My First Stitch Fix
So earlier this month, I decided to give Stitch Fix a try. I desperately need clothes. I feel like I don’t even bat an eye when buying a $35 dress for Melody, but if I find the same for myself I question it and refuse to buy it. I also have trouble finding the time to go alone and shop and try on clothes. Plus during COVID times, I am not sure I feel entirely comfortable going out and shopping. So my thought with Stitch Fix is they will hopefully send me some cute affordable pieces, and I can start investing in my wardrobe again and looking cute!
On August 4th, I decided to create an account and complete my profile. There are a TON of questions, but they really help them find your style and your fit by completing them honestly. I scheduled my first fix the next day. Then my fix shipped out the very next day, and it was delivered on August 9th. I was blown away at how quickly I received my order after placing it.
Immediately I had to open my package and see what all was sent to me and how it all works! Everything comes all neat and wrapped together in the box. It also tells you all about what to do now that you have your box.
Inside the box (other than all the clothes), is a return envelope (more on that later, and then another envelope full of information. One card contained all of the different suggested looks for the clothes I was sent. You will see this more on their website too and down below. Another sheet contained all of the prices for each item. It also includes the 25% discount if you keep all of the clothes so that you know exactly what you will save. Then the last card had all the details of what to do next.
So before I completely dive into my haul, let me tell you the power of what you pair with these outfits, lighting, and how you look when it comes to trying on all the clothes. If you are like most women, you are self conscious about something or many somethings. The things I hate the most are my stomach followed by my boobs. I bet there are a lot of women who want bigger boobs; they can have mine, ha! But seriously, what one person hates, another person wishes they had. I have this crazy mom stomach primarily because of my pregnancy, but there are so many women who wish they could get pregnant. I mean I could go on and on. Point being, when I first tried on all these clothes, I hate almost all of it. I really thought I was sending it all back but the cardigan. No joke.
When you look below at my try on pictures you will notice two pictures. One in front of a mirror, and there is another in front of a wall. The first pictures were literally what I looked like that Sunday evening. Hair in a ponytail, no makeup, wearing only what came in the box and no other accessories, not wearing the best bra or best camisoles, poor lighting, and using my phone to take a selfie in a mirror that I could not tell you the last time I cleaned. I wanted all those pieces sent back.
Then I got up the next morning and decided to take a different approach. So many people love their boxes, why did I not love mine too? So I decided to take a couple of hours and try to do better. I straightened my hair, I put on a bit of makeup, then I paired each piece of clothing with things already in my closet. Realistically I would not be wearing all these pieces together regularly anyhow. And I even put on jewelry. Then I set up my nice Canon camera with my tripod and found the best lighting possible. Then along with a self timer and many, many shots, I got much better pictures. And I found I really liked the clothes a lot more than I thought the night before.
Ok-now that my little rant is out of the way, let’s see what all I got. First up is this Walden Split Neck Blouse. One of the things I requested are more casual but cute tops. Something I can throw on with a pair of jeans, or if I do go into the office, a pair of slacks. As you can see from the two pictures below, this fits that perfectly. I love the print, but that is all I really loved about it. One thing you can’t really see is that this blouse is practically see through. A camisole is definitely required. It is also WAY, WAY too tight. In my first photo, I paired it with the jeans I got in my box, but it was so unflattering in person. All the rolls. Well the next day I paired it with a skirt. And while it looks slightly ok while I am standing, it is still way too tight. I decided to return it if I did not keep anything else. It was one of the two cheapest things ($38), and my 25% discount was $66.50. So I knew if I kept everything else, I would keep this top simply because it was cheaper to keep it then send it back. My plan, however, was to exchange it for an XXL in hope that might fit me better.
Item number two was another semi-casual top. It is a Mackinley Crochet Yoke Knit Top. It is sleeveless, which isn’t my most favorite style, and I was really unsure about the crochet detail. To me that screams hand wash or it will ruin very quickly. On top of all of that, the pattern was a bit busy for my taste. In my first try on picture, I immediately said nope. One, the patter was way too busy and not flattering at all. I only wore a bra and no camisole, so knowing I had to wear just the right camisole to not show too much due to the crochet was a bit frustrating. And I felt like I looked pregnant in the picture. Maybe it was how I was standing, but I just didn’t love it. When I took my second picture, I kept the same pants on, but did add a camisole, shoes, and some jewelry. After seeing all of my outfits in the second round of try ons, Brad immediately proclaimed this to be his favorite and the best of all. I wouldn’t say it was my favorite of all the outfits, but I did like the way it fit overall. I love the loose feeling in the stomach, and with the right camisole, I did not feel self conscious about my bra. After the second fitting I figured I would likely keep this simply because Brad loved it so much.
Next up was a dress. I didn’t say anything about needing dresses, but I do find them extremely comfy if they fit right. My biggest problem with dresses is finding one that works year around and also isn’t overly dressy. I don’t want to wear a dress to Publix and look like I am going to cocktail party, ha. When If first saw Roanne Faux Wrap Knit Dress I loved the print and look. The look card made it seem so pretty and easy to transition between seasons. My biggest concern was the low neck line. One of the things I specified I wanted to avoid was extra cleavage, and this screamed just that. In my first try on, I did not wear a camisole. That is why you see me at the angle you do. All boobs and bra. A camisole was another requirement (I am beginning to wonder if they were going to send me a camisole or I may have to put that on my next box request!). I also felt very pregnant in this dress in my first try on. It was likely my “pose”. The next day, I added shoes, a camisole, and jewelry. The camisole made a big difference to me. It helped hide the cleavage I was concerned about. I ended up deciding this was going to be a keeper. It fit me very well when worn properly, and I loved that it was not a real wrap dress since I don’t have to worry about it coming “unwrapped”, ha!
Now onto the Abrianna Longsleeve Knit Cardigan. The thing that stood out the most to me was the color of this cardigan. Mustard is not a color I would really ever gravitate towards, but I really loved it in person. From looking at it, I knew this would be the item I would keep first if nothing else so that I would not lose my $20 styling fee. I love cardigans, and I feel like I can always use a new one. I tried this on both times with the wrap dress from above. I loved it both times and knew I would keep it. I like the length overall so that it would go with even some of my longer tops, the color was great, and I was able to even push up the sleeves and they stay if needed during the warmer times of the fall. It is also perfect for fall and goes well with the wrap dress. It is a great transition for the dress taking it from summer to fall.
The last item are the jeans I received. These are Kut from the Kloth Dayna Skinny Ankle Jeans. Being honest, I am not at all familiar with this brand. But my stylist raved about this specific piece and implied this could be a staple in my closet. I normally would not share my size due to my being self conscious about it, but oh well. Normally I wear an 18W. Sometimes those can even be a little tight when I first put them on, but about an hour after wear, it is the perfect size. I have to beware about the length because I am short. So I try and get jeans in the petite department. This is hard to find when you are also looking for plus sizes. I literally have one great pair of jeans in my closet. I have two others that are old and dingy, but they work when running errands. So I was really happy to see these. I tried them and liked them a lot more than I expected. The fit was perfect which I was surprised about just because fits vary from brand to brand. My biggest love (and hate) about the jeans were the color. The color is slimming and beautiful. But my fear was the dye transferring to other object when I wear them. I have had this happen before. However, I read that it is unlikely to happen with these, and they didn't have that dye smell, if that makes sense. So my first thought was keep. This was during both try ons. My biggest hesitation, the price tag! $88 for a pair of jeans was blasphemy. I don’t know if I have every spent more than $30 on a pair. I talked with Brad about my concerns, and he told me if I loved them to keep them. A good pair of jeans is worth the money. I did some research on the company, and they seem really reputable and have great reviews. I also ran the numbers on if I kept it all and how this would make the jeans slightly cheaper. That did help some with my decision making.
So the next day I decided to make my purchases/returns. I wanted to exchange the mustard cardigan because there was a hole in it. Then I was going to look into exchanging the navy split neck blouse for a XXL. Depending on what was available would make my decision on what I kept. I knew I wanted to keep the dress, cardigan, and most likely the jeans. I was leaning towards keep the crochet top since Brad loved it. And if I kept all of that, I would go ahead and keep the navy blouse. You can see a screenshot of the website below when you get to the point of returning or purchasing. I was also very honest with my reviews of each item, even if I was keeping it. I was honest about my lack of comfort when my cleavage was exposed in the wrap dress, and I was sure to note the navy blouse being way too small even though it was the correct size. Honesty is key in getting a good fix.
In the end, they had the sizes I needed for my exchanges, so I kept it all. I returned both items in the pre-labeled envelope the next day, and I received the new shirts later that week. The cardigan was free of holes, but the navy blouse was still too tight. Luckily it fit my mom, so I gave it to her. But it was worth keeping it for the discount alone!
My next fix is scheduled for November, but I may bump it up to October in hopes of getting some cute winter stuff to wear over the holidays…well assuming COVID allows us to celebrate them!
