Best Online Styling Services of 2024
Picture this—another morning spent standing at the edge of your closet, eyes scanning the clothing inside, feeling as if you have nothing to wear. You try on outfit after outfit only to end up with an overwhelming pile of clothes on the floor and an even more overwhelming feeling of defeat. Style is tricky, and even for the hippest fashionistas, ever-evolving. Luckily, online styling services can help you develop your look, infuse your closet with pieces that feel like you, and make finding the perfect outfit(s) for special occasions, everyday wear, or big office presentations a breeze.
Hiring an online styling service might feel slightly outside your comfort zone, but that can be a good thing. The best online styling services cater to every budget, body type, and sense of style and are highly personalized and easy to use. Both subscription-based and rental services offer convenience—no more trekking to the mall and spending hours thumbing through racks without knowing what would make you look and feel your best. Just pop down to the mailbox, try on the clothes in the privacy of your own home, keep what you love, and return the rest.
Best Online Styling Services of 2024
Best Overall: Stitch Fix
At a Glance
- Styling Fee: $20
- Free Shipping? Yes
- Size Range: Women’s and men’s XS to 3XL, plus sizes, petite, big & tall, and kid’s sizes 2T to 18
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No commitment required—shop when you want, how you want
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25 percent discount if you buy all five items in your box
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Sustainability-focused products and packaging
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“Style shuffle” quiz element allows you to pick your look
Why It’s a Top Pick
Stitch Fix earns our pick for the best online personal styling service because it offers a variety of clothing types to fit different needs and styles. It’s highly personalized, incredibly intuitive to use, and focused on sustainability while remaining affordable.
Everything at Stitch Fix begins with your personal style quiz. After some basic informational questions about you and your style, the “style shuffle” begins. It’s like a dating app, but for outfits; swipe “yes” or “no” on different looks to help the expert stylists understand what you like, and what styles you always avoid.
There’s no pricey plan or set commitment, so you can choose how often you’d like to receive a “fix” (every two to three weeks, every month, or every two or three months), set your budget or price range, and change or cancel anytime. You pay a $20 styling fee, and once your box arrives, simply keep what you like and send back the rest. Your styling fee will be applied to any item(s) you decide to keep. And if you decide to keep all five, you’ll snag a 25 percent discount.
Stitch Fix offers something for everyone, with over 1,000 brands and styles of women’s, men’s, and kid’s clothing. You’ll have access to everything, from great jeans at Madewell, athleisure from Adidas, and even elevated attire like suits from Bonobos. The best part? You can reach out to your personal stylist anytime (in fact, the more you interact, the more tailored to you your chosen pieces become). Your stylist can help complete a look, collaborate on trends, and recommend pieces that fit your unique body, style, and lifestyle.
Best Luxury Service: Armoire
At a Glance
- Styling Fee: $25
- Free Shipping? Yes
- Size Range: 0 to 3X
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Company uses a recommendation algorithm, plus personal stylists
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Personal one-on-one fit appointments with a stylist
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Rental service only
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Showcases rising women- and POC-owned brands
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Limited options available in petite, maternity, and specific sizing, like 0R to 24W
Why It’s a Top Pick
Armoire offers clothing rental subscriptions for every version of you and all the occasions you shop for. Each subscription tier includes free styling, shipping, and cleaning; as a rental service, Armoire ensures all clothing is cleaned and sanitized prior to shipping. The company uses both wet and dry methods for cleaning, including a steam process that heats clothing to 250 degrees Fahrenheit (according to the CDC, flu viruses are killed by heating to 167 degrees Fahrenheit or higher).
You start by taking Armoire’s style quiz. It’s not as detailed as others on our list, but it’s quick, easy, and straightforward while still lending a personalized experience. Next, the website’s special algorithm creates a dynamic, personalized closet from which you can choose items to fill your subscription plan. You can wear styles for as long as you like and then swap them out for new ones when you’re ready.
Armoire offers three main subscription plans, each filled with high-end and luxury brands:
- Four-Item Plan: rent four items per month ($69 for your first month, $79 per month after that)
- Seven-Item Plan: rent seven items per month ($89 for your first month, $119 per month after that)
- Unlimited Plan: rent six items per case, with unlimited cases per month ($139 for your first month, $249 per month after that)
When you’re ready to swap out your rented clothing, Armoire allows you to keep and enjoy your current items until the new order arrives. It’s a great way to change up your closet without permanently committing to any pieces.
Best Subscription: Dailylook
At a Glance
- Styling Fee: $40 per box
- Free Shipping? Yes
- Size Range: Women’s sizes 0 to 24, XS to 3X
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Free shipping on orders, returns, and exchanges
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Twelve items included in each box
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“Buy what you love, return the rest” policy
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Browse lookbooks to choose your “favorites,” as inspiration for your stylists
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Daily emails with the latest fashion trends
Why It’s a Top Pick
Dailylook offers a subscription tailored to your personal style. Simply share your style, price range, and lifestyle preferences with your own personal stylist, and then receive up to 12 hand-selected pieces of clothing, monthly or quarterly. Like Stitch Fix, Dailylook has a “buy what you love, return the rest” policy, with free shipping both ways for extra convenience.
Dailylook has the ability to curate looks with chosen pieces. You can browse various lookbooks to see what you like, and then add items to your “favorites” list to give your stylist inspiration. Every morning, you’ll receive a free email newsletter that covers the latest fashion trends picked specifically for you. You can then add any of the items featured to your box. Before your box ships, you’ll have the chance to preview and swap out items, if desired.
Each box has a $40 styling fee (charged monthly or quarterly, depending on the plan), which is credited to your account and can be used to purchase items in your box. Clothing items typically cost around $60 per piece and up, and include shirts, sweaters, pants, skirts, shorts, dresses, and jackets—with new items and brands joining the collection all the time. As a member of Dailylook, you also save additional money on bulk purchases: Buy three or more items and get 50 percent off the lowest-priced item, or buy five or more items and get 50 percent off two of the lowest-priced items.
Best Plus-Size Service: Dia & Co
At a Glance
- Styling Fee: $20
- Free Shipping? Yes
- Size Range: 10 to 32
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Plus-size online styling service for curvier body types
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Thorough customer service, including live chats with real stylists
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Personalized style plans
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Curated one-time boxes available
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Affordable plans based on desired number of items
Why It’s a Top Pick
Shopping for clothes that fit your unique body type can be challenging, especially when companies only offer limited options for plus-sized people. However, Dia & Co is turning the personal styling industry on its head as the premier go-to for sizes 10 to 32 (XL to 5XL).
With Dia & Co, you’ll enjoy personalized, designer-crafted clothing delivered right to your door, plus free shipping, exchanges, and returns. Dia & Co’s personal styling service operates on a subscription basis, with three plans based on your desired number of monthly items (the more you buy, the more you save):
- Three items per month for $18, billed quarterly
- Five items per month for $24, billed quarterly
- Seven items per month for $30, billed quarterly
Like Stitch Fix, Dia & Co lets you purchase the items you love from your subscription box and then return the rest. It’s a great way to ensure your new clothes fit your body, style, and lifestyle—be it active and on the go, hopping between Zoom calls, or lounging by the pool. Dia & Co focuses on individuality; the company’s quiz poses questions that help stylists identify your unique body type beyond vague statements like “curvy” or “thin.” Even better, the company recognizes that, often, people wear different sizes in tops than in bottoms. While it may seem like common sense, it’s actually pretty rare to experience this attention to detail in a hand-selected clothing subscription box.
You can also shop Dia & Co’s daily deals and one-time curated boxes.
Best Personalization: Wishi
At a Glance
- Styling Fee: $40, $90, or $550 depending on the plan
- Free Shipping? No
- Size Range: XS to XL
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Everyday access to premium personal styling
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Stylists have access to any brand in the world, from designer to high street
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Stylists can create outfits from your own closet
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Receivables include a curated mood board and shoppable style boards from your personal stylist
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Convenient mobile app used for chatting with your stylist
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Can be expensive, depending on the plan you choose and items you buy
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Not a subscription-based plan, so better for occasions or specific style needs
Why It’s a Top Pick
Wishi’s mantra “great style is for everyone” rings true in its offerings. Founder Karla Welch (named “The World’s #1 Stylist” by The Hollywood Reporter and The New York Times) and her team of personal stylists work to bring an A-list experience to you.
Choose from one of Wishi’s three plans:
- Wishi Mini: one-on-one chat with your stylist, two style boards, and two revisions for $40
- Wishi Major: one-on-one chat with your stylist, five style boards, and five revisions for $90
- Wishi Lux: highly personalized session with dedicated stylist for $550
Wishi isn’t a subscription service but rather an opportunity to be matched with a personal stylist (after taking a quiz), receive looks customized to your style and budget, and only buy the pieces you really love.
The styling sessions themselves are pricier than others on our list (like Stitch Fix’s $20 fee, which ends up being credited to your purchases), but Wishi is a different type of styling service for finding clothing online. It’s very customized; you can upload photos of yourself to help your stylist understand your look, add detailed notes, and download the Wishi mobile app to stay in touch with your stylist about everything, from discussing lipstick shades to guidance in repurposing a worn-out shirt.
Final Verdict
Stitch Fix is one of the best online styling services due to its diverse offering of pieces. There’s something for everyone, including styles for different occasions, lifestyles, style preferences, budgets, and body types. The robust style quiz is also our favorite of the bunch and ensures that you’ll get looks that are truly suited to make you look and feel the best. The company offers premium styling services, complete with a “try and buy” style of shopping, and affordable pricing. Plus, your styling fee acts as a credit toward the pieces you purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions
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How does an online styling service work?
Typically, an online styling service begins with a style quiz or questionnaire. You’ll answer questions about your budget, lifestyle, and fashion preferences to help your personal stylist identify your look and choose pieces for you. Some online styling services are subscription-based, while others offer rentals, or shoppable mood boards after consultations.
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How much does an online styling service cost?
Online styling services vary in price. Some are expensive, offering premium, personalized options with unlimited access to a stylist (like Wishi’s Lux Plan at $550). But there are affordable options, too, like rental services or Stitch Fix, where your $20 styling fee doubles as a shopping credit.
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Do you tip a personal stylist?
It’s not standard practice to tip your personal stylist. But it never hurts to ask! Reach out to your stylist, or the company they work for, to find out if tipping is accepted or encouraged.
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Kaitlin Marks is a contributing writer at InStyle while working full-time as a content strategist at various marketing firms. Her work can be found in various publications, including Bustle, PEOPLE, Martha Stewart Living, Entertainment Weekly, Better Homes & Gardens. With a number of editorial awards under her belt, she enjoys strategic marketing, fashion, and writing.
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