As a work-at-home dad, my wife has regularly lamented my extraordinary talent for dressing “down.” No face-to-face coworkers, supervisors, or clientss means that I’m more likely to wear yesterday’s pants with a graphic tee, because figuring clothes out is a chore. This has led to an unexpected problem: As I’ve lost weight (thanks to a lower stress level achieved by working at home), I’ve not replaced my now too-large wardrobe, and desperately need to update my wardrobe. Thanks to Threadlab, I didn’t even have to leave my computer. How fabulous is that?
Problem No. 1:
I find myself dressed in the same clothes all the time, and they aren’t flattering clothes. On the left, you can see one of my (entirely too many) graphic tees. This is my default shirt preference. On the right, you can see my gray/green jacket that I wear over pretty much everything if I want to feel like I “tried,” but it obviously doesn’t cut it. Going through my phone’s camera roll, I found that I can be found in the same 8 shirts most of the year. For me, that’s comfortable. For my wife, it’s not an aesthetic she’d choose, unsurprisingly.
Problem No. 2:
I rarely have appropriate clothes for “events.” Weddings, holidays, birthdays, the ocassion matters not. I wear the same hum-drum clothes. I seem to always be wearing the wrong clothes, because I am wearing the wrong clothes.
Problem No. 3:
I hate malls. Hate them. Everything on the shelf looks unnatural, and the plastic people do nothing to reassure me. The stores also seem to never have my size in stock. I’m told this is because I’m “average” in nearly every measurement, so the sizes I need have all been bought already. Seriously, though, I’ve gone to several stores, only to end up buying new graphic tees on Amazon when I get home.
Threadlab Solution No. 1:
Threadlab won’t send you the same-old crud you’ve been wearing for years. As I placed my order, I realized that I’d never heard of a bunch of the brands, but that they all had good reputations. So graphic tees and gym shorts are right out.
Threadlab Solution No. 2:
Threadlab’s goal is to upgrade your wardrobe. That’s the whole point. Fashion-forward folks take your info and assemble coordinating clothes that just look classy, even in different combinations. More on the exact clothes I received below.
Threadlab Solution No. 3:
Threadlab works with dozens of brands to fill orders. They don’t pick stuff up at the mall; they get it from the manufacturers directly. They always have the right sizes, and will make sure you get them post-haste. And if the clothes don’t fit? It’s free and easy to return them for the correct size.
The ordering:
I signed up on the website using Facebook, which was quick and convenient. The website walked me through entering my measurements, color preferences, and patterns that I like. There’s even a section for preferred brands, but you have to look around for it to use that tool. After everything was entered, I selected a box. I chose the Full Kit, at $299 for 5-8 items. The other options were $99 for 2-4 items, and $149 for 3-5 items.
After a short wait, I received an email saying that my clothes had already been picked out. It was surprisingly fast, so I was excited to see the items I’d receive. I opened my order through the link in my email, and was surprised to find out there was a “reject/feedback” option. If something didn’t fit my preferences, I could ask for a replacement.
Here were their picks, after I had an item replaced:
The longsleeve shirts are quite nice. The first one is a bit slim, but fit comfortably. It was hard to button some of the buttons, because the button holes were smaller than usual. The second shirt is beautiful. A rich navy blue, it has these little white bits of spun fluff woven in. I have to resist picking the fluffy bits out, but other than that, it’s an ideal shirt for wearing to, say, Thanksgiving, or a similar get-together.
The “canvas sweater” was a bit confusing for me, at first. Turns out, the brand is called Canvas, rather than the sweater being made of canvas. It’s so soft and light that it was surprising to find it so warm. It really is a sweater, but it’s one that goes easily over a tee, and/or under a jacket.
The tee was, in the end, just a tee. It’s really comfortable, and has a nice color to it, because the threads aren’t a uniform color. It’s kind of textured, rather than the stark wall of color that I have in most of my shirts.
The jeans fit perfectly. There’s a little bit of lycra in the weave, making them a little stretchy, thank goodness! I can be pretty active, so I need pants that can keep up. Sadly, my wife was put off by the intentional fading. She much prefers the jeans to develop character in a more natural way. I don’t mind either way, and I think they look nice. They certainly feel nice!
The “Dane shorts” were interesting. I liked the color, and so did my wife. Unfortunately, they were too big. I returned them using the included shipping bag, and they were replaced in about 10 days.
The “Chambray shorts” are kind of narrowly cut. They’re also a bit shorter than I’m used to. Like the Dane shorts, these were a size too big. I returned them with the other pair, but didn’t get the replacements for around 20 days, long after I’d received the Dane replacements.
The big reveal:
In these photos, taken by my patient wife, you can see the 7 articles of clothing I received. On the left, you can see the jeans with the two long-sleeve shirts. The first shirt fits well around the chest, but are a big baggy on the arms. The second shirt is much darker than it appears in this photo, and I really liked the turned up sleeves, with a checkered pattern hidden in there. It’s easily my favorite.
The third photo shows me in the tee and the Dane shorts. They’re comfortable, but both feel a bit like they match my existing wardrobe, rather than being a step up. That said, I really like them, so it’s worth it.
The fourth photo shows me in the Chambray shorts, with the sweater. They both fit very well, and are comfortable to wear. The sweater can be balled up to the size of a softball, and doesn’t really wrinkle, so it’s already slotted to become a trip favorite. The shorts are gray, but look okay with other neutral colors. They’re horrible with primary colors, though.
The only thing I can complain about is that you might get a partial order, with a credit placed on your account. I cannot find any evidence that you can have those funds returned, so it’s likely that someone who received a credit might have to order another box to use that credit.
Overall, I’d say my wardrobe was definitely upgraded, and I’m thrilled to say I didn’t have to leave my house to get several new outfits. It has been a good way to try out some new brands, too, without spending hours at the mall searching for my size. My wife seems to like all of them, which sells me on them for good. I’ll definitely be watching Threadlab to see what they do next. I’ll likely send giftcards to some folks who could use a subtle nudge to improve their wardrobe, too.
Disclaimer: The author received a promotional code in order to test this service. Opinions expressed in this post are true, and not sponsored.
