What I’m Wearing This Week: Armoire

Yay for the weekend! My attempt to keep Mr. HGL off the couch appears to be working and I think his biggest issue right now is arthritis. He tried to jump up on the couch last night but fell backwards and then became embarrassed and hid under the couch! Poor little dude and his senior moments.

As for this week's review, the DL dress was amazing and I wore it a lot, but the zipper broke so I couldn't take any pics in it for the review because I couldn't get back into it.

WHAT I’M WEARING THIS WEEK: Armoire

Welcome back to What I'm Wearing This Week: Armoire. For the newbies, every Friday on WIWTW I'll recap the clothing rentals I wore for the week. I’ll take you on a trip through my life, where I’m going, what’s missing in my closet, my current obsessions, what I’m excited to try, and maybe even buy. We’ll explore designers and trends, and a variety of styles and brands. And each week I’ll fill you in on why I chose each item, the total value of the rental compared to the retail price (as of today I've rented $100,849 worth of clothing), and more.

Armoire, which is a clothing rental company for women, is all about female empowerment. From the hand-selected and curated inventory of styles that are designed by the Boss Lady, for the Boss Lady, to their involvement with female-powered brands, and their partnership with Dress for Success Seattle, they’re a brand built for today’s woman. 

This is a review of the Unlimited Plan for $249/month.

ACTIVE DEAL: Get $30 OFF 1 month of the 7-item plan OR 50% OFF 1 month of the unlimited plan.
CODE: 7MSA89 or MSAUNLIMITED50

This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)

WHAT I RECEIVED 

All four items by Joie, Michael Stars and DL 1961 and arrived fresh from the dry cleaner, neatly folded, and sealed in a shipping bag.

Joie Surene Embellished Slip Dress, Retail Value $278 Armoire $175

About the Designer: Since its inception in 2001, Joie has been one of the most sought-after contemporary brands yielding to the fashion-minded woman. Effortlessly chic, Joie represents accessible luxury and casual style for today's modern woman.

Originally known for its romantic silk blouses and coastal inspired aesthetic, Joie has grown into a lifestyle brand, complete with a collection of ready-to-wear designs, a floral fragrance, and accessories.

Why I rented: I love slip dresses!

How I styled it: I didn't end up wearing it because it didn't fit me correctly, but in the photo, I wore Mignonne Gavigan Aziza hoops, Kendra Scott Maya necklace, Devi Kroll Snakeskin clutch, and Karl Lagerfeld Strappy pumps.

Size and fit: Cut in a fluid silhouette with detailed and adjustable double shoulder straps, this breezy pullover style dress is designed with a v-neckline and slight empire waist (at least on me!). I got a medium and it was a little snug in the bodice, and the spaghetti straps didn't adjust enough to fit a long torso.

Condition: Very good.

Honest review: The fabric was thick, but due to the sheen, it highlighted everything. And it fit me oddly.

Michael Stars Calliope Power Shoulder Maxi Dress, Retail Value $128, Armoire $109

About the Designer: What began as a collection of our iconic one-size graphic tees has grown into a wide assortment of timeless and high-quality apparel meant to endure and be passed on to the next generation. As a purpose-driven brand, we’ve been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to support grassroots organizations in our local community and beyond through the Michael Stars Foundation. Our philanthropy focuses on equality across gender, race, and socioeconomic class. We also produce over 70% of our garments locally in LA to ensure quality production and fair wages, as well as a smaller carbon footprint. More than just being our home base, that west coast effortlessness is a vibrant celebration of our California roots.

Why I rented it: For starters, it was brand new with tags, and I loved the color and design.

How I styled it: You can dress this up or down, and admittedly I wore it a lot during my move because it's like wearing an oversized, extra-long tee. I wore this to go shopping, for happy hour and even to the office! For work, I paired it with the Givenchy Nightengale bag (it holds everything), a pair of gold-tone leaf drop earrings I purchased from Rocksbox, the Obi Leather belt from Etsy, a pair of Ferragamo Wedges, and the Pinko blazer (just in case I got cold).

Size and fit: Crafted in a cozy cotton, modal and spandex blend, this flattering maxi dress features a crewneck, cap sleeves, asymmetrical pleating, and a side slit. The fit is slim yet relaxed too and despite being unlined, the pleating can conceal lumps, but I wore undergarments to work so my thongs weren't showing.

Condition: Brand new with tags.

Honest review: I wore this comfy, casual cool maxi so many times, I forgot it wasn't mine. I considered buying it and for once, it would've been cheaper on Armoire! It's currently in stores for $128, so if you love it, I totally support this purchase!

Michael Stars Tala Asymmetrical Front Slip Midi Dress, Retail Value $98, Armoire $83

Why I rented it: Since I've become a creature of habit, I got a second one in a different style and color!

How I styled it: Well, I didn't wear this dress to the office because it's probably too much, but I got tons of wear otherwise! I paired it with Mignonne Gavigan Meknes Stud earrings, a vintage studded leather belt, Ferragamo Gavina sandals, Gucci Studded Leather jacket, and the Chanel 19. But I also wore it with my comfy Crocs sandals and the Balenciaga Graffiti City bag to run errands.

Size and fit: Rendered in a ribbed cotton, modal and spandex blend, this cute dress features a crewneck, shoulder straps, asymmetrical side pleating, and side slit. I got a medium and it's slim-fitting with a little stretch.

Condition: Brand new with tags.

Honest review: Michael Stars is underrated. Great quality and affordable too! I wanted to buy this dress as well. Love, love, love. If you're on the market for the perfect day to night summer dress, go get it!

DL 1961 Esme Sleeveless Denim Midi Dress, Retail $279, Armoire $209

About this Designer: DL1961 is a global premium denim brand that is carried in hundreds of stores. The brand was founded in 2008 using XFIT LYCRA, a fabric it has patented. XFIT is a cotton-wrapped Lycra thread intertwined with polyester made by DL parent company ADM Denim, which was founded by Faisal and Meliha Ahmed. The company uses an eco-friendly manufacturing process that it introduced in 2013 to use less water, waste, and dye.

The company uses renewable energy from solar panels for their factory operations. According to the DL1961 CEO, Zahra Ahmed, the brand is "centered around innovation and technology". The company uses an eco-friendly manufacturing process that it introduced in 2013 to use less water, waste, and dye.

The company uses renewable energy from solar panels for their factory operations. According to the DL1961 CEO, Zahra Ahmed, the brand is "centered around innovation and technology".

Why I rented it: Brand new and I love the denim shade and design. I also needed something that was more casual than dressy.

How I styled it: I wore this dress so many times and in so many ways. Easy to dress up or down!

Size and fit: Designed for a body-hugging fit, this sleeveless denim dress is crafted in recycled cotton with a hint of stretch (really not stretchy at all) and features a round neckline, seam detailed bodice, concealed back and side zip closures (otherwise you couldn't get into or out of it), and back slit.

I got a medium it runs a little on the smaller side throughout.

Condition: New with tags, but the was zipper broken! Grr.

Honest review: Another winner this week. Loved the design, denim shade, and the sturdiness of the dress. You should buy this one too!

DID THEY DELIVER? 

• What items were most helpful and versatile to own this week to ensure I got the most out of my rental and completed the look I craved? I got so much wear out of everything, I held onto all of it for far too long! Surprised they didn't send out a search crew to find these pieces.
• Did they meet or exceed expectations? Exceeded expectations.
• What’s the return process like? Place the items in the bag, seal it up and that's it!

FINAL THOUGHTS

As someone who works in marketing, I'm always on the hunt for clever ways to catch the attention of our customers at work, and Armoire succeeded with their emails a few weeks ago. Check it out.

If you can't see the emails, Armoire sent out two spam emails in a row (first one's subject line said "total junky junk junk junk junk blah") and then followed up with this "OOPS! Out Engineer Hit the "Send All" Button". The copy was clever and cute, and then they proceeded to throw the "engineer" under the bus by linking to her style closet.

I shared these emails with my team, and we got a good laugh out of it. I clicked on the links because I wanted to find out what the "total junky junk" was all about and didn't even think about it potentially being a scam. Luckily, it wasn't, and I also checked out the engineer's style closet.

I'd be interested to know if it really was a mistake or a way to get attention and get people to open their emails and look at the clothes. Either way, it was cute and clever, and their redemption email was a fun read too!

So, was it a real mistake or a trick?

ACTIVE DEAL: Get $30 OFF 1 month of the 7-item plan OR 50% OFF 1 month of the unlimited plan.
CODE: 7MSA89 or MSAUNLIMITED50

VALUE BREAKDOWN: The Unlimited membership costs $249/month and so far, I've received styles with a retail value of $100,849!

What are your thoughts about Armoire and rentals in general? Let me know what you think down below!