Most people like to try on clothes before buying them. Sizes tend to vary by label, so it is always best to check the fit before putting any money down. As such, online shopping has always been a game of chance. Amazon Prime Wardrobe is a new service that aims to simplify the whole process and encourage more online sales. It’s now available to all Prime members in the U.S.
First announced in June 2017, Amazon Prime Wardrobe is the latest benefit for being a Prime member. Over the course of the last several months, a growing number of members were made privy to this virtual wardrobe.
An Amazon employee previously mistakenly announced that Wardrobe had gone live in the spring. In a since-deleted tweet (Amazon has to maintain some secrecy, of course), the eager beaver wrote, “Amazon Prime Wardrobe is officially launched! Hooray! It’s been a fun project to work on.” At the time, that wasn’t quite the case, as Wardrobe remained in invite-only mode. But now, all U.S. Prime members can “shop from our great selection of brands for women, men, kids and baby,” per an Amazon spokesperson.
To get started, users need to pick out at least three items and up to 15 from more than 1 million different Amazon Fashion options from brands including Calvin Klein, Levi’s, Adidas, and more. Clothes, shoes, and accessories for both kids and adults fill the Prime Wardrobe box without any sort of upfront cost, and are organized first by the wearer (men, women, babies) and then by style, occasion, or various curated collections.
When the box arrives, users have seven days to try on the clothing. If something does not fit or it does not look as good as expected, users can either schedule a free pickup or drop off the resealable box at a nearby UPS store. A prepaid shipping label ensures that the service comes at no cost. Alternatively, users save money depending on how many items they keep. Keeping three or four items earns 10 percent off everything. Five or more earns 20 percent off. Prime members only pay afterward for the items they keep. You will have seven days to try everything on, and you can order up to eight items at a time. Despite the fact that Prime Wardrobe is part of the Prime family, don’t expect two-day shipping. Given that boxes pull pieces from various places, they may take up to six days to ship.
With the speed and simplicity of Prime Wardrobe, people could become much more comfortable with online purchases. According to comScore, digital spending on apparel has grown from 15.4 percent in 2013 to 17 percent in 2016. This new service brings the dressing room to the home, without any sort of inconvenience or upfront commitment.
Similar services already exist such as Trunk Club, but these include items that appear to have a 10 to 15 percent markup to cover the costs. Amazon Prime Wardrobe gets a leg up by seamlessly weaving itself into the existing Prime benefits.
Updated on June 20: Added news that Amazon Prime Wardrobe is now available in the U.S.
