Introducing MM. LaFleur

We love a good series, as we’ve noted before. This new series is all about introducing (I’m sure you already got that part) you to new products and brands that you may not know about. The brand/product may not necessarily be new, but it’s something that is new to us, and we want to give you our honest feedback on what works and what doesn’t. Because why should all 6 of our readers waste money on the same damn thing only to find out that those bloggers only raved about it because they were paid to?

You don’t have to worry that we’re not honest, because we aren’t paid for content because no one reads our blog. (HELLO???? Anyone there?!?!)

Readers, we would like to introduce you to clothing brand MM. LaFleur.

Katie 1 and Katie 2 heard about this from a few bloggers a while back, when boxed services were all the rage. MM. La Fleur is not a subscription service. You can go to their website and shop just like you do anywhere else. What is a little unique is you can get what they call a Bento Box, where an MMLF stylist picks a few items and sends them to you to try out for 4 days. You pay for what you keep, send back what you don’t. It’s free shipping both ways.

So I (Katie 2) signed up for my box (they asked some questions, but nothing ground-breaking). After I got my confirmation, the screen showed me a few things I might be interested in. No, not “here, buy these things even though you just asked for a box to get to know our brand”, but what appear to be articles for working women. I started clicking, and I went down a rabbit hole. Seriously. Good-bye lunch hour. Here’s one article I found particularly interesting. 

I found that this site is more than just a place to shop, but is part fashion blog, part lifestyle guide for real women in the professional world. Because the MM. LaFleur philosophy is that women have #BetterThingsToDo than shop. I think I’m going to like this… They focus on everyone from new grads to new working women, to women who’ve been working for a while.

….a few days later…

I got an email from my personal stylist who apparently handpicked each of the items in my box. She just wanted to check in, and let me know that if I needed anything while trying on my selections to let her know…

Then I got the confirmation that my package was delivered. Living in the city, I have a unique problem that most of the time, packages aren’t left at my apartment because there is no safe place to leave them (no entrance lobby, no porch). Instead, I use what’s called a UPS Access Point. Not to get into too much detail, but the point is that I have to pick up my package and then walk about 15 minutes home. Imagine my delight to find that the box had a handle which made for easy carrying. 

I opened the box, and it was packed so nicely. 

I have to admit, there was a lot of stuff in there to read. Some was helpful, like the card of the item names, sizes, and prices that were included in my box. Others were just advertising. I did find it a bit lacking on direction (more on that in a bit).

The Bento Box includes five pieces. I knew from the initial survey that one of the five items would be an accessory. I specifically asked for a belt, because accessorizing is not something I do often/well, but a belt is something even a lazy dresser like me can find utility in. The belt was right on the top of the box. I have to say, I liked it. It’s a dark brown basic leather belt, with a twist. Literally. The knotting detail made the normal belt seem special, while still being a great classic, basic piece.

I knew from the card insert that there were four dresses included in my box. Honestly, they probably don’t include all dresses for everyone, but  in my survey, I was realistic about what I wear every day. I probably should have asked for something other than dresses to get a better idea of the brand, but I’ve learned my lesson for next time (keep reading, I’ll get there).

I ended up with three dresses and a jacket. Each of the dresses was classic but with a little something special. For example, the Aditi dress was made of a structured stretchy material and had a very interesting Asian-inspired neckline and came up just a little higher than expected on the back of my neck.

 

The Etsuko dress was a beautiful color of purple (they called it "elderberry") with ¾ sleeves and pockets (POCKETS!). Unfortunately there are no pictures, because the dress had a stain on the front. I notified my stylist and she was great, but I felt as though the picture was distracting. The dress was cute with a little belt, but unfortunately I don't love what the pockets did around my tummy.

The piece de resistance is the Katie dress. I should have known I was going to love it- it is named after me! And it's black! This is a beautifully made black knit dress with a slit in front. When I brought the dress into work to have pictures taken for this blog, more than one person stopped me to compliment the dress.

The Dietrich Jacket- Plein Air in True Olive was a bit of a letdown. I saw pictures of it in an article while I was perusing their site, and I was dying to see it in person. It was not cute. Sorry, there's just no way to say it. It looked great in the pictures, and the model was not 5'11 and stick thin, either. Maybe it would work for you??

I’m not going to lie- the prices are a bit high, and it doesn’t look like things really go on sale. I saw some dresses on the site that I would love to try, but they were $350. But, the pieces are classic so they won’t go out of style, and the things I’ve seen in person are beautifully made. Plus, I see that many things are machine washable. BONUS!

So as for what was lacking: there was a little attention to detail missing. The purple dress had a stain on the front. I also felt that direction were a little lacking. Apparently when you return Bento Box items, you have to fill out a survey. I had no idea until my stylist sent me an email saying “I see you still haven’t filled out your return survey.” Oops. Also- my items came in this really thick, nice plastic pouch. Can I keep it? No idea. I returned it just in case. Nothing major, just a little more direction would have been helpful.

A few other things to note: They offer extended sizes, aimed at women who typically wear sizes 14W-22W. Also, while your first Bento Box is free, any future box is $25. That $25 can be used toward any item you keep from the box, but if you don’t keep anything, you lose it.

And THEN… 

I had this post just about ready to go when I got an email inviting me to a special event- "MM. La Fleur is coming to Chicago! Schedule an appointment today!" The invite said I could make an appointment with a stylist and they would bring things for me to try on. Free! Oh, and I could bring one guest AND I could forward the invite to others. So I forwarded the invite to Katie 1 and made Elizabeth my guest (no, I didn't tell her first). Then I saw the most amazing piece of information: CHAMPAGNE INCLUDED!!! 

We showed up at the Langham Hotel in Chicago on Thursday evening. MM. LaFleur had a suite set up and stylists and prosecco waiting for us. (Strike for the lying about champagne.)

The three of us spent the next hour trying on all sorts of looks. Dresses, skirts, tops, jardigans (a cardigan that is super structured so it wears like a jacket- it's a thing), pants. What made it fun was that somehow the three of us wear similar sizes in MMLF, so we ended up swapping pieces all evening. The overall impression?

Quite positive actually.  Our stylists were super professional and listened to our likes and dislikes. We were pleased with things they suggested and were able to try on a variety of items that we may not have picked for ourselves. They also weren't super pushy so we didn't feel like we absolutely had to buy anything.  This worked out well because our appointments were at the end of the pop up window and things were a little picked over.  Katie 1 admits that she's come close to purchasing things on the website previously but has hesitated because she was unsure about the fabrics and fit.  Being able to try things on has certainly made her more confident in her future online shopping.  In fact, she's probably going to end up purchasing the Annie dress  in either chili flake or aubergine.