Wow, this week totally turned into an unofficial reviewing clothes subscription boxes week. Sorry about that – usually I try to give you a cornucopia of mixed subjects… but outside forces mixed everything up. I promise to get back on track with a cute kiddo post tomorrow!
As you all know, I’ve been loving my monthly Stitch Fix deliveries for a while now, so when I heard about The Ms. Collection, a clothing rental subscription box, I was intrigued.
What is The Ms. Collection?
Straight from the press release: The Ms. Collection offers fashionable, everyday pieces for rent with the option to buy at up to 40% off. Women who are looking to switch up their style can subscribe to one of three collections – Ms. Play (casual looks for $39 a month), Ms. Business (business professional pieces for $45 a month) and Ms. Details (accessories for $35 a month). Each month your stylist will send you 3 – 5 pieces from the collection you chose. You get to keep the pieces for a month to mix and match with your own wardrobe. At the end of the month, you can either return the pack or buy any pieces that you have fallen in love with.
I thought it was a fun concept so I decided to try the Ms. Play pack for $39. I figured that since I typically like to mix in more casual pieces with my everyday work clothes, it would get the best bang for the buck.
I filled out my profile and waited for my box to arrive.
Here’s what I received in my first box:
Striped shirt with leather details – Banana Republic ($49.50)
Gray jeans – Ralph Lauren Jeans ($71.00)
Blue sweater – New York & Company ($49.95)
Gray sweater vest – Hive & Honey ($60)
Total Retail Value According to The Ms. Collection: $230.45*
Although nothing really jumped out at me, I decided to be a good little blogger and try everything on for you. Oh and this was before I dyed my hair to it’s current color…
There was really nothing WRONG with any of the clothes, they just weren’t me. At all. After gamely trying them on for the pictures, I packed them up and sent them back since I didn’t want to wear any of the pieces in my real life. My contact at The Ms. Collection was really great though and asked for my super honest feedback so that they could try again with another box.
Here’s what I received in my second box:
Pink blouse – Daniel Rainn ($58.00)
Medium blue blouse – Style & Co ($45.00)
Royal blue blouse – Lush ($38.00)
Black and cream sweatshirt – Ralph Lauren Active ($110.00)
Total Retail Value according to The Ms. Collection: $251.00*
The beautiful assortment of colors was right up my alley. However, the box was still not a good fit for me… style-wise and fit-wise. Also – and this could totally be a ‘me’ thing – all the items had an odor to them that really bothered me. It was most likely the fragrance of the detergent they use to launder the items, but to me it was reminiscent of the smell of thrift stores (which I love for the shopping bargains, I just don’t want walk around smelling like a thrift store).
Here’s a better look at each piece:
The only item I received in my second box that I would have possibly worn is the pink Daniel Rainn shirt. However, um… it was still kind of ugly. The two blue blouses fit really odd, making them unwearable. As for the sweatshirt, it was not my style at all.
I really wanted to like The Ms. Collection, but all-in-all it just didn’t work for me. My original thought was that they would be a great way to mix clothes into your wardrobe when you’re in the middle of changing sizes — like if you’re dieting down and don’t want to commit to buying a new wardrobe. However, I just wasn’t impressed at all with the items they sent me.
What do you think of The Ms. Collection? Would you rent clothes to mix-up your wardrobe each month?
2/27/15 Update: After reading my review, my contact at The Ms. Collection provided me with the retail values of each item and asked/heavily recommended that I add them to my post. So, there you go. Look at me being so accommodating.
Psssst…If you like checking out what other people receive in their clothing subscription boxes, I have a couple quick links for you! Here are all my Stitch Fix Reviews and here are all my Trunk Club Reviews. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post and I was not compensated in any way to write it. I did receive two boxes from The Ms Collection for free to try out, but all opinions are my own.
Honestly, I have a thing about being the only one to wear my clothes. But, truth be told, I liked what they sent in the first box better than the second. (Not that I would buy any of the first box items, either, but they were better.) I mean, if you didn’t like the first box, I would think they’d try extra hard to give you a great second box.
Rented clothing notwithstanding, based on your review (and pictures from the second box), there’s no way I would try this. Stitch fix, sure. This? A world of Nope.
Thanks for your comment Mary! I had really high hopes for the second box, but it just wasn’t meant to be 🙂
I loved the first set. I can never get my clothes to fit so perfectly. They look fabulous on you! I wouldn’t have been able to send them back. I’m loving these posts. I live vicariously through you since I’m not great at putting things together.
Thanks Shay! And I took care of your duplicate comments. 🙂
Unfortunately, both boxes look like used, tossed out clothing. Fashion mistakes. Glad I found this post before ordering. Thank you for a good, honest review.
I was curious about this service so of course went to the internet for reviews.. and this confirms that the service isn’t for me. And honestly, I think it’s weird they contacted you and asked you to put in the retail values..? I could walk in to Nordstrom Rack today and find a blouse very similar to that Daniel Rainn one for $25 or less, and I’ve never paid full price for anything at New York and Company. It’s always great to see an honest review of services, so thanks for sharing.
Beth, I completely agree! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment! =)
Thank you for this review! I was just thinking about signing up because the clothes on the website looked so cute and fashionable, but the boxes you received where just “meh.” I have “meh” clothes in my closet already 😉
I’ve gotten two boxes from them so far and I’ve been disappointed. There was another clothing rental subscription that I had done a while back and the clothes seemed new even though I know they had been rented and worn by other subscribers. I only gave that service up because I lost weight and the clothes they rent were too big for me.
In contrast, the Ms Collection clothes seem used. Last month an item had a stain. This month you could see some fading and the start of pilling on one of the sweaters. There was another sweater with some pulls. I seriously think these were thrift store finds. They don’t sell the clothes they have cycled out like the other service which backs up my theory. I’m debating whether to cancel now or give a third box a try.
Wow, you have given them more chances than I would have! If you are pleasantly surprised by your third box (if you try it) let me know.
I have been very disheartened by this service. I was only able to get two boxes the first month. And I was prompt about sending the items back. My goal was to wear as much of the items I could and then send back immediately – I wanted my first trial month that I paid for to be as productive as possible. I just wasn’t satisfied at all.
I have had nothing with problems, right down to the cancellation. The clothes are low quality, some packs have 3 items, where I thought there should be 5. It takes them FOREVER to return packs, which is strange since they clearly are not tailoring their clothes to the customers. I tried to cancel online–can’t do it. Have to email and if it’s not 3 days prior to charging you again-you get to pay for another month you don’t want.
I know this is an old post, but I was curious what other people thought of the Ms. Collection because I thought I was the only person using it and I stumbled on your post.
I must chime in with a good review. I have been using Ms. since October because I’m trying to lose weight and I don’t want to commit to buying anything I might not fit into in a few months. I have been quite pleased with the service. I wear almost everything they send me at least once. There have been a few items that seems different from my usual style, but I enjoyed wearing them. There were some duds (more due to fit than to style) but I never had an all-dud box (which is more than I can say for Stitch Fix). I manage to integrate almost every piece into my wardrobe.
They do pay attention to my style comments too. For example, one time they sent a top that I said looked like fun, but it was too big and it was see-through. I was a little miffed when I saw it again two-boxes later, but then I noticed that they not only sent a smaller size, but they also sent a camisole to wear under it.
I use Ms. Business, which might be why they send me better quality clothes. I noticed some of the brands you were sent were the same ones Stitch Fix sends. I am getting stuff from Tart and Ann Taylor.
I definitely will keep renting until I reach my goal weight. It works well for me. I encourage your readers to give it a try.
Rachel – thank you so much for your review!
I know this is an older post, but I’ve spent the last few months trying the Ms. Collection and have decided to cancel after all my problems. I hope this helps anyone looking for a newer review make up their mind. Boxes take over a week from when you drop it in the mail until you get the next one, usually around 10 days. That means you only get 1-2 boxes per month even if you’re fast about returning things. Multiple pieces of clothing arrived with large holes in them. Many things were the wrong size and fit and when I put that feedback in I got the same fit and size in my next box. Lastly, my last box wasn’t delivered by the post office because they sent it with over $4 postage due. I had to drive to the post office and pay to get my box. I wanted to love this and the clothing and styling were nice for about 2/3 of the box. The hassles were not worth it. If you call to cancel, you get a voice recording telling you to email and then it hangs up on you. Some customer service support staff were wonderful and kind and others were rude and did things like put my pack on hold without telling me. Your money is better spent going to Nordstrom Rack and trying on a ton of clothes with honest friends.
Kate – thank you so much for the update! Even though this is an older post, it does get a lot of traffic from people looking into the service and I’m sure they appreciate your feedback! =)
Hi there! I have been using the Ms. Business Collection for two months now. Perhaps it is better than the causal equivalent, as I am very satisfied. I am a petite-but-not-skinny gal, standing at 5’1 and hanging out around a size 8-10/medium at the moment. I have serious issues walking into a store and trying to choose clothes for myself. I do not have a specific style, really. I just like to wear things that are flattering and make me feel comfortable. I am a middle school teacher and need to dress well, but not full on business, so I avoided things like blazers in the fashion profile you fill out on the website.
With the three days it takes me to wear the items and shipping of 4-5 days in between I’m working with about 3 boxes a month. I typically receive 3 items if there is a dress and 4 if there is a skirt or pants. I have only received one accessory, but I wonder if I will be getting some scarves and such since fall is upon us. Everything I have been sent has been great quality and in great condition. I shopped for the brands online and found that the pricing listed for retail holds true to the brand’s websites. Some things were not things I’d try on off a rack, but ended up loving. The stylists do pay attention to my feedback and write personal notes in each box.
I’m easy going with style, but fit was my main concern. I think I’ve gone through 6 boxes and there has only been one item that I didn’t wear. It was a pencil skirt that was a little too tight for middle school. If I had a goin-out kinda life, I would have worn it, haha! Anyway, I was shocked at how well everything has fit me. I’m very satisfied with the clothes.
I will say this about pricing: although the agreement says that member prices for the clothing are “up to 50% off” the highest discount I’ve seen was 30% off the listed retail. Most items are something like 10-15% off retail. Paying a $59 subscription, I honestly expected a 30-40% off situation, and probably would have purchased several items so far, but I haven’t purchased any because a savings of $8 off a $60 shirt isn’t good enough for me…especially since it’s been worn by others. Here’s an example for you:
My last pack had a dress and two blouses totaling a retail value of 189.75. If I decided to buy all the items, the discounted price is $161.44. That’s only about 15%.
While I wish the discount was deeper, overall I’m happy with the service. It saves me a lot of strife because I hate shopping for clothes.
Hi Laura – thanks for adding your review of the service. I’m sure future readers will find the information helpful!
They do not let you have a say in the items you rent, and then sent me 2/3 that in no ways were useful. It is 70/80 in Seattle, and they sent me a thick sweater and a long sleeve blouse. I have the Ms. Play box, apparently they think I am playing dominos with lots of A/C instead of enjoying a beautiful Seattle summer. Worst of all, when I brought this up, they offered nothing to try to rectify this, they didn’t care in the least. Spend your money elsewhere!! LeTote customer service is 1,000 times better!!!!