How to Bento: A Better Work Wardrobe in 3 Easy Steps

November 14, 2015 | Filed in: Your Closet

At MM.LaFleur, the bento box is key to our philosophy of “less shopping, more doing.” Your brain space is valuable; let’s not clutter its precious real estate with anxiety about your work wardrobe. Instead, outsource the decision-making to an MM stylist, who will send you a Bento Box of elegant, beautifully-made clothing and accessories curated specifically for you and your power vibes. Here’s how to order a Bento Box, in three easy steps.

1. Fill out our Bento Box survey.

We embrace the nitty-gritty, and our Bento survey was designed to give us a window into your life—including your job, outfit preferences, size, body proportions, sartorial pet peeves, lady crushes, style heroes, and more. Do you want to look like a 5’3” version of Claire Underwood, with red hair? Or are you looking to exude an air of “I may work in an office, but I wear leather on the weekends and have a hidden tattoo”? If you’re leaning towards certain types of clothing (all about dresses, but have more than enough scarves?), let us know. The survey isn’t rocket science—it’s meant to be fun. And no, we won’t ask you to try to wrap a tape measure around your own hips, because that’s just ridiculous.

After you submit your survey, payment information, and the date you’d like to receive your Bento Box, we’ll send it to you for free. That’s right—not a dime up front. You’ll also get an email from your personal MM.LaFleur stylist to confirm that your Bento is in the works. She’ll dissect your responses to the Bento survey like a surgeon with a… well, use your imagination. The point is, she knows our products like the back of her hand, and will be your personal style advocate and Bento spirit guide from this moment on.

MM stylist Annabel, at work.

2. Receive your Bento Box, try on its contents, and take a few selfies if you feel like it.

Your Bento Box will arrive within 1-3 days of the date you’ve requested. Inside, you’ll find 4-6 MM pieces that your stylist has personally selected just for you. Pour a glass of wine, relax, and stage a living-room fashion show for your cat—or shimmy into the pieces in your office’s bathroom stall so your co-worker can weigh in. Not sure whether something fits properly? Take a picture and email it to your stylist. She’ll give you an honest assessment.

Bento contents (a.k.a. game-changers).

3. Decide what you love, and send the rest back. Or hey, keep it all!

Once your Bento Box arrives, you have four days to decide which pieces are perfect, which ones are meh, and which ones you’d like to return or exchange. (That’s four whole mornings and evenings to try them on in different lighting with your favorite shoes, discuss tucking and belting options with your stylist, and figure out if a smaller size might work better.) If anything doesn’t tickle your fancy, just put it back in the box, slap on the pre-paid UPS label (enclosed), and leave it at the nearest drop-off spot (or text us to have UPS come to you). You’ll only be charged for the items you keep, of course.

A box of we’ve-got-you-covered.

Future steps:

Order another Bento Box whenever you feel like it. We’re not a subscription service, and we won’t sneak-attack you with random deliveries and surprise charges. Your stylist also keeps all of your feedback on file, so she knows which styles and sizes work with what you’ve purchased in the past (and which you’d rather avoid). She can curate and send you another full Bento Box, or help you find specific pieces to fill a hole in your wardrobe. Whatever you need, we’ve got your back.

Questions? Email us at bonjour@mmlafleur.com. Ready to give it a go? Take our Bento survey here.