everything you’ll receive in your box. The total will likely add up to a few hundred dollars if you choose more than a few items. The company doesn’t actually charge this money to your card, but they do ask your bank to put it on hold, to make sure you have enough money to pay for everything. This tactic must be to prevent losses, but it’s odd that Amazon feels the need to do it, while Trunk Club and other companies will send out hundreds of dollars’ worth of clothes without taking this extra step.
How does Personal Shopper by Prime Wardrobe work?
When you sign up, you’ll take a size and style survey. The survey includes the usual questions on what kind of fit you prefer, and whether you like clothes that are casual, edgy, romantic, and so on. At the end of the survey, you can leave comments for your stylist. In my experience, the stylists do use these comments to choose what to recommend to you. The service uses both algorithms and stylists, but there’s still a human touch present.
The comments I left turned out to be the main source of inspiration for my stylist. I mentioned a love of 70s-inspired looks, and my stylist made sure to include flares, boots, and contrast topstitching– all vintage style hallmarks. You can also ask your stylist to dress you for casual outings, special occasions, work, and so on.
Your stylist will take a few days to put together some suggestions for your style profile. Each Amazon account can create multiple Prime Wardrobe profiles. However, you can only style one profile per month.
When you get your styling results, they’ll be organized into 5 outfits. They’ll all have a top and a bottom, but some will include shoes or jackets, too. You can choose up to 8 items from these options. As you place your order, Amazon will give you a reality check by showing the total cost of everything, but you won’t actually have to pay that price. They will confirm with your bank that you have enough money in your account to cover the cost, though.
Don’t expect Prime-level shipping speeds for your order. Amazon takes a little extra time to round up all the items in your Personal Shopper box, so you’ll be waiting around a week to get your order in the mail.
You’ll have 7 days to try things on and make decisions, and then complete your order on Amazon’s website. When you’re done, send your returns back using the same package and prepaid shipping label.
How much does Personal Shopper by Prime Wardrobe cost?
The styling fee for Personal Shopper is only $4.99 a month, but you need to be a Prime member to access the service, which is another potential $12.99 per month. $20 is an average styling fee for subscription services, so this total cost is still a little cheaper than average.
You get 8 items to try on, and the total cost depends on what you choose from your stylist’s recommendations. It’ll likely end up around a few hundred dollars for an entire box. Setting your budget is part of creating your style profile. Amazon offers options from under $50 to more than $300. If I bought everything in my Personal Shopper order, it would be just over $500.
How do you sign up for Personal Shopper by Prime Wardrobe?
First of all, you need to be a Prime member to use this service. You also need to sign up using a mobile device. When you do sign up, Amazon will ask you to fill out information on your size, shape, personal style, and what occasions you’re dressing for. After you fill out the survey and pay the $4.99 subscription fee, your stylist will get to work picking out clothes for you.
What brands does Personal Shopper by Prime Wardrobe send?
Since Amazon carries so many brands, you can expect a healthy mix of brands in your styling results. They have well-known brands like Levi’s, BB Dakota and French Connection, along with higher-end options like Karl Lagerfeld and Franco Sarto. They’ll probably also include some small brands you haven’t heard of, like Ecowish, or an in-house brand like Find.
Final Thoughts
Personal Shopper offers helpful selections that can really pull your wardrobe together. Their stylists leave personal comments that show they really have looked at your profile, which shows that they put real effort in. They have a huge selection of items and many of them are at affordable prices. One of the best things about this service is that you make the final selection on what you receive from the options your stylist chooses for you. That way, you don’t have to waste your time with items you know you’re not interested in.
I’d recommend this service for people who already have Amazon Prime, and anyone looking for affordable prices on clothing. I think their personal styling is pretty accurate, and you’re likely to find a few pieces you like.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I return an item to Personal Shopper by Prime Wardrobe?
Returns are an expected part of the process when you order from Personal Shopper. Each order comes with a prepaid return label. Before you send anything back, make sure to check out on Amazon so they know what to expect from you. If you don’t check out, they’ll charge you for the entire order.
How do you cancel Personal Shopper by Prime Wardrobe?
You can cancel your Personal Shopper subscription by going to your Account page on Amazon. Next, you’ll need to scroll down to the Account Settings section to find the Your Memberships & Subscriptions page. On that page you can turn off auto-renew on Personal Shopper, so you won’t be charged automatically for the upcoming month.
Can I see what’s in my Personal Shopper by Prime Wardrobe order before it arrives?
Yes, you can. You actually have to approve the selection before Personal Shopper will send out your order. Before your box ships, your stylist will send you five potential outfits. You can choose up to 8 items out of those outfit options, so you’ll know exactly what’s arriving in your order.
Who are Personal Shopper by Prime Wardrobe’s competitors?
Trunk Club and Stitch Fix are similar services that both focus on styling. Both of them have a large variety of brand options, like Personal Shopper. Trunk Club tends to have higher quality clothes and more personalized styling. Stitch Fix has fun, trendy pieces and is more budget-friendly. Personal Shopper has a cheaper styling fee and lower clothing prices than both of these options, though.
