Is it worth it to be a Madewell Insider? Oh yes.

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Many stores have free loyalty programs for shoppers, but whose is the best? To me the answer has to be Madewell’s Insider program. With Madewell Insider discounts, three tiers of rewards (depending on your annual spend) and true perks like a private concierge line at the highest tier, whenever people ask me if it’s worth it to be a Madewell Insider I happily tell them, “Oh yes. Absolutely.”

I myself am a Madewell Icon (which basically means most of my clothing budget goes to Madewell these days), and I love the perks. Having that special phone number to dial when an item I’m ready to buy suddenly goes out of stock, or when I have a piece in my closet and want some styling inspiration, is incredibly helpful. I get little gifts from Madewell twice a year which is a nice perk, and early access to promos.

Another great perk? About twice or three times a year, Madewell offers its Insiders a percent off their purchase. Today is the final day of the current Insiders promo, where you can get 15% off your purchase as an Insider, or if you’ve spent enough to be a Madewell Muse or Icon, you can get 20% off your order or in-store purchase! No code required; make sure you sign into your online account to see the discount reflected at checkout. If you’re not an Insider yet you can sign up here and take advantage of this promo immediately.

While many other retailers seem to be flailing and struggling to regain a point of view, Madewell has been consistently churning out amazing casual capsules for the last several years. It’s no wonder this store continues to grow in popularity — in general, Madewell’s clothing is easy to mix and match, has a clear casual yet refined style and the accessories are a great mix of classic pieces and trendy options.

Weirdly, I often find that Madewell’s online styling turns me off to the clothing, yet when I’m in-store the mannequins and outfit ideas draw me right back in. I can’t quite put my finger about what’s off for the online styling aside from perhaps the ‘too cool’ vibe some of the photos throw off at me. I’ve never been one for cliques or disengagement, and Madewell’s site sometimes reeks of it like bad perfume. More recently there is movement towards more engaged attraction by the models which is a nice move. I also love that Madewell casually started using models of more diverse sizes!!
But it doesn’t matter, because their clothing and accessories are quite lovely. I’ve learned to look past the model’s directed disaffection and see the items they’re wearing instead.

In order to preserve your status in Madewell’s Insiders program, you have to make at least one purchase there a year. To reach Muse status you must spend $500 or more each year, while Icons purchase $1,000+ each year at Madewell. I’ve already secured Muse status for next year and am well on my way to Icon thanks to this Insider special offer. In this promotion, I invested in the Mockneck Top in Butterfly Garden ($98 + 15% off) which will look great with a pencil or a-line shirt and a cardigan or moto jacket for work; the Wrap Top in Star Scatter ($70 + 15% off) which looks great with high-waisted pants, shorts or skirts; the Apron Bow-Back Tank ($70 + 15% off) that will be a wonderful casual or weekend top in warm weather; the Canvas Foldover Backpack ($98 + 15% off) that helps me tote around all my work stuff while running around Manhattan and the Palisade Button-Front Midi Skirt ($98 + 15% off) that comes in a beautiful dark red perfect for pairing with navy tops. I also really enjoy Madewell’s sunglasses, so I chose the Indio Sunglasses (now $40-$55 + 15% off) this time around. Previously I’ve purchased the Fest Aviator Sunglasses ($55 + 15% off) and the Halliday Sunglasses ($65 + 15% off), both of which I still wear often.

If you’re stuck on what to get in this Madewell promotion, I’m here to help! I’m quite taken by Madewell’s beautiful selection of midi skirts this Spring that have both a weekend and a casual office appeal to them. Their fantastic selection of jeans includes rises, lengths and washes sure to fit anyone’s body perfectly. (The in-store staff is usually highly trained on helping confused customers pick the right fit for us. They helped me a whole bunch!

This promotion is one of the few promos that my beloved Washed Leather Moto Jacket is not excluded from, and as a result it’s going quite fast. Likewise, the very popular Transport bag collection is not excluded from this promo either as it is from most promos. Yet another way that it pays to be a Madewell Insider!

Below, 30 of my picks from this special offer ending today. What Madewell items have you bought and loved recently?

2 Comments

  1. sylvs
    March 12, 2018 / 2:54 pm

    I love Madewell. I've been buying from there a lot more than Anthropologie this past year. and I love the free monogramming for being an insider

    • March 12, 2018 / 6:15 pm

      Yes, the monogramming for free is an extra nice touch!


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