If you haven’t tried Stitch Fix before, you should. Although I’ve been giving it careful consideration for quite a while, this was my first box. It’s a really interesting premise: fill out your style profile, give us all the detail you can (blog, Pinterest,etc.) and we will try to send you clothes that look good on you possibly without ever having actually seen you. You order your box, they hand-pick 5 items for you, wrap them up and send them on their way. Your box shows up on your doorstep and you try on the clothes in the comfort of your own home instead of in a poorly-lit dressing room. If you like them? Awesome! Keep ’em and they’ll charge your credit card. Don’t like them? Sorry ’bout that, return whatever you don’t like in the enclosed prepaid envelope. There is a $20 ‘styling fee’ per box which I’m pretty sure covers shipping and the time your stylist spends on you but you can use that same $20 toward any purchase in the box (meaning if you buy a $48 blouse, you pay $28 plus your $20 styling fee). If they hit a home run and you keep all 5 pieces, you get a 25% percent discount (basically amounting to a free item). Ready to try? Click here and take it for a test drive. Ready to check out mine? Keep reading below.
Daniel Rainn Kail V Neck Blouse (XSP)
Ugh, seriously, the more I look at the pattern on this sleeveless top, the more I dislike it. I read somewhere that the more you see something – a trend, a person, brussels sprouts – the more you like it. In this case, exactly the opposite has happened. Familiarity has bred contempt. I actually really love the buttons down the back. The sweater makes it almost tolerable but then I lose the button detail. The fit was great and I’d love it in a different color. I was willing to wear it outside in the snow long enough to take some photos, but don’t like it enough to pay $64.
Verdict: Returned.
Pixley Ellie Printed 3/4 Sleeve Blouse (XS)
I really wanted to like this elephant top. It’s so cute! But the reason I tend to stay away from cute is a good one: I’m a small person who looks kinda young and I avoid things that look too cute or juvenile. Hearts, unicorns, cats, lightning bolts- really any kind of “cute” print – are generally a no-go but I thought I might be able to swing this one. The major reason this isn’t a keeper is because it just doesn’t fit quite right. It’s too big. The arms are loose in a fire hazard kind of way and the neckline is too wide for my narrow shoulders. A petite size probably would have been a winner. Close, but no cigar. Cost on this one was $48.
Verdict: Returned.
41Hawthorn Colibri Solid Tab Sleeve Blouse (XS)
Forgive the static and the wrinkles – I just couldn’t get them to go away – but it’s a good indication that I probably shouldn’t purchase this blouse. It will never be wearable in the winter without some assistance. I saw this shirt in another girl’s Stitch Fix review and she kept it. It looked good on her! The problem here is the fact that I’ve just got to stop trying to wear “regular” clothing. Petite sizing looks better, feels better, and wears better on me, yet I continue to try to wear regular sizes. Those extra couple of inches are crucial to the way clothes hang and on me, they hang just a little too low. This makes me look, as my husband so eloquently described me: frumpy. Thanks dear. I love the color on this though and I’m sad that my body failed this beautiful $48 blouse.
Verdict: Returned.
Octavia Coleman Weave Plaid Infinity Scarf
The note in my box said that she noticed that I had scarves on my Pinterest board so she sent me a scarf. Well, yes, I do have some scarves on my Pinterest board but here’s a lesson for me in communicating via pin: point out what part of the outfit you like. Love the jeans but not so focused on the scarf? Point that out. Love the sweater and the scarf is OK? Point it out. Don’t want scarves? Tell your stylist straight up. I guess I wasn’t really anticipating getting one in my box but now I know. I’m not over the moon about the print but it’s way cozy and snuggly. If I were buying the whole box, I’d gladly take it. But frankly, since I’m not buying the whole box, $34 are more dollars than I’d want to spend on it.
Verdict: Returned.
Liverpool Mira Skinny Jean (0P)
When I tried these jeans on, I was sure they were the one thing I was keeping from my box. I wore them in all of the photos above. They’re great. They have an elastic waistband so I’m not constantly pulling them up over my straight-as-an-arrow figure. They’re comfortable and cute and… slightly too light for my taste. If they were a shade or two darker I’d be happy as a clam (how happy are clams, btw?) but for $78 I’d better love the color and I do not love the color. The cuffs also leave something to be desired. They flare out ever so slightly at the very end and make a rolled cuff look kinda puffy. As a rolled cuff kinda girl, I was disappointed. But I’ll be damned if my next pair of jeans doesn’t have an elastic waistband. That is some life-changing magic there.
Verdict: Returned.
Well there you have it, folks. I’m bummed that I ended up returning my whole box but I’m looking forward to giving it another go at some point. This was only my first dip in the Stitch Fix pool, I can’t expect to be an Olympic gold medalist in the 100-meter freestyle. Maybe a different stylist? Maybe I just need to be a bit more specific on my Pinterest board and from now on, only petite clothes. Everyone’s got a slightly different style and petite clothes are really, super hard to come by compared to the vast choice of normal human being-size clothes. Better luck next time!