An Honest Armoire Review

This honest review of the Armoire clothing rental subscription service that allows you to get beautiful new clothes without filling up your closet will help you decide if this service is right for you. This post is sponsored by Armoire but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’ve been renting clothing for years. While clothing rental used to be reserved for fancy events it’s now an option for everyday clothes.

It allows you to have new clothes all of the time for one price. It’s kind of like sharing a closet with a ton of other fashionable women.

The way it works is kind of like other clothing subscriptions. However, instead of just trying on the clothes and having to buy them to actually wear them you can wear the items as long as you want and just send them back when you want new ones.

This is a great option if you have limited closet space, want to have a capsule wardrobe but with a bit more variety, or you just want an alternative to shopping in person.

With stores closing dressing rooms and shopping having additional stresses there is no better time to try out clothing rental.

A service I’ve recently started using is Armoire. They have contemporary designer women’s clothing and it’s a really easy way to get started with clothing rental.

My Armoire Review 

HOW IT WORKS

1. Take a Short Style Quiz. A quick 3-minute quiz will help find your personal style so you get the best clothes possible.
2. Get Your Personal Closet. Armoire will curate styles with help from a special algorithm and professional stylists. 
3. Select Your Favorites. Look through your new closet and pick 4 items you’d like to wear.
4. Get your box. It usually takes a couple of days after the box is styled for me to get it.
5. Wear the clothes. You can wear the items as long as you want. 
6. Keep or send back the clothes. Once you are ready for your next box you can decide to keep any of the items at a big discount or send it all back.
7. Get your next box. Once you are ready to send back your box you can go onto the site and mark the items as returned or purchased. You will then be able to fill your next box.

Try Unlimited for just $49 for the first month with coupon code Retro49, expires Aug 31.

This is a look at the clothes that I picked for my first box. These are the model photos from the Armoire website. 

PROS OF ARMOIRE

• New items are added often. Every time I log on I see new styles. You are also able to see upcoming styles and rate them. The ones you like will be added to your closet once they are available. 
• You get to pick the clothes. Some rental services just pick your items from your favorites but you don’t actually piece each item that will be in your box. This can mean you end up with clothes that aren’t appropriate for what you have going on. With another service, I once ended up with two white dresses and a black and white dress. It was annoying to have no variety in my outfits. With Armoire you pick each item you are getting so you know you will have the right pieces.
• You have to do less laundry. One of the great things about services like this is you don’t have to wash the clothes, they wash them for you! And don’t worry, they have a very safe and effective cleaning process that cleans and sanitizes clothes before they are sent to you.
• You can try contemporary designer brands. If you love designer brands but not the price this is a great way to try lots of pieces with one monthly fee. Often one piece is equal or more than the cost of your subscription.
• You get to try new styles. When buying clothes you can end up playing it safe because you don’t want to waste money. When you are renting there is no commitment so you can try things that are more outside of your comfort zone. This has really helped me find some styles I never thought I’d like but I actually do! I’ve also found new brands that I love by using a service like Armoire. 
• When you like the clothes you get a discount. If you love something and don’t want to send it back that is fine. You even get the items at a discounted rate.
• It’s a helpful service when losing weight. If like me, you are trying to lose weight it can be frustrating to have to keep buying new clothes in new sizes. With this service, you just have to go in and update your sizing. You can then wait until you reach your goal size to start buying clothes.
• It’s an encouragement to get dressed every day. It’s easy to get in the habit of wearing loungewear all day if you don’t have somewhere to go. This is very true for homemakers and for people working from home. Getting dressed is motivating though and can be great for your self estimate. Having new clothes to try will help motivate you to get dressed for your day.
• It’s great for date nights. I love getting new outfits to wear on date nights with my husband. He now looks forward to seeing what new things I got each week as well. Even if we are having a date night at home it’s fun to get dressed up in something new and cute.
• It’s better for the environment. New clothes require a lot of resources and can be pretty bad for the environment. Buying used is one option but that can take a lot of time searching. Using Armoire means you aren’t buying as many new clothes and when you do want to keep a piece it’s likely used so you are still reducing your impact.
• They have a pause option. You can pause your membership if you don’t need clothes for a while. During this time of staying at home having the option to pause has been really nice.
• The Closet and PWR Feed. Armoire has updated the closet and it’s really easy to navigate and you can see photos of actual users in the clothes to help you decide what to try. Below is a screencap of my closet area.

CONS OF ARMOIRE

• The clothes are used. This is true for all clothing rental services. I only list this as a con because I know it can be an issue for some people. For me, it’s actually a pro. It’s more environmentally friendly. Plus I’ve never had an issue with the items not being in good condition.
• It’s a little pricey. This subscription service starts at $79 a month which is less than some services but you only four items per month, this can still be great for supplementing your wardrobe. I have the unlimited plan which costs $149 a month but you get unlimited items, four at a time. You are getting very high-value items, with cheaper rental services you get cheaper clothing as well.

Those are honestly the only cons I have found. If you like trying new clothes, don’t mind if they are pre-worn, and can afford the cost it’s a really great service to try out.

You can try the Unlimited plan for just $49 for the first month with coupon code Retro49, expires Aug 31.

MORE CLOTHING RENTAL RESOURCES

• A Guide to Clothing Rental
• Clothing Rental Services Reviews Facebook Group