Infinitely LOFT Clothing Rental Review
Is renting better than buying?
Infinitely LOFT is a clothing rental service from the Ann Taylor brand, LOFT, that gives you unlimited clothing rental, three pieces at a time for $64.95/month. They offer petite, tall, and maternity clothes in addition to regular sizes, so this rental program can work for a myriad of people.
It seems like many brands are coming out with their own rental service these days. I thought I'd give LOFT's version a try since I periodically pop into their stores to check out the brand's soft colors and silhouettes. I thought renting clothing from a single brand would be a better way to get a good fit (something I had trouble right with other programs, like Haverdash), and I was partially right. I think the discounts Infinitely LOFT offered were stellar, but I still didn't end up buying anything I tried out.
About Infinitely LOFT
The Subscription: Infinitely LOFT
The Cost: $64.95 per month + free US shipping
What You Get: A set of three LOFT-brand clothing items to rent for as long as you'd like. Buy rental items at a discount, or swap what you have for a new set of three items. You can swap your set as often or as infrequently as you want.
Ships to: Any street address in the United States. They do not ship to US territories.
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
Pros & Cons
| The Pros |
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| The Cons |
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| Is It Worth It? |
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| I'd Recommend Infinitely LOFT If You |
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How It Works
Infinitely LOFT is a clothing rental subscription that allows you to rent an unlimited amount of items within the month for the same flat fee. Once you fill up your virtual closet with items you like, Infinitely LOFT will start shipping sets of those items out to you. Choose to wear and return items (without needing to launder them), or purchase ones you like at a discount, and repeat.
Getting Started
The signup process for Infinitely LOFT is incredibly quick and easy. You're able to browse styles before committing to a subscription, and you can even sign up for an account before fronting any money. Since everything they offer is from the LOFT brand, there aren't any style profiles to fill out. (Other rental services that offer clothes from several different brands usually have a more in-depth profile to help them understand your style and sizing.) If you already know what sizes you wear in LOFT, you're in a good spot right out of the gate!
I started to browse the New Arrivals page to see which Infinitely LOFT items might catch my eye. While I don't always seek out the aesthetic LOFT offers, I often find myself drawn to their classic, romantic pieces, and I find their color palette really pleasing. I was especially interested in some of the botanical prints they had.
As I've mentioned, the stand-out feature for this rental service is that it accommodates a wide range of special sizes, including petites. I don't normally pay attention to petites, but since I'm 5'3", I thought it might be worth giving those items a shot.
When I clicked into an item, I found images, a size chart, product details, and available sizes. There are tabs for regular, petite, tall, and plus sizing within the size section. It looks like Infinitely LOFT offers a lot of their clothing in a variety of sizes.
Your Virtual Closet
When I'm signed into my Infinitely LOFT account, there's a little hanger icon at the top right corner of my screen that links to my Virtual Closet. The closet is where I can keep track of pieces I have On The Rack, any items I've put On Hold, and what I have At Home. Let's go through what each one of those means...
On the Rack
On the Rack is where you can add items you want to rent—it's where Infinitely LOFT looks when pulling together your next set of rentals. They require that there are AT LEAST eight items in your On the Rack section before they'll put together your first shipment. I suggest loading up before you even sign up for the subscription. If you only have seven items in there, a shipment will not get triggered. Infinitely LOFT also suggests keeping 20 items On the Rack to ensure a seamless experience when you exchange your set for a new one.
On the Rack items can be marked as a priority, or moved to the "on hold" section (which I'll cover in a sec). You can't dictate exactly which items you'll get in a set, but LOFT will try to ship your priority items sooner rather than later.
On Hold
The On Hold section is where you can save items that you'd like to try in a different season, or things you're interested in but may not want to try just yet. You can easily move them to your rack when you're ready to check them out.
At Home
The At Home section is exactly what it sounds like. It shows what items are on their way or what you currently have to wear. You can track your package, buy an item, or make returns from this screen. This is also the only place Infinitely LOFT shows the price to keep an item and the discount they are offering on it.
History
The final section is a little less visible, but can be found at the bottom left of the closet page. The History page shows all of your past rentals, their sizes, when they shipped/were returned, and how you rated them.
My First Infinitely LOFT Delivery
After I stocked my rack, I got an email letting me know that my first delivery was being prepared. I got another email when the set shipped. This process typically takes about two days, although my first box didn't ship for five.
The Unboxing
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My first box featured some simple branding. Inside, the items were wrapped in white tissue paper.
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There was a folded booklet that went over the basics of how Infinitely LOFT works. Their motto is "Rent. Return. Repeat."
In every delivery, there's a large plastic pre-addressed mailer to use to return the clothing that you don't keep.
The Clothing
I think LOFT is perfect for basics like cardigans and camis, so I was excited to get one of each along with a cute romper that seemed perfect for warm weather.
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My first Infinitely LOFT delivery included:
- Petite Bird Strappy Cami in Coastal Grey, Size Small - Cost to Keep $17.50 (60% off)
- Petite Striped Double V Romper in Whisper White, Size 14 - Cost to Keep $35.50 (60% off)
- Petite Pocket Open Cardigan in Dark Eucalyptus Leaf, Size Small - Cost to Keep $27.50 (60% off)
As you can see, I wanted to take advantage of having petite options, so I went all out. I really liked the printed top and was happy I left my solid-colored comfort zone if only for a moment. The small in petite was a little tight in my armpits though, so I'm not sure I need petite sizing after all. The cardigan was a similar story, as the long sleeves were quite tight. The romper, however, which I ordered in a size 14 after consulting the hip measurement was way too large on me. I normally wear a 10 but thought a 14 petite maybe made sense? The style was so cute, but I was swimming in it even after cinching.
Here's what I got in my other two deliveries:
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My second delivery included:
- Petite Short Dolman Sleeve Sweater in Fresh Lapis, Size Small - Cost to Keep $19.50 (60% off)
- Floral Jacquard Raglan Tee in Soft Rose, Size Small - Cost to Keep $14.50 (70% off)
- Criss Cross Back Pocket Dress in Black, Size 10 - Cost to Keep $35.50 (60% off)
Abandoning petites except for one style, I moved back into regular sizing for my second shipment. The blue top fit, but after looking at the product page again, it seems like it should be more oversized than it was. Foiled again by petites! Regular sizing it is. I love a good raglan and was really enchanted by the pink floral jacquard. The recent weather has still been little too hot for this top's heavier fabric, so I probably should have kept it in my On Hold section until fall. The black dress was pretty awesome! I felt comfortable in the silhouette, and although it's a bit tricky to wear with a bra, I enjoyed the style quite a bit. Pockets, too!
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My third delivery included:
- Swing Open Cardigan in Grey Multi, Size Medium - Cost to Keep $17.50 (70% off)
- Embroidered Dot Seamed Shirttail Tank in White, Size Small - Cost to Keep $9.50 (61% off)
- Petite Pull-On Maxi Skirt in Blush Blossom, Size Large - Cost to Keep $20.50 (70% off)
This last shipment was a huge miss for me, sadly. I liked the sleeveless shirt, but the skirt just seemed to swallow me up. The cardigan didn't help define my shape either. I think the cardigan would've been better over skinny jeans instead of a drape skirt. The cool part was that Infinitely LOFT sent me a complete outfit in this shipment, which means I could quickly return it if I wanted a fresh delivery.
Returning Items
When you are done wearing your items simply use the "Return Notify" feature in the At Home section. This is the quickest way to let Infinitely LOFT know you're returning your clothes and are ready for your next shipment. They'll start to prep your next box and ship it as soon as your return bag starts tracking with USPS. If you forget this step, they won't prep your next box until they receive your return, which can take a lot longer.
An important note is that you must return all three items together unless you want to purchase something. If you only send one of the three pieces back, because you want to wear the other items longer, Infinitely LOFT will assume you want to purchase those items and charge you for them.
When you return your items, it will also ask you to rate each piece, note how often you wore it, and share what you did or didn't like about it. The ratings will show up in the History section of your account—it's a helpful reference for remembering how things fit for the future.
Making Purchases
Infinitely LOFT is first and foremost a rental service. BUT if you fall in love with something, the good news is that you don't have to part with it. They offer really great discounts on the clothing you receive—I have to say, I'm pretty impressed with 60% off. If you choose to keep something from your shipment, just hit the "Buy Item" button in your At Home section, and you'll be charged the price listed.
They will also price match anything from their website (third party websites not included) if you find it cheaper on www.LOFT.com. Note that the price will only be matched if it's the same style, color, and size and is in stock.
Laundering & Damaged Items
One of the best parts of renting clothing is that there's no need to wash the items before sending them back. Infinitely LOFT will take care of all of the dry cleaning:
We use no dyes or perfumes in the cleaning process and have a state-of-the-art on-site dry cleaning plant. Additionally, three different inspectors review all items after the laundry process to ensure they arrive in pristine condition.
If you wear an item more than once and want to wash it yourself, you certainly can. They just ask that you follow the care instructions on the tag. They suggest that most items should either be washed on a gentle cycle in cold water or dry cleaned.
They also expect normal "wear and tear" to occur, so you're not held accountable for pilling, snags, or accidental spills.
How many items can you try in a month?
Infinitely LOFT promises "unlimited" monthly rentals, but how many items can you really get within a month period? In my experience, three shipments (which adds up to nine items) seems like a solid answer. There are many factors that will determine how many pieces you can get, such as how long you choose to wear the items, the types of items you receive (some sets can be worn all in one outfit, others not so much), and how quick you are at getting that bag of returns to the post office. I think it's possible to get four shipments if you're really on a mission to get as many items as possible, but you can also happily sit on one shipment all month. It's completely up to you.
Canceling Infinitely LOFT
If you decide to end your Infinitely LOFT subscription, you have two ways to cancel. Go into your account, find the cancel button, and you'll get a pop up with a phone number (10am-6pm ET Mon-Fri) and an email address.
I chose to email the company. With email, expect some back and forth. The company will want to know why you are canceling and will probably offer you a credit or discount to stay. Still, I got through the process in less than a half-hour. Calling is probably a lot quicker, but the window of time to call is smaller.
The person you speak to will give you a window of time in which you have to return any remaining clothing you have, but I didn't have a problem getting that done in the allotted time.
So, is Infinitely LOFT worth it?
I'm lucky enough to live in a city with several LOFT stores close by. I can often check out their sales and try on clothes in person to see if I like them without messing around with mail and returns. For me, Infinitely LOFT's $64.95 membership fee let me try nine items in one month that I had no commitment to buy, but I still had trouble with sizing. I think if I were to subscribe for longer, or if I was already more familiar with LOFT's sizing, that issue would have resolved itself.
I think Infinitely LOFT is a wonderful option for those who want fresh clean clothing all the time without filling up their closet or buying it new. It's also great for those who fluctuate between sizes and don't want to commit to a whole new wardrobe. I also know a lot of people who hate going to malls or are simply too busy, so this program could work for them, too. If you think paying $7.22 to wear an item for a few days is a good deal (and hate doing laundry) Infinitely LOFT could be the perfect service for you!
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