Just Like The Number

I like cute clothes. I like keeping up with fashion trends and putting together pieces that suit my current lifestyle. I love it when I get it just right – something that’s stylish, comfortable, and within my budget. Bonus points if it feels like I’m wearing pajamas. You know what I don’t love? The actual act of shopping for said clothing.

Every once in a while I’m in the mood to shop, but it’s very brief. Brief as in won’t-even-last-through-a-major-department-store brief. I can handle your small-ish department stores (think Von Maur or Nordstrom), but even those can be overwhelming. I do better in small stores, like Gap or Athleta. I’ve been known to just grab something that looks kind of cute in Target, because Lord knows nothing goes together like high fashion, paper towels, and Go-gurt tubes.

What this means for me is that I end up with a pretty limited wardrobe. Not wanting to invest the time into searching for clothing and accessories that will expand my closet choices means that one day I’m looking for a cute outfit only to realize all I have is jeans, yoga pants, and plain or striped t-shirts (of which I apparently have an obsession). I buy what I know, what takes the least amount of time to shop for, and what’s “safe.” It works, but it’s boring.

I heard about Stitch Fix a few months ago, and since then various people I know and like have become fans. Stitch Fix is a personal styling service for women, all done online. You fill out a very thorough questionnaire that guides the stylists into curating clothing and accessories just for you. The stylists take into consideration your lifestyle, your budget, as well as the styles you identify with, and put together 5 clothing and accessory items for you. Your personal Stitch Fix is mailed to you, and you have 3 days to decide what you’ll keep.

Each Stitch Fix will cost you a $20 Styling Fee initially. If you choose to purchase anything, that $20 is deducted from the price of the items you keep. If you purchase everything in your Stitch Fix, you get 25% off. If you send everything back, they keep the Styling Fee. Unlike a monthly subscription such as Birchbox, you can choose when to schedule a Stitch Fix. You can certainly opt for a monthly Fix, but you can also do it at your convenience.

Now that I’ve done all this talking, would you like to see what an actual Stitch Fix looks like? My first Fix came last month, and here’s what was in it:

My Stitch Fix contained a pair of jeans, two tops, a dress and a scarf. Each Fix also comes with Style Cards showing items from your Fix with ideas and inspiration on how to wear them. I tried each item on with Elena as my trusty photographer and official thumbs-up-or-down-er.

This is the Daniel Rainn Kieraly Heart Print short-sleeve blouse ($68) in navy paired with Kut From The Cloth Guiliana Bootcut Jeans ($88). I really liked the blouse, and it’s clothing like this that is exactly why I love the idea of Stitch Fix in the first place. This isn’t something I would ever pick up and try on in a store for myself, but I liked it on me. I thought long and hard about keeping it, but in the end it didn’t make the cut. The back hem of the shirt hit me right around the widest part of my rear, making it a little snug. I also couldn’t quite justify the price for a shirt I’d probably save for date nights and evenings out with girlfriends. The jeans were a boost of confidence in my stylist and in Stitch Fix’s inventory, as Kut From The Cloth is my absolute favorite brand of jeans. I own several pairs in different cuts and I love them all. I didn’t, however, care for this particular cut. I’m kind of over the bootcut. I don’t really need any jeans right now, and I’ve been able to score several pairs of this brand at Nordstrom Rack for $60 or less, so the jeans went back as well.

Next up is the Pomelo Corinna Striped Dolman Top in Light Green ($48). I’m wearing it with my own jeans. (They’re Levi’s Skinny Legging Jeans that I discovered thanks to Emily of DesignHER Momma. You need yourself a pair of these jeans! They’re like pajama jeans you can proudly wear in public.) Okay, so I SWORE myself to a ban on any more stripes, but I just couldn’t resist this shirt. In my defense, I don’t own any stripes in this particular shade. It’s a heavier knit, which is nice for late winter/early spring, and it feels like you’re wearing a sweatshirt. That’s what I aim for, folks … as close to fancy as I can get without feeling like I’ve left my pajamas. I kept this shirt and have worn it several times already.

I so wanted to love this pink Under Skies Leona Tonal Chevron Print dress ($68). We have a wedding coming up this May and momma needs a new dress. It just didn’t fit quite right. The lining kept wanting to bunch up on my rear, which is probably more of my butt’s fault that the dress’ fault, but the butt always wins that battle. Again, I never would’ve picked something like this off the rack, but you can bet I’ll be scoping out this color when I do shop for myself.

This little number is the Betty Chevron Infinity Scarf from Rikka ($32). Accessories are one of the main reasons I wanted to try Stitch Fix. I love the idea of them, but I hate shopping for them. Even if I find something I think I like, I always feel guilty about spending money on them. This is why I’ve been wearing the same necklaces and earrings since Elena was in diapers. I waffled on this one, too, as I’ve gone all crazy and actually purchased more than one scarf in the last decade. It goes with several things I already own, and I felt 110% more put together whenever I threw it on over something, so it stayed. Would I have ever purchased it off the rack? Probably not. Have I worn it several times every week for the last month? Yes.

Returning the items you don’t want to keep is a cinch. You simply put them in the pre-paid mailing bag that comes with your Fix and pop it in the mail box. Once you’ve decided what you’ll keep and/or send back, you log into your Stitch Fix account and pay for anything you’ve kept. At the same time you can provide feedback on your Fix. It gives you the option to be very detailed, and the more information you provide, the better the stylists are prepared to send you successful Fixes in the future.

I scheduled another Fix for mid-May. I like how you have the option to add notes to your upcoming Fix. I let them know that I was looking for casual yet stylish summer pieces, especially skirts and dresses. I also made note that we’d be traveling to Europe this summer, so clothes that packed well and were suited to travel would be especially appreciated. Once that Stitch Fix arrives I’ll happily share the contents with you.

I haven’t been paid or asked by Stitch Fix to share anything about them with you. It’s an interesting concept, and something I thought some of you might want to try out as well. If you are interested, Stitch Fix does offer a referral service. This means that if you sign up and order a Fix using my referral link, I will get a credit to use towards my own Fixes.

What do you think? Would something like this be a fun and helpful service for you? Or are you happy to do your own shopping? I can see myself using Stitch Fix a few times a year, simply to have a fun package in the mail with a few cute things to add some oompf to my sad, grey, striped pajama-like wardrobe!