Blogging is funny and more LE TOTE clothing

Hey there! So this time change thing … I know we do it every year, but for some reason I’m always very jarred by how early it gets dark once we set the clocks back. Last night, it was almost dusk as I was walking to the gym to teach BODYATTACK for a 5:30 p.m. class. Luckily, Dave picked me up after class so I didn’t have to walk home in the complete darkness that came about while I was enjoying a one-hour sweat session in the company of others. Yes, I do have to walk around the City in the dark a few nights-a-week. But no, I don’t love to do it, so any time I can have a ride waiting for me, I take it.

Funny things that happen when you blog

But I digress, because before we get to the fashion, I wanted to take a minute to mention some funny things about being a blogger. True story: I spend a ton of time creating the posts I share with you every day. I spend a ton of time thinking about what I will write and what types of pictures I’ll need. Not a meal goes by that I don’t attempt to stage photos of every single dish, moving things around on the table and opening windows for lighting, you name it. And because of that, I’ve got to make sure the people around me are patient. I’ve suffered plenty of disapproving looks from waiters and other diners while out at nice restaurants, as well as passersby on the streets.

Dave is a great sport through all of this, and has even become my go-to photographer, especially when I need to showcase clothing. It seems that most of our photoshoots turn into something hilarious, because if we’re outside, there are always people walking by and wondering what we’re doing. A couple weeks ago, we were just across the street from our apartment and someone we know in the building opened up his window to scream at me and make a little fun. I’m clearly not a model, and my eyes are always squinty or closed, so we have to work around that, along with the awkward poses. And of course, I insist on seeing previews of nearly every shot, and I hate them all. That being said, what you see here on A Lady Goes West is just a small snapshot (pun very much intended) of what I actually attempt for you, and it’s not just me who has to pitch in. A lot of photos and collages get trashed, but sometimes I can pull out a few usable shots, and that’s what you get to enjoy. The behind-the-scenes is not so glamorous, my friends, but awfully funny. Oh blogging, it’s a strange and wonderful thing, and I love every single minute of it.

Now, let’s get to the point of today’s post, which is to look at some clothing I recently received in the mail …

What was in my second LE TOTE delivery 

In case you missed my introductory post a couple of weeks ago, check out LE TOTE is the Netflix of fashion. Basically, LE TOTE is a clothing delivery service, in which you are sent five items, you wear what you want, you send it all back and then you get more. So easy and perfect for a city-dweller like me with no closet space to spare.

I’ve had the great opportunity to try the service out for free for a few months and just received my second selection of clothing and jewelry. I loved the contents of my first tote, wore every single item (some more than once), then sent it all back in the pre-paid enveloped and received a second tote in just a couple days (two-day shipping both ways is a beautiful thing!)

Although I’ve selected about 40 items on the LE TOTE site that I like, I didn’t know what would end up in my delivery. Here’s what I got in the second batch …

Shown from top left to right: Saint Grace Brit Blouse, Olive + Oak Surplus Front Blouse, Noir Lux Necklace, Trading Truck Cuff Bracelet and Dex Paulie Cardigan.

Good stuff again and just what I need for fall in San Francisco. Now as a little reminder on the logistics …

How does LE TOTE work?

For only $49 a month, you can get an unlimited number of “totes” sent to you filled with five items, which are hand-selected for you by a personal stylist based on your preferences. It works like this:

1. You sign up for LE TOTE.
2. You answer a brief questionnaire about your sizes and style, to make your style profile.
3. You go through the LE TOTE catalog of clothing and select items you’d like to receive, which you put in “My Closet.” These are the actual items that the personal stylist at LE TOTE will select from to fill your bag.
4. You wait for your first tote to arrive. Mine took less than a week from the time I filled out my profile, because it’s two-day shipping both ways.
5. Once your tote arrives, you wear and enjoy the clothing, go online and provide feedback on all the items.
6. After you’ve worn everything once or twice, or however many times you’d like, you send it all back in a pre-paid envelope, provided to you by LE TOTE. 
7. If you really like something and want to keep it, you keep it. LE TOTE will charge you for it, and you’ll pay less than retail for it. You can also keep the whole tote if you want, which gives you the biggest bang for your buck.
8. You can repeat this process as often as you’d like. Picking out new items, updating your preferences and enjoying your totes. You can cancel at any time, as the service goes month-to-month.

It’s that easy to get well-known branded clothing sent right to your home.

Wearing my LE TOTE clothing around the City

And now for your viewing pleasure, here are a few of the shots (the ones that didn’t get deleted) of me modeling my new LE TOTE items. Yes, I definitely think out-takes should be a topic of a future post …

Shown from top left to right: Saint Grace Brit Blouse, Olive + Oak Surplus Front Blouse with the Noir Lux Necklace and Trading Truck Cuff Bracelet and Dex Paulie Cardigan.

I love every item this round! I think my favorite piece is the burnt orange Olive + Oak blouse, and I’m hoping to wear that out to dinner this weekend. I already wore the Saint Grace Brit Blouse to lunch on Sunday, and it was loose, comfortable and hangs a little bit longer in the back, which I love. The fun of getting surprised by clothing that I can wear if I want or not is definitely something I look forward to, even if I don’t look forward to the photoshoots. I’m loving this whole LE TOTE thing.

Sign up for LE TOTE and get 20 percent off

If you like the sound of LE TOTE, head over to the site to look around and sign up today! <<affiliate link!! If you sign up using this link, I’ll get a little referral credit, which this little blog truly appreciates!>> And even better, you can use this special promo code for 20 percent off your first month: ALADYGOESWEST20.

* Disclaimer: While I was not compensated for this post, LE TOTE has kindly given me a few months of service complimentary, so that I can try it out and share it with you. The opinions and words are completely my own and are not shaded by the free service. Also, there are affiliate links in this post, and if you use them, I will benefit. So thanks for that. 

Hope you have a great day, and don’t forget to enter to win some of the just-launched Les Mills Good Protein powder, because the giveaway ends Thursday night.

Questions of the day

Have you bought anything cute lately? What do you think of the items in my second tote? Do you have anything exciting planned for your week? Do you take pictures of your food?