Who tried it: Rosaliz Jimenez, Photo Director (and a size 16)
What is it: Gwynnie Bee, an “unlimited wardrobe” clothing subscription service that features trendy and chic pieces for curvier girls who wear between sizes 10 and 32. You pay a monthly fee between $38.11 to $159 per month, depending on the plan that you select.
Why I did it: Two reasons. First, shopping for plus-size clothes is really hard and expensive. Second, it also appealed to the shopaholic in me! I got to road-test a ton of clothes without having to worry about my Visa bill!
Level of difficulty: Zero for effort — it was all fun!
Erin Hendry
Though subscription services for clothing and accessories have been around for a while, I never found one that catered to my curvier figure. One day I decided to Google “plus size subscription sites” just to see what I might find and luckily stumbled across the Gwynnie Bee site. I was so excited when I saw all of the great brands that they carry — brands like ASOS Curve, Mynt 1792, Carmakoma, NYDJ, ABS, BB Dakota. It’s also so easy — and fun — to use!
All that you have to do is select the items that you’d like to try and then place them in your “virtual closet,” then choose your subscription plan. The monthly fee starts at $38.11 to take one item out at a time and goes up to $159 if you want to keep 10 items out at a time. The items are then shipped directly to you. You can hold on to the clothes for as long as you want but once you return them (shipping is free) they send you more selections from your closet! You also have the option to buy the item that was sent to you at a discounted price of about 50 percent off. In the photo above, I’m wearing a leopard-print cardi that I bought; I’m not an animal-print type of girl so this was a stretch. It’s like having your own version of Cher Horowitz’s closet: It’s an endless and constant rotation of new clothes! My favorite part? Like a celeb, I don’t have to wear the same thing twice!
Verdict: I was a bit dubious about a “Netflix” for plus clothes but I loved it! It’s given me the opportunity to experiment with fashion and have fun while doing it. I can try different pieces and trends that I normally wouldn’t think about wearing without the commitment (and the money). Also, because sizing for plus brands tend to be inconsistent, Gwynnie Bee allows me to try on a variety of brands so that I can figure out my size in each brand.
Would you try a clothing subscription service? Tell us below!
