Le Tote Disrupts Fashion With Direct Mail, Too

Le Tote, an internet fashion rental service, covers all of its bases with a simple, textbook direct mail piece.

Mailer Name: Le Tote
Date Mailed: February 2016

The five-year-old startup was founded by Rakesh Tondon (now CEO) and Brett Northart (now president). From the beginning, Le Tote has employed an interesting business model: rent before buying. For that reason, some people call it the “Netflix for women’s fashion.”

The front panel of its mailing for Spring 2016 shows a selection of seasonal clothes, arranged around a subscription box. The headline at top, though, stands out most: “Take 50% off your first month of unlimited apparel and accessories.”

Next, the first panel inside the folded self-mailer gives information on the subscription service’s process. A few words and a pictograph explain each step. Another panel includes a customer testimonial, as well as praise from media like Glamour and InStyle.

The center inner panel highlights “Styles for every occasion.” The page lays out garments and accessories to create looks that inspire customers. The outfits are organized into three rows: for work, the weekend and “a night out & events.”

Finally, one of the panels provides some additional details. It names a few brands carried by Le Tote, including Rebecca Minkoff and Max Studio.

The copy restates the 50 percent discount offer and provides a code to use on Le Tote's website. Furthermore, it reminds readers of the benefits of shopping with Le Tote, like “no styling fees” and “Members can borrow and wear or borrow and keep.”

You can see for yourself how Le Tote uses an offline channel to acquire online customers. To download a free PDF of this mail package, courtesy of Who’s Mailing What!, please click here.

The Takeaway
When selling a subscription service with mail, explain up front the most important parts of how it all works.