If you aren’t familiar with Golden Tote, here’s a really quick intro: Every month, a new "collection" of seasonally appropriate, trend-conscious clothing is added to their collection. Depending on the subscription level you choose, you can pick out 1-2 pieces from those options, and Golden Tote will surprise you with the rest. The surprise items are completely different from the collections you pick from. Golden Tote also offers a Surprise Tote, where you choose your preferred size but leave all the picking up to the stylists at Golden Tote.
For January 2018, Golden Tote JUST offered a Mystery Tote full of final sale merchandise. They'll resume their normal process in February. Here's the information they provided in their email newsletter:
This is a review of the $69.00 Golden Tote, which includes four final-sale clothing items.
And for those of you asking, yes, everything does arrive in a literal tote!
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Golden Tote Clothing Subscription Box
The Subscription Box: Golden Tote
The Cost: Typically, Golden Tote offers a $149.00 Golden Tote (5 clothing items), or $59.00 Mini Tote (2 clothing items). Both allow you to pick at least one of your items. There's also a Surprise Tote (3 clothing items all picked by Golden Tote) for $89.00. This month, they offered a Mystery Tote for $69.00, which includes 4 final-sale clothing items that are all chosen by Golden Tote. We'll be reviewing the Mystery Tote today!
The Products: The Mystery Tote we'll review today includes 4 final-sale clothing items picked for your size specifications.
Ships to: The US for $5.95 or free on orders $149 and over. International for $30.00.
Delivered via: UPS or USPS
Golden Tote January 2018 "Mystery Tote" Review
This month's box came with a tote and an invoice listing the Mystery Tote, but not the individual items inside the tote. Let's check out the items first, then we'll talk value at the end of this review!
Fuzzy Black Open Cardigan, Size Large/XL
I love winter sweaters (I'm always cold), and I basically live in the one I got from a previous Golden Tote order. But this sweater ffitsa little small for my liking. (Weird, since it's a large/extra-large and I'm usually a medium.)
I do love the fuzziness, the neutral color, and that it has pockets (hooray)!
But it's small through the shoulders (this is a usual thing for me—my shoulders are on the wider side), and though it comes with a belt, it seems like it's meant for a narrower body type. As you can see, the belt looks a little odd when the cardigan itself lays so far apart. If I can't find a friend who'd it fit better, I might hang on to it and wear it (belt-less) when I need to warm up a formal dress in a pinch.
Ribbed Silver Metallic Skirt, Size Large
I think this was listed as a pick on the Golden Tote site shop not too long ago. I considered getting it, but I couldn't tell what the fabric was like from the photo. I thought maybe it'd be clingier than it is. To be clear, it is a little clingy—it's a poly-spandex blend fabric with no lining beneath—but a kind of clingy I can work with. You can see how it's not awesome at hiding my hips or the pudge around my waist, but add a little shapewear and that should help create a cleaner line. The thing I like most about it is how easy it is to wear. I can pop this elastic-waist skirt on as easily as I would a t-shirt, and the silver color functions like a neutral. It'll be an easy way to make even my laziest Saturday morning outfits say "I tried".
Black Tie-Neck Blouse, Size Large
Oh boy, this top is a large, which isn't far from my usual medium, but it really makes me feel like I'm going swimming. This thin satiny top is made from polyester, which makes for a smooth finish. The fabric itself is really pretty, it's just kind of overwhelming on my frame. The sleeves in particular, feel a little like I'm wearing a windbreaker. And as it doesn't have a lining of any kind, it sort of slips and slides around my shoulders as I wear it, which isn't the most comfortable. The cuffs are stretchy and smocked, which isn't my fave. But I do like a tie neckline. I think there's something cute and retro about it. I wish this was a medium so badly! I feel like that might rein it in just a bit.
Patterned Dress, Size Large
This dress fit pretty well, but the style isn't quite me. I think I would've loved the grid pattern a little more if it was in a less fall-ish hue. (Obviously my brain goes to black and white, but even a brighter lilac and white or something springy could've worked, too.) And the trim patterns are a little too rustic for my tastes, too. That said, it's an easy to wear polyester dress with a tie waistline that helps my hourglass figure out. Cute, just maybe not my thing.
The Verdict: This is my first Mystery Tote, and while I definitely didn't love it as much as the regular Golden Tote, I did find one or two pieces to work for me. It does stink that these are final-sale pieces—be sure you're ready for that risk before you buy! But I might use that opportunity to gift some of these items to friends who they might fit. (My pals have clothing swaps every now and again, and these would be some prime candidates.) My main issues with these items all involved little details—pattern pairings that weren't my style, sizing issues, an absent lining where one could've really been nice. Still, I can't say these items aren't unique, or that dissimilar to things I've seen at Target or even mid-range department stores. So if you're feelin' the aesthetic that Golden Tote is layin' down, I'd say go for it! (And then tell me what you got! I'm so curious...)
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No. Sign up now to start shopping regular totes! (Previous merchandise is available, with new collections starting up again in February.)
Value Breakdown: This box cost $69.00 + $5.95 shipping. That means that each of the four items cost me an average of $17.25 each.
Check out all of our Golden Tote reviews and the Women’s Clothing Subscription Box Directory!
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