Thursday, December 26, 2013

Got My Stitch Fix!

A while ago I posted on there that I had signed up for Stitch Fix, and I'm happy to say I got my first box!  I thought I'd give a little review of my experience and the clothes I got.

For those who don't know, Stitch Fix is an online personal styling service.  You sign up for free and fill out a style profile.  The profile focuses on your sizes, what types of clothes you normally wear (business, casual, fancy, etc.) and what type of style you like (preppy, bohemian, edgy, etc) - it also has pictures of different outfits that you can rate, if, like me, you don't know what any of those words mean.  You can tell them what colors and prints you like to avoid, what parts of your body you like to flaunt or hide, if there are any items you would like to skip (get all your jeans at a particular store?  Don't waste your stitch fix on pants you won't buy).  Once you have filled out your profile, you can order your first fix.  For each fix, you pay $20 for the stylist's time, but if you buy something the $20 is credited toward your purchase.  Then you wait with bated breath for your package to arrive so you can see what 5 things they sent you to try!  You get 3 days to try them on in the comfort of your own home in combination with the things that are already in your closet.  Whatever you want to keep, you buy, and whatever you don't want to keep, you send back in the enclosed prepaid envelope.


My first thought when I got my box was that these clothes were expensive.  Now, to be fair, I'm pretty cheap when it comes to shopping.  The idea of spending more than $30 on just about anything makes me cringe.  But I realize that in this case you are paying for 1) The stylist's time to pick things out for you, 2) shipping the packages both ways, 3) the convenience of getting to try everything on at your pace in your own bedroom, and 4) the excited Christmas morning feeling you get at receiving a package of surprise goodies.  Plus, everything I ended up keeping was made in the USA.

For each order, you can tell them if there is anything in particular you would like them to send you.  This can be a request for a specific item you saw on their blog or something general like clothes to wear on vacation or to the office.  For this box, I told them I was looking for items that would be equally appropriate for my business casual office setting or a date night.  I was also looking for outfits that would go well with knee high boots for winter time.  Here's what I got!

This picture is a 2 for 1: Just Black Adora Skinny Jean ($88) and 41Hawthorn Queensland Dolman Jersey Top ($48)

These were the first two items I tried on.  I was excited but nervous to see a pair of skinny jeans, because it's hard for me to ever find jeans that fit.  They either have too much or not enough room for my thighs, and I am usually too tall for the regular length jeans and too short for the long length.  I was worried that these would not fit, but I think my stylist might have snuck into my house and taken my measurements while I was sleeping...they were a perfect fit!  If anything they were a little too long, which is great because if they shrink a little in the wash they will still be long enough.  Even though these jeans are pretty pricey, when I find jeans that fit I will pay whatever they cost...I would have bought them if they were $188.  (Just kidding...don't get any ideas, Stitch Fix.)

You can't really tell from the picture, but the top is a deep purple...very pretty.  It's also extremely soft, and surprisingly warm for being so lightweight.  I wasn't sure if I was going to like the sleeves, but once I put it on I was sold.  I liked that it was flowy at the top and still tighter around my hips.  This is something I never would have tried on in the store, so I'm glad that Stitch Fix sent it to me.  My husband loved the outfit as well, so both the top and the jeans were an instant yes for me.

Next up, Sweet Rain Beth French Terry Striped Dress ($48):
 
When I pulled this one out of the box, it seemed sort of shapeless and I thought it would be super baggy on me.  Turns out I had just the opposite problem.  It was almost too tight.  My husband really liked it on me, but I wasn't sold.  I tried dressing it up with jewelry, a belt, and leggings to see if it grew on me, but I thought it hugged me a little too tight on the bottom and made me look too hippy.  Also, the sleeves were a little too short, and I thought that it might be a too short to be work appropriate - it hit about 3 or 4 inches above the knee.  I figured if I wanted everything else in the box, I would keep this one too (you get 25% off the whole box if you keep everything, so it's usually a better deal to get all 5 things than just 4), but I wasn't in love.

41Hawthorn Rockwell Sleeveless Fit & Flare Dress ($78)
 
This one was just kind of "meh" for me. It was sort of plain, and didn't really flatter me that well.  My husband wasn't thrilled with it either.  Plus it was really expensive.  I didn't even bother trying to accessorize this one, it went straight back into the box.

41Hawthorn Toulouse Collared Wrap Dress ($68)

I really liked this dress when I pulled it out of the box.  It is a wrap dress.  I liked the navy color and the cut, and it looked like it would be great for work.  After it took me a good 5 minutes to figure out how to put it on, I wasn't sure it was that flattering on me.  I felt like the top might be a little too baggy.  My husband liked it.  I ended up wearing it around the house for a few hours (one of the perks of Stitch Fix!) to see how I felt in it.  As I wore it more, it really grew on me.  I liked that I could wrap it tight to accentuate my waist, and that it was long enough to hit me at the knee.  I felt like it would be a good option for work.  Plus, I discovered it had pockets!  I'm not sure why that was so exciting for me, but there's just something extra fun about a dress with pockets.  In the end, I decided to keep it.

In addition to the 5 items, I received a note from my stylist, which explained why she picked each item for me.  I really liked that touch, and I could tell the stylist really took everything I put in my style profile into consideration.  I also got a style card for each item, which gives you some ideas about how to style each outfit to dress it up or down.  Really nice touch, and helpful for someone like me!

 
Overall, I was thrilled with my first fix.  I had been reading some other reviews (they link to lots on their website), and had read that the first fix is often a miss.  So I was excited that three out of the five items worked so well!  I kept the jeans, the top, and the wrap dress.  The price was more than I normally would have spent, but I had already paid $20 for the styling fee which I could use toward my purchase, I got a $25 credit from someone signing up for their fix through my link (thank you!) and I had some Christmas cash burning a hole in my pocket so I didn't mind.  I logged in and left detailed feedback on my fix, and I will definitely be ordering another one soon!

I was not paid or even asked by Stitch Fix to post this review, and I don't get anything for doing so.  But if you would like to sign up for Stitch Fix yourself, I would be grateful if you would do so via my link so I can get a credit toward a future purchase (once you sign up you will get your own referral credit link to share with others).  Happy shopping!

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