I received a tote of clothing from Golden Tote in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions on this service.
Last month I reached out to Golden Tote for a potential partnership highlighting their services for those who have been on the capsule wardrobe adventure with me this year. I have been trying out different subscription services this year, but they all have been disappointing and too pricey for me to recommend as a great service on our site. The wardrobe options that I had seen of items available through Golden Tote seemed like smarter basics and better quality for a lot less than some of the other services I tried. Golden Tote agreed to send me a tote in exchange for an honest post today on my blog.
What the Heck is Golden Tote?
Golden Tote offers you the chance to create a style profile (describing your likes, dislikes, size, and styles you relate most to) and then they use this profile to create a tote bag of items for you based upon your style profile and selections. They offer two totes priced at $49 (that contains 2-3 pieces in it) or a tote priced at $149 (that contains five to six pieces). You can pick one or two items (again, this is based upon the tote size you selected) and then their team of stylists selects the additional items that are included in the tote. The price averages approximately $26 each piece, making it a more affordable option compared to a service like Stitch Fix. They also offer you a boutique option where you can purchase additional items to be shipped with your tote that can be purchased individually rather than their tote bag concept.
What is the Catch With Golden Tote?
If you don’t like something, you do not have the option to return a portion of your tote for a refund. You can return the entire tote (including the items you picked) or you can try to trade/sell the items that you don’t love by joining their Golden Tote Facebook group. The Golden Tote Facebook Group, I have found, is a warm and enthusiastic crowd where you can virtually share your tote and get supportive & honest opinions on what the company sent you. This is where you can also buy, sell, or trade your items with one another.
Sizing is always an issue for me because I am petite and it is a very rare occurrence that I can wear something off of the hanger even in an XS size. Three of the items that I received will require alterations so I always have to factor that cost in for myself. If you are a girl who struggles with sizing too, factor the cost of alterations into your tote wardrobe.
Each capsule I add a few pieces into my wardrobe that I think will be good investments and keep things fun to help me break up the habit of wanting to shop during my three-month hiatus. I love the challenge of creating many outfits from one piece and I wanted to see if there would be the same versatility and fun with my capsule wardrobe creating if I utilized a stylist service to help outfit me. I have styled all of the items with things that will be going into the next capsule to show you a few ways I plan to wear them. I think this is a great option for people who want to take the guess work out of purchases and want to stay on trend with their wardrobe.
Let’s take a peek at what was in my first Golden Tote bag!
These are the two items that I selected for myself and, as expected, these are the two items that I really loved the most. As you can see, the Covered in Diamonds Dress (from Collective Concepts, in emerald green) can easily be dressed up or dressed down. It is fully lined and an appropriate length for a busy mom like me and it has a little clasp on the chest to keep everything ladylike without the need for a camisole underneath. It will require alterations due to the volume on top, but it is so versatile that I will be adding this to my capsule wardrobe this year.
The May Flowers top is a beautiful floral from Skies Are Blue that I will be wearing a lot in my capsule this summer and fall. Again, I will need to have this altered since the top is really boxy on me, but a belt makes it picture-perfect for right now! This will pair perfectly with my emerald green cardigan for Fall and early Spring. Thanks to its colors, it will go perfectly with just about everything in my capsule.
Clearly, I know how to pick them- ha! Let’s see what Golden Tote put in my bag this month!
An embroidered peasant top has been on my wish list for summer so I was really excited to get this from Le Sample. I can wear this with my jeans or shorts this summer. I was worried this would be too boxy for me, but I love how the material drapes when I put it on. This one was a winner for me and is definitely going to get a lot of love this summer!
Pardon the sunburn on the neck from my project this weekend, but I had to show you the front and back of this adorable top that they sent. This top from Potter’s Pot has a print that I think will work fabulously for summer or fall. I wasn’t sold on this until I put it on and I think it is the detail on the neckline that really sold me on this one. I ended up really loving this one and am also putting this in my capsule!
This item is going to be altered because it is a DRESS not a shirt from Promesa. The material feels like the softest pajamas in the world and I like the way that the lines are cut on this. For a dress, for a Sir-Mix-A-Lot girl (if you know what I’m saying) it was an epic fail. I am too wide on bottom for this one and the stripes hit me in the wrong direction.
NO! #sirmixalot
I’m taking this one in to be altered into a shirt- a little less volume on top and shortening the bottom so I can wear it with my leggings, jeans, or black slacks. This seems like the perfect solution for something that feels like pajamas and that can easily transition into fall. Sometimes you do need to think outside the box… or the tote…you know what I mean?
This last dress will also require some alterations and it was a complete surprise how much I loved it. It’s also from Skies Are Blue and it feels like pajamas, but I could style it up or down depending on my mood. It was another lovely surprise and home run from Golden Tote.
That is everything that was in my tote this month and I am trading/selling ZERO items! Yup, I love them all and they all are going in my capsule for this summer (reveal coming soon!!). The care tags on most of these items require hanging dry and gentle cycle. I want my clothes to last and look great in my capsule so I do this already. It is something to keep in mind though if you are hard on your clothing.
I would love to hear if you have tried Golden Tote and what your experience has been since this is my first tote? Leave your comments below!
I received a tote of clothing from Golden Tote in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions on this service.