Gwynnie Bee (Plus size clothes rental)

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I agree. I'd feel weird wearing something I had no idea where it came from. And as far as plus size clothing goes, those aren't very trendy. A few are cute but a lot of plus size clothing goes really wrong for me in a "grandma" style way.

 
So now size 10 is "plus size" that just sounds crazy.....
Also even some kids clothing "plus size" is like a womens medium I find.

Well, I find sizing in the US has just gone crazy and you need to look at the numbers for every item you buy.

Seems like kids of a neat idea to "borrow" stuff....

 
So now size 10 is "plus size" that just sounds crazy..... Also even some kids clothing "plus size" is like a womens medium I find. Well, I find sizing in the US has just gone crazy and you need to look at the numbers for every item you buy. Seems like kids of a neat idea to "borrow" stuff....
Based on the website, their clothes are not my style. I don't think I like the idea of renting plus-size anything that's so much like what an old hippy-ish flowerchild Midwestern lady might wear. Also, I think most women now have to try on everything before they buy it. Sizes are so screwed up. Size 10 usually is not plus-size, but I do have size 10 pants that currently fit me and a size 9 in a different brand that's too big. I'm 5"7' and about 165 pounds. I wear generally size 10 to size 14 in jeans, depending on the brand. There's no way to tell what size I am in any brand without trying them on. Hell, the ladies at Vanity think I'm a medium and they insist everything I pick out will be too big, but actually nothing except XL from that store fits me. My thighs are each 30 inches around, which means that jeans that fit my butt are often too small to fit my thighs. I've split the inside seam on more than one pair of pants. I'd be afraid I'd rent something and it would rip. Shirts are often too big at the top and too tight at the bottom, and even XL sizes don't guarantee they're big enough. I think I would only rent formal clothes, and only if I knew my size. I would just go to a local rental place.
 
Originally Posted by peridotcricket /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Based on the website, their clothes are not my style. I don't think I like the idea of renting plus-size anything that's so much like what an old hippy-ish flowerchild Midwestern lady might wear. Also, I think most women now have to try on everything before they buy it. Sizes are so screwed up. Size 10 usually is not plus-size, but I do have size 10 pants that currently fit me and a size 9 in a different brand that's too big. I'm 5"7' and about 165 pounds. I wear generally size 10 to size 14 in jeans, depending on the brand. There's no way to tell what size I am in any brand without trying them on. Hell, the ladies at Vanity think I'm a medium and they insist everything I pick out will be too big, but actually nothing except XL from that store fits me. My thighs are each 30 inches around, which means that jeans that fit my butt are often too small to fit my thighs. I've split the inside seam on more than one pair of pants. I'd be afraid I'd rent something and it would rip. Shirts are often too big at the top and too tight at the bottom, and even XL sizes don't guarantee they're big enough. I think I would only rent formal clothes, and only if I knew my size. I would just go to a local rental place.
Well, 

I'm 5"6 and 125lbs (I'm trying to lose 2 pounds or/and be in better shape, lol) but my clothing size is all over the place depending what I eat or drink.

I have Lands End pants size 6 in some styles and 8 in others.

- or for pants that go by waist size usually 28 or 29 as I am not small waisted at all, even when I weighed much less my waist size was the same...

At the mall one store I shop at I'm a 10 or 12 size- this is in European sizing and pretty much the biggest this store sells (it is Femme de Carriere...kinda fancy clothing).

For tops I have to get usually size 10/12 or stuff does not fit my shoulders or chest area well.

I'm glad stores now sell 2pc bathing suits separately or else it is a problem for me.

For formal stuff I usually buy a lot of samples from a local store, but they only have size 6 or 8 and you can not return or exchage anything there. not even regular price items, not even 2 days later.

So that can be good or bad. You have to try stuff on and a lot of times I go there and they have all sizes for some items or maybe just 1 or 2 of other things (even plus size) and people get annoyed that there is just 1 or 2 of an item.

so people either love that store (like me) or despise it (my mother refuses to go there as it is so disorganized sometimes).

My clothing style is all over the place.

But do not wear as much dressy stuff lately as I am not in an office and usually wear flat shoes as I do tons of walking.

 
interesting. I had a ton of free "$50's off Rent the Runway" that I could never use because I'm plus sized. I could see it coming in handy for a formal event, but haven't looked at the clothes yet. I'll have to check it out. Thanks for sharing!

*edit* ok, I just looked. I'm kinda Meh on their collection.  Nothing strikes me as really stylish, more typical plus sized work wear.  I already buy/wear Kiyonna, and they don't carry Igigi. 

 
I think I'm going to give this one a try. My neighbors' wedding is coming up, and I am *not* a dress person, so anything I buy would be worn once and then shoved in the back of my closet, but I don't really own anything wedding-appropriate. I might as well give this a shot and see if I can at least find a dress for the wedding. I hate shopping for dresses!

 
I did a free trial of the 3 garments at a time package. I generally liked it; it encouraged me to try stuff that I wouldn't have otherwise and shipping was pretty fast. When I got something I didn't like I'd just package it up to return the next day and have a new garment maybe 2 days later? Everything was always very, very clean - it was clear everything is laundered/dry cleaned in between. There were a couple of downsides - if you're a common size there was sometimes a wait for new or very popular stuff, and it sucked if you got a package where nothing worked for you. Ultimately I just can't justify spending $79 a month on clothes that I don't get to keep, but I'm the sort that has no problem wearing things for several years (i.e., cheap). If you're already spending that much on clothing every month and you like to keep up with trends I think it's a great idea.

I would really recommend trying the 30 day free trial. It was painless to cancel. There's really nothing to lose, and 30 days should give you enough time to see if it's for you or not.

Edit: Whoops, just realized how old the initial post is! I'll leave it up in case the info is useful to anyone else. meaganola, you should be able to try quite a few dresses in the free trial month.

 
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I recently looked at rent the runway as a friend mentioned them, and they go up to size 22 now. It might be another option.

 
Welp, I'm slightly offended that they consider a size 10 plus-sized. Pretty much every place in existence sells sizes 10 and 12 and heck, even 14.

 
Technically in the fashion world, anything over a size 6 is considered "plus size". I'm neither agreeing or disagreeing with this...I'm just saying.

I work for a high end retailer, and a lot of brands plus size starts around 10. A lot of them start at 12. Very few of them start above 14.

 
Technically in the fashion world, anything over a size 6 is considered "plus size". I'm neither agreeing or disagreeing with this...I'm just saying.

I work for a high end retailer, and a lot of brands plus size starts around 10. A lot of them start at 12. Very few of them start above 14.
I think that's the deal with Gwynnie Bee. When they purchase something they just get it in all the sizes offered in the plus line. If I remember correctly they don't have as much stuff in the 10-12 range as they do in 14-16-18, but it is offered.

 
I think that's the deal with Gwynnie Bee. When they purchase something they just get it in all the sizes offered in the plus line. If I remember correctly they don't have as much stuff in the 10-12 range as they do in 14-16-18, but it is offered.
I checked out their website this morning. I don't wear plus size, but dang they have some really cute dresses and some pretty great labels too. This is a great way to "try before you buy" or just get something for a special event.

 
I think I might need to buy this:

http://closet.gwynniebee.com/products/northstyle-prairie-peasant-blouse

I have it at home right now, and it's pretty danged cute, I got a compliment on it from a coworker, it's my style, and I don't have many work-appropriate tops to wear with jeans on Fridays.  I'm just not sure whether it's $27 (the buy-it price) cute.  And it's really short, but I do have a pair of jeans that it doesn't look too weird with, especially since I would wear it to work, where I sit at a desk most of the day.

But Project Neighbors' Wedding Dress is thus far a failure.  At least I still have two more weeks, although I will still need to address the shoe issue once the dress issue is settled. 

 
So this company is basically the "netflix" for plus size clothes then?  You sign up and pick what you want, and then get to keep it however long you want, then return it in exchange for new options?  If you decide you want to keep it you can buy it at a discount from them?  

Am I understanding how they work correctly?  

 
Yes, that's how it works! Although I was going to buy a dress from them once and checked the brand's website only to find the dress on sale for half price, so I'd do a little searching before purchasing from them.

 
Signed up for GB's free month on Tuesday, the 29th.  I had my friend's referral link, but immediately after I hit the [sUBSCRIBE] button I realized I had GB open in two browsers, and wasn't sure if I'd used the one with her link.  Also, I had closeted 21 items - 9 pants and 12 tops - and wanted to make sure I got at least one pair of pants, so I emailed about these two things.

On Thursday, I saw that there were two items in my "At Home" list, and they were both tops.  Kept looking for the third item to be added.

On Friday, I got an email asking how I'd rate the customer service I'd received.  I replied that no one had answered my email from Tuesday.

I did get an answer quickly then, saying that many of their members hadn't been receiving their communications, but they'd fixed the problem.  The agent said my friend definitely got credit, and they would be sure to send out some pants.  I replied to that, thanking her and mentioning that I still only had two items in my "At Home" list, and asking if that were because I made a special request (pants) and that takes longer.  She answered right away:  "We do our best to send shipments as a whole (ie, all 3 items at one time) but due to inventory constraints(not specifically prioritization), we may also send partial shipments so you are not waiting too long for garments.

I checked with the shipping team, your last item is being processed and should be ship out soon. We do always suggest a larger closet of 25+ to help us pack your box in a speedy manner."

Yesterday I received notice: "Darn!  We can't ship your Gwynnie Bee package yet.  We’re working on it, but unfortunately your Gwynnie Bee package has been delayed beyond our usual 2-3 days. Our apologies!"  I don't know if that was just the pair of pants, or all three items.

So I went back and started reading the reviews on the two items they were sending.  Apparently in my haste to get a decent selection in my closet to start my sub, I'd missed that the one "knit" shirt was actually heavier winter attire. I hadn't considered they'd keep cold weather items available in the summer, but I guess not everywhere they send has our temps.  And it's going to be in the 80s next week.  So I emailed and asked if they'd pulled or packed those two items yet, or the computer just picked them.  If they'd just picked them, could they send something else instead of that shirt?  If not, no big deal - I could just try it on to see if I wanted to add it back to my closet in a few months and send it back unworn.

But here's my concern.  I have 9 size 18 pants and 12 size 1X and 2X (not sure how sizing works on their brands) tops in my closet.  Out of all of these, are they saying only two items were available to send - and one of them is available because I didn't realize I was ordering a winter top?! 

I was hoping to subscribe for 5 pieces after my 3-piece sub month.  But will they actually have clothes available to send to me???

 
I have a love/hate relationship with GB. I've been subscribed since February and keep telling myself I am going to cancel my sub...and then I get sent something super cute and decide to let it go another month. The shipping issues have sorta gotten better. I was constantly getting the "we can't ship your package just yet!" emails... along with some sort of discount code (tho I still haven't really figured out how the codes work b/c there is no where to enter a code when you purchase something!). It seems like the shipping has gotten better but I do not get items shipped to me within what I consider a reasonable time. The service is not exactly cheap so when I notify you that something is coming back your way, I want a replacement item shipped out within a day MAX so that I can receive it in a couple days. It can get incredibly frustrating. it's better than it was but I think there is still room for improvement.

I have had some items in my closet fooooorever and they've never made it out my way. There was even a case where I wanted to try the dress so desperately that I could not wait any longer and just ordered it from the ASOS site. I really wish that GB would let you rank the items in your closet in order of importance. I've expressed this to them via FB and they said it is something they are working on.

I also wish there was a "zoom" feature so we can take a better look at the items....something else they said they were working on.

I like the concept of GB and have purchased some GREAT items from them... I just wish they would work on getting it together a bit more. Hopefully with the warehouse relocation we'll see some more improvements.

 

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