Stitch Fix took the fashion world by storm when it posted $730 million in sales last year, helping to make clothing box services one of the hottest trends in the industry. Now it's one of a growing number of clothing box services offering to take the legwork out of shopping.
"Stitch Fix is the buzziest of this bunch," Deputy Managing Editor of Women’s Wear Daily Evan Clark told ABC News. "They stayed under the radar for a while to figure out their business model and figure out their customer. They announced profitability after six years. It’s really kind of incredible and they got a lot of people’s attention."
For a $20 styling fee, Stitch Fix customers fill out a questionnaire, indicating their sizes and preferences, and a fashion professional does the rest, handpicking clothes intended to meet a customer's budget and taste.
"People like trying on things at home," said Clark. "This gives them an opportunity to try different brands without committing."
But there’s more to the appeal of clothing boxes than just convenience, according to Clark: "They treat customers as individuals."
“With subscription boxes, they’re looking at their customer base as individuals and giving them the style they want," he said. "It’s a very powerful approach.”
While boxed clothing services like Trunk Club, which was acquired by Nordstrom in 2014, allow customers to preview their stylists' choices before they deliver the goods, several companies send their picks sight unseen.
Glamour magazine's fashion features editor Lauren Chan was skeptical of the box model.
"I think it's pretty hard to nail somebody's style based on a form," said Chan, who is a former plus size model and today wears a size 16 -- the average size for women in the U.S.
Chan agreed to try out three clothing box services for "Good Morning America": Wantable, Dia & Co and Stitch Fix. For all of the companies, the stylists' choices are based on customer profiles and revealed only when the packages arrive.
Chan filled out each company's questionnaire and opted for clothes in the $50 to $100 price range.
"GMA" intercepted Chan’s deliveries, stripped the labels from the clothes and transferred them into boxes labeled A, B and C, so she wouldn’t know where the clothes were coming from.
Each box contained five pieces, intended to meet her budget and tastes. Her initial reaction to the clothes was mixed. See how each one stacked up for her below.
Though she initially liked most of the clothes that the Wantable stylist selected, she was disappointed in how some of the items fit.
Wantable told "GMA" that it was pleased Chan loved one of its pieces: "As a growing company, we welcome all feedback that allows us to provide an exceptional customer experience for customers who use our personal styling service."
Ease of returns: Pre-paid return envelope included. (Our box did not come with a pre-paid label, which the company told us was an oversight.)
Time allotted to try merchandise: 5 days
Chan's score: Yes to 1 out of 5 pieces.
Fee: $20 styling fee applied to purchase.
Discount applied to the purchase of all 5 items: Yes, 20 percent off.
Dia & Co specializes in sizes 14 and up. Chan liked two pieces -- a pair of jeans and a pair of pants -- for their great fit.
Dia & Co's co-founder Nadia Boujarwah told ABC News that "more than 75 percent of Dia stylists identify as plus size themselves, and over time, work with customers to build an incredible wardrobe."
Ease of returns: Pre-paid return envelope included.
Time allotted to try merchandise: 5 days
Chan's score: Yes to 2 out of 5 pieces.
Fee: $20 styling fee applied to purchase.
Discount applied to the purchase of all 5 items: Yes, 25 percent off.
Chan's favorite overall turned out to be Stitch Fix. She liked four out of the five pieces that were selected for her. She appreciated the fit and the combination of clothes, which she said she could pair with other items in her wardrobe. Stitch Fix told "GMA" its combination of feedback from clients and data science helped it capture Chan’s style tastes.
Ease of returns: Pre-paid return envelope included.
Time allotted to try merchandise: 3 days
Chan's score: Yes to 4 out of 5 pieces.
Fee: $20 styling fee applied to purchase.
Discount applied to the purchase of all 5 items: Yes, 25 percent off.