Whether a feather accent or a full-on look, their ideas resonate with me deeply—especially now that I’m confined to my 500 square-foot New York City apartment. I consider my everyday style as simple, but with a strong eye for accessories and texture, and I felt myself losing that in the early days of our collective quarantine. I love the way a crystal-embellished mule can elevate a pair of distressed denim, or how a chunky turtleneck can tone done a leather pant. My everyday rings are big cocktail rings—so feathers, in that sense, fit squarely in my wardrobe. As soon as I realized this, and started incorporating embellished pieces into my #ootd’s again, I felt so much better about going to work (aka heading to the kitchen table to pull out my laptop). I sit up straighter, I write more confidently, I feel (somewhat) normal.
Karishma, Roshni, and Deeya Khemlani, founders of the London-based brand Izaak Azanei, add an important observation: “Back in the ’20s, feathers were a decorative statement, as they still are now. The difference is, however, that now we can effectively look back upon a time exactly 100 years ago and think, here we are again, still protesting for feminine rights in a modern world.” It’s true that fashion has always mirrored what’s going on in society. And with everything happening right now, I think of feathers as my antidote to the fraught news cycle, the collective social distancing, and the total overhaul of our lives. The attention to detail and craftsmanship that go into creating these pieces offer a welcome respite during especially trying times. “I’d imagine that our feather pieces, which are definitely more playful, instill joy in the woman that wears them. Our feathers are an intentional and additional bold accent to our pieces—they serve a constant reminder to the woman who wears them to be as bold, despite what the news may say or what society may suggest,” says the Khemlani sisters.
Indeed, there’s something to be said about the joy a beautifully-made dress or accessory can bring, which is what led Zubarieva and Varetsa to launch their feather-trimmed pajamas in the first place. “We came up with this idea because we wanted to create a uniform for happiness, for dancing with the glass of champagne during the most cheerful, life-affirming moments in life.” If fashion is about dressing for the way you want to feel—and not how many likes you want on your next post—then social isolation is the best time to play around and experiment with personal style.
And so, as I slowly draw inward with the rest world, I’d rather do so thinking of feathers. I’m not saying we should all drop hundreds of dollars on some crazy trend, but rather find joy in the small, sometimes frivolous, things that make you dream and make you happy. It doesn’t have to be feathers. It can be whatever you want it to be, as long as it lifts your spirit. And if you do care to see the feathery fashion distracting me right now, here are some plumy pieces I can’t stop thinking about.
My 2018 resolution was to not buy any new clothes for an entire year. I gave myself four “hall passes”—for weddings, special occasions, or absolute must-buys—and made it through the year with only a few slip-ups. So as 2019 approached, I was thinking about all the clothes I wanted to add to my closet, but my wallet doth protest too much. I issued myself a new challenge, with the help of my Glamour editor: Try four monthly plus-size clothing subscription boxes, which would let me test out clothes before committing to buying.
I don’t have the luxury of walking into any store and being able to wear whatever’s in stock—many stores I like only go up to size 12 or 16, and I hover between an 18 and 20. Because of that, I’ve always been a little trigger-happy with online shopping. I’ve gotten to know my sizing at these sites, like ASOS, quite well. I had heard about a lot of clothing subscription boxes for everything from underwear to workout clothes, but most are available in straight sizes only. Now more options specifically for plus-size women are out there and they’re generating a lot of buzz.
Dia & Co., a subscription box specifically for plus sizes, has secured a reported $95 million in funding, and has staged events at New York Fashion Week. (It’s where I first checked out their clothing, during a fashion show at plus-size convention CurvyCon.) Stitch Fix, one of the most successful of subscription services, expanded into plus in 2017. To me, these services felt like a more curated version of online shopping, with a prepaid label to return anything that I didn’t want. So I decided it was time to give it a shot.
I tried Dia & Co., Stitch Fix, Stylogic, and Gwynnie Bee. Which one is best? It depends on what you’re looking for. Below, some tips for making the most of your subscription.
For $20 a month, you can hire a personal stylist with Stitch Fix, which has clothes for men and women in a wide range of sizes (XS-3X, 0-24W, petite, and maternity) and for kids. This “styling fee” is credited toward anything you buy from your box, so, in a way, if you like what you’re sent and want to keep it, the stylist is free.
When you begin, you take a style profile quiz, which covers the basics like height and weight, but also dives into certain measurements (I marked long torso, short legs, average shoulders); preferred and hated cuts; fits, patterns, and styles for different types of clothing; examples of specific outfits you’d actually wear; and, of course, budget. There are also Tinder-style “style shuffles” that pop up, where you can thumbs up or thumbs down different items to decide if they match with your style.
About a week later, a Stitch Fix stylist is assigned to you. They’ll select five items, and ship them to you. Once you get your box, you have three days to decide what you want to keep, exchange (for a different size, not a different item) or return. Brands include Calvin Klein, Eloquii, Karl Lagerfeld Paris, Madewell, Vince Camuto, and Nike, plus some exclusive collections. The stylists will also curate basics (camisoles, shapewear, underwear, tights, bralettes, bras, socks, and sleepwear) from brands like Hanky Panky, Cosabella, and in-house brand Everyday by Stitch Fix that you can add onto your order.
When Meghan Markle wears something the whole world watches, makes crazy assumptions about what her clothing choices “actually” mean (hint: most of the time, nothing) and buys every single thing she’s ever worn until they’re all sold out. The Duchess of Sussex does have great style but what’s even more alluring than her aesthetic is the price. Markle is known to shop affordable brands like & Other Stories, Club Monaco and Missoma–which are all coincidentally having incredibly Black Friday sales. Not to mention a bunch of her other favorite pieces are on sale elsewhere, like these Veja sneakers at Shopbop. Lucky for you we’ve sorted through the best Black Friday deals and found all the Meghan Markle worthy pieces on sale below.
To travel to Texas for an unannounced visit to a Texas shelter housing children separated from their parents at the U.S. border on Thursday, First Lady Melania Trump wore a Zara jacket with an eye-catching message written across the back: “I Really Don’t Dare, Do U?,” it read. Many were disturbed by the optics of the situation, and the style—which FLOTUS wore to both board and disembark her plane at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland yesterday—has ignited a fierce debate online. It has also inspired a handful of fashion brands to take action and release their own versions of the olive-green jacket to benefit the communities affected by the ongoing border crisis.
Overnight, Portland-based brand Wildfang released a limited capsule collection titled “I REALLY CARE,” with 100% of proceeds going to RAICES Texas, which offers legal services and resources to immigrants.
The product description reads: “Hey Melania. WE REALLY DO CARE! That’s why we made this jacket. To say we stand with immigrants. To say WE CARE.” An original launch sold out within an hour, according to the brand, but has since beenrestocked.
“Within a few hours, we decided as a team we wanted to do something,” Emma Mcilroy, CEO of Wildfang, tells Glamour via e-mail. “This could not go unnoticed, so we put our heads together and went with impact.”
“We started with a limited edition run and it sold out, twice,” she continues. “Because we now make the majority of our products, we are able to turn things around like this so when we’re passionate about something, we take control of the situation. Our customers have gone bananas over this—the support is overwhelming, and we couldn’t be more proud to align with them in support of these families.”
PSA (or Public Service Apparel), the brand co-run by Upworthy and GOOD, also launched its own take on the graphic, as part of its Rapid Response/Limited Edition line. The “I Really Do Care” T-shirt is currently available for pre-order, and will benefit the immigrant youth network United We Dream.
Lingua Franca, the ethical luxury knitwear label that has become known for its politically–aligned pieces, made its own hand-stitched sweater. It’ll donate $100 of each sale to a charity of the customer’s choice.
Stephanie Grisham, FLOTUS’ Communications Director, said of Trump’s much-discussed Texas wardrobe: “It’s a jacket. There was no hidden message. After today’s important visit to Texas, I hope the media isn’t going to choose to focus on her wardrobe.”
President Donald Trump later tweeted about the incident, seemingly contradicting the spokesperson’s claim that there was no meaning behind the jacket.
He wrote: ““I REALLY DON’T CARE, DO U?” written on the back of Melania’s jacket, refers to the Fake News Media. Melania has learned how dishonest they are, and she truly no longer cares!”
As to what they hope to achieve with these reactionary capsule collections, McIlroy explains: “We hope to see kids reunited with their parents, that is the goal here. We want to spread awareness, we want people to take action we want you to give all your money to RAICES—they do amazing work!”
For many professional women, getting dressed for the office can feel like a job unto itself. Though one might prefer a pair of frayed jeans to a formfitting pencil skirt, the former might not be considered appropriate for most workplaces—and so we find ourselves needing to upkeep two separate wardrobes. (This is despite reports that, across industries, the American office is skewing towardmore casual dress.) In recent years, a slew of new personalized box shopping services have come in to help their customers navigate all the different categories of workwear—business formal, business professional, business casual, and so on. Despite being easily grouped together because of their comparable missions to take the work out of finding workwear, each of these company tackles this very issue in a distinct way—and to varying degrees of success.
The MM.LaFleur Bento Box, for instance, is all about its mix-and-match work clothes; Stitch Fix, meanwhile, pairs its customers with a stylist who selects a curated selection of items depending on how much a shopper wants to spend; Le Tote, then, allows shoppers to rent clothing and accessories on a rotating basis for a single monthly fee.
There’s big business in this model, for this specific market. StitchFix, Inc., which filed for an IPO last year, reported almost $1 billion in sales in 2017, according to Forbes; during the 2016 fiscal year, it made $730 million in revenue, per The New York Times. MM.LaFleur, meanwhile, was expected to rake in $70 million in 2017, according to Inc.
But how well do these women’s clothing subscription boxes really stack up in terms of fulfilling our workwear needs, really? Is the way we shop for fashion a thing of the past? Will these services become the new normal for personal style? There’s only one way to find out: I put these three very different options to the test and laid out the pros and cons of each service. Hopefully, it’ll help you decide which one (if any) is right for you.
MM.LaFleur Bento Box
I have been hearing nonstop from friends in corporate jobs about MM.LaFleur and its Bento Box, which, while explicitly marketed as “not a subscription service,” operates by following a similar format, sending a shopper a curated selection of pieces from its inventory (which can be purchased at any time individually) to try on at home and charging them only for the pieces they keep. It was described to me as being the saving grace for working women—so, naturally, I was excited to see its clothes up close and in person.
First, to get your personalized Bento Box, which consists of an assortment of work staples, you have to answer a few questions, including some about your office dress code. After a handful of clicks, I was done, and my Bento Box was in the works. It arrived at my doorstep just a few days later.
Like many folks out there (my friends working corporate gigs included), I know how difficult it can be to shop for clothes that are “professional” in a traditional sense, especially as fashion trends have skewed toward the more casual. So I was pleased to find options in my Bento Box that made me say to myself, “Finally!” My shipment included a scarf (a must-have for anyone who works a desk job in an office with aggressive air conditioning in the summer), two dresses, a black-and-white skirt, a black top, and a knit jacket. Though I pretty much liked everything in my Bento Box, there were two clear standouts for me: the Taylor sheath dress in green (which retails for $265) and the Woolf knit jacket (priced at $195). All of MM.LaFleur’s pieces come in a range of sizes, from petite to plus. (The full range is from 0 to 22.)
After deciding what I wanted to keep and what I didn’t (each Bento Box comes with between four to six items), I put my returns in a prepaid envelope to send back to MM.LaFleur HQ. Easy.
Price: Prices for each of the items in any given Bento Box range from $110 for a top to $325 for a dress. You have four days to return the pieces you don’t want to keep, and shipping is free both ways. If you don’t keep anything from the box, you are charged $25—so it’s not exactly a “subscription box,” since you order each Bento Box individually, but there’s still a fee attached to each shipment.
Pros: For women who are in need of proper business attire but are short on time, this is, by far, one of the best options around. There’s a lot to love about their offerings, which reflect an impressive amount of market research on the part of the brand’s design team. Plus, it’s a service that really gets the style demands of working professionals. I liked that my Bento Box included items I never would’ve thought to buy on my own (such as the knit jacket that ended up being one of my favorites) but loved as soon as I tried them on. The inclusive size range is also a point in MM.LaFleur’s favor.
Cons: The clothes aren’t cheap by any means—if anything, I would classify them as entry-level investment pieces. You probably won’t be able to afford to buy the whole box in one shot, unless you like to shop for a whole season rather than by trend. The $25 fee for deciding against buying anything is also something to consider.
TL;DR: In need of traditionally-professional attire in a pinch? Try MM.LaFleur.
Stitch Fix
Stitch Fix opens with another fun quiz, which homes in on my style likes and dislikes. It took a few weeks after I registered for my box to arrive, which to me felt like a pretty long time (ah, what has the prospect of same-day drone delivery done to us?).
Out of these three services, Stitch Fix has what can be described as a cult following, according to the deep rabbit hole of reviews I went down while researching the company. Its customers have taken to showing off their hauls—or “fixes”—on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. When my box arrived, I could sense a definite boho theme. But the stylist assigned to me clearly listened to the notes sent with my quiz, as my favorite style of jeans, a pair of high-rise distressed jeans that retail for $98, were in my delivery. Another favorite from this shipment was a dress by the label Misa Los Angeles, priced at $224, which I envisioned wearing with everything from boots to sandals immediately. To be frank, I didn’t love everything that came in my Stitch Fix box, but none of the pieces was terrible by any means.
Stitch Fix comes out to $20 a box (a “styling fee,” as the company calls it), and though they’re sent out monthly, shoppers don’t have to order one each time. Users specify preferences for everything from size and budget to lifestyle.
Price: Like I mentioned, Stitch Fix charges $20 for a curated box, the price of which gets deducted from what you ultimately decide to keep. Within each shipment, prices vary; in my delivery, pieces ranged from $28 (for a necklace) to $224 (for a dress). Luckily, customers can select their preferred budget level for the box before ordering—that way, shoppers can also decide how often they’d like to receive their “fix.”
Pros: Consider Stitch Fix the friend you cautiously text for approval every time you want to buy something: There were a lot of fun things in this delivery that I don’t think I ever would’ve found on my own, so I appreciated the nudge in the right direction. The price range for my edit of pieces was also solid, with everything under $250. Plus, sizes go up to a 24. Another nice bonus: If you like the way you work with a specific stylist on a few “fixes,” you can have that person be your go-to for all future boxes.
Cons: This is pretty standard for subscription boxes, but annoying nonetheless: Even if you don’t like anything that your Stitch Fix stylist picks out for you, you’re still on the hook for that $20 styling fee. Overall, I thought the clothes in my shipment were better suited for weekend wear than for a 9-to-5—though, if you work in a casual environment, that’s probably not an issue. And, again, don’t expect instant gratification: My box took a few weeks to be delivered.
TL;DR: If you’re looking to dip your toes in the women’s clothing subscription box pool, start with StitchFix, since it’s so customizable at a relatively low cost.
Le Tote
For a monthly fee, Le Tote rents customers everyday clothes from brands like BCBG, Free People, and Plenty by Tracy Reese. You get a few items at a time, which can then be traded in for new pieces whenever you’re done with them. In 2015 the company announced it would launch a version of its box specifically for maternity wear. Most recently it collaborated with Olivia Culpo on a capsule.
A few days before my box was slated to arrive, I got a text from Le Tote asking me to put items into an online bag. I got on right away, adding a Vince Camuto off-the-shoulder dress (very of-the-moment) to my edit, along with a few other picks. To my surprise, though, when I actually received my shipment a few days later, none of my selections was in it. Instead, I got a simple black cotton skirt, a teal T-shirt, a white and black button-down (in an extra small when I’m more of a large), and a lightweight knit sweater—which, honestly, was the only thing in the Le Tote that I would wear.
Price: Monthly memberships at Le Tote start at $69 a box, with members allowed to keep a rotating selection of two clothing items and one piece of jewelry at a time—previously, they started at was $39, so when I tried it, I picked a mid-tier $59 option, which delivered four pieces as part of my shipment.
Pros: Seeing as I spend about that much on coffee each month, Le Tote’s monthly fee feels pretty affordable. Plus, I love the eco-friendly aspect of its business model, of the idea of sharing clothing. The box comes in a prepaid envelope, and returning items is a very easy process.
Cons: For someone who loves to shop as much as I do, the idea of spending a set amount of money every month to be granted access to what was, essentially, a huge rotating closet sounded pretty great—so I really wanted to love this service. But, despite the enticing price point, I didn’t want to wear most of what came in my Le Tote. I felt like I would be better off just buying one item a month at Zara for the price of the monthly fee. After stalking online reviews for the service, though, I found out that many people feel more satisfied with their deliveries as time goes on and Le Tote better learns their taste. But that first impression, though, wasn’t too memorable for me.
TL;DR: It may take a while, but give Le Tote a chance for a subscription box that feels in line with what you already own and like to wear.
And Comfort was born out of a deeply personal experience: Karine Hsu wanted to make clothes her mom could wear, after seeing the lack of options for her in the mainstream market. After working with several plus-size fashion brands at a financial firm in San Francisco, she realized the lack of quality clothing in extended sizes affected more than just her mother. So, she and her friend Jeffrey Zhao joined forces to address this glaring hole in the retail space.
Hsu is the founder and CEO of And Comfort, while Zhao serves as its creative director and co-founder. The brand, which launches today, offers a wonderfully minimalist line-up of wardrobe staples that focus on quality, clean design and inclusive sizing. There are four pieces at launch: a mandarin collar tunic, a classic tee, an apron dress, and a midi-length wrap skirt. All are available in sizes 10 through 28, and are priced between $45 and $140.
PHOTO: Courtesy of And Comfort.
Over the past few years, there have been companies leaning into specific niches in the plus-size fashion space: Premme delivers on trend-driven pieces, while Universal Standard offers luxe everyday essentials. And Comfort enters the market with a commitment to using high-end fabrics and a thorough fit process.
“It took a lot of time to source our fabrics—which we found in China—and it took time to create them as well,” says Hsu, who was adamant about using premium materials, like organic cotton poplin and pima cotton. “We worked hard on it, and as we source fabrics for future pieces, we’re committed to using cotton and even Tencel or other sustainable fabrics that we can find.” The problem with cotton, they found, was its lack of stretch; the solution was to weave in elastane to achieve the desired level of comfort without compromising the integrity of the material.
PHOTO: Courtesy of And Comfort.
Hsu and Zhao then fit-tested each And Comfort style on 18 different women—some influencers, some people that Hsu had met at plus-size fashion conferences—across the plus-size spectrum for feedback. She recalls the models marveling at the pieces’ wearability: “They would put on the garment, smile, and say, ‘[Oh my God], this fits so well,’—it was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had. The response has been overwhelmingly positive so far.”
PHOTO: Courtesy of And Comfort.
The And Comfort team specifically wanted to see the pieces on a range of body shapes and sizes, as opposed to following the industry-wide practice of only fitting on a size 16 model, at this stage of the design process. This community-driven approach allowed Hsu and Zhao to really consider and problem-solve every issue, like adding adding more fabric to prevent the button-down from gaping or creating side vents on the tunic to accommodate different people.
And Comfort launches with four pieces, but plans to roll out one or two new styles every month. (Expect more dresses in the next drop; for fall, sweaters and coats.) As for the future of the brand, Hsu says it hopes to offer sizes beyond 28.
PHOTO: Courtesy of And Comfort.
Oh, and Hsu’s mom—really, the inspiration behind this all—is into the brand’s offerings.
“My mom grew up in Taiwan, so she has a more minimalist, Asian-inspired style, which has been hard for her to find in her size—she’s very excited about the pieces we’re making,” says Hsu. “I believe every woman deserves access to fashion, no matter their size, and we hope to become the go-to place for minimalist plus-size essentials.”
