If you’ve been following my blog for any amount of time, you’ve probably noticed that a lot of my clothes are “via Gwynnie Bee.”  This clothing subscription service has been an essential part of my wardrobe for almost 5 years now (!!!), so sometimes I forget that not everyone is as familiar with it as I am.  I’ve gotten a bunch of reader questions about how it work lately, so I want to do a series on why the Gwynnie Bee model makes so much sense as a customer.  Full disclosure: I work for GB now, but I’ve been an avid fan long before I was an employee (and even before I was a blogger!)

How it Works:

Gwynnie Bee is not the basic online retail experience.  You don’t fill up your cart, pay shipping, and have something sent to you, hoping it will fit.  Instead, you join Gwynnie Bee, pay a flat monthly rate (billing starts after your 30 day free trial), and fill up your “virtual closet” with items you’d like to try.

This is a screenshot of just a fraction of what is in my virtual closet right now.  Unlike styling services where I have no control over what I want to try, every item in my virtual closet is handpicked by me.  Gwynnie Bee suggests you have at least 25 garments in your virtual closet at all times, but I never have trouble hitting that number (I actually have 187 things in mine right now!)  Part of the reason it is so easy to fill my closet is that Gwynnie Bee gives me the fun of online shopping without draining my wallet.  You know that thing where you fill up your online cart with a whole bunch of things you love, then take a look at the total, sigh and close the tab?  This is a much better version of that, because you don’t have to pay anything extra, and the stuff you add could actually get sent to you!

I say “could” because this is another unique part of Gwynnie Bee: While you choose everything that is in your virtual closet, you don’t know exactly what from that closet you are getting next.  What is shipped is based on availability, so each package is a surprise.  For many members this is part of the fun – every box is like a present, and unwrapping the pretty tissue paper to see what you got is great.

This Rachel Roy dress (above) was something I closeted that I was then so excited to see in my box.  I’ve been wearing this dress all the time, and I’m thinking about keeping this one for good, which leads me to the next thing I love about Gwynnie Bee: The options!

Once you get a garment at home, you have a few choices once you try it on: 1) Drop it in a pre-paid return bag right away if you don’t like the style or fit on; 2) Wear it once if you want to try the style out or know its just a single wear piece (like this super short fringed dress/tunic above, perfect for a day trip to a winery); 3) Wear it for a season while its trendy and send it back when you’re over the look; or 4) Use the Try Then Buy feature to purchase the garment and gt something new from your virtual closet sent immediately!  Options 1-3 don’t cost anything extra from your flat monthly rate, so if you just want to wear and return, you can have a set monthly budget for clothes while still cycling through 10-20 styles a month!

I get so many things I love wear through Gwynnie Bee, but for the sake of my wallet, I try to limit Option 4 (Try Then Buy) to pieces I absolutely can’t live without.  This gorgeous (and comfortable) statement print dress from Melissa McCarthy is one of those pieces – I’ll definitely be purchasing this one.

For statement pieces for work, I’m more likely to #RentNReturn.  I know from former experience that if you work in a ver Type A setting, people will notice and comment on frequent repeat wears of anything that is not mind-numbingly basic. Gwynnie Bee is a great way to constantly look pulled together and keep your colleagues impressed with how amazing your wardrobe is.

Gwynnie Bee also great for less contentious workplaces (soooooooo many of my friends I’ve referred tell me that they are now known as the best dressed in their office because of GB, and they’ve in turn gotten a ton of their own coworkers hooked.  GB also has a ton of casual and weekend options, with looks for brunch, shopping, barbecues, and whatever else is on your schedule.

All of the dresses and tops in this post are items I’ve worn from Gwynnie Bee just in this month, and that is not even all of my July GB wears!  Remember: When you join on the 3 item at a time plan, that means 3 garments at home at a time, not just 3 garments total all month.  I’m up to the 5 item plan now because I love the service so much, but you can still get 10+ garments easily per month on a lower plan.

I have plenty of other reasons why I value my Gwynnie Bee subscription, but this post is already getting pretty long, so I’m going to break them up.  In my next post, I’ll be talking about the exclusive designer collaborations Gwynnie Bee does, getting many fantastic straight size designers to offer plus sizes for the first time.

If you are already intrigued by the idea of an endless rotating closet, however, don’t wait til the next post to sign up.  Use the link below to get a 30 day free trial.  It is truly risk free, and you can cancel at any time:

Why buy it when you can GB it? Free shipping. Free exchanges. Free 30-day wardrobe rental.

Disclosure: I am a Gwynnie Bee affiliate, and this post contains affiliate links.  All thoughts and opinions my own, as always!  I’ve also been a GB fan for long before I had any incentive to share, and the service has only improved since then 🙂