Elizabeth & Clarke Subscription Box Review + Coupon – Summer 2016

ByHaley FayeJun 23, 2016 | 21 comments

ELIZABETH & CLARKE JUNE 2016 - BOX

Elizabeth & Clarke is a women’s clothing subscription box – and they specialize in just shirts and tops! They make all their styles in-house, and only do a limited amount of new designs each season, so they are able to keep the prices very reasonable. Each season you get to preview the tops and pick your favorites. (There are usually 3 new tops, and a few classic styles they have available every season).

ELIZABETH & CLARKE JUNE 2016 - PACKAGING

Elizabeth & Clarke sent us this box for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).

ELIZABETH & CLARKE JUNE 2016 - ALL ITEMS

The Subscription Box: Elizabeth & Clarke

The Cost: $30 for one shirt, $50 for two shirts, $60 for three shirts (once a quarter/season)

COUPON: Use code MSA10 to save 10% off your first box!

The Products: Classic shirts with on trend styling and materials.

Ships to: US (and International countries for a $25 shipping surcharge).

Check out all of our Elizabeth & Clarke Reviews and the Women’s Subscription Box Directory!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

ELIZABETH & CLARKE JUNE 2016 - INFO

Normally, there’s a packing slip as well as a card showing each of the tops, but I didn’t get one this quarter – just the packing sheet.

ELIZABETH & CLARKE JUNE 2016 - ITEMS 1

The Dalton – Navy, sleeveless blouse with draped piece

(100% crepe de chine)

This top has a cool, accented, flat collar. The stand-out detail of this top is the draped piece on the side and back. It’s definitely an interesting, original detail. It’s not something I would have picked out myself but I’m looking forward to trying out styling this piece this summer.

ELIZABETH & CLARKE JUNE 2016 - ITEMS 2

The Cadwell – white, linen tank with button front

(100% linen)

I like the idea of this top but there’s one major thing I’m not thrilled about… The summer spoilers specifically stated that this tank would have a cotton lining and be completely opaque. This is what I was most excited about! I avoid tops that require a cami underneath… I just feel so uncomfortable with so many layers. Anyways, I contacted Elizabeth & Clarke to inquire about the fact that my tank isn’t lined and is sheer and they told me that “sewing the cotton lining onto the linen tank was ripping the seams.” So they ditched that idea.

While I understand there can be complications like this, I’m bummed because it means I won’t wear this, and that others who ordered this tank with that expectation will also be let down. I will say, however, that it feels nice on and is lightweight. It feels well made, which is obviously what I have come to expect from Elizabeth & Clarke.

ELIZABETH & CLARKE JUNE 2016 - ITEMS 3

The Ash – Navy and white striped tee shirt

This top is definitely my style. I am wearing a cami underneath in this picture because my bra wasn’t nude. I think if you wear a neutral bra you wouldn’t need to wear an extra layer. This top is soft and comfortable! Unfortunately the sizing isn’t right for me. I got my usual size but this is large on me, and the shoulders definitely don’t fit me right. I am one to appreciate that a slouchy/relaxed fit can be chic and stylish, but this top just felt baggy on me. I’ll have to exchange this one.

Verdict: I generally love Elizabeth & Clarke’s designs and quality, but this quarter just didn’t hit it out of the park for me. I like the idea of all the tops, and I love that they’re all machine washable and safe to put in the dryer on low. That being said, I still think the value is worth it to go for the 3 tops instead of 1 or 2. Since it’s $40 for one top or $60 for three (making each top $20). I’m not sure what I’ll do about the linen tank yet, but I know exchanging the tee for a size down will make me much happier with this collection.

What do you think about Elizabeth & Clarke’s Summer collection this year?

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Elizabeth & Clarke

3.7 overall rating

21 Ratings | 6 Reviews

Elizabeth & Clarke is a women’s clothing subscription box for sizes 00 to 18 – and they specialize in just shirts and tops! They make all their styles in-house, and only do a limited amount of new designs each season. You get to preview the new tops and pick your favorites, or let Elizabeth &am... read more.

Spoilers

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Posted in Clothing & Fashion Subscription Boxes, Elizabeth and Clarke, Subscription Box Reviews, Subscription Boxes for Women, UK Subscription Box Reviews

Haley Faye

Haley Faye first discovered the wonderful world of subscription boxes in 2012 and began writing for MSA in 2014. Over the years, she has found many subscriptions to love. Now a mom of three, her favorite boxes are ones that dress her kids, help her get organized, feed her family, send her snacks, and offer educational fun for her children.

Read More By Haley Faye >

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21 comments

Lauren

Sadly I’m going to have to cancel this one… I keep having fit and quality issues, and exchanges are inconvenient 🙁 Also not a big fan of having to email to request a different shirt- as a computer programmer I find this upsetting because it really shouldn’t be that difficult. The Dalton I love* but Ash is a little big (though it’ll be okay under more fitted layers) and the Cadwell, while it fits well and a bra I have isn’t visible underneath…. ripped down the seam by the buttons.This happened after I threw out the packaging because I’d tried it on and it fit, but before I actually got to wear it.

*The dangly bit is a little odd but I liked it when I tucked the rest into a skirt

veronica

Just received my box. I ordered the dalton, cadwell, and Kelly from last year. I loved all 3 but i do have a few notes for those who are thinking of ordering.

Dalton is a good 1.5in-2in wider than the other two so personally i would order one size down. (ive had 6 shirts from E&C and this is the first time the size is inconsisten)

Cadwell is completely translusent and does have a “gauze” type of look. (i dont mind wearing a tank top but for those who do its good to know)

The kelly is my favorite so if anyone is one the fence of getting it, go for it!

Shan

This was my first box. And I added the Edward (arm holes are big right at the bust line. I’ll have to get them taken in a bit with 2 darts and it should be good) and the Scott (which is a great shirt). I love the Dalton. And it looks super sharp with a pair of white pants. Although it seems the drape part is longer than what was on the website. The Ash I also like and didn’t find any odd fitting. I’m short and busty so maybe that’s why. And I like the Cadwell but the sheerness threw me off a bit. I missed the “lined” part so I wasn’t expecting that. I’ll wear a white tank underneath. It’s a nice shirt and fits well. I’m a backer for the workwear line too. And looking forward to the fall box.

The last 2 boxes seemed uninspired. My guess is that EC focused on their workwear collection instead. I’m glad I skipped this box. Very excited for fall shirts though. Love the styles offered. I wear my EC shirts A LOT so I’m not about to give up on them.

Cara

This was my first E&C box and unfortunately I promptly canceled my subscription when the shirts arrived. I had the same heartbreak about the linen Cadwell shirt. I was SO looking forward to wearing this shirt all summer based on the spoiler that it would be lined. When it arrived, not only was it unlined, but the linen fabric was almost gauze-like. I think that probably contributed to the construction issue, because a fabric with more structure should have held up to the lining. So the sheer fabric is a double whammy because it is too thin to be lined and too thin to wear unlined!

I also bought two shirts from the permanent collection: the Parker popover blouse and the Liz Lemon t-shirt. The Parker was so sheer that you could clearly see my navel, and the t-shirt felt nice but was nothing special and the fit was off.

I didn’t buy the navy blouse because that draped piece on the back made it seem like it would be impossible to layer under something for work, and the nautical striped shirt looked cute but way too short.

So I was really disappointed with the box and decided not to continue my membership. I will say that customer service was phenomenal. They were very responsive to my return request, found an older style in their inventory and shipped it out to me as soon as the tracking info on my return shipment got updated. The refund on the other shirts was also fast and accurate.

KarenH

This will be my last box from E & – love the quality and the customer service but the sizes are not consistent. Being an overseas subscriber means returns aren’t easy so will have to let this one go.

Amanda

My impression of Elizabeth & Clarke is that the quality and value is there (if you get the 3 shirts sub) but some of the cuts are bizarre and don’t work. I really don’t like the draped piece on the Dalton. It looks weird. (You wear it well, Haley, but the shirt isn’t my favorite.) The boxy look of the Ash is also odd. It looks too short! I feel if you’re going with a boxy tee you need to be able to tuck it in properly, but it looks too short to easily do that.

The issue with the tank is unfortunate; it definitely feels like false advertising. I don’t mind sheer tanks; I’ll just brazenly rock a nude bra underneath (even if it shows). I do mind expecting a lined tank and getting a sheer tank. Shouldn’t they have created some samples out of the material they were planning to use and ensured it didn’t tear before they even advertised the box?

I subscribed a few seasons and although I liked the pieces I received I wasn’t blown away. I feel many of the styles and sizing are just not done with my body shape in mind. (33-26-37) None of the pieces fit in a truly flattering manner. I kept getting pieces that were tight across the hips or, when I sized up, baggy in the chest.

The Ash IS too short! I have a slightly long waist but it’s way short even on my friend without that issue. It’s way shorter than anything I’ve gotten from them over the last 3 solid years.

I’m a huge E&C fan. I’ve funded both Kickstarter campaigns, most recently at a high enough amount to get an in person fitting, but I have to say that it feels like a very different company than it used to be. Customer service is nowhere near as good as before. I’m still waiting on an exchange from LAST season and had to send yet another one back for the exact same reason (too tight across the bust). They used to offer a very user friendly, customized experience that allowed me to mix sizes in the same box. I requested (and received for 2 years running) larger sizes in button front and sleeveless styles. They suddenly stopped honoring that request without apology. When my sister had to send a shirt back (she’s also a longtime subscriber since the second box like me), she used their return label and when the warehouse clearly lost the package tried to charge her for the shirt! She had to exchange numerous emails to fix things and ultimately had to threaten to initiate a chargeback if they did. That’s utterly ridiculous especially considering tracking put the package IN THEIR HANDS. But I digress….I begged to wait for a larger size of one of the shirts from last season since I KNEW they’d have a ton of returns due to the ridiculously tiny cut of those tops but was refused outright. I was even willing to wait. Yet they told my sister she could do exactly that-wait for her size to be in stock again. The CS is just completely inconsistent. The rationale for not letting me wait? Well they gave none. And guess what shirt is available now as an exchange for the button down shirt this season that didn’t fit? That’s right, the same shirt they said would never be in stock again last time around.

As a side note regarding the Kickstarter campaign for the wardrobe, at what point are we going to get to select colors for our items? I made an extra contribution just to help get to having that option. I come,weed the survey last week and lo and behold, no color choices, just black. So what exactly happened there? If that’s the case I’m asking for my second contribution back as that was a specific term of donating. It sounds a lot like the tank explanation this time around. It’s actually not legally permitted to advertise a specific item, sell it, accept the money and then deliver a different product instead without any notice to the buyer. That’s literally the bait and switch.

Now that I’ve written this all out I’m even more perturbed at how things are going downhill as they’ve expand their business. Considering how much money I’ve invested in them over the last going on 5 years (so $1,500 + $200 for the first Kickstarter and waaaay more for this one) you would think they would at least try to honor their commitments and keep their longtime customers (and everyone else) happy. It has a developing Birchbox feeling to it all that I really don’t like. That makes me more sad than anything.

Jaime Bartholomai

We are so sorry to hear about your negative experience. I do apologize about your issues with sizing — in your case you asked that we automatically update your box each season with a certain size for wovens and another for knits — while we are happy to make this change for you upon request — we do not have a automated system that can perform this automatically. What we have done in the past, and continue to do, is manually update a subscriber’s box upon request. If you feel that you need a particular style in a different size, please send us an email or call, and we can make those updates for you — that is no problem at all.

Additionally, we apologize for the experience your sister had. When our warehouse informs us that an item is missing from a return, we are instructed to handle accordingly. However, we do apologize for the frustration and inconvenience this caused your sister.

In regards to your previous return and exchange, we cannot create an exchange for a style that is on backorder / not available. However, sometimes an item may be on backorder and then we either receive a new shipment, or get returns of that item and can then release it for sale again. Our inventory levels change daily, and a lot of people do not wish to wait an uncertain amount of time for a style which is why we always suggest available styles first, so that the process is less tedious for the subscriber. If you would like to check in with Customer Service about the style you did not receive, we will be happy to see if we still have the style available in stock for you.

Lastly, we are incredibly grateful to have reached our stretch goals of sizes 16 and 18 during our Kickstarter campaign, but unfortunately, we did not raise enough funding to meet our color stretch goal options. The first color stretch goal would have become available at $250k, and we raised just over $150k. We are still a small start-up and we are trying our absolute best to reach everyone’s wants and needs.

My sincerest apologies for all the frustration this has caused. Please let me know if I can help you with anything else.

nursermk

Wow you have such a ground level history with them and some very well presented obvious problems. I am nearly brutal when it comes to inconsistency; if they cannot rectify problems or mistakes within a reasonable interval, I cut off the subscription without a second thought. Here’s hoping they see your post and learn something!?

Susan

I had reservations with the Dalton due to the navy color and detail in the back. I love it! I got compliments when I wore it to a party with white pants. It was super flattering in the front and the detail in the back made it feel one of a kind. I agree with everyone on the Caldwell. I didn’t expect it to be sheer. It is very comfortable. I am thinking it will look good under a jacket that I don’t plan to take off. I am going to try a white tank top under it as well. I took note that I will stay away from any linen white tops E&C makes in the future. I wore the Ash under a jean jacket and with tan pants. I really loved the look. This is only my second box and my first with better sizing. All fit well and overall I was pleased.

Kristin

I’m sending The Cadwell back. Same issue I had with The Kelly from a few seasons ago – I’m just big enough in the chest that the shirt gapes towards the front in the armholes and my bra shows on the sides. I’m not sure if sizing up would do anything but they don’t have the size up in stock anyway. Too bad, I was looking forward this one!

Tracy

I also returned the stripe shirt. Too big and boxy. I kept the tank and found it might and airy. I wasn’t brave enough for the dalton!!!

Elisa

My box was sort of a miss too. The ash and Liz lemon that I originally ordered were huge on me. (I ordered my correct size, but they just looked silly.) I did keep the white tank. I don’t have anything like it in my closet, and I often wear a tank under my shirts so that wasn’t a deal breaker for me. I will say that their customer service was amazing! I first tried to exchange for the same pieces in smaller sizes but they were out of stock. I eventually found two other styles from past collections to try but sadly those didn’t work either. I finally returned and they quickly refunded me almost immediately. Easy peasy. I’m hoping to have better luck in the fall!

Sarah

I was really upset with them about this box, and ended up getting a refund. Their customer service was so rude! I’m a size 14/16 (my waist is small, but I have a 36F chest- I’m totally out of proportion), and I contacted them and they told me the summer shirts would be loose fitting and they simply weren’t. The problem with Elizabeth and Clarke, is that their t-shirts are fitted- look back through all of the reviews. And they tend to run small in the chest.

Wendy

I received the same shirts that you did, Haley, and I agree. The linen tunic is more sheer than I like; none of my white or beige bras look good under it. I haven’t tried a white camisole yet. Otherwise I like it. I wore the blue Dalton to work and thought for sure someone would ask what was wrong with the shirt, but no one did! I do love the stripey one.

Ashlea

Wearing the Dalton today, thought it might be too tricky for me but it’s my favorite from this box. Looks great with the Your Bijoux Box long necklace from this month.

I didn’t get a shipping notification until after the box arrived, but otherwise their service is great.

Erin

One quick question, Haley – do you find the Ash to be long enough? I am 5’10 and constantly have issues with shirts being too short! I see that you are also a very tall girl 🙂

Summer 2016 was my first order with E&C. I emailed them yesterday because I hadn’t heard anything about my box, and it turns out the Liz Lemon & Parker (2 of my 3 choices) were on back order and they weren’t expected in stock for another 1-2 weeks. I was really surprised I wasn’t contacted about 2 of my items being on back order, and that I had to contact them and inquire about it myself. Weird. I am really bummed about it, so I chose previous shirts the Olsen and the Shannon. I will say, their customer service is truly outstanding. Responsive and polite, and willing to split orders and such. I was impressed. I am hoping to pick up the Liz Lemon in the fall box now. 🙂

Vero

Same issue here, which dissapointed me since I thought the whole idea of pre ordering 3 months ahead of time was so they know how many to expect they will need.
The liz lemon and the dalton are on back order for me and i had to email then to find out. While their customer service was more than polite and quickly responded I would have liked to be informed instead of me having to inquire why its now june 20 and i still havent received a tracking number.

Either way im expected to get the cadwell and the kelly (summer 2015) soon and im so super excited about that, and the dalton once they get more.

Jennifer

As a small correction, one shirt is $30. Also, since you’re exchanging the striped shirt for a different size, you can return the white shirt and exchange it for a past shirt you may have missed out on. I’ve found their customer service is awesome 🙂

Haley Faye

Oops! You’re right, I’m sorry! Typo. And you are right – I love that they let you get past shirts that are still in stock!

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Elizabeth & Clarke Subscription Box Review + Coupon – Summer 2016

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