Subscription Boxes vs. Personal Styling. Which One Is Better?

The Prelude

Both style subscription boxes and hiring a personal stylist are trending right now and for all the right reasons: it makes your life easier, you get a stylish look, and your confidence sky rockets! Both are great options and both allow you to work with a knowledgeable fashion expert but what separates the two is price, problem solving, and expertise.

Paying $20 a month for a box of professionally styled clothing sounds like a steal, but working personally with a professional stylist using your own clothing sounds great too! So which option has the most benefits? Which is the most suitable for your lifestyle? Which is more cost efficient? Keep reading and we will decode the answers to each of these questions.

Subscription Boxes vs. Personal Styling. Which One Is More Beneficial?

Let’s talk subscription boxes.

When you first look at the benefits of a subscription box it’s easy to feel like it’s worth the cost. I mean think about it, your clothing is getting selected by a “stylist”, you no longer have to shop for your own clothing, and it’s like $20 a month - great deal right? Not necessarily. Subscription boxes have their benefits but the cons almost always outweigh the pros. Let’s take a look.

First let’s take a moment to understand how a subscription box works. Typically a customer fills out a general survey that captures what that customer likes and doesn’t like. The customers responses are then compared to thousands of answers from other customers and then a backend system makes suggestions to their “stylist” based on what similar customers kept when they received their box. In short, it’s more of a numbers game or generalization than a personalized experience.

Now let’s talk about the “stylist” behind the box. As you’ve probably noticed I keep putting the word “stylist” in quotations. This is because the person who’s curating your box may or may not be an actual stylist. As I mentioned before these companies tend to take a more generalized or numbers based approach and although they look for and retain some actual stylists, the truth is sometimes they hire people that have no stylist background so they can serve more customers. In addition to that, the “stylist” that curates your box typically has impossible metrics to achieve such as: styling your box within a specific time frame and getting you to buy as many items as possible (just to name a few). These metrics typically cause you to end up with clothing that doesn’t suit your style, preferences, or body type and it also leads you to spending more than you should.

Which brings me to my next point…budgets. Although the monthly fee of a subscription box may not seem like a big deal, it’s costing you a lot of money overtime. A monthly subscription of $20 is $240 over the span of one year and that’s not even factoring in taxes and the clothing that you keep from the subscription box. It’s important to note that the subscription companies you’re subscribed to are sales driven. So their objective is to get you to spend as much money as possible each month even if that means sending you clothing that you don’t necessarily need.

Subscription boxes aren’t entirely bad though. They can be a great option for those who are on a budget and really need fashion help. They can also be a great choice for those that appreciate minimal fashion (most companies clothing selection tend to be a bit more plain so this would be perfect for you). Lastly, let’s not forget the cool try before you buy feature which allows you to get more acquainted with how different brands fit and how certain styles look on you before purchasing (be sure not to impulse buy though! It can be easy to do since all of these companies give you a time limit for trying items on).

Let’s talk working with a personal stylist.

Now that you’ve gotten familiarized with subscription boxes and how they work let’s talk about the experience of working with a personal stylist. Personal stylists are great if you’re serious about reinventing your style or wardrobe, want a more personalized styling experience, and/or want to be taught in depth on how to dress. Hiring a personal stylist is much more costly, but the costs are worth it since you will be learning more skills, getting better value, and learning better shopping techniques.

The cost of a personal stylist varies depending on the experience, the location of the stylist, and what type of service you need (see my article The Virtual Fashion Letter: What’s The Ballpark Cost For A Consult and Styling for more details about pricing). In addition to pricing, you will also be putting in a little bit more work than you would if you signed up for a subscription box. It will be your responsibility to make sure you’re attending your scheduled appointments, completing any tasks your stylist gives you, and implementing the advice given to you. The tradeoff for the extra effort is that you will have direct access to your stylist, you can ask them questions any time you need to, and you can ask them to explain things in depth for you. Much like subscription boxes, personal stylists often have a streamlined process that can help make the extra bit effort easier and sometimes even more enjoyable!

Majority of personal stylist are freelancers or entrepreneurs so when you work with them they’re more likely to be operating from a place of genuine concern rather than just selling to you (keep in mind that scammer stylists do exist so make sure to watch out for red flags. Read my article “How To Identify A Counterfeit Fashion Stylist” for tips on how to avoid getting scammed). This means that you have a higher chance of getting items that suit your taste, lifestyle, budget, and body shape. If you’re really lucky then your stylist will utilize the clothing you already own and actively make sure that you’re not acquiring more clothing than you need (this helps saves you hundreds, possibly thousands, of dollars down the road and it ensures that all of the pieces in your closet are getting the attention that they deserve). Furthermore, a good stylist will go to great lengths to ensure that you have a great experience. Whereas with subscription box services, you tend to be just be a number so it’s harder to receive such an experience.

Another great thing about working with a personal stylist is that you’re with them for life - if you choose to be. With subscription boxes more often than not your “stylist” will change due to availability and business needs. Switching “stylists” frequently can have you feeling like you’re starting from ground zero because often times the new stylist will have to go through trial and error and relearn your style. However, if you have your own personal stylist he or she knows quite a bit about you and will be able to continue building on that knowledge as you continue to work together.

Which service caught your attention?

Both options have their pros and cons but either one can be a great benefit depending on what stage you’re at in life and what you’re looking for in a service. Let me know if you’re #teamsubscriptionbox or #teampersonalstylist in the comments below. Also feel free to share what your experience was with these services (I love a good story!).