Golden Tote $149 Tote Review – October 2015

I used to love Golden Tote, but I feel like my last few totes have been way off. The quality does not seem as good as it used to. I loved the 2 items that I picked, but the others were not great for me. One of the items they sent me was a very summery white and red sleeveless shift dress. That’s not really the type of item I wanted to receive in my October bag. I do love the actual tote though!

Just to chime in about the quality bc I started ordering from them in 2013, pretty early on…I’ve found that some of the items are really good quality and others are more like filler items. At the beginning they’d always include an item from Puella as a surprise, their brand that’s sold at Anthro, and those were really nice pieces. So even if some of what you ordered didn’t last, there was a really nice $100 dress in the mix for your $150. Plus, the smaller tote would often have three items instead of two, so you could get a puella dress and a scarf and another item for $50. Woo!

They’ve become bigger and things have become less high quality overall, which seems like the natural evolution of the brand. I just had a baby so I haven’t ordered in about a year bc I’m waiting for my body to figure itself out, but my last tote about a year ago had a coat that I loved and that’s really nice quality. (It’s the kind of coat you might buy at Macy’s for $90–not super high end but well-made and reliable). I also received two shirts that I liked and that I wear (and get compliments about). Those were more like H and M quality. I also got a knit poncho that I really liked that was more Macy’s quality (I hope these comparisons make sense–obviously these items are trendier than Macy’s but it’s a good example of the value level of the clothes). The same tote had a “puella” dress that fit really weird, was poorer quality, and was cut very high, like figure skater length. I traded it for another item that looked unflattering on, and then gave up on trying to trade. So with that tote, I got items I’d have spent $180 for for $150…not great, not bad.

From now on I’m going to only order when I 100% love the chosen items and I’ll assume most of the surprise items will not be to my taste. YMMV 🙂

In response to the comments about quality…I have found GT to have amazing quality and fantastic customer service if there is an error. They don’t want you to be unhappy with your clothes! I had my September tote arrive with two pieces with issues and another from the tote prior with a small snag. The two from the Sept tote had a tie that came off and a button that was misaligned and didn’t go through the fabric properly. GT sent me a shipping label via email and I returned all of the items. The ones from the boutique were replaced with the same if they had them. The one from the surprise pick was replaced with another surprise item. I had also purchased a sweater from a girl in their facebook group and she was screwing around and not sending it. GT got involved and asked her to send the sweater and she did. They didn’t have to get involved with a paypal purchase that wasn’t even arranged by them but they did. They have gone so far above and beyond for me that I couldn’t help but send them some thank you cards and add some goodies for the girls. I have NEVER had any company go to the lengths GT has gone for me! I have pieces that are more delicate but I know that they are when I buy them. That’s the point…when you’re buying a higher end product it’s not like a sweatshirt that you can wash a billion times and abuse. These are dress, office, event clothes that you should try and take care of. Yes, the odds are that some of them are going to have defects but they try to make it right if you give them a chance. Just email them when/if you have an issue and give them the opportunity to fix it. The ladies over there are the sweetest and took the time to just chit chat via email and facebook messenger. It’s nice to know you’re talking to a human being an not some computer generated response. I have had far too many issues that were addressed poorly and this was the ONE time a company came through it with such class and grace. I’ve responded to one of those lovely Goodebox surveys and received a nasty email about how I screwed up and was the cause of the issue. Why ask if you don’t want to know? Right! LOL! Wow! I will NEVER buy a sub from them again! Then there’s BeautyDNA that sends the same flipping product to me for three out of four months and didn’t even send me my September item. Add to that the FFF Summer box that was HORRIBLE!!! Don’t even get me started talking about the junk that comes in Glossybox and recently Birchbox. So, GT is looking pretty amazing by comparisson. I’ve recently tried Nadine West and didn’t like anything from there and sent it all back. I also sub to Stitch Fix and cannot live without it but I’ve never spoken to anyone there, so there’s no telling what kind of service I would get from them. Honestly GT and Stitch Fix are my absolute favorite sub boxes and I get so insanely excited to get them. I’ve severely disabled and having companies that go the extra mile is such a relief when getting upset will cost me days between seizures and other yuckies.

I’ve been on the fence about Golden Tote for a while. I really like the idea and the price. It seems like a good way to constantly update your wardrobe, but the quality makes me question taking the plunge. I think the clothing industry in general is low-quality already. I can’t remember the last time I bought something that wasn’t from Madewell or Levi’s that didn’t fall apart. I’ve stopped shopping at H&M, Forever21, Urban Outfitters, and Target. Plus, synthetic fibers during a southern summer do not mix. Golden Tote looks so AWESOME though. Definitely having a existential clothing crisis. What are other people’s experiences with Golden Tote and their quality? I can justify something holding up for just a season if it’s something that’s not going to be in style forever. Having a mix of staple and trendy clothing items is typically how my wardrobe functions.

I need to go on a diet. What a great bag! Sadly, my fat arse won’t fit in to their largest sizes. I’m a 16/18 and it’s hard to find cute clothes for my size in these sub boxes. 🙁

Can anyone who has had this subscription for a long time speak to the quality you’ve noticed in the pieces of clothing? Do they hold up well after many washes? Have you had to patch and repair any?

Thanks!

I bought a $149 Golden Tote over the summer. That was the first and last for me. The clothing items are definitely trendy and cute, but they barely made it through 1 wear without falling apart. Threads and buttons were coming off, and not just one one of the pieces I received, but all of them. Very cheaply made, which I guess is why they can sell for so cheap.

I finally signed up for a Golden Tote just a day or two ago.. they sent me an email with a couple of new items I liked so I went for it. Thank goodness fall always has more black and gray (which is pretty much all I wear) so I can’t wait to see what they send me.

I received the pants and the green top in my tote also. They are both so amazing!!! I’m so jealous of the jacket!!!!

I love everything you received! I love that jacket!

I usually am not a fan of Golden Tote (I think I’m way above their target age customer) but wow – I love everything you got this month, especially the jacket and the two tops.

How does Golden Tote compare to Stitch Fix??

I NEED that tote bag! I hope someone puts theirs up for swap!

i got last year’s Moto jacket (it was my first tote!), so I passed on this one since I thought it was the same one. Mine also has a hood but I don’t think it has the sweatshirt lining that you’ve shown in the pictures, and that is a great feature. I’m kind of glad it’s sold out now so that I am not tempted to order another tote. My items sold out on tote day so I ordered the next week when they restocked and I am supposed to receive my tote tomorrow. I chose the Blue Weave your Way sweater and the Blue/red fab flannel. I wanted one of the shearling sweaters but they sold out so fast and were never restocked.

I love the tote itself this month, it’s too cute! That jacket though is to die for, looks amazing!

I am in LOVE with your surprise tunic!! It looks amazingly comfy and so cute. I am also extremely jealous of the moto jacket – I tried to order one the day the tote came out (I need a large) and they were already sold out of my size!!! Maybe they’ll restock it in the online boutique soon. I would gladly pay for just the jacket – I got a similar one from Golden Tote a year or two ago, and I’ve basically worn it out! If anyone is looking to swap/sell their large moto jacket, I’d gladly work that out!! ?

Wow, what a great tote! It is perfect for you.

I also really like el dia de los muertos tote bag itself…