I don’t know about you, but throughout the past few months, I have become obsessed with watching people open fashion mystery boxes. After seeing several YouTube videos from my favorite content creators, I realized that depending on the seller curating the box, they could either be catered to a specific style or aesthetic–we’re all about those aesthetics at the moment–, or even customized to the buyer’s particular style. I also noticed that while many of these boxes were a pleasant surprise to the buyer, many were… less than impressive. I love seeing people genuinely happy with the pieces they received, but let’s be real, the fails are so much more entertaining to watch!
When I fixate on something long enough, it’s only a matter of time before I have to experience the thing myself. But before I jumped onto this mystery bandwagon, I needed to keep cost in mind. During my binge watching sessions, I noticed that the prices of these boxes vary… a lot. Since this whole experiment was a gamble, I didn’t want to spend too much. On the other hand, I wanted to spend enough that the items stood a chance of being good. One thing I had working in my favor is that I’m a clothing reseller, so anything that I received that didn’t work out, I figured I’d be able to resell on Poshmark.
Finding a Mystery Box
There are a ton of places you can find these boxes—eBay, Depop, Poshmark, Etsy, Instagram, etc. My platform of choice happens to be Poshmark. Not only do I have my own shop on there, but I’ve also purchased several things, so I feel pretty secure in that aspect. I decided to hop on the app and type “mystery box” into the search bar. Immediately, a flood of options popped up. I started by scrolling though the listings until something caught my eye. A listing for 5 items for only 35 DOLLARS. In my opinion, this is an absolute steal. To further solidify my decision to purchase from this seller, her shop had the cutest desert boho vibe, which is my ultimate kryptonite.
Immediately after I “liked” the listing, the seller, @_bohemiaco_, offered me a small additional discount. DEAL. Take my money please.
After completing my purchase, I sent the seller a message just so she would have some info to go off of. I told her that I’m typically a size medium, but can do a large for more oversized fits. I also told her that I tend to stick with neutral tones and dusty shades, and I gravitate toward boho and romantic styles. In order to keep this experience as authentic and casual as possible, I further told her that I was pretty open to whatever she picked out for me.
Receiving And Opening My Mystery Box
The seller shipped my mystery box out the following day. I’m still in awe that she was able to turn it around that quickly. I should mention that she messaged me saying that we had similar styles, so maybe my box was a breeze for her to put together. Poshmark’s shipping it usually super quick, like 2 to 3 business days quick, so I didn’t have to wait long for my package.
When I tell you the level of “kid on Christmas morning” I was on when it showed up on my doorstep… I could not wait to tear into that thing. I must say, I’m a gal that appreciates the effort put into packaging, and between the poly mailer and small additional touches, this package was a desert dream. I wish I had remembered to take a photo, but my excitement knew no restraint that morning.
The Moment Of Truth…
So, here we are… what you’ve been waiting for! Inside the package were two dresses and three tops. I don’t know how she did it, but everything, and I mean EVERYTHING was the right fit and definitely matched my preferred styles.
Styling Each Piece
Now, even though I love every piece, and I’m super excited to add them to my wardrobe, a few probably would have been skipped over at the thrift store–my eye has simply been trained to look for specific colors, patterns, and textures. That’s kind of the beauty of these mystery boxes though. You get to try items that you might not have tried otherwise. So, since these pieces were picked for me, I decided to pull things from my own closet and put together an outfit for each item.
psst! If you want some more styling Inso, check out my post on styling summer trends.
English Factory Dress
For this look, I decided to keep the color palette neutral, but accessorize with bold unique pieces. The dress, though gray and a basic knit, is a bit of a statement because of the puff sleeve, asymmetrical stitching, and full silhouette. I decided to stick with silver accessories by pairing this bold, layered gem necklace (it might be bordering on tacky, but it’s totally giving me Pretty Pretty Princess vibes!), with these eye catching, pearl studded black boots.
Bow + Arrow Dress
The rich color of this dress made me want to stick to the ochre color palette. This dress is such a staple piece, and it’s super easy to take in a million different directions. I decided to pair it with this suede scrunch belt that has a gold hook closure, and my leopard print boots. The heel of this boot is actually gold, and the material is furry. Since I stuck to a neutral color palette, I really played around with textures for this look.
Madewell Blouse
I went back and forth on how to style this blouse. White eyelet is honestly so classic, and it’s a summer staple. I wanted to create a trendy, “fun” look with it, but I eventually decided that I shouldn’t fight against its timelessness. I decided to pair it with a distressed pair of cropped jeans to keep it more modern, as well as some chunky wooden platforms. The distressed jeans create a nice juxtaposition against the wholesome top, and the platforms bring a little bit of a 60’s element to the look.
Kimchi Blue Blouse
This top is so beautifully feminine, so I really wanted to go full on romance with this outfit. I decided to pair this blouse with these emerald, velvet pants, and these suede black pumps. Each piece is simple, but their textures and styles each contribute their own feminine element to the look.
Maeve Blouse
This wouldn’t be a styling post if I didn’t add in one over the top, layered look. Since this blouse is fairly simple, I decided to add this vinyl, brown corset over top, and a stone colored pair of fitted cargo pants. In order to complement the richness of the brown, I stuck with gold accents, such as the zip detail on the pants and a layered chain necklace. To pull the look together, I added these simple brown heels. The shades of the shoes and corset are a little different, but because they’re on opposite ends of the outfit, they still work nicely together.
So, Are Mystery Boxes Worth It?
In a nutshell, yes, I think that mystery boxes are worth it. The key here is to remain very open-minded, and keep your expectations low. You have to remember that you’re ordering a mystery box from someone who knows nothing about you, so it very easily could be an extreme fail, or a home run.
Another reason I think these mystery boxes are worth it is because it forces you to step outside of your fashion comfort zone. You might receive pieces that you wouldn’t have picked out yourself, but still intrigue you. This is the perfect time to start getting creative and make that piece fit your personal style.
On a final note, if you decide to purchase a mystery box, definitely read through the seller’s reviews beforehand. This should help you gauge how much thought and effort the individual puts into their boxes, and whether or not other buyers thought the cost vs. quality was worth it.
If you’re interested in a mystery box that focuses on boho, vintage, and feminine pieces, I definitely recommend checking out @_bohemiaco_.
I’d also like to add that this post is NOT sponsored. I just wanted to share my experience, and also give a big shoutout to this small business!