Facebook PixelHaley's Trip to NYC with Elizabeth & Clarke Recap! | MSA
My Subscription Addiction
My Subscription Addiction
Our reviewers research, test, and recommend the best subscriptions and products independently; click to learn more about our editorial guidelines. We may receive commissions on purchases made through links on our site.

Haley’s Trip to NYC with Elizabeth & Clarke Recap!

Haley Faye
ByHaley FayeMar 22, 2016 | 46 comments

Hi, everyone! Haley here! I wanted to share with you about a really awesome opportunity I had this past weekend! It all started a couple months ago when I got an email from Elizabeth & Clarke asking for submissions of short, 2-minute videos talking about personal struggles or unfortunate anecdotes with workwear. (Think: pants too short or too long, buttons gaping, always feeling sweaty in your work clothes, spills, etc.) In return for a submission, you received $50 in store credit towards their new Unstainable Collection! In addition, a few women would also be chosen for a grand prize – a trip to New York to film a commercial for their Kickstarter to help fund their unstainable line and a complete Unstainable collection in my size when it ships in October! I was one of the girls selected!

Elizabeth & Clarke
3.7 overall rating
21 Ratings | 6 Reviews

If you’re not familiar with Elizabeth & Clarke, it’s a brand that has its own quarterly subscription. Every 3 months they design and release 3 shirts. You can buy 1 shirt for $40, 2 shirts for $50, or all 3 for $60. Over the life of their subscription, Liz and I have found that their tops are chic and high quality, and I personally think $20/piece is an amazing price for the tops they send out. You can check out our reviews of their subscription here!

Apparently there were 8 girls chosen to come film out of about 60-65 video submissions. Personally, in my video, I spoke about my issues with my clothing from when I waitressed. I’m tall, so black dress pants were always hard to find the right length. If I did, it had to be sizes up from what I wear so they were too wide too. Also, long-sleeve, completely button-up, white shirts were hard to find for women (it was always v-neck button ups, and ¾ sleeves). When I did find one, they were almost always too short in the torso and sleeves.

So, I just flew to Manhattan on Saturday, March 12th and got back late Sunday March 13th. My mom graciously came with me and helped me so I could bring my 6-month-old son with me. Saturday was a free schedule aside from our morning flights, and we spent the afternoon exploring and even visited the SoHo Birchbox Shop! (Story about that to come separately!) Sunday was film day. My call time was 6 AM at a studio office, and I got to meet the lovely team behind Elizabeth & Clarke (and some other awesome women), got my hair & makeup done by their hired team, and helped film their new commercial. I had a blast! What an experience!

So, without further ado, here are some photos and details about my trip!

E&C NY TRIP HALEY 1

Turns out when you fly from Flint, MI at 6 AM you get the whole place to yourself!

E&C NY TRIP HALEY 2

This was some of our view when we were landing into LaGuardia Airport. New York is definitely crowded! It was such a cool view to see Manhattan from above.

E&C NY TRIP HALEY 3

This is my son, Gideon, and I on our first cab ride ever!

E&C NY TRIP HALEY 4

I forgot to take a picture of the outside sign, but we stayed at the Duane Street Hotel. It was pretty small, but it was really beautiful and classy. Plus, free baklava and orange-infused water in the lobby!

E&C NY TRIP HALEY 5

This was our room! Again, it was small but really cool. Our view was just of our neighborhood streets, nothing particularly exciting or glamourous.

E&C NY TRIP HALEY 6

E&C NY TRIP HALEY 7

E&C NY TRIP HALEY 8

This was the little set where we filmed. The commercial had parts that were demo (demonstrating the Unstainable collection, interview in our old work clothes that weren’t cutting it anymore, and a post-makeover/”after” interview about how we felt about Elizabeth & Clarke’s clothes.

E&C NY TRIP HALEY 9

Here’s a sneak peek at the collection. The clothes I saw worn by me and other girls included a long sleeve button-down, a great chic jacket, extendable-length pants, a skirt, and a great dress.

I loved everything I got to see and try! So, I’ve mentioned how these clothes are Unstainable. They’re treated with a process that makes them hydro-phobic so liquid literally splashes right off of them! That means they’re also sweat proof! No more weird underarm stains. The jacket I wore had a lining that felt like butter and it was soft and cool to my skin. It’s designed to soak up sweat into a middle layer which then dries 10x faster than normal. The adjustable/extendable pants were amazing. When I was being styled and was told to try them on, I was definitely smirking to myself thinking, “honey, I’ve tried pretty much every pair of dress pants there is – I can promise these will be too short.” Well, they weren’t! They were TOO LONG. A problem I basically never have as a 6’ girl. These pants are adjustable by having secret snaps along the inside so they can be the perfect length! I actually had to have mine snapped up. I was thrilled with that.

E&C NY TRIP HALEY 10

Here’s how their team did my hair and makeup. It was definitely much fresher/natural than I usually wear my makeup so I’ve been playing with getting more comfortable trying a more natural look when I do my makeup myself.

E&C NY TRIP HALEY 11

My son wasn’t supposed to be in the commercial, but I had talked about him a lot in my interviews (how for months as a new mom I’ve worn crappy clothes because I knew my reflux baby was going to spit up all over me and I’d have to change at least 5 times each day, how I’ve been afraid to dress in anything nice because of the number of things I could get messed onto my clothes, etc), so the team asked if they could do a couple shots with him when my mom brought him to pick me up. I thought it was sweet of them, and then they started prompting him, “throw up on mommy! Yes, throw up on mom!” Haha, I realized they were hoping to use him as a demonstration of the Unstainable clothes! But he didn’t. Fortunately for me, at 6 months, he’s grown past those issues almost completely!

E&C NY TRIP HALEY 12

My son and I post-filming!

E&C NY TRIP HALEY 13

This is the lovely lady behind Elizabeth & Clarke, Melanie! She was so great to talk to and get to know. They didn’t even realize I was from My Subscription Addiction until our communication picked up about the trip two weeks before. Melanie was so smart, sweet, driven, and definitely inspired me.

While we were all talking, she also filled me in on some ideas she had for future pieces to design and additions to the subscription! With her permission, I get to share those ideas with you! I think they’re great: she talked about adding a twice-yearly pants/skirt subscription release, and even a yearly jacket/coat box! Since the “Unstainable” factor comes from a treatment process, she wants to add a “make it Unstainable!” option to her whole clothing line for an upcharge. She also said she’s trying to find the right factory to work with to finally create the perfect legging/dress pant combo. Sounds like heaven!

The other ladies chosen for models were really smart and cool and I was happy to get to know them. They were from all over the country. We all talked a lot of subscription box talk, a about things women experience while working/being professionals that men don’t experience (on personal, social, and apparel levels), and lots of other things. There were even a couple who said they found out about Elizabeth & Clarke thanks to My Subscription Addiction!

I had a very quick but exciting, once-in-a-lifetime trip! I was so glad to be able to do this and I’m really looking forward to sharing the Unstainable items I get in a few months and seeing the commercial when it’s all edited and complete! Being able to see, feel, and try the clothes in person was a great experience and it really made me believe in the clothing, vision, and brand. I know Elizabeth & Clarke has definitely made me a loyal customer for life. I’m really excited about what they’re bringing to the professional women’s apparel scene.

Starting at $60.00
Active Deal
Save 10% off your first box!
Use Coupon Code CMSA10
Subscribe Now
Elizabeth & Clarke is a women’s clothing subscription box for sizes 00 to 18 – and they specialize in just shirts and tops! They make all their styles in-house, and only do a limited amount of new designs each season. You get to preview the new tops and pick your favorites, or let Elizabeth &am... read more.
Haley Faye
Haley Faye
Haley Faye first discovered the wonderful world of subscription boxes in 2012 and began writing for MSA in 2014. Over the years, she has found many subscriptions to love. Now a mom of three, her favorite boxes are ones that dress her kids, help her get organized, feed her family, send her snacks, and offer educational fun for her children.

Join the Conversation

Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.

46 comments

Nichelle

OMG, Hailey, that’s awesome! What a great opportunity and visit to the Big Apple, you are photogenic and your baby is adorable, you should be a model or spokesperson for a brand, ongoing!

Reply ButtonReply

Valerie

I USED to be a huge Elizabeth & Clarke fan…until I had a problem receiving my order (it was never delivered to me) and when I followed up with them they they didn’t seem surprised or concerned that my package never arrived and told me there was nothing they could do. I followed up with the shipping company and they told me the sender needed to contact them to initiate an investigation. E&C never contacted them or initiated the investigation as to where my package was. I subscribed to three shirts so I was out $60. When I canceled my subscription because of this I was also out the next seasons subscription cost as well ($120 total – for nothing!). For a company that ships everything they should ensure their shipments arrive to their customers. I DO NOT RECOMMEND Elizabeth and Clarke not worth the disrespect from their customer service and cost after they take all your money and don’t deliver.

Reply ButtonReply

Jaime

Hi Valerie,

We sincerely apologize for your frustration. I totally understand where you are coming from. I checked your tracking again, and your package was marked delivered to your address on file. I triple checked with UPS and spent a couple of hours on the phone with their customer service to file a claim. UPS was unable to investigate further as the order was declared delivered to your address. When this happens, there is nothing we can do on our end. Once the package leaves our warehouse, we do not have control over it anymore. I truly did my best to help you with this matter, and again, we apologize.

Reply ButtonReply

nelliebelle1197

No, you did not. Because most companies offer something in the way of apology. I have never heard of a mail order company that absolves itself of responsibility like this. I was interested in some of the shirts, but not now- especially after this response from CS. Thanks for the heads-up, Valerie!

Ann

Wow, that’s disheartening. I’ve been waiting for them to start their larger ladies line, but after reading your experience, maybe it’s for the best they don’t carry my size. They should have made it right for you. I would be furious.

Reply ButtonReply

Kaitlyn

Did I miss the Birchbox visit story?

Reply ButtonReply

Haley Faye

No, you didn’t! Sorry – that should be coming up this week!

Reply ButtonReply

Ann

What an awesome trip! I can’t wait until they start making those items they are talking about, having pants as another subscription would be awesome!

Reply ButtonReply

Tierney

Haley, you’re so beautiful and Gideon is precious. So glad you had this experience!

Reply ButtonReply

Marina

Congratulations on this opportunity!
I just started my subscription – I missed the Spring collection, so I’m patiently waiting for the summer box to ship in June. I love how receptive they are to feedback and how much thought is put in the pieces. I’m short (5’3), my proportions a little off (longer torso, shorter legs) and curvy. Although my weight has gone up & down through the years, the hardest thing was to find pants that were the perfect length and fit in the hips.

Your son is too cute!

Reply ButtonReply

BL

How did it feel to be a super star? This must of been so exciting and scary fun. Congratulations and I loved reading your post and I am sure that everyone plus everyone in NY will be reading too. You go girlfriend, super cool.

Reply ButtonReply

Virginia

Congrats on winning the trip. It was a shame that you couldn’t stay longer and explore more. Pictures you posted looked good. Glad I got to see your son.

Reply ButtonReply

Ashlea

Love these new options and get great compliments about their shirts. They’ve been great about exchanges and subs too.

Reply ButtonReply

Sayuri

You look amazing. Glad, you had a good time. Are these clothing safe, breathable and can be worn during summers?

Reply ButtonReply

Haley Faye

Sayuri, Yes! Very breathable and comfortable. And sweat proof!

Reply ButtonReply

Heather

What a fabulous experience! Your makeup looks beautiful and your son is so adorable.

Reply ButtonReply

Jen

Great review! So happy you had this experience – you look beautiful and I can’t wait to see the commercial!

Reply ButtonReply

Donna

Congratulations, Haley! It looks like you had a great trip. You always look great, but I loved the make up and hair. It makes you look about fourteen years old! ?

Reply ButtonReply

Emily

This was a great read! How cool for you!

Reply ButtonReply

Starla

So happy for you! Thank you for sharing your trip with us all. I enjoyed reading about the unstainables. And the pants are intriguing. I have the opposite problem from you. I’m 5 foot tall and everything is always way too long. I know I can always hem, but snapping would be so much easier. Interested to read more info when there is more info. Keep us posted please!

Reply ButtonReply

Siobhan Smith

How fun! What a great experience! I was wondering about the sheerness factor of their shirts – do you feel like you need to wear a shell under them?

Reply ButtonReply

Haley Faye

Siobhan, no, I don’t for the ones I’ve tried in their subscription! If you go to unstainable.ec they have videos of the models in the clothes so you can see sheerness factor. I think the white and blush Liz Lemon t shirt might be best with a cam underneath. And the long sleeve button up I tried on for the shoot looked best with a cami for the white one. However generally the tops I’ve reviewed in their sub don’t need it.

Reply ButtonReply

Siobhan Smith

Thanks! I am a complete klutz, so unstainable is pretty tempting. I like my shirts to not be too sheer, so maybe I’ll just get one for now and see how it goes.

Jennifer

Did E&C even pay for your flight and hotel?!? What an awesome experience!

Reply ButtonReply

Haley Faye

Jennifer, yes they did!

Reply ButtonReply

Jessvii

Really enjoyed reading this!

Your son is adorable! He looks kind of like my 8-month-old son, but since there’s no way for me to post a pic here, you’ll just have to take my word for it.

Reply ButtonReply

Brandie

Gideon has some very luscious lips! Haha what a cutie!

Reply ButtonReply

Mandy

OMG! What fun!!! You look so beautiful! Your skin is amazing! How do you do it? When I was pregnant my face erupted in a massive case of hormone anarchy! ? I have never been able to have skin that nice! You go girl! ??

Reply ButtonReply

Debbie

Gideon is a beautiful baby!

Reply ButtonReply

nana

What a great account, haley! I really love your joie de vivre!

Reply ButtonReply

Joyce

Haley thanks for sharing your trip with us. Congrats and so happy for you. Your son is handsome.

Reply ButtonReply

lisad

What an awesome opportunity as soon as they can do a 14/16 I’m signed up!

Reply ButtonReply

Haley Faye

Well, I can confirm they went up to 14 in the pants I was being styled in, but I definitely felt like they ran small… =[ I’m normally a 10/30 bottom and I had to wear the 14! So, like, yay but boo? I did bring up plus sizes to them. She said it’s on their list to expand into!

Reply ButtonReply

Amanda

Thanks so much for sharing with us! That was such a neat opportunity for you.

Reply ButtonReply