Want honest Le Tote Reviews? Want to know what other people think about Le Tote before you try out their subscription rental clothing service? Then read on and discover what is Le Tote?!
I am not what you’d call a fashionista. My clothes are usually pretty boring and I don’t get dolled up or dressed up for anything other than church or a (rare) fancy date night. I rarely wear jewelry besides my wedding ring. I dislike shopping for new clothes for myself and pretty much stick to staple, boring pieces when I do buy clothes for myself.
Blame it on my desires for true modesty, or my very frugal nature, or the fact that my children have more pressing clothing needs than myself, but I don’t wear fancy clothes. And I’m mostly okay with that.
However, another part of me would like to at least have clothes that aren’t just jean shorts and T-shirt. To look a little more “put together.” It’s why a while ago I tried out Stitch Fix, hated how much Stitch Fix costs, and decided the Stitch Fix pros and cons were leaning too far on the cons side for me to continue trying out their service (and I only ended up with jewelry from them after three boxes).
I even tried out Stitch Fix while pregnant! You can see my Stitch Fix Maternity Review to see what I thought.
This prompted me to compile an awesome list of 16 Stitch Fix Alternatives and I decided to try one of them!
I decided to try out Le Tote.
The main reason I decided to try out Le Tote is because I am currently pregnant.
And if there is a time in my life where I hate buying new clothes, it is while I am pregnant. The prices are jacked up, I only wear them for a limited time, they fit wonky or don’t stretch enough by the end to cover my enormous belly, aren’t very comfortable or cool, and generally are frustrating to find pieces, let alone pieces I like and can afford.
Because did you know that many women spend between $250-$600 on maternity clothes (if not more)? And that’s usually for the bare minimum basics, not anything super fancy, or varied.
I know that I try to get by with the same two or three pairs of pants and five to seven maternity tops when I am pregnant, and buy boring solid tees usually. And tend to hate wearing them all by the end!
Thus, renting maternity clothes greatly appealed to me, despite knowing a few places to get cheap maternity clothes.
As an affiliate, I was able to get my first month of their clothing rental service for free, but I assure you my Le Tote review is still honest as they aren’t paying me to write this post.
But, let’s back up a little bit first shall we?
What is Le Tote?
Le Tote is a clothing rental service that delivers unlimited boxes of used clothing and accessories each month for a flat monthly subscription fee.
They carry both women and maternity clothing in sizes XS to XXL or size 2 to 16. They don’t currently carry tall, petite, or plus sizing.
My Le Tote review is of the Le Tote Classic rental service for maternity clothes.
Get 15% Off your First Month with Code LTBOX15How Does Le Tote Work?
Le Tote Classic works like this:
- Fill out a quick styling and sizing quiz
- Choose your subscription plan and pay
- Fill up your Le Tote Closet (wishlist) online with your favorite items.
- Review the items in your tote within 48 hours of it being ready and swap out anything you don’t like before it ships.
- Confirm your tote and wait for it to come in the mail. You can check its progress online.
- Get your Le Tote box in the mail, open it, and wear it all to your heart’s content. No washing required.
- If you love something and don’t want to return it, you can return everything else, and be charged a discounted rate for the item (prices listed online). Keep them all and your next months’ subscription fee is waived (just log in and tell them you want to keep the whole Tote and they’ll ship the next Tote out).
- When you’re done wearing them all and want new clothes, mail it back in the enclosed pre-paid envelope.
- Wait for your email telling you the next Tote has been stylized, then swap out as you want, confirm, and wait for the next box.
- And repeat until you pause or cancel your membership.
The Le Tote Style Quiz
I found Le Tote’s quiz to be quick and easy to complete.
It begins by asking me which membership I am interested in – Classic or Maternity. I chose the latter.
Next up was a series of style preferences questions, which were easy to select via an example picture. It gave me the following options for the following clothing and accessories, asking me which I would wear (meaning what do I like!):
- Top styles: ruffles, tanks, off the shoulder, flowy, tunics, sweatshirts, collared shirts, and boho.
- Sweater styles: drape front, dusters, oversized, ponchos, turtlenecks, cardigans, cold shoulder, or graphic.
- Jacket styles: faux leather, bombers, blazers, carcoats, vests, cropped, denim, or trench coats.
- Pant styles: skinny jeans, trousers, joggers, wide leg, cropped, boyfriend jeans, jumpsuits, and leggings.
- Dress styles: slip dresses, wrap dresses, shirt dresses, sheath dresses, fit and flare, bodycon, maxi dresses, and elastic waist.
- Jewelry style: Everyday jewelry style or Statement jewelry style.
Sizing came next, letting me pick a dress size, top size, pants size, jean size, and bra size. It also asked for my height.
It let me select which occasions I’d like them to focus on and how often, giving me options of rarely, sometimes, or often for Work/Business Casual, Weekend Casual, or Date Night/Night Out.
And it asked me about the weather let me enter my zip code. Which is great because that was one of my complaints about Stitch Fix sending me all those sweaters when I live in Texas!
Finally, I had to choose which plan I wanted – their Classic $69 plan which includes 2+ totes every month, 3 clothing items and 2 accessories, or the $79 Clothing plan with 2+ totes every month and four clothing items. (P.S. Now that I’m a member I see their third option of $49 for 2 clothing pieces and one non-handbag, non-scarf accessory.)
To get a good sampling of their service, I decided to try out the Classic plan so I could see what accessories they offer.
Le Tote Closet
The next day I received an email asking me to “Fill up your Le Tote Closet now!”
The Le Tote Closet is one part wishlist, one part style board.
It’s easy to add items to your closet: browse their assortment of clothing and accessory (which are sortable and organized by seasons too) and click the heart at the top of the image to add it to your closet. The more pieces you add to your closet the better!
When you add to your closet you help them learn about your style preferences, which allows them to predict and suggest the right items for you in future totes. The more items you add to your closet, the better they get at suggesting styles you’ll love. Check back and add new items often to keep your fashion fresh.
The Tote Swap
That same night they also emailed me letting me know that had picked out items for my tote and that I had 48 hours to swap and customize the items in my tote. And once you finalize it, they’ll prepare it and ship it off.
I logged in and checked out the items in my tote.
I didn’t like any of them.
But, because I could swap them out NOW before it ever came to my doorstep, I didn’t have to deal with the hassle of trying them on and returning them right away, or the dissatisfaction of wearing them and hating them. I quickly browsed through their selection, hearting and adding items to my closet, and swapping out the items one by one with things I liked better.
After I confirmed my tote, they offered me a special promo deal. If I bought an item listed on the page, within the next 10 minutes, they’d take $5 off my purchase (and all the items were already discounted). I didn’t love any of the accessories or maternity clothing there, so I passed on this offer. If you don’t want this offer, simply hit “skip this offer” in the top right of the page. No pressure to buy.
After you complete your order, you can track the shipping progress of your order from your profile.
Get 15% Off your First Month with Code LTBOX15Le Tote Reviews
Now is the part you’ve been waiting for right? What did I think about Le Tote clothing and the service itself?
In the month-long subscription I had, I received four totes.
I received a new Tote on Friday or Saturday, wore the items the next 2-3 days, returned them on a Tuesday, and had my next box by Friday or Saturday that same week.
I tried hard to be expedient in my wearing, returning, and confirmation of totes so I could answer the question of “how many Totes can you actually get in a month?” because I was curious about it myself!
The thing about their service is that as soon as they scan the barcode at the mail drop-off location, they are notified to ship out the next Tote. I always received an email the same night I dropped off my box in the mail. I could then confirm or swap the items in the Tote that same night, and they’d ship it off the next day. Quick and efficient! I was very happy with the speed of my boxes showing up.
Le Tote Review – Box #1
I had swapped in all of these items before they came, meaning I picked these out myself. I received the following:
- Summer & Sage Maternity Split Neck Striped Tee Size M – $22 LT price, $68 retail
- Tart Maternity Mosaic Body-Con Dress Size L – $50 LT price, $128 retail
- LILAC Geo Drape Top Size M – $37 LT price, $67 retail
- Camilla Drop Stone Earrings – $9 LT price, $28 retail
- Noir Lux Starburst Necklace – $18 LT price, $28 retail
I absolutely loved the dress! It was fully lined, super soft, stretchy, comfy, hit me just right in the knee (I’m tall at 5′ 9″), cool, easy, and beautiful. I loved it! I didn’t love it enough to buy it for $50, but it was great to wear to church on Sunday along with the two jewelry pieces.
I did not love the LILAC top. It’s totally a nursing top much more than a maternity top. I felt like it was barely covering my belly, and I’m only like half-way through my pregnancy. It wasn’t long enough for my frame, and I didn’t find it the most flattering anyway.
The striped tee was fun and something I’d totally wear all the time. It’s a classic maternity top and what I like to wear when I’m pregnant, so I also loved this one. The two different sized stripes were a fun touch.
The drop earrings were nice but too long for me.
The necklace, on the other hand, was gorgeous and I actually ended up keeping it because I love it so much and the price was right.
I have so few jewelry pieces that I love that Le Tote sends jewelry pieces along with the clothes! It forces me a bit to actually wear jewelry every day, helping to elevate my mom look a bit. I make sure the jewelry coming in my tote will work well with the clothing pieces and have fun wearing jewelry for two or three days in a row.
Le Tote Review – Box #2
This box I only swapped out the jewelry pieces before it shipped. The other three clothing items were all ones I had added to my closet so I was excited to try them already.
In my second box I received:
- Leota Maternity Abstract Sweetheart Dress Size L – $40 LT price, $158 retail
- OLIAN Gathered Twist Neck Top Size M – $45 LT price, $80 retail
- Summer & Sage Maternity Cropped Jogger Pants Size L – $30 LT price, $78 retail
- House of Harlow 1960 Genoa Stud Earrings – $14 LT price, $28 retail
- Cole Haan Crystal Pendant – $20 LT price, $58 retail
This dress was super comfy, and much softer than it looks. It is also a nursing dress. It was slightly bigger than I needed though, especially in the top area, but it was fun, super lightweight dress that hit me right where I wanted it to on the knee. I would love it even more if it was in a brighter, funner color rather than gray (like this one I found!).
The OLIAN top was very cute, and another nursing top, maternity top combo. This one came a bit too low for my liking, but I loved the colors and pattern of the top.
And the jogger pants? Amazing. Like, every pregnant woman should own a pair of these to chill in, or go out in (who am I kidding?), as they are so comfortable! Maternity pants are one of my least favorite articles of maternity clothing, and these were a godsend. Because they aren’t tight! They aren’t putting pressure on your lady parts or abdomen which are already under a lot of stress from the growing abdomen.
If they were a bit shorter, or cooler (as I do still live in Texas), they would have been even more perfect. I decided not to keep them but really wanted to. I might snag them later via a Le Tote sale if I see them there.
If they were a bit shorter, or cooler (as I do still live in Texas), they would have been even more perfect. I decided not to keep them but really wanted to. I might snag them later via a Le Tote sale if I see them there.
*Update: They had a sale on these pants and I did buy them for just $19.50! Best decision ever as I love these pants!
The jewelry this time was okay. Simple, classic pieces. Nothing fancy. They worked well with the pieces I had picked out this week though.
Le Tote Review – Clothing Box #3
In this tote I received:
- Noir Maternity Grommet Tie Dress Size M – $27 LT price, $86 retail
- Rune Maternity Scallop Hem Top Size M – $36 LT price, $68 retail
- Summer & Sage Maternity Side Shirred Tee Size M – $9 LT price, $66 retail
- Octavia & Co Cluster Drop Earrings – $13 LT price, $22 retail
- Camilla Stone Pendant Necklace – $9 LT price, $28 retail
The LBD (little black dress) they sent me was pretty cute, though slightly shorter than I ideally like in my dresses (and would get shorter as my belly grew). The tie was cute and it fit me really well.
The black scallop top was cute and not as super tight as the other shirt they sent. The scallop edge made it a little less boring than just a black tee.
The peach colored top was definitely a snug top around my belly, but still had plenty of room to grow as it was very stretchy. But, you could tell it was a bit more worn that the other items I’ve received (hence the low price tag to buy it). If it was in a different color, I may have splurged on it anyway!
I didn’t keep anything from this tote.
*Update: I did end up buying the earring from this box later when Le Tote was running a sale! I grabbed them for just $5.50!
Le Tote Review – Clothing Box #4
In my fourth and last tote I received:
- Octavia Maternity Geo Printed Maxi Dress Size M – $29 LT price, $86 retail
- Octavia Maternity Crochet Sleeve Top Size M – $20 LT price, $60 retail
- Seraphine Mixed Stripe Nursing Top Size M – $41 LT price, $65 retail
- French Connection Nugget Drop Earrings – $7 LT price, $24 retail
- House of Harlow Mini Sunburst Pendant – $15 LT price, $48 retail
This is the last box I received and I’m still wearing it. I actually liked the necklace (which is like a purple leather under the gold) more than I thought I would. The earrings were not in the best shape (which I think they are so cheap to buy) and the striped shirt is fun and fits well. I didn’t realize it was a nursing top. There are snaps on the shoulders that are real snaps (not decorative) so I assume I could whip a side down to nurse in it, which is kinda cool.
The dress is super cute and comfy, even though I don’t normally wear maxi dresses, or dresses outside of church, but I did anyway. And it was fun to do so. Unfortunately the last top with the crochet sleeves didn’t quite fit me enough in the shoulders, so I didn’t really get to wear it. But, that’s okay, I just sent it back.
Cons of Le Tote
I’m starting with the negatives of my Le Tote subscription first.
I do think the service is expensive, but I am also super frugal. I mean $70 to simply have nice things to wear each month, things that I don’t actually own afterward? Big negative from a financial standpoint.
Get 15% Off your First Month with Code LTBOX15Also, the clothing selection isn’t huge nor is the jewelry (I found it harder to find jewelry pieces I loved more than clothes though) and some of the clothes are a bit lack-luster or simple pieces (though I am a simple girl so this wasn’t a huge con for me).
I don’t love that you can’t send back individual pieces, but have to send back everything at the same time. I don’t like this because perhaps I wanted to keep those jogger pants for a couple weeks and wear the heck out of them, but wanted to have some new tops and jewelry from Le Tote? Not possible. I’d have to buy the pants if I kept them and sent everything back.
This is the same if I wanted to keep a dress to wear to church the next Sunday but send everything else back as I had worn it already, but was just waiting for the weekend to do so. If you keep something and send the other items back, you bought it. This can lead to not receiving as many totes in a month if you keep things longer so you can wear a single item longer.
And that’s most of it! I actually really liked their service, and here’s why.
Pros of Le Tote
Whether you’re pregnant or not, it’s great to be able to wear something for an entire day to see if you like it before you buy it! I know the point of their service is not so you can buy things, per say, but I think this is a huge pro for people looking to build their wardrobe with nicer, newer, higher quality pieces. This was also a HUGE plus for me when I was trying on Le Tote Maternity Nursing tops! I had never worn nursing clothes before so using their service let me wear a nursing top all day and see if I liked it. So smart!
People like me who need help finding great new clothes. And because the prices are reduced as they are used, the prices are much more affordable for me to buy if I actually do love them!
Unlike regular clothing styling box subscription companies, I am not out a styling fee if I decide I don’t love anything they send me or find it much too expensive (which happened to me with Stitch Fix), which seems like a total waste of money. At least with Le Tote I can wear it for a full day, even if I don’t love what they send.
I also LOVE that I can review the tote before it comes and swap out pieces! No more guessing! While they may be a con for some who want to be surprised with new clothes and styles, it isn’t for me. I know what I like already, or at least know what amount of coverage I want/need in my clothes.
For example, for my first box, they had wanted to send me a dress without sleeves or something. I don’t want a dress without sleeves and wouldn’t have worn it. It would have been a wasted garment to receive and lessened the value of the box and the service overall. But, because I could swap it out before it ever came to my door, I didn’t have to worry about that!
I liked that I had something new to wear every weekend. Each Sunday I had a new beautiful dress to wear to church.
I liked receiving jewelry. I almost never wear jewelry on a regular basis (pretty much only to church) so receiving some in my box forced me to wear it for three days in a row because I wanted to get the most out of my totes. It’s amazing how a little jewelry totally elevates your look from drab tired mom to fancy tired mom. Plus, I had Le Tote confirm that all
Plus, I had Le Tote confirm that all jewelry receives white glove treatment, is hand inspected, cleaned, disinfected, and polished before being sent to a new customer, so no worries there!
I had less laundry. Because you don’t wash the clothes when you are done wearing them, as Le Tote cleans each garment in their state of the art cleaning facility, this means you have less laundry to wash and put away each week. Huge win! If you wear the garments they send you more than one day, it could mean even less (hey, no judgments here!).
It’s used clothing. I know some people won’t see this as a pro, but I do. I don’t like the fast fashion industry and all the clothing waste that is happening every day. The less we need to consume with new products, the better. I like knowing that I’m not being wasteful. And everything I received was perfectly clean and in great shape.
How Much Does Le Tote Cost?
Le Tote Classic has the following subscription boxes:
Unlimited Maternity Box Subscription Options {Updated}
- $69 – 3 Garments, 2 Accessories
- $79 – 5 Garments
- $89 – 5 Garments, 3 Accessories
- $99 – 8 Garments
- $109 – 7 Garments, 3 Accessories
- $119 – 10 Garments
- $129 – 10 Garments, 5 Accessories
If you were to receive a tote that you loved every item and wanted to keep them all, then your next month of Le Tote is free!
Get 15% Off your First Month with Code LTBOX15If you are worried about damaging your garments for some reason, they offer an optional $5 monthly insurance for their customers as well.
How Easy is it to Pause a Membership? Or Cancel it?
You can go into your account and pause your membership for various lengths of time – 2 weeks, 1 month, 2 months – at any time very easily. If you wish to cancel your membership altogether, you will need to email them and share your reasoning for canceling, etc. but they are quick to respond.
If you ever have any problems, they also have a phone number – (844) 899-8683 – where they can be reached 6am-5pm PST M-F.
Le Tote Promo Codes
The great news is that Le Tote regularly runs sales on new subscription memberships!
I will try to keep this post always updated with their lastest promo!
Get 15% Off your First Month with Code LTBOX15Plus, Le Tote runs a referral program.
A Le Tote customer can actually gift a Free Tote to friends by sending them an email or sharing a link with them (they have to be new customers). They also offer a secondary referral program for Le Tote customers: Give a friend $25 off their first month and earn $15 off your subscription! There are no limits to how many friends you can refer.
They also run sales or clearance on items in their inventory too which is a great way to pick up pieces you wore before and loved.
Stacy says
Super helpful. Thanks!
Donna Draper says
This was super helpful. Thank you so much!
Ashley says
Use code ASHLEY12865 for a free tote!
Mel says
Awesome review! Very helpful. You should post your promo code for others to use so you can get a credit!!!
Monica says
I’m currently using Le Tote for maternity clothes, which is more worth it to me since I don’t want a lot of clothes that are only worn for a couple months cluttering my closet
Here’s a promo code for a free trial tote at no charge!:
letote.com/freetote/MONICA3087
or just use promo code: MONICA3087
(expires May 22 2019)