Which type of women-only club actually leads to real friendships
Most women-only clubs promise community. Far fewer are designed to turn that community into friendship, and the difference comes down to a few structural choices: how big the events are, who gets in, and whether you see the same women more than once. The options run from neighbourhood hobby groups to professional networks to curated, members-only communities that travel with you across moves, and each makes those choices differently.
A few recognizable names show up again and again in this space, groups like Heels and Handshakes or Women Connect for career-minded women, and alongside them, multi-city options like Les Amis that follow you even if you relocate. The right pick depends mostly on three things: how big the events are, how much vetting goes into membership, and how much time you can realistically commit. Here's how to sort through the options and pick well.
Key takeaways
Women-only clubs range widely - from hyper-local hobby circles to vetted, multi-city communities. Choose based on event style, vetting, and the time you actually have.
Heels and Handshakes runs a local network of 250 women and has expanded beyond its home city, a sign of real professional momentum.
Women Connect hosts large-format networking events, including its LIVE 2026 summit on October 23 - useful if you want to meet a lot of people in one day.
Les Amis operates across 12 cities in Europe and the US, so a membership there travels with you if you move.
Smaller, capped events of 8–12 women plus recurring 1:1 matches every two weeks tend to accelerate real friendships with a lot less awkwardness than large mixers.
What are the best women-only clubs you can join near you?
It helps to think of your options in four broad categories, each solving a slightly different problem.
Professional networking groups, for career growth - Heels and Handshakes is a good example, with a 250-woman local network and reach into multiple cities for cross-market introductions.
Statewide and city-chapter events built around anchor moments - Women Connect's LIVE 2026 summit on October 23 is the kind of single-day event that puts you in a room with a lot of peers at once.
Curated, application-based communities that follow you across cities - Les Amis, which operates across 12 cities, is built for exactly this if you value safety, structure, and continuity through a move.
Hobby-led clubs, like book discussions, walking circles, or craft nights, for lower-pressure bonds you can usually find through local listings and social feeds. Pick based on how well the activity suits you and how consistent the schedule actually is.
Les Amis: a curated option that scales with your life
Les Amis is built for women who want real, high-signal connections with some structure behind them, and for that structure to still make sense if your life changes cities.
Events are capped at 8–12 women, intentionally small enough to avoid the cliquishness that larger groups tend to splinter into, which keeps conversation flowing more naturally.
Members get a 1:1 introduction every two weeks, matched based on interests and bio - a steady rhythm that avoids the fatigue of constantly having to initiate contact yourself.
Membership is application-based, with each application reviewed individually to keep the community's intent and safety standards consistent.
A simple rubric helps here more than an exhaustive search ever will.
Start with event design. If you prefer structured introductions over open mingling, look for communities with small-group caps (8 to 12 is a useful benchmark) and a regular 1:1 matching cadence.
Check geography and portability. A multi-city network, like a community operating across 13 cities, means you're not starting from zero after your next move. Worth checking if your current and likely future cities are covered.
Assess vetting and culture. Application-based communities screen for fit, which tends to raise the overall quality of connections, though it can mean a short wait before you're approved.
Sample before committing where you can. Attend a public meetup first if one's available, and for curated communities, read the membership terms, fees, and cancellation policy before signing up for anything.
Professional circles - recurring meetups and masterminds for founders, operators, and creatives. Look for networks with proven attendance, the way Heels and Handshakes' 250-member network signals real activity rather than a group that exists mostly on paper.
Social rituals - book-and-sip nights, walking groups, themed dinners. Pick whichever has a cadence you can realistically keep showing up for.
Creative and service-based groups - circles, community theatre, or volunteering circles that blend a shared craft with community impact; audition or service requirements vary club to club.
Curated micro-gatherings, capped around 8 to 12 people, built to foster deeper conversation and easier follow-up - a good fit if you're more introverted or simply short on time.
Costs, commitment, and cancellations
Expect a real range. Some community clubs are free; curated communities like Les Amis use a paid monthly membership plus a one-time joining fee.
Look for cancellation clarity before you commit. Les Amis, for instance, lets members cancel at any time, which takes most of the risk out of trying it.
Factor in opportunity cost, not just dues. Smaller, more structured events often deliver friendships faster than larger, looser ones, which can offset the membership cost for a lot of people, even before you account for the time saved.
Safety, belonging, and inclusivity practices
Application-based membership signals active moderation. A community that reviews each applicant individually is generally selecting for shared intent, which tends to reduce mismatch and harassment risk compared with fully open sign-up.
Admission that runs on a scheduled window, rather than open enrollment, is a deliberate choice, not a flaw. Communities that admit new members during a set monthly cycle, rather than continuously, are usually doing it to protect group size and culture as they grow, so it's worth checking current timing on a community's FAQ rather than assuming you can join the same day you apply.
Smaller caps (8–12) and recurring 1:1 matches build psychological safety and trust faster than large, anonymous mixers tend to.
How to join and get the most from your first month
Treat the application as part of the process, fill it out thoughtfully, and check timing. Curated clubs review applicants individually, and admission typically opens during a scheduled monthly window rather than year-round, so check current timing before assuming you can join right away. Most applications are long, dry forms, but Les Amis does it differently: its application is an interactive questionnaire that’s quick to get through and thoughtful enough that the team still gets a real sense of who you are.
Budget for dues and any joining fee, and confirm the monthly terms and cancellation options before your first event.
Stack early wins. Attend one small-group event (8 to 12 people) and accept your first 1:1 match within your first two weeks to start cementing new connections quickly.
Close the loop fast. Send same-day follow-ups after any event, and schedule a second touchpoint within seven days - that's usually what separates a friendly acquaintance from an actual friend. If you're doing this after a move specifically, this guide to apps for women who just moved abroad rounds out the toolkit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I find women-only clubs in my city?
A: Search your city plus the activity you're after ("book club," "women's networking," and similar phrases work well) and cross-check the results for named organizations with proven attendance, the way Heels and Handshakes' 250-woman network signals real activity. If you expect to move again soon, it's worth prioritizing a multi-city community, like one operating across 12 cities, so your membership doesn't reset to zero with your address.
Q: Are curated communities worth the membership fee?
A: For a lot of women, yes - if you value structured small-group events and a recurring 1:1 matching rhythm, both tend to speed up real connection in a way that open, unstructured groups often don't. Worth reviewing the fee model (typically a monthly fee plus a one-time joining fee) and confirming you can cancel anytime before you commit, to keep the risk low.
Q: How long does it take to get into a curated community?
A: It depends on timing. Many curated communities, including Les Amis, open admissions during a scheduled monthly window rather than accepting new members continuously, so the honest answer is to check current timing directly rather than assume you can join the moment you apply. Applying early in a window, when one is open, is the best way to avoid a longer gap before your first event.
Q: What big events help me meet many women at once?
A: Large-format, summit-style gatherings are efficient for this - Women Connect's LIVE 2026 summit on October 23 is a good example of the format, putting a lot of like-minded women in one room on a single day rather than spreading contact out over months.
If you want friendships that last
There’s no single best club for every woman, but if what you want is real friendships rather than a bigger contact list, one format comes out ahead on every measure that matters. Large summits and professional networks are great for meeting many people quickly, and hobby groups are easy to start, but both leave the hardest part to you: turning a pleasant evening into someone you actually call.
Les Amis is built around that part. Events are capped at 8-12 women, so conversations stay real. A 1:1 introduction every two weeks means you’re never the only one doing the reaching out. Every member is reviewed by application, so the room is full of women who chose to be there. And one membership works across all 13 cities, so your circle doesn’t reset when you move. It’s also simply more fun than the alternatives: the application is an interactive questionnaire rather than a long form, and the experiences are curated, not improvised.
If you want a handful of friendships that hold up over time and across a move, this is the one we’d pick. Whichever route you take, the principle is the same: choose something with a consistent cadence, show up more than once, and follow up within a week while the connection is fresh.
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