Amazon Prime Wardrobe

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by jswinden

I've been buying clothing from Amazon for quite a while. I haven't had to return anything though. Mind you I buy things like t-shirts, underwear, shoes, casual wear shirts, and pants. But I almost always buy brands I'm familiar with and know which sizes fit me. Basically I buy clothing like that available at Walmart, but it certainly beats having to browse in Walmart.

And I second the thought that living in Texas in summer is a lot like hell. Hot enough to fry eggs on the sidewalks. The middle of July through the middle of August is horrible. The rest of summer is slightly more tolerable.

Has your area been hotter than normal this year?

Now back on topic, I used Amazon for bras, but I knew the exact size, style and brand.

Yep, a bit hotter than usual, and definitely more humid, and definitely off topic! [Segue alert...] Or is it. For people who live in climates that are too hot, too wet, too cold, or nasty to get out much during certain times of the year, it is nice to have an option like Amazon Wardrobe. I grew up in a rural area in the 1960s during an era when most of the families in our town either had to make a 30 mile trip one way to a city large enough to have decent retail stores, or they did like my mom and ordered a LOT of stuff (including clothes) through the Sears and Roebuck catalog. That big catalog came around more often than the new phone books in those days, I think four times a year they released and mailed out a seasonal catalog. In the early part of the 20th century a person could actually order a kit built house from Sears and Roebuck, and I'm talking a big house here not a tiny mobile thingie they gush over on HGTV and DIY these days. So this kind of merchandising is certainly not new, especially the clothing part. Granted my parents' generation grew up during the Great Depression of the 1920s and 1930s, and went off to fight WWII and lived through the rationing of materials and goods during the war, so they were not as picky as a fashion model wannabee when it came to wardrobe selection. They were just happy to have some selection. Most of the people I know are not that picky about most of their wardrobe either. Perhaps they are a bit pickier when it comes to dressing up for special occasions or work, but not that picky for casual wear. That is why Walmart grew so big--we just are not that picky. So I think Amazon's generous return policy with their Wardrobe service will likely be a big hit for a lot of people.

One drawback to ordering online or through a catalog is color. What you see on the screen or page might not be what you get. LCD screens can show colors different from what they look like in person, and the photos that are posted can also be off. So the generous return policy can help out with color and size issues.

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Is yarn considered clothing?

Come to think about it, I guess yarn, a sewing repair kit, and a large bag of polyfil fiber is pretty much your health care policy too.

[DreamWriter]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Is yarn considered clothing?

In your case, yes. I wouldn't want to see your stuffing.

Originally Posted by issybird

Huh. You sure don't live in New Hampshire.

Nope, I'm on the "other coast." I do wear long pants in January, though.

Originally Posted by barryem

The only thing that seems to be different here is that there's a 7 day return period and they've simplified, or so it seems, the return procedure. It wasn't difficult before but we had 30 days in the past and the process wasn't as simple as they made it look in the video.

Another thing that's different with Amazon Prime Wardrobe is that you get 10% off if you keep three or four items and 20% off five items or more.

Originally Posted by jswinden

I've been buying clothing from Amazon for quite a while. I haven't had to return anything though.

I've purchased underwear, socks, shoes, slippers, and a few articles of clothing from Amazon. I had to return a pair of slippers and a sweatshirt. Both items were listed as "FREE Returns" (abbreviated policy below). I had no problems with either return. Free shipping both ways. Just dropped the packages off at the UPS Store, which I was driving by anyway.

Return this item for free

You can return this item for any reason and get a full refund: no shipping charges. The item must be returned in new and unused condition.

Originally Posted by jswinden

Come to think about it, I guess yarn, a sewing repair kit, and a large bag of polyfil fiber is pretty much your health care policy too.

Here is the part I like best about Amazon Prime Wardrobe

Are there any fees associated with Prime Wardrobe?
Prime Wardrobe is included with your eligible Prime membership; there are no additional fees to use it. Shipping and returns are free.

Unlike Amazon Fresh, which charges $14.99/month on top of my $99/year Prime fee, Prime Wardrobe costs nothing extra! I have no idea why Amazon Fresh costs a whopping $14.99/month. They should just charge for the shipping rather than say free shipping on orders of $40 or more and $9.99 shipping for orders under $40. I live alone and would likely not have many orders that were $40 or more. So I won't be using Amazon Fresh as it will cost more than going two miles down the road to a grocery store. Prime Wardrobe on the other hand should cost about the same as going to a local Walmart or Target, but be way more convenient. the way I look at it, $15/month will pay my gasoline for a LOT of trips to the grocery store. Perhaps those customers with large families might see a benefit, but not a single person. I think in reality it would cost me $15 + at least $20 more per month just to receive less than $80 worth of groceries. Major fail....

[Wearever]

I guess it depends what you order at Amazon. My husband had to return two pairs of Keen sport sandals recently, they are near $100 unless on sale. He ordered his size and they were too small. He read reviews and ordered one size larger ( all said they made them smaller now ) those were too big. He needed a 1\2 size larger and they didn't make them for size 12. So he can't find a pair that fits him in Keens. He had a pair of Keens he bought years ago and they fit in size 12, but not anymore. These are the kinds of things that increase returns at Amazon. Something they must know too. Tying to get guys like my busy husband to go to any store to try on shoes is not going to happen. Trust me I've tried. He'll buy what he knows fits and orders it. Sometimes they change something in manufacturing the shoes or what ever. It happens and I think Amazon is trying to get those customers. I think it would work if they could try different brands to see what fits them now.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Wearever

I guess it depends what you order at Amazon. My husband had to return two pairs of Keen sport sandals recently, they are near $100 unless on sale. He ordered his size and they were too small. He read reviews and ordered one size larger ( all said they made them smaller now ) those were too big. He needed a 1\2 size larger and they didn't make them for size 12. So he can't find a pair that fits him in Keens. He had a pair of Keens he bought years ago and they fit in size 12, but not anymore. These are the kinds of things that increase returns at Amazon. Something they must know too. Tying to get guys like my busy husband to go to any store to try on shoes is not going to happen. Trust me I've tried. He'll buy what he knows fits and orders it. Sometimes they change something in manufacturing the shoes or what ever. It happens and I think Amazon is trying to get those customers. I think it would work if they could try different brands to see what fits them now.

I can't wear one of the Levi brands. Even the one size up is too little. On both shirts and pants.

[Wearever]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

I can't wear one of the Levi brands. Even the one size up is too little. On both shirts and pants.

I've noticed that the sizes have changed on brands as well. I'm interested in seeing which brands will be offered with Amazon Wardrobe, after the trial period.

[pdurrant]

It sounds like a really useful service. I hope it launches in the UK too. While I could order different sizes and return the ones that don't fit, it feels wrong. But if they're properly set up to handle returns and anticipate returns, I'd be much happier.

Originally Posted by Wearever

I've noticed that the sizes have changed on brands as well. I'm interested in seeing which brands will be offered with Amazon Wardrobe, after the trial period.

I currently try to stick with brands I'm familiar with because I know which of their sizes fit me. It can be frustrating trying other brands just to find out their size XYZ is not the same as another brand's size XYZ. The most difficult thing to gauge is when they list a size as S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, etc. It is anyone's guess as to what those correlate to with any particular brand. When they list measurement sizes it is a bit easier, though different brands might cut the pieces for pants, shirts, etc. differently so even if the waist and inseam sizes are the same, the fit can be totally different. So Amazon Wardrobe's generous return policy should make trying other brands less risky. I was a bit hesitant to try other brands up until now because I did not want to return too many items and get dinged. So I played it safe.

[Wearever]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

It sounds like a really useful service. I hope it launches in the UK too. While I could order different sizes and return the ones that don't fit, it feels wrong. But if they're properly set up to handle returns and anticipate returns, I'd be much happier.

I agree I tried not to return too many things also. I would have a 6 month period of not returning anything and felt a head of the curve. Then almost like clock work I'd hit a period of returns. I am careful when ordering but sizes or quality can be off. Plus just finding the time to drop off the return. Amazon Wardrobe looks like it would work better. I'm sure if it's successful in the States it will be offered in the U.K. and other countries too.

[Wearever]

Originally Posted by jswinden

I currently try to stick with brands I'm familiar with because I know which of their sizes fit me. It can be frustrating trying other brands just to find out their size XYZ is not the same as another brand's size XYZ. The most difficult thing to gauge is when they list a size as S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, etc. It is anyone's guess as to what those correlate to with any particular brand. When they list measurement sizes it is a bit easier, though different brands might cut the pieces for pants, shirts, etc. differently so even if the waist and inseam sizes are the same, the fit can be totally different. So Amazon Wardrobe's generous return policy should make trying other brands less risky. I was a bit hesitant to try other brands up until now because I did not want to return too many items and get dinged. So I played it safe.

That's also what my husband does, just orders brands he knows and likes, and has been buying from for years. I think Amazon Wardrobe would be good for him to try different brands and try them at home and have the box picked up from home too. A real time saver.

[Catlady]

I hope Prime Wardrobe works better than clothing shopping at Amazon now.

I'm trying to exchange some clothing items I bought on Prime Day when they were 30 percent off. The site won't let me simply get a different size--I'm supposed to return and then rebuy. Which would mean losing the 30 percent off.

A customer rep finally gave me a promo code for the difference in the dollar amount, but initially it didn't seem to apply and I gave up last night; this morning I saw that it had applied to the order I'd left in my cart, but in the meantime the item price had gone up, so I'd still be paying more than I had for the original order.

Not sure if I'm going to try dealing with CS again, but it doesn't give me a lot of confidence in buying clothes from Amazon if they can't do a simple even exchange of one size for another.

Amazon doesn't seem to be very good at thinking things all they way through. Hopefully they will do better when they release Prime Wardrobe. I guess for now we should probably stick with brands we are familiar with as far a sizes go.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by jswinden

Amazon doesn't seem to be very good at thinking things all they way through. Hopefully they will do better when they release Prime Wardrobe. I guess for now we should probably stick with brands we are familiar with as far a sizes go.

The problem seemed to be caused by the Prime Day discount; at least that's what I'm assuming. But I would think that the same 30 percent discount drove a lot of clothes shopping that day, and consequently there are probably a lot of people like me who bought a wrong size and want to make an exchange, yet Amazon doesn't have a mechanism in place to make that easy.