This blog post makes me nervous, I won’t lie. I’m not a fashion blogger. I will never be a fashion blogger. But I love clothes! I love accessorizing with bright, radical jewelry that most people are too scared to wear. I never shy away from a good polka dot. And lord knows, the more ridiculous the shoe, the higher the chance I will purchase it. (Pom Pom heels are my go-to look for parties, in case you were wondering.)

I like expressing myself through what I wear, but it’s not always cutting edge and trendy. And I guess that’s what makes me nervous about this post. I don’t want to come across as a voice of authority on fashion, as I often look back at some of my outfits throughout each week and think “oof… what was that?” But you know what it was? How I was feeling! The energy I wanted to bring into the day, expressed through a combination of textures, layers, and prints.

Ok, so with that disclaimer aside, we know I’m just a regular city gal who likes clothes, yeah? Ok, great! In that case, I’m excited to share something with you. In case you didn’t know, Zalando is one of the largest online clothes retailers in Germany. A massive, amazon-like shop filled with great brands, both large and small, sustainable and absolutely not sustainable choices, and essentially, an online shopper’s paradise. I’ve bought a few things here and there from Zalando, but I’ve never been a hardcore fan.

Until one of their ads caught my eye:

“Zalon by Zalando”

A curated box of outfits delivered right to your door in Germany, hand-picked by a stylist based on your correspondence, outfit inspiration, and budget. No box is the same. Your stylist writes you actual messages. And you don’t pay for anything unless you decide to keep it.

As a person who has been trying to avoid crowded stores, mask flailing in changing rooms, and is on a quest to discover better European brands in general, I was immediately drawn to click on this ad. And after answering a few questions about my style, budget, and physical appearance, I was on my way to being matched with a stylist! It’s like Bumble, but for clothes, and it’s safe to say my excitement was through the roof! How fun! This feels like the perzonalized, styling attention that famous people get, but, like… for normal people!

So after being paired with my Zalon stylist, I received an email after 24 hours with the pieces my stylist had chosen for my box. Like any new relationship, I wasn’t quite sure if Lena knew exactly what my style was, so I rejected some massively chunky combat boots, edited out a fast-fashion generic blazer, and said “omg YES!” to a leopard print dress from Edited. And that was the best part: you get one round of edits to tell your stylist what you do and don’t like from their selections, before they make some final adjustments and send your box on its merry way!

So without further ado, I want to share with you my unfiltered, Zalon box review, as there were some definite highlights and some definite disappointments. Oh, and please help me figure out what to keep in the comments below!

1. Sleeper Hit!

Something I really wasn’t expecting from this box was a pair of great-fitting jeans. I mean, I’m 100% unable to find great jeans when I set out on dedicated denim shopping trips and suddenly my Zalon stylist plucked the perfect Levi’s skinny jeans, in the perfect size, for my box. She paired it with a branded T-shirt I would literally never buy on my own, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this entire look! Maybe I’m a branded T-shirt girl, after all?

2. Is the Price Actually Right?

Something I find very interesting about Zalon is how new it is. And like any new venture, I think there are some kinks being worked out at the moment, especially on the pricing front. Case in point, many of the items in my box were drastically reduced, price-wise, for Black Friday. This was not reflected in the pricing for the items in my box, so I inquired about the situation and received a “we’re sorry!” email from the Zalon team with 20% off everything in my box. Still, there was a Banana Republic sweater listed for about €70.00 in my box. I know for a fact that this seems a bit high for this casual brand, as Banana Republic is always having sales in the US. So I did some digging. And sure enough, here it is! And look at that, it’s 50% off in the US, and with the conversion rate, the sweater is literally half the price of what’s listed in my Zalon box.

Most other items in the box were fairly priced, but this and the Levi’s jeans (both American brands) were completely inflated, in my unprofessional opinion. But the 20% off gesture was a great initiative from Zalon.

3. “The Coat”

This one left me scratching my head entirely. Sitting at the very top of my beautiful, patterned Zalon box, was a massive garment bag protecting a deep blue wool coat. Oh, and not just any coat. A €500.00 coat. To me, this made absolutely no sense. I mean, it was a nice coat, but I’m not a person who’s ready to dole out €500.00 for a random coat that shows up on my doorstep, especially when I already have a coat! Sorry Lena, this was a total, 100% miss.

4. Basic B*tch

Ok, ok. We all know the word “Basic” has been reincarnated by millennials to mean Pumpkin Spice Lattes and brunch dates. And I really couldn’t help but feel like 50% of my box was just… basic. A slouchy, dark blue sweater that I’ve seen on about 100 girls in Hamburg. Brown leather boots that are harmless but ordinary. And a turtleneck that surprised me by being a basic, weird shade of brown that I wasn’t prepared to like, but totally fell in love with. Based on the style of the average German girl, I think these items would normally be a hit. But I’ll definitely be sending them back, as I had the hopes of using this box to go beyond the basics.

5. The Dress!

Ok, here’s where it gets fun! If I had to guess, with every new box, the stylists are trying to decipher the boundaries of their new potential client. So how thrilled was I, to see a green leopard print dress from Edited nesting at the bottom of my box! Ok, when I first put it on I felt like a really frumpy, un-cool, hipster, Laura Ingalls Wilder, as the dress has the shape of a potato sack. But, using the cardigan paired with it in my box, a belt of my own, and some over-the-knee boots, I was able to turn this into a look I genuinely liked! And I would never, ever have picked out this ensemble for myself in one million years. So credit where credit is due: Thank you Lena for leaving this feisty Christmas gem for me to explore, style, and genuinely enjoy!

And before I talk any longer about a box of clothes, I’m going to wrap this puppy up! I’ve been trying to use this lockdown period to stay inspired, excited, and try new things. And my Zalon box was exactly that. I was excited to receive it! Giddy to open it up and discover what was inside. And genuinely had fun styling a few things and deciding if I am indeed a branded t-shirt person (still on the fence).

Luckily I’m not a proper influencer, so this post isn’t sponsored in any way, shape, or form. Just my honest thoughts, as a girl who likes clothes and was looking for something new!

However, I’ll be heading to the post office to send back my box tomorrow.

What do you think I should keep? Let me know in the comments below, because I’m really torn on a few things… including the leopard dress!

My Honest Zalon By Zalando Review