Did you know that clothing production and waste can have a negative impact on our environment? You may have also guessed that workers rights and animal rights are huge topics in the fashion world. If you’re wanting to be a part of the solution, and not the problem, opting toward a more sustainable wardrobe is a great first step!
But where do you begin? An easy starting place is a subscription box focused on sustainable clothing and working with ethical brands, like Wearwell! If sustainability and a positive impact on the world is intriguing to you, read on as we dive into this box and see what else it has to offer.
Wearwell Overview
Wearwell is an online clothing subscription service that also offers personal styling to help you update your wardrobe with sustainable clothing items, accessories, home goods, and more. They only work with ethical brands that care about their impact on the environment and workers rights. Here are some pros and cons…
Pros:
- They carry sustainable clothing and source from ethical brands.
- They have a program called “Wearwellagain” that recycles gently used clothing for even more sustainability.
- There are different subscription options for you to choose from.
- You can add on a personal styling session.
Cons:
- You can’t try on the pieces your personal stylist recommends until you buy them.
- Wearwell only ships to the US currently.
How does Wearwell work?
You have a few options on how to get started with Wearwell. The first is to shop directly from their site! The downside to doing this is that you don’t get free shipping under $100 or a discount on anything you purchase. A better option is to join a membership! You get to decide if you’d like to join annually or monthly.
There are more perks to joining the annual subscription that we’ll go over in a minute. The last thing Wearwell offers is that once you have a subscription membership Wearwell gives you the opportunity to hire a personal stylist for cheap to help you nail down your new sustainable wardrobe. This is a one-time payment, and you don’t need to renew if you don’t want to. NOTE: If you choose the annual subscription you will get 4 free personal styling services with your plan.
If you decide you would like to try the styling service (because who wouldn’t want someone taking that step out of shopping?), then you’ll fill out the style quiz first. This quiz will go over your style preferences, sizing, and other important details you’re stylist would need to know. It’s really detailed and fun to take!
Once your style quiz is complete, your stylist will take a look at your responses and pick out 6 curated items for you to purchase. If you like an item you can shop it immediately, but you can’t try it on before purchase. Wearwell does this to cut down on unnecessary shipping to help the environment, but no worries, you have free returns within the first 30 days!
One thing I really liked about Wearwell is that they promote styles for vegan-conscious people, as well as black-owned brands. And it’s awesome that they can provide a wide range of clothing styles, jewelry, and accessories that are all sustainable. A lot of people who switch to a more sustainable wardrobe have to do a lot of research to find the best brands, but Wearwell does that for you!
Wearwell has also recently started a new program called “Wearwellagain.” Essentially they’ll take back gently used clothing that was initially sold from their site, and then find a new home for it. It’s essentially online thrifting but exclusively for Wearwell and their brands. So cool!
How much does Wearwell cost?
It depends on the membership option you choose. The monthly subscription is $10/month and gives you access to a personal stylist session whenever you want for an additional $10 a session.
The annual membership is $8/month, or $96 annually, and has 4 free personal stylist sessions included. You’ll also get access to schedule more personal stylist sessions for an additional $10 each and in choosing the annual membership you’ll receive a free gift valued at $30.
If you’re not interested in joining the Wearwell membership, you can also shop their site. Keep in mind that you’ll have to pay for shipping for any orders under $100.
*** Prices have recently increased from $8.50 for the membership and the membership structure has recently changed.
How do you sign up for Wearwell?
To sign up for Wearwell you’ll go to their website, www.shopwearwell.com. Once there you can either purchase a membership or start with the personal styling quiz. If you’re interested in personal styling at all, I’d start with the quiz. Then you can add the subscription option you want to your cart, and check out!
If you decide Wearwell is not for you, cancellations are easy and can happen anytime before your next renewal. In the membership portal, you can also skip months, and reschedule your renewal dates.
What brands does Wearwell work with?
Wearwell only works with brands that are conscious of the environment, as well as human and animal rights. The brands they work with are Fair Trade, Cruelty-Free, OEKO-TEX Standard 100, and BlueSign among other certifications. They also have a focus on brands that are vegan and black-owned, and even have a Wearwellagain program that recycles gently used Wearwell clothing to a new owner. Wearwell is very comprehensive when it comes to sustainable living and a low carbon footprint.
When you’re on Wearwell’s site, you may notice they don’t plainly list which brand each piece of clothing is from. This may be frustrating for some who have done quite a bit of research into ethical brands and want to know what they’re getting. TIP: if you scroll down on the page of the clothing item you’re looking at, Wearwell highlights the brand and what they love about them as well as their global impact. I thought that was so cool! I found many brands on their site that has a huge impact, and are women-owned.
Some of the specific brands that Wearwell works with are Etica, People Tree, Romy Studio, and Black Borders. These brands all have a great impact that you can read about on their website.
As far as sizing goes, Wearwell caters to women XS to 5X with the possibility of adding more sizing in the future. The style of clothing ranges, but is all quality made and will last you a lot longer than fast fashion does.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to making the transition to wearing sustainable clothing from ethical brands, it can be overwhelming knowing where to begin. Wearwell makes it easy for you to align yourself with brands that are making a positive impact, and to find sustainable clothing without losing hours of your time doing research. They vett the brands themselves, offer great perks when you join their monthly membership subscription, and even give you the opportunity to work with a personal stylist at a reduced price. Turning your wardrobe into a sustainable one has never been more simple and Wearwell is definitely worth a try.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I shop Wearwell without a membership?
Yes! But there are many perks of being a member that you may miss out on such as member exclusive discounts, free shipping/returns and personal styling sessions.
How does Personal Styling work?
First, you’ll need to fill out a style quiz and you can link a Pinterest board for inspiration if you have one. Then your personal stylist will curate 6 pieces of clothing for you, and you’ll receive an email when those items are ready to shop.
What is Wearwellagain?
Wearwellagain is a secondhand clothing program where they gather gently used clothing items that were originally sold through Wearwell and resell them to promote sustainable fashion culture. If an item is secondhand, Wearwell will label it as such and state the condition that the item is in.
