ShoeMint, JustFab & JewelMint: Subscription Shopping Sites
An interesting recent trend are subscription shopping websites where you pay a monthly recurring fee that goes towards the cost of the pieces you select. You answer a handful of questions about your personal style and each month you receive a curated selection of pieces chosen to suit your personal style.
Over the last few years I’ve tried a few of these services and today I’m going to share my thoughts so that you can make the best choice for your needs! 🙂
- Cost: $79.98 a month
- Selection: Seriously cute selection of shoes & accessories – Though fewer bags than shoes. Narrowing down my choice was the hardest party, luckily they list the heel height so once I realized that I was looking at shoes I couldn’t walk in for more than 3 minutes I moved on.
- Overall Impression: This site provides as a well curated collection of pieces that not only updates frequently but stays on top of fashion trends.
- Cost: $39.95 a month
- Selection: The site is pretty large and includes clothing, shoes, handbags, and jewelry. While some of the pieces didn’t really strike my fancy (shoes too high, not enough material…), I’ve had great success with the items that I’ve ordered.
- Overall Impression: You’ll have to hunt through the website but you’ll likely find something you’ll love. The heels that I ordered I got more compliments than any other pair of shoes in my closet ever have! 🙂
I got a chance to meet the ladies of JustFab while I was in Los Angeles for Lucky FABB in April so I got a chance to see the pieces in person which was great. I also got a chance to see these lovely heels in person and fell in love!
- Cost: $29.95 a month
- Selection: JewelMint has a great, great selection – Not only do you get a specialized collection based on your personal taste and purchase history, but you can also shop boutique collections, sales & other pieces available on the site.
- Overall Impression: I’ve actually been a client of JewelMint since 2011 and I can’t recommend it highly enough. I love vintage jewelry so in general my style tends to be classic and timeless, I love gold, statement pieces, and layering bracelets – And JewelMint has never disappointed.
Have you tried any of these services or any other similar ones? If you haven’t, would you try one?
Fall On A Budget
At the beginning of October I shared my Fall 2012 Must Haves, which included eye-catching patterns & prints, faux leather, fun pants, tweed pieces, asymmetrical details, and the color de jour for Fall – Oxblood.
It’s easy to see pictures from the Fall 2012 collections and put together a mental list of all the things you want, and then give up in frustration because you can’t afford straight-from-the-runway pieces. But I’m here to tell you that we can very easily update your wardrobe for Fall without having to dip into your 401k. I promise!
I like to get one or two great new investment pieces each season – something like an updated but classic Little Black Dress, a chic new handbag, or a timeless trench – but I’ll also collect a handful of fun, on-trend pieces from less expensive stores that quickly update my looks for the season. There are great stores like Zara, ASOS, H&M, and TopShop were you can find trendy, well-made pieces each season for a steal. Read on for some of my personal suggestions & recommendations as well as a collection of great articles that’ll steer you in the right direction for all of your Fall 2012 needs.
- Where Do Editors Really Shop from Refinery 29 is just the sort of article that I love to read – Knowing where the most fashionable and stylish women in the fashion world shop is like being handed the keys to the kingdom! And wouldn’t you know it, along with the high-end designers that you’d expect them to mention, they also list great inexpensive shopping destinations like E-bay, Target, Zara, Amazon, Madewell, J.Crew, TopShop, JewelMint, ShoeMint, and even The Salvation Army. Great news, isn’t it?
- The Glitter Guide’s Caitlin’s Budget Buys: Fall Essentials Under $80 includes fabulous beauty & fashion finds from Target, TopShop, Old Navy, Dorothy Perkins, Christian Siriano for Payless, ASOS, L’Oreal, and Sole Society.
Another lucky break for us fashion obsessed is that more and more high-end designers have been coming out with reasonably priced collections for retailer giants like Payless, Target, and Macys.
{Long-sleeve Shirt Dress in Red Geometric Print – $40 @ Kirna Zabete for Target, Long-Sleeve Satin Blazer – $60 (on sale) @ Nicole Richie for Impulse & Racquel Side Zip Bootine – $50 @ Christian Siriano for Payless}
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Lucky Magazine’s 100 Cheap Fall Finds is a trove of fun Fall pieces from printed pants and embellished collars to chic dresses and leather trimmed jackets. In addition to featuring clothing from Luckymag.com, they included other retail websites like Romwe.com, Pixiemarket.com, Urban1972.com, Levis.com, and Ulta.com.
- Two of the trends that I’m most excited for this Fall are printed pants and leather-trimmed pieces and luckily for all of us the fun website The Cheap Chica’s Guide to Style featured fabulous recommendations for both trends – Geometry Class & Just The Sleeves Please. So no matter what type of fashion you’re in the mood for this site has what you’re looking for!
The less expensive secondary lines created by designers and sold at department stores like Bloomingdale’s, Macys, Nordstrom, and Kolh’s are great pieces to keep an eye out for.
{Left to Right: Marc by Marc Jacobs ‘Jac’ Denim Leggings – $140 @ Nordstrom, MICHAEL Michael Kors Sleeveless Cowl Neck Banded Bottom Dress – $45 (on sale) @ Bloomingdale’s, and LC Lauren Conrad Embellished Ruffle Tee – $40 @ Kohl’s}
- Not quite sure how to approach stores like Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, or Ross? Refinery 29 took it upon themselves to teach us how in their piece Discount Shopping – How To Shop At Marshalls where they had three different editors put together 6 cute looks under $50. Wow!
- Waiting for stores to have announce a big sale is a great way to find the pieces you’re craving without paying full-price. Not sure just how to make this tactic work for you? Check out Sales Rack Skinny: The Subtle Statement’s Sale Shop Tactics for tips that’ll help you find just what you’re looking for in stores or even online.
Are you still in the mood for more tips, recommendations, and suggestions for updating your wardrobe, Fall dressing, and online shopping? Stay tuned for an upcoming interview with Style For Hire and a series of informative posts all about online shopping.
Moi Contre La Vie 