From Netflix to food boxes, subscription packages have become a core part of how we shop in the modern world. And the modern fashion scene is not immune to the growing trend of subscription box shopping. Companies offering clothing subscription boxes in the UK have been steadily increasing in recent years, with packages to suit any budget or style.
Clothing subscription services work on the same subscription model used in other industries. Consumers sign up for the service and companies prepare clothing packages and send them out on a pre-approved basis.
Depending on the service, this can include a membership fee or styling fee, and involve anything from a monthly subscription fee to paying for a clothes box on an as ordered basis. Similarly some services involve a monthly clothing subscription while others may involve receiving a new box of clothes a few times a year.
Although in 2020 fashion boxes made up nearly a quarter of all subscription boxes UK wide, the industry is not without its wobbles. Beloved by many, Stitch Fix finally closed its doors to UK customers in October 2023 after initial problems during the pandemic that they sadly couldn’t fix.
We look at some Stitch Fix alternatives UK fashionistas can take advantage of here.
Why are clothing subscription boxes so Popular?
There are a few reasons that people love them.
Try Before You Buy
Many UK fashion subscription boxes allow you to try the clothes in the box, keep or buy the new pieces that you want and send the rest back. This try before you buy concept means that you can have all the advantages of online shopping without the risk.
This helps to make sure everything fits with your own personal style, suits your body shape and has you feeling fabulous. It also helps the clothes subscription service better understand what you like.
Always on Trend
Services offering on demand or monthly clothing subscription boxes listen to what you want and create a selection of items that are on trend while still being your style. This means that your clothes always fit with the latest trends while still fitting with your style preferences.
This can involve you filling out a style quiz or liaising with a personal styling service before you receive your first box. So your clothes always fit with the latest trends while still having that touch of individuality.
A Time Saver
Browsing the stores on our local high street or clicking through our favourite brands’ endless pages can take time we don’t have.
A clothing subscription box service does all the hard work for you. They deliver quality clothing right to our doorstep, saving us the endless hours that conventional shopping would have taken.
Is it Ethical and Sustainable?
The ethical and sustainable credentials of clothes subscription boxes really depend on the company used. However, in the cases where you send the clothes back it does get the shopper into the mindset of clothing rental, which is a much more sustainable way to “consume” clothes.
Third Party Designers
Not all fashion subscription services design their own clothing. This means that the ethical and sustainable policies of the company rely heavily on the clothing companies that supply them with new outfits.
However, overall the system promotes a more considered fashion sector. It allows consumers to move away from an attitude of unsustainable impulse buying through a regular subscription model. And it allows clothes to be used many more times than they would be if you bought them, wore them once and stashed them at the back of your wardrobe.
Do your Research
As with any fashion organisation, it pays to do your research. Look at the clothing brands that a UK clothing subscription company uses, its policies on sustainable packaging and fair work to make an informed choice that fits with your morals.
Is It Expensive?
The simple answer is that some services can be costly. Boxes with luxury brands are more likely to come with an increased price tag. However, there are some clothing subscriptions that also have great prices. This means there are services to fit almost any price range.
It is also important to consider that the price tag on subscription boxes is for multiple products over an increased time frame. A recent study recommended that consumers spend 5% of their salary on clothing. While one six month clothing subscription may cost £500, over a year this works out at less than 5% of the median British salary (£31,000).
7 of the best clothing subscription boxes for UK shoppers
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Here are 7 of our favourite clothing subscription boxes available right now in the UK:
1. Stripe & Stare
Based: UK
Range: Underwear
Price: £6 per pair
Sustainability creds: Sustainable materials, B-Corp certified, tree planting programs, sustainable packaging, supports charitable and social initiatives
Hate having to buy new underwear? Then a subscription to Stripe & Stare‘s Comfort Club may be worth a look. Simply pick the underwear style and colour that you like and the subscription delivers a pair to your door at the beginning of every month. You can try a different underwear style whenever you please and can cancel at any time.
Stripe & Stare holds B Corp certification and uses sustainable and biodegradable materials, such as Tencel in its ranges. It engages in tree planting programs and in give back schemes.
What’s more, we have negotiated an exclusive 10% discount for Good Maker Tales readers with code GOODMAKERTALES10.
See our post for more sustainable fashion brand discounts.
2. The Devout
Based: UK
Range: Men’s and Women’s Clothing Boxes
Price: £79
Sustainability creds: Rental service
Working slightly differently from many other UK clothes subscription boxes, The Devout gives the choice back to the consumer. With each monthly clothes box, customers can choose five stylish, contemporary items to be delivered to their door. With top fashion brands available, from £39 per month you can have styles worth close to £500, providing great value. They also have an option for a one off, 7 day rental for £19.
The champions of circular fashion, when the month is up items are returned to The Devout and a new box is sent. By this very model, The Devout is keeping clothing out of landfill and rejecting a fast fashion mindset. And, as well as clothing boxes for women, they offer boxes for men too.
3. Belles and Babes
Based: UK
Range: Maternity clothing and organic children’s clothes
Price: £20 – £45 per box
Sustainability creds: Hire service, organic fabrics, reusable packaging
Belles and Babes is the solution to kids growing out of clothes too quickly and maternity wear that can only be worn for a few months. The company offers subscription boxes of baby clothes and maternity wear that grow with you. When you’ve finished with your trendy items, simply send them back and get the next set of perfectly fitting new styles.
Belles and Babes offers soft organic clothing and tailors the boxes for the season. Swaps are available if there is a style in the box you just aren’t feeling, and sustainable packaging is used.
See our interview with their founder Emma Gillespie for more information about this great brand.
4. Mos Clothing Subscription
Based: Italy
Range: Men’s and women’s socks
Price: €89 per Shipment
Sustainability creds: Vegan, use of deadstock fabric, plastic free packaging
With clothing made in Italy, Mos Clothing is considered in its approach to the fashion sector. The organisation is a champion of slow fashion and works to make sustainable clothing accessible. Mos Clothing’s curated boxes host elegant styles and classic designs.
The company’s clothing is vegan, and deadstock and vintage fabrics are used to reduce waste. Believing in a sustainable future, the brand’s packaging is eco-friendly and even the office lights are LED. For more vegan clothing see our article of the best brands in the UK here.
5. A Curated Thrift
Based: USA (available internationally)
Range: Women’s clothing subscription
Price: $49.95 – 849.95 USD per month
Sustainability creds: Pre-loved styles, eco-friendly shipping
A Curated Thrift is the ultimate pre-loved shopping destination. This clothing subscription service scours all the greatest thrift store styles to bring unique looks to subscribers every month. With style box titles including, ‘Hollywood Regency’, ‘Grunge’ and ‘Classic Chic’, A Curated Thrift has something for everyone!
A Curated Thrift gives a new life to pre-loved fashion. It provides a great way for consumers to easily access the second hand market and curates these styles to always look on trend.
6. Bundlee
Based: UK
Range: Baby and Children’s Clothing
Price: £24- £39 per month
Sustainability creds: Rental service, OEKO-TEX, GOTS Certified, Climate-KIC
Bundlee holds the proud title of the first rental clothing boxes in the UK made specifically for babies. Bundlee works with quality baby clothing companies, and even creates its own sustainable designs.
Whether you are looking to dress your little one in a chic minimalistic style, explore arty and fun prints, or are a fan of modern classic design, Bundlee has something for you.
The Bundlee branded clothing items in the boxes are produced in a mill that runs on 70% renewable energy. These sustainable styles are also OEKO-TEX and GOTS certified. To top it all off, when your little one has grown out of their fashionable clothes, you can send them back and get some new styles!
7. cocoon
Based: UK
Range: Luxury Bags
Price: £79-£99 per month
Sustainability creds: Rental Programs
For anyone that knows that a quality bag is the ultimate style accessory, Cocoon is for you. Cocoon creates stylish subscription boxes for UK buyers made up of only the best bags. The service has everything from high quality crossbody bags to totes, and even belt bags available. Styles are all from luxury houses, fulfilling all your bag desires.
Although not all the brands that Cocoon works with have the best sustainability practices, the rental subscription service it offers helps to mitigate these impacts. It allows consumers to engage with the luxury market in a way that promotes considered consumption, circular fashion, and a more balanced outlook on the styles we choose to wear.
A New Fashion Model
The subscription model is becoming a core part of modern shopping. These boxes move away from a fast fashion mindset and allow clothes to be used more. They allow consumers to experiment with clothing styles in a fun way.
Rental subscriptions provide a practical and sustainable way to update a stylish wardrobe, and always find clothes with the perfect fit.
Whether it’s that we are all wanting to save some time, are stuck in a style rut, or just don’t want to trudge down the high street, it seems that clothing subscription boxes are here in the UK to stay.
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