I’ve been hearing about the online stylist website, Stitchfix for a while now. At first, I thought it was a clever concept to have someone be your personal stylist, but then I thought that I love to actually do the shopping myself. Why would I let someone have all the fun?? Then I remembered how my shopping habits have changed since I had children. Let’s just say that many things change with a 3 year old and 1 year old in tow. Kids don’t like to help you browse for clothes. Kids don’t want to be patient while you try on those clothes to see what will or won’t work. Kids want to play, kids want to whine, kids want a snack. This can result in hasty purchases, or even no purchases at all.
And so my initial thoughts on Stitchfix changed and I decided it might be a solution to still shop, but from the comfort and flexibility of my own home.
So, a couple of weeks ago I took the Stitchfix plunge and dove right into a new concept: someone shopping for me. I figured it had little risk (I’d only have the $20 styling fee to lose, and that was if I liked NOTHING), but it also had a potential great reward.
It was a very rainy day the day the package arrived. Thankfully, the FedEx courier placed the Stitchfix box in the last dry corner of my porch – precious contents, you know!
I’ll be honest: I was a little giddy to open my box. Yes, the cliched kid-on-christmas. As much as I wanted to have a quiet moment to open the box and soak in its contents, alas, I was being crowded by two small children and a large dog. Nevertheless…
The contents of the package were neatly enveloped in tissue paper, and included was a very helpful styling guide with ideas on how to style each piece included in my fix, as well as a personalized note from my stylist.
#1: The first item in my fix was the Le Lis Vernon Mixed Material Top:
At first look, I was intrigued by the pattern, and I liked that the stylist included my favorite blue and green hues. The mixed materials were also appealing. When I tried it on, however, I was disappointed. The shirt, although an XS, was clearly too big. The extra material made me appear larger. This picture doesn’t show the extra material as much.
Final Verdict: RETURN
#2 Next item was the Romolo Hoya Stone Bib Necklace:
Although pretty, this necklace had grey stones and I’d rather something in a more bold color. Also, the price of $38 is steep when I could get something similar at Target for around $12-$15. Final Verdict: RETURN I think I’ll request no accessory next fix, and then I’ll receive another clothing item instead.
#3 Kate Distressed Boyfriend Jean
My sylist, Jeni, referenced that she looked at my Pinterest fashion board for inspiration. I have a lot of boyfriend-style jean crops pinned there, so this pick makes complete sense and embodies my style: casual and comfortable. I was really hoping these jeans would fit. Let’s be honest, shopping for jeans can be one of the most frustrating and difficult things. Luckily, as soon as I put these on, I knew I was going to keep them. Final Verdict: KEEP
#4 Hawthorn Abrianna Longsleeve Knit Cardigan
This navy blue open cardigan is definitely up my alley. I love the color, the cut, the lightweight fabric. That’s why I pretty much already have this. No need to have two. Another deal breaker: this little thing is “hand wash only”. Do they realize how much laundry I do, and that I want to just chuck it all in the washer and go? Hand wash? I think not. Final Verdict: RETURN
(pictured here are the cardigan, jeans, and necklace from the fix)
#5 Skies are Blue Eniko Button Down Top
This light blue and white stripe button-up struck me as something I might normally choose for myself. When I saw the price tag, though, I was shocked. $58 for this? I have similar shirts for much less. This shirt needed to really WOW me when I tried it on. So, I did…
Although nice, it failed to wow. Final Verdict: RETURN
So my first fix resulted in my keeping ONE item and returning FOUR. I’m optimistic that future fixes will be better after I give more detailed feedback and also allow the stylist to take some liberties. I think I was too safe in what I requested this go-around. I mentioned my preferred colors and fits, but I think part of the point of a personal stylist is that you take risks and go for things you might not otherwise choose.
What do you think? Did I make the right choices?
If you’d like to try Stitchfix, I say, “go for it!” And if you do, I’d love for you to sign up through my referral link. I’ll receive a small credit to my account so I can keep doing this!
Varied Style 