Mail Order Lifestyles: LeTote

A few weeks ago, my sister recommended LeTote, calling it "Netflix for clothes." Since my curiosity was piqued by the description, and because it sounded like an interesting concept, I decided to give it a shot.

I've been feeling a little bored and dissatisfied with my wardrobe for a while. Some outfits get worn all too often, or are worn out, or looked good when I tried them on but pose unanticipated problems when I'm wearing them out in the world (flimsy buttons, for example). Still, the prospect of going on a shopping spree to find replacement outfits is daunting, and likely to be expensive. Plus, even if I like a piece of clothing well enough in the store, it's difficult to predict whether I'll want to incorporate it into my regular wardrobe.

LeTote helps to alleviate this problem, since it essentially gives you a rotating wardrobe for a $50 subscription fee. If there's an article of clothing you like particularly well, you can buy it (at a discounted price) by holding on to it or ordering it at the website later.

When you set up your subscription, the site asks you to give some information about your measurements, indicate whether you have pierced ears, and pick out "favorite" items that you find particularly appealing. After a few days, the website sends your first package, consisting of three articles of clothing and two pieces of jewelry (you can also have a jewelry-only package for $20 per month). The package also has a bag for returning the items, with postage included.

So far, I have worn two packages' worth of clothing, and have been enjoying the experience. While all of the articles of clothing were pieces I liked, it was fun to be "surprised" with a box of mystery items that had been picked out for me. My experience wearing the outfits would sometimes lead to unexpected discoveries. And, of course, it's enjoyable to wear a new outfit to the office or a special occasion, rather than relying on something familiar.

I've also faced a few surprises, and new challenges, along the way. One of the dresses I received had a low back; if I had seen it in the store, I wouldn't have bothered with it, since I would need to figure out how to make sure I was supported while my back was exposed. Fortunately, I was able to make it work, and actually ended up liking the dress enough to keep it. As an added bonus, I'll be more comfortable with different dress styles in the future, so I won't pass up an outfit because I'm anxious about the practical challenges it might present.

A couple of the outfits hadn't worked out as well as I would have hoped, though they still looked fairly good. The fit was too loose, or the style left something to be desired when I saw it in person. Even in those cases, it was fun to test drive a new outfit and see how I liked it.

In spite of some disappointments, the track record for outfits has been pretty good so far. In addition to the dress I kept, there was a skirt and a dress that I was very tempted to buy. I am guessing that it will only improve as time passes and the website is better able to gauge what I like and don't like.

Once you're done with the batch, you get to rate the items on the website by indicating whether you liked the style, and whether it fit or not. If the fit was wrong, you can elaborate by indicating where the outfit was too tight or too loose, or whether it was short or long. I would like the opportunity to include more detailed assessments, though I imagine it would be impossible for the website to incorporate that feedback on a practical level.

After you've mailed a package back to LeTote, it takes about four days to get the next set of outfits and jewelry. I would like to see them improve their turnaround time, perhaps by allowing you to notify the website when the shipment has been mailed so they can send out the next one, rather than waiting until the prior shipment has been received. It would be nice if the stream of clothing could be more continuous. I'd also like for them to have a cheaper "no-jewelry" option or be able to have an extra article of clothing instead of the jewelry. While the jewelry items have been nice enough, I don't care a whole lot for jewelry, and so I haven't gotten as much out of having those items.

Still, I've generally been pretty happy with the experiment, and do look forward to using LeTote to keep my wardrobe fresh, enjoy the feeling of wearing something new, and perhaps add a few new items from time to time.

(Note: If you use the link at the top to create an account, I would get a credit from the website. It doesn't affect my opinion at all, but I thought that I should offer a disclaimer.)