16 minutes
Have you seen this video of “the BIG closet” on Instagram? This is our 30,000-square-foot warehouse filled with gazillions of premium garments in virtually every style. That’s thirty times the size of a standard mall store. How would anyone find clothes they like in a closet this big? Some of us would joyfully frolic through the aisles like our CEO Ambika in the video, yet many others would find it completely overwhelming. The stress of shopping is what drove many of us to rent in the first place. Over time, however, we’d all find our favorite racks. And that’s the key to browsing our virtual storefront too—knowing how to find the good stuff at Armoire.
Of course, our own definitions of “good stuff” are as unique as each of us. Here at Armoire, we stand behind everything in our inventory, but to each their own. Case in point: I work with a diverse group of stylish women. We all rent from Armoire, essentially sharing the same closet. Yet, we rarely show up in the same styles (it’s only happened once, actually). Where are my colleagues finding these cute outfits I’ve never seen? I asked them, “How do you find the good stuff at Armoire?” It turns out we all have our own methods for surfacing the styles that work best for us. It’s like having our own favorite racks, if you will.
Do you love wearing the wildly unaffordable stuff? Would it help to see the tried-and-true styles Armoire members really love? How about the new inventory that just arrived? Whatever floats your boat, we’ve got you. Read on for how to find the good stuff at Armoire, from the experts.
Featured Collections: New Inventory + Member Favs
from Alyssa Drewicz, Sr. Manager of Acquisition | See what Alyssa has been wearing
When it comes to shopping Armoire’s closet, one of my absolute favorite spots to visit is the New-In collection. This section goes above and beyond as it contains the latest and greatest additions to Armoire’s inventory. Finding the New-In collection is a breeze. Just hop onto the main page of your Armoire closet and scroll down to the featured styles section—you can’t miss it.
Once you’re there, prepare to be greeted by a multitude of premium brands in the latest styles. Whether you’re in need of a wardrobe refresh or simply looking to stay ahead of the curve, the New-In section is where it’s at. The best part: you are bound to find NWTs (new-with-tag items) when you rent from this collection. Note: because NWTs have not been rented by other members yet, they will not have robust reviews. If this is a need, be sure to visit my second favorite spot—the Top Member Picks collection.
You can find the Top Member Picks collection conveniently on the main page of your Armoire closet, also under the Featured Styles section.
This collection holds tried-and-true favorites that generated great reviews from fellow Armoire members. As all Top Member Picks have already been vetted and adored by other members, you will be picking from the best of the best, according to women like you. I can’t stress enough how reassuring it is to browse through styles that come with a stamp of approval from the community. So, if you’re anything like me and value a little extra peace of mind when it comes to your fashion choices, make sure to check out Armoire’s Top Member Picks collection—it’s like having thousands of stylish besties watching out for you.
Search by Brand
from Asmarine Pucay, Quality Lead | See what Asmarine has been wearing
When it comes time to seek pieces for my next Armoire case, my preferred method is to filter through brands I trust to best compliment my personal style. Armoire carries hundreds of brands—focusing on the ones I have a good history with keeps me from feeling overwhelmed during the selection process.
At Armoire, my role is quality lead, but you may recognize me from my Expert Reviews. I have tried on countless styles from almost every brand we carry to provide honest, thorough insights for our members. Through this experience, I’ve discovered new brands I love such as Oula, ASTR the Label, Joie, and French Connection, to name a few.
Armoire is a great place to try new stuff, but there’s no shame in having some reliable favorites as well. I remember trying on my mother’s Steve Madden platforms and silk cami dresses when I was a child. I couldn’t wait to fit into those clothes for real. Nostalgia makes me gravitate to Steve Madden to this day.
When time is of the essence, searching by brand helps me find a winner fast. I already know the right size for me and what to expect for fit and quality. Plus, it’s always a pleasant surprise when new items appear from a particular brand I love. Here’s how to do it: search any brand we carry in the search bar located on top. Viola!
Browse Recommendations
from Jen Mastrud, Head of Brand + Loyalty | See what Jen has been wearing
Every member gets 75 fresh recommendations every time they visit Armoire.style. This is my go-to, because these items are based on what the algorithm knows about me. It uses my inputs from the style quiz and other info such as what I’ve “liked” on the site and what I’ve disliked.
It’s a very efficient way to fill my case because the clothes I see are currently available in my size and ready to ship. I can avoid the rabbit hole of the endless scroll. Your custom closet is essentially your personalized home page. Every time you visit, it’s the first thing you’ll see. In your closet, your 75 recommendations are right on top—just click “view more” to see them all or rotate through them left to right.
It’s exciting to be greeted by a personalized closet on every visit. I’d compare it to walking into your favorite store where a familiar staffer has already filled a fitting room with things she knows you’ll love. How thoughtful. That kind of customer service doesn’t exist in the real world today.
Using this same analogy, the filtering options up top are the equivalent of telling your customer service hero specifically what you need today. “I’m looking for something for a night out this weekend.” No problem, she says, and instantly pulls 75 new looks for you. The best part: she’ll show you stuff that wouldn’t jump out to you on your own. She knows what you like, but she also knows what’s fresh and popular among other women like you. With her expertise, you discover even more things you feel great wearing than you ever thought possible.
This is the core experience our engineers have been carefully perfecting since day one. They are stretching themselves to build something revolutionary, and to think—all of this just for women! About damn time, says Lizzo.
Look Back at Likes
from Jen Mastrud, Head of Brand + Loyalty | See what Jen has been wearing
I’m mentioning this here because I’m guilty of it myself. I hit the like button often as I explore my options, but I forget to go back and look at these pieces when building a case. When I do remember, I’m pleasantly surprised by all the good stuff I forgot about and I wonder why I didn’t start here in the first place. These are my picks, after all.
Hitting the like button serves a couple of important purposes. One, it informs the algorithm so it learns your preferences. Second, it gathers everything you’re interested in into one handy spot, a.k.a. your favorites. You might see something somewhere on the site that’s not currently available in your size, but when you revisit your favorites and see it in there, it means your size is in stock and ready to ship. That induces a nice little shot of dopamine.
The ambitious among us can even organize their favorites into custom collections. Maybe it’s outerwear that you want to revisit in the fall, or styles you want to save for your next tropical vacation. However you want to organize your favorites is entirely up to you.
You can access your liked styles and custom collections on your personal homepage, right under your recommendations.
Sort by Retail Value
from Sylvie Messing, Social Media Manager | See what Sylvie has been wearing
One of my favorite responses when someone compliments a rented Armoire outfit—second only to, “Thanks, I rented it”, is, “Thanks, it retails for $300.” Normally, bragging about price is bad form, but not when it comes to clothing rental.
I love seeing the gawks on people’s faces when they hear the jaw-dropping price of what I’m wearing (for my latest example, see this NVLT Trench Coat), followed by a look of undeniable curiosity when I tell them I didn’t have to pay anywhere close to that. Enter my secret weapon: sorting by Retail Value, High to Low.
Armoire is the only site where I filter my selections by the highest retail price. Why not? Renters don’t pay a penny extra for those high price tags. All Armoire members get to rent from the entire inventory regardless of the MSRPs.
If you’re anything like me and relish wearing premium brands without paying premium prices, here’s your how-to:
I start by going to “Search” in the upper banner of my Armoire closet. There, you’ll find a dropdown menu of options filtered by category and occasion.
From there, click on anything you might want to browse. I have a girl’s trip to LA coming up, so naturally, I had to start with the “Night Out” section.
Once there, I clicked the “Sort By” dropdown, and selected my beloved R.P.H.T.L. (Retail Price High to Low—my new favorite acronym.) Before I knew it, a $2925 Herve Leger dress had popped up as the first result. If you’re on the 4-item plan, you’re saving $2836 on that dress, plus you get 3 more items to go with it!
So there you have it: your life hack for getting champagne styles on a beer budget. The next time someone compliments your outfit, don’t be shy. Divulge that MSRP and tell them it’s the Armoire R.P.H.T.L. technique.
Browse for Bargains
from Jen Mastrud, Head of Brand + Loyalty | See what Jen has been wearing
The best-kept secret at Armoire is The 90% Off Club. It’s not a secret in a “Fight Club” way; we just don’t talk about it much because these items are for sale and we’re obsessed with renting. Also, it’s exclusive to Armoire members only, as a membership benefit.
If you ever have the desire to add premium clothing to your forever closet, this is the place to do it. The 90% Off Club is filled with items we’re retiring in perfect condition at jaw-dropping prices. (We have other plans for damaged merchandise.) Managing a shared closet is a complex task, which ultimately means we can’t keep everything forever. The 90% Off Club is one of our tactics to find everything a good home.
I recommend stopping by often because The 90% Club is continuously refreshed and once an item is gone, it’s gone forever. (Doh! You already missed out on owning a timeless Isaac Mizrahi pencil skirt that originally retailed for $2800.) On my most recent visit to The Club, everything was priced to go well under $100 with most things in the $20-$30 range.
If I were to come across a rack like this in a brick-and-mortar store, be still my beating heart. I couldn’t resist. But, if you’re like me, you haven’t stepped foot in a physical store since joining Armoire. If you don’t miss shopping but do miss scoring an occasional bargain, The 90% Off Club will scratch the itch.
Members: access The 90% Club from your personalized home page or bookmark this link.
Find One-of-a-Kind Treasures
from Marcellus Manier, Staff Photographer
Are you on the hunt for unique apparel? As Armoire’s resident photographer, I see and interact with much of the inventory in person. I can say without a doubt that the coolest garments come out of our upcycling department. I shoot every single one of these items straight from our textile artists.
What exactly is upcycling, you might ask? In short, it’s the act of transforming a garment into something brand new utilizing existing materials. This can materialize in the form of Japanese shibori dyeing, hand-sewn sashiko embroidery, or even completely restructured garments taken apart at the seams. All of this is produced in-house here at Armoire by our team of upcyclers who painstakingly reinvent garments by hand.
While upcycling is inspired by sustainability, it’s also a way to add some idiosyncrasy into your wardrobe. All of our upcycled garments are one-of-a-kind, transformed in their own unique ways. That means they all have that extra oomph—the wow factor you crave.
You can find our ever-changing collection of upcycles on your personal homepage. Once you’re in the collection, you can click into any item to see its transformation. For example, a tiered Boden maxi might now be a puff-sleeve midi dress, with before- and after-photos to showcase its journey. Or, a conservative button down may have a new glamorous life as a statement top.
We recommend checking out this collection on every visit as we aim to save 300 garments from the landfill each month. You will find a constant stream of clever new reinterpretations, but they go fast. Many of these items never make it back to our warehouse because the renters choose to purchase them. It’s easy to see why—they’re super cool.
Get Inspo from the PWR Feed
from Stephani Dill, Marketing Manager | See what Stephani has been wearing
When I don’t have a specific occasion in mind, I love glancing through the PWR Feed for inspiration. Armoire’s PWR Feed is where members showcase photos of their favorite styles in action with a caption. Think a shoppable Instagram, but with all clothes included in your membership, on real bodies in the real world, and with all the sizing details you wish IG had. I especially love the PWR Feed because I find that members most often post the best of the best, so it’s like a shortcut to the good stuff at Armoire.
Navigating the PWR Feed is a breeze, but here are a few insider tips to make the most of your scrolling experience:
- Connect with Style & Size Twins: Follow members whose style resonates with you or who share similar body types. This simplifies finding styles that will work for you. When it comes to dresses and tops, I always want to see how it looks on someone small-chested like myself. The same dress on an A cup and a D cup is vastly different. Some members choose to share all of their measurements on their profile, simply in the interest of helping the community. To those who do, I salute you.
- Heart It, Save It: Spot a look that speaks to your soul but not done scrolling? Simply tap the heart icon to add it to your Favorites Collection to come back to later.
- Embrace Bold Choices: Want to try something bold? Follow our fearless leader, CEO Ambika Singh, whose fashion-forward spirit knows no bounds. When I want to try something outside of my comfort zone, I look to see how Ambika is styling her case and try to emulate her.
- Stay in the Loop: When you follow someone, you will get notifications in your feed showing what they selected for their latest case. I love it when these pop up, especially when it’s my sister’s case so I can peek at what she’s renting. What can I say, big sisters have to keep tabs on their younger siblings!
To be clear, the PWR Feed isn’t merely a collection of review photos. We have those too, and lots of them. The PWR Feed is different. It offers a glimpse into the lives of the amazing women who make up the Armoire community. Compliments are always flowing, which is why it has been said to be “the nicest place on the internet.”
Work with a Human Stylist
from Annie Barker, Director of Customer Retention | See what Annie has been wearing
With a calendar full of events, I lean hard on our team of savvy stylists to provide me with personalized recommendations that make me feel put together and on-trend, and to inspire me to take risks once in a while! Free personal styling may sound like a perk for team members, but it’s actually available to ALL members.
Our stylists can offer advice for any event, body shape, or style vibe. Working with a stylist is like hitting the fast-forward button on finding fab fits, plus stumbling upon gems you wouldn’t spot on your own. The styling team knows Armoire’s inventory like the back of their hands, including the popularity of specific items and real-world fit. In short, they know how to find the good stuff at Armoire like no other.
Here’s how you can team up with a stylist at Armoire:
- Get a Human-Curated Closet: Whether it’s scooping up fresh pastel separates for a business casual office as spring blooms, or tracking down that jaw-dropping red cocktail dress for an awards dinner, your stylist will have you sorted with 50-70 picks faster than you can say “fashionista”. Put in a request for that perfect piece and prepare to be dazzled by your stylist’s picks.
- Get a Stylist-Built Case: Feeling overwhelmed by choices? Let a stylist craft your case! Hand over the reins and let them pick pieces based on what you love, what you’ve rented before, and what you’re curious to try. It’s like a surprise party where every outfit is a gift just for you.
- Get Some Hand-Holding: Got a style challenge? Book a call and dive deep into your wardrobe wants and woes with your stylist. They have the expertise and some extra tools to get your ideal wardrobe in front of you. It’s your chance to chat through everything from lifestyle, fit preferences, gaps in your current wardrobe, or upcoming events.
With these tips and tricks, you’re ready to rent like a pro. Finding the styles best suited for you will be far less time-consuming than wandering your local mall, at a fraction of the cost and none of the guilt. You’ll have something new-to-you to wear wherever you go, and your friends will wonder how you do it (Please tell them—we love referrals!). Go forth and rock your rentals. You look good as hell.
