What I’m Wearing This Week: Armoire

Hey, every bun! Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving. I’ve now sent out about 35 queries to different literary agents, and the whole process has taken far longer than I imagined. It turns out publishing has its own kind of runway show, complete with velvet ropes, shifting schedules, and very particular dress codes.

Here’s how it works:

Some agents are open. Some are closed.

A surprising number of agents aren’t currently accepting submissions, while others are wide open and actively building their lists. It’s a bit like playing publishing whack-a-mole: openings appear and vanish without warning, and you have to pounce the moment one head pops up.

Everyone wants pitches delivered differently.

Some agencies only accept submissions through a querying platform that looks like it was designed on Geocities in the late 90s. Others prefer an email. A few have instructions like “paste the full manuscript in the email body only." Each one has its own rules, so every query becomes a custom order.

I checked back to look at a few of my emails after they were sent, and the formatting had changed, eliminating the spaces. SIGH.

Not all agents represent children’s picture books.

This was one of the biggest learning curves. Many agents handle adult fiction or YA only, while picture-book agents focus on visual storytelling, pacing, emotional punch, and how a manuscript might pair with illustrations. Even if an agent seems perfect, if they don’t represent picture books, you can’t submit to them. It truly is a different corner of the publishing universe.

Every pitch has to be tailored.

Since agents vary in preferences, I’ve been adjusting each query to match what they want: warm intro vs. straight-to-the-hook, full manuscript vs. a quick snippet, images vs. just the text.

And then you wait for a response...

Some agents respond quickly with lovely, thoughtful rejections (yes, those exist). Others request more material. It may take weeks or months... or they just never respond. Enter the sounds of silence.

But I’m still writing, still querying, and fully planning to hit the ground running the first week of January, once agents reopen for pitches.

WHAT I’M WEARING THIS WEEK: Armoire

Welcome back to What I'm Wearing This Week: Armoire. For the newbies, every Friday on WIWTW I'll recap the clothing rentals I wore for the week. I’ll take you on a trip through my life, where I’m going, what’s missing in my closet, my current obsessions, what I’m excited to try, and maybe even buy. We’ll explore designers and trends, and a variety of styles and brands. And each week I’ll fill you in on why I chose each item, the total value of the rental compared to the retail price.

Armoire, which is a clothing rental company for women, is all about female empowerment. From the hand-selected and curated inventory of styles that are designed by the Boss Lady, for the Boss Lady, to their involvement with female-powered brands, and their partnership with Dress for Success Seattle, they’re a brand built for today’s woman. 

This is a review of the Unlimited Plan for $249/month.

This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)

WHAT I RECEIVED 

All four items by Altuzzara arrived fresh from the dry cleaner, neatly folded, and sealed in a shipping bag.

Altuzarra Claudia Ruched Waist Shirt Dress, Retail Value $1,399, Armoire $488

About the designer: Joseph Altuzarra was born in 1983 and raised in Paris by a Chinese American mother and French father. His multicultural upbringing and interest in everything from film to literature and art are key influences throughout his work.

Since the launch of Altuzarra in 2008, Joseph has received numerous accolades for his work, from inclusion in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 and Business of Fashion’s BoF500 to the Swarovski Award for Womenswear Design.

In 2014, Joseph was named by the Council of Fashion Designers America as the Womenswear Designer of the Year and, in 2017, the Accessories Council’s Designer of the Year.

Why I rented it: Because it's Altuzarra and brand new with tags.

How I styled it: Excuse the photos at my mom's house. It was tricky trying to get it set up. I paired this dress with Frankie 4 Ava Boots, the Louis Vuitton Capucines, and Alexis Bittar hoops.

Size and fit: Cut from a slim-fitting viscose jersey, this artful frock showcases a vibrant flock of birds and a beautifully sculpted silhouette. It features a spread collar, long sleeves with elongated cuffs, a button-front closure, flattering ruching along the front and back, and a side-slit hem that adds just the right amount of flappability, or something. It was a little snug in the bust, but otherwise the fit was pretty fly.

Condition: Brand new with tags.

Honest review: I didn’t love it at first, but then I wore it to Boston and got so many compliments. Maybe they know something I don’t? Still, for nearly $1,400, I expected more. No slip. No stretch. And a bird print that bordered on childish. Cute, yes. Couture-level? Not quite.

Altuzarra Sissy Silk Drop Waist Shirt Dress, Retail Value $1,995, Armoire $698

Why I rented it: It's Altuzarra and brand-new with tags.

How I styled it: I didn’t actually wear this dress out, but for the photos, I styled it with Tamara Mellon strappy pumps, a B-low the Belt belt, and Alexis Bittar earrings to give it a little extra polish.

Size & Fit: Showcasing Altuzarra’s self-described “sense of childlike exploration,” this dress is a playful, theatrical twist on a classic shirt silhouette. Crafted from red silk-organza, it’s designed for a loose, airy fit with a defined waist and a dramatically voluminous hem that seems to float. The slip lining helps tame the sheerness, though it doesn’t do much to rein in the overall costume energy.

It features a partially buttoned front, sheer long sleeves with buttoned cuffs, patch pockets, side-slit pockets, and a detachable lining. I rented a size 6 and it was quite fitted up top and huge on the bottom!

Condition: Brand new with tags.

Honest review: What in the super-stylish great-grandma is this dress?! It’s basically one giant red flag… much like the men I seem to attract these days. Fitted on top, parachute on the bottom, and giving “luxury devil costume” in the most confusing way possible. It's stiff, crunchy, and totally unflattering!

Altuzarra Charlotte Off-the-Shoulder Ruched Maxi Dress, Retail Value $995, Armoire $498

Why I rented it: It's Altuzarra and brand-new with tags.

How I styled it: So, I didn't end up wearing this dress either because it was a little dowdy, and the fit was totally off. For the photos, I paired it with Aquazurra strappy pumps, the Chanel 19, and a pair of Lele Sadoughi dupes.

Size and fit: Crafted from stretch jersey, Altuzarra’s Charlotte maxi dress features an elegant off-the-shoulder neckline, a ruched bodice, three-quarter-length sleeves, a side-zip closure, and a gently flared A-line skirt.

Size up! I rented a size 6, and it was so tight up top I genuinely wondered if my ribcage was trying to fold in on itself. The bottom half draped beautifully, but the bodice felt as if it had taken a blood oath to deprive oxygen.

Condition: Brand new with tags.

Honest review: No wonder it’s named Charlotte—it looks like it was designed specifically for Charlotte York from Sex and the City. Sweet, prim, polished… and trying to keep everything cinched within an inch of its life. But the fit? Too small. No slip, no proper lining, and the hem looked downright TEMU. For a designer piece, I expected much more refinement than it delivered.

Altuzarra Mimi Criss-Cross Off-the-Shoulder Sweater, Retail Value $695, Armoire $348

Why I rented it: It's Altuzarra and brand-new with tags.

How I styled it: You guys… this sweater was a full-blown Rubik’s Cube, and the only time I ever solved one of those was by peeling off the colored stickers and rearranging them. This top? Same thing. I could not figure out how to get it on.

There were holes in the armpits, a twisted front, a cropped airy hem—and none of them seemed to belong where they were. At one point, I had my hand through the armpit, the twist upside down, and the opening stretched across my butt. I started to feel claustrophobic and had to abort the mission before triggering a full-on sweater-induced panic attack.

So, no pics, no styling notes, no cute accessories. I wasted 15 minutes of my life trying to get it to work.

Size and fit: This sweater features an off-the-shoulder neckline, long sleeves, a crisscross front, and a cropped silhouette. It’s made in Italy from a luxe blend of extrafine Merino wool and cashmere, and according to the label, it “fits true to size” with a slim, body-skimming cut. Really? Only if you can get it on.

Condition: Brand new with tags.

Honest review: No words. I'm just glad I survived the great Altuzarra sweater attack of 2025.

DID THEY DELIVER? 

• What items were most helpful and versatile to own this week to ensure I got the most out of my rental and completed the look I craved? I basically got no wear out of any of these pieces aside from the first dress.
• Did they meet or exceed expectations? Met expectations.
• What’s the return process like? Place the items in the bag, seal it up, and that's it!

FINAL THOUGHTS

After trying four different Altuzarra pieces this round, I can confidently say… I get it now. Sometimes I’m thrilled with my rentals, and other times I totally understand why certain items end up in the rental market. This was one of those shipments.

Altuzarra, I adore you in theory, but these rentals were a fail. Some months, I feel like a runway star in my Armoire picks; this time, I felt like the star of What Not to Wear! Side note: I always wanted to be on that show so Stacey and Clinton could help me shop and pay for it too!

VALUE BREAKDOWN: The Unlimited membership costs $249/month and so far, I've received styles with a retail value of $150,026!

What are your thoughts about Armoire and rentals in general? Let me know what you think down below!