Hello! Wow it’s been awhile! Today we have a bit of a different post, a review of the Frank and Oak Style Plan. This is a post that I’ve had in my mind for a while, but wanted to make sure I had enough experience before making a post. I signed up for this on my own and utilized my own funds for this box. I hope this is helpful as I know when I was trying to find blog reviews of the subscription service, I mostly found one box reviews. My review is for the three boxes that I’ve received.
What is the Frank and Oak Style Plan?
The Frank and Oak Style Plan is a monthly clothing subscription service. It’s from the clothing brand Frank and Oak who are known for their sustainable basics and clean, fresh designs. They are a Canadian company and their ethos is definitely something I can get behind. I was honestly pulled in because of all the instagram ads I was seeing over it. I was FLOODED and it worked. I was at a point where I hadn’t been buying any clothes really for over a year. I was willing to look into Frank and Oak (a brand I hadn’t tried prior) even with their much higher price point.
How does the box work?
One of the reasons I wanted to sign up for the service was the flexibility. You first take a quiz (like most subscription boxes) which asks you about your style. The quiz isn’t long and isn’t too comprehensive. You pick some styles that you more lean towards (e.g. trendy, basic, etc.). After you fill out the quiz and put in all your info (including payment method), you wait for your stylist to pick your box.
You’ll be notified through email once you can choose your items. You have a pretty decent array of items to choose from. Right after I would get the email I would continually check the site. I noticed that actually on subsequent visits, my choices of items changed. I thought this was really strange. It was actually unfortunate as there were some items I would have chosen in my box, but they disappeared before I was able to confirm the box.
You have about three days to confirm your box. Whenever I would go in, there would be some items pre-selected. I never got to the point where I didn’t confirm the box, so I assume it just chooses the base items that it picked for you. There is a $25 stylist fee that you need to pay if you don’t end up picking any items. This was always a looming thing for me.
What did I think?
Box 1
My very first box I ended up picking four items. I ended up returning two. My two returns are actually featured in the picture above.
The sweater was actually a huge disappointment for me. It’s the Donegal Mock Neck Sweater in Heather Spice ($80, now on the website for $70). This was the item I was the most excited for. I’ve been looking for some really nice sweaters and I was really smitten with the colour. Actually trying it on, it was frumpy and the neck felt restricting. A big no from me.
The pants were also a return. They looks so cute on the model, but on me, they looked yuck. They are the Eleanor Pull on Slim Pant ($82.50). They felt just SUPER frumpy and didn’t fit my body really at all.
The two winners from the first box are the Mockneck Sweater in Black ($100). I have been LIVING in this sweater dress. It’s super comfortable, super warm and I just love the way it looks. At first I felt the need to belt it because of the shape, but I actually really like how it looks just regularly wearing it.
Another item I kept is the Cotton Long Sleeved Mockneck in Fudge ($44.50, no longer on the site). This is just a simple cotton shirt but another item I’ve been wearing like crazy. I really like the colour and the versatility of this. I probably could have sized up as you can see, the shoulders are a bit tight. With wear though, it’s stretched out a bit which is good.
Box 2
My second box I purchased three items, one a gift (a pair of gloves). The sweater above is the Merino Wool Mockneck in Rocky Heather ($84.50). I’ve been loving this sweater too, SUPER soft and confortable. The side slits are a bit high, but I love wearing this with a high pant or skirt. There is a huge downfall for this sweater though and that only after a few months of wear (continually I might add, washing instructions followed), I noticed a hole in the nape. It can be somewhat hidden under the collar, but for $85, I was a bit disappointed in the quality. I’ve been chatting with the customer service to see if there is anything they can do. I’ll update this review if there is some sort of resolution.
Another thing I bought are these Pointy Mules in Black ($120). I don’t have any shoes like these. I actually took them to work before I was able to get a shot of them. I haven’t been wearing them much because when I wear tights, I can slip out of these. When I barefoot though, they stay on pretty well. I can definitely see myself wearing these more into spring!
Box 3
My last box I only bought one thing. the Debbie Skinny Stretch Jean in Black ($82.50, on sale for $69 right now). I had to actually return the size I originally bought and had to size up. Even the size I ended up with is a bit tight, but manageable. In terms of quality, I like these jeans for sure, but not sure if they are much better than American Eagle really. In general though, I’m happy with them.
Is it worth it?
So one thing you’ve probably noticed while looking at the items are that they are pricey. I would say very much so compared to what I’m used to. I’ve started to turn away from fast fashion from the environmental factor, but also just the quality factor. Since I’m buying so much less, I thought it would make sense to invest in better pieces. In general I really do like the quality of these, except the wool sweater with the hole. These all wash exceptionally well and I can definitely see myself wearing these items for years.
Due to the price of this subscription box though, I really don’t think it’s for everyone. Even the three boxes I ended up doing, I found myself looking at my bank account a bit closer. If you’re a big fan of Frank and Oak already, or want to try something new, I would recommend the box even just to try like I did.
After my third box, I decided to put my box on ‘pause’. This was decently easy to do, but I did have to have someone from Frank and Oak email me to complete the process. I wouldn’t say it was exceptionally hard, but wasn’t exceptionally easy.
All in all, even though I no longer subscribe, I enjoy the clothes I’ve received (even with the more inflated price tag). I do appreciate Frank and Oak as a brand and do like supporting Canadian brands.
All members have access to referral links (which I used above in the first paragraph). You may be able to find better deals (I was, I think $30 off my first box), but if you are interested, you can use my link to sign up to get $15 off. It also gives me $15 in credit. I would highly recommend you searching to see if you can find a better deal though!
Thanks so much for reading! Hope this was helpful! Have a great day!
*Purchased, Referral Links