I Got My Groove Back for $80

I've never received more compliments in my entire life

May 15, 2025

Can I tell you a secret?

I haven’t felt cute in seven years.

No specific reason, more like a series of elements that, when put together, created the perfect shitstorm. Just like how a combination of warm, moist air rising + cool, dry air aloft + wind shear + sharks = a sharknado.

Here’s what kneecapped my sartorial sense of self, and how I fixed it.

Element One: I love a capsule-esque wardrobe.

Over a decade ago, I decided to limit my wardrobe to 36 items for 60 days. I learned A LOT, notably that 1) too many clothing options stressed me out, 2) when all of the items in my closet went together, I felt more stylish, 3) no one noticed that I wore the same things all the time. I also realized I enjoyed one quality item (example: Frye leather boots) versus three sorta similar cheapie versions found at Forever 21 (RIP). This is, in fact, when I fully stopped shopping at Forever 21.

2016(?) me. I still have the purse and boots!

Since I know I don’t like too many options, I hate wasting money on clothes that may not work. Finding things I loved took a lot of energy. This lead to me sort of giving up on exploring my personal style.

Element Two: I think we buy too much.

Sorry, influencers, but every time you try on your Amazon or Walmart haul, I fantasize about tossing you into a buttery-soft pocket packed with broken glass. We don’t need the dress in every color. We don’t need a Free People frilly diaper short dupe in every color. We probably don’t need a frilly diaper short at all.

Influencers make a killing on selling you buttery-soft shit with pockets that you maybe wear a handful of times, then one day years from now, shamefully place in a paper bag destined for Goodwill.

I don’t have the time, energy, or desire to wear something different every day. Whether I have 36 or 236 items in my closet, I will still gravitate toward the same six things. I’ll bet the same is true for most of you.

Element Three: I want to buy as much as I can second-hand.

I love shaming private plane flying billionaires as much as the next gal, but consuming fast fashion is absolutely awful for the environment. (Read this article, or Google fast fashion environment and you will hate everything.) Cheaply made clothes rarely last, and even if they do, trends change faster than Katy Perry’s trip to the moon.

This is one of many reasons I try to buy second-hand, and pay attention to fabric (wool, cotton, and linen are go-tos).

Personally, I find my favorite second-hand pieces have more personality and feel stylish for longer anyway. And, because I am midwestern, I love telling people it’s “vintage” or “from Goodwill” or “I thrifted it for $4!”

Element Four: Anxiety about buying the wrong thing

I like clothing with color and personality. The thing is, it can be hard to know if something really works for you without test driving it. A few years ago, I bought a very fun red and white sundress that looked cute, but the straps never stayed in place and kept exposing my bra. It bugged me so much that I wore it once and it’s still in my closet, rotting away.

I also I like to try on clothes— I can see how a size up or down fits, or try different colors. When I buy online, I find myself settling for good enough. In person, I can be more critical because I don’t have to run to the post office (or, more realistically, let a package sit in my car until it’s outside the return window).

The problem is most stores only stock their most basic, best-selling items. This is why I focused on “safe” neutrals or basics for years. A black dress. A classic jean. A heather gray tank. I never felt amazing, but whatever. It worked.

Element Five: My confusing postpartum body

My youngest kid arrived almost seven years ago. Ever since, I’ve waited for my body to find its postpartum groove. It probably did years ago, but I just haven’t wanted to believe it is… this.

I never expected to return to my pre-baby clothes (okay, maybe a little bit I did), but four full sizes larger felt like it couldn’t possibly be my forever. I didn’t want to invest in clothes I loved when my body would surely change. SURELY! Hence, I bought boring ones I didn’t care much about… and here we are, the better part of a decade later, still wearing meh clothing.

And then: Clothing rentals.

Nuuly and Rent the Runway ads follow me around the internet like a stray dogs who think I’ve rolled around in hotdog water. The gist: for a monthly fee, you get to borrow six items for a month.

In March, I finally bit, borrowing six pieces from Rent the Runway. When my shipment arrived, everything reeked of mothballs. Items felt worn out and ill-fitting and the colors were so blah, but I could also blame this on the fact that it was March in Minnesota and I felt worn out and ill-fitting and blah.

I regrouped, and tried Nuuly next. To me, the Nuuly offerings felt more cohesive than RTR, and are often brands I’m familiar with, like anthropologie, Madewell, Free People and Farm Rio. (RTR seems slightly more designer I guess?). Lots of fun colors, plus I had a trip to Louisiana on the horizon, which gave me something to “plan” around.

I was so impressed with Nuuly’s user reviews. People are incredibly generous with what they share— not only photos so you can see how items fit different bodies, but also the size they ordered, their height/weight, body type, age, bra size, and how many stars they’d rate it. Many people also share detailed reviews: Not for curvy girls! or Loved it, but had to secure with double-sided tape or I looked so hot that I ended up married to a Scandinavian prince! Thanks, Nuuly!

Nuuly creates suggestions based on user-generated reviews, telling you whether something runs small, big, or true-to-size.

Picking out your items is pretty easy. There’s a website and app, and once logged in, you can favorite items you like before selecting your six pieces. If you love something, you can buy it (usually at a deeply discounted price). If not, send everything back when your month is up. Want to keep a piece for another month? You can do that, too.

What was in my first Nuuly order:

The Belinda Pant by Corey Lynn Calter

If I could design the perfect summer pants, these are it! Comfortable, vintage-inspired, and yes… they have pockets but are only regular, not buttery, soft. I wore these to a backyard BBQ, to a music festival in Lafayette, Louisiana, walking around New Orleans on an 88-degree and humid day, and to an art fair on Mother’s Day. I’ve received, no joke, a dozen compliments— many from complete strangers. That hasn’t happened to me since, hrmmm, my wedding?

These come in a blue print as well, and while I did consider trying those, I KNOW THAT I WILL WANT TO WEAR THIS PRINT MORE! MOLLY, YOU DO NOT NEED ONE IN EVERY COLOR!

I ended up buying the $168 pants for $38.65. They are fun, feel good on my body, are second-hand, and I love them. All the boxes checked.

Krystyna Lace Maxi Dress by Saylor

I literally did not own one single dress that felt dressy enough to wear to a warm weather wedding. Not a one! This is actually why I ended up trying Nuuly in the first place— I needed something dressy, and didn’t feel like splurging on something new that was just good enough. This poppy red is my color. I didn’t end up wearing it to the wedding because that party ended up being casual backyard BBQ (I wore the aforementioned pants), but I did wear it to dinner at Bayona in New Orleans.

Guess the eff what? This dress made me feel like a person, not just a mom who normally leaves the house in dog hair-covered leggings. Perfect strangers stopped me on the street, complimenting the lewk. Nuuly, are you following me in real-life, too?

You guys… I bought this, as well! It cost $268 new, but I bought it for $134. Not cheap, but I know I love the dress. And now if I have any event that requires looking a little more polished, I will have something to wear.

My husband hates when I make him take photos.

Erin Midi Dress by Never Fully Dressed

I rented this as a red dress backup. The reviews stated it ran small, and it sure did. Loved the color, but I think you could actually see the curve of my uterus. Bye!

Del Rey Souvenir Button-Down Top by BDG

BDG is Urban Outfitter’s in-house band, which means I stopped taking it seriously after I turned 30. But I threw this one in my rental bag at the last minute and loved it. The perfect weight for a hot day, more interesting than a tee shirt. I felt like both Ricky and Lucy Ricardo. This one was $59 new, and I kept it for $51. ( I promise I didn’t keep everything!) Not a steal, but I try not to let prices sway me too much. Nothing is a good deal if you never end up wearing it.

I rounded out the first shipment with a white shirt and white jeans, both of which I never wore. The pants were too long (I even ordered the petite version!), very wide-legged, and made me look roughly six months pregnant. April was too cold for the shirt Minnesota, and I worried I’d spill on it while in New Orleans. Truthfully, I didn’t like it enough to wear it when I had better options.

What I loved about Nuuly:

It offered an easy way to refresh my wardrobe
I could try before I buy
Loved their selection of clothes— styles, colors, brands I tend to gravitate toward
Shipping back was easy. I struggle with returns, but luckily for me it’s via UPS which is the closest option to my house
I could buy the items I liked, often significantly less than retail
Scratched a shopping itch without having to actually buy anything (though I did end up keeping three pieces)
Everything was technically second-hand
I avoided buying a new special occasion dress (which likely would’ve cost more than $80) that I only wore once
The online reviews really helped me pick the right size
The selection was BIG and I found most of the stuff I liked in my size

What I didn’t like about Nuuly:

Didn’t love how the clothes smelled. They didn’t smell dirty per se, more like a dry cleaning (?) product. It went away once I washed everything.
I don’t personally need a clothing refresh every month, all year long (you can opt out or pause at any time). If I worked in a more professional setting, I could see myself keeping this going in lieu of buying new clothes, but I truly do wear the same few items to death and just don’t need a lot of variety.
If you get the wrong size, you need to wait until your next month to get the right one. Nuuly suggests ordering two of the same item in different sizes if you’re ordering for a special occasion.
Some people have received clothing with holes or stains. I didn’t experience this, but would assume if I kept going, I eventually would. I think they will send a replacement if possible, but am not sure.

Reasons I’ll do Nuuly again:

I did two months of Nuuly, but don’t think I’ll need any more pieces for summer. I will for sure consider doing a month or two for fall/winter refresh.
I could see myself trying this for the holidays, or if I were going on vacation and wanted some more festive outfits.
I’m at a point in my life financially where I will pay a premium to know something works for my actual life. $80 (possibly more if I buy items) feels like a worthwhile investment for assurance that I will wear a piece many, many times.

TL;DR: There is just something so soul-nourishing about feeling good about how you look.

What I experienced here is not superficial. Instead, my insides and my outsides fell into harmony for the first time in ages. I can’t even explain the level of happiness and satisfaction. Cheaper than therapy… though let’s be real, I spend money on that, too.

Want to try Nuuly? You can use my referral code for a discount on your first shipment.

Have you tried a clothing rental service? What did you think? Share with the rest of us!