My First Stitch Fix Review

Three days ago a Stitch Fix package was delivered to my door packed full of new items auditioning for a place in my closet.  It's safe to say I'm probably hooked.  A few friends of mine have tried Stitch Fix, and I was immediately attracted to the concept and thought I would give it a try, just once.  In case you haven't heard of Stitch Fix, here's a quick rundown of what it is and how it works....

Stitch Fix is an online company that analyzes your personal style through the use of an extensive questionnaire, then matches you up with a stylist who chooses 5 items to send your way.  The website does a good job of assessing your size, likes and dislikes, preferences for what you prefer to show vs. minimize on your body, and then you decide the level of adventure or risk you want to take with your new pieces.  Your package is shipped, containing 4 clothing pieces, and 1 accessory, and you get to try the clothes on with items you already have in your closet.  This is really the beauty of this whole idea, and why I decided to give it a go.  In a dressing room you have to mentally put together outfits, which may or may not (in my experience more often do not) necessarily come together the way you envisioned once you arrive home.   With Stitch Fix, I was able to mix and match what I have with the items they sent, which ultimately helped me decide what to keep and what to send back.  And sending back what you don't want is super easy to do too.  Just stick your items in the prepaid included return package and stick in in the mailbox within 3 days.  You do pay a $20 styling fee up front, but you won't pay anything else until you decide what you're keeping.  The $20 credits towards whatever you do keep.

To start, I chose to stay pretty streamline, nothing too far from my comfort zone, because the reality is that after having Benjamin my clothes simply fit differently and I need some new basics and items that will have lots of versatility.  Here's what arrived this week.

Sheer cream blouse with gold polka dot print

Chevron dress

Cotton blazer (sweatshirt-like material)

Multi-strand red necklace

Navy and tan polka dot skirt with elastic waist

So before trying anything on I made my first snap judgements.  The blouse I thought looked too big and shapeless, but I was intrigued.  The dress I really hoped to like, I enjoy chevron but don't own any and I could really use a dress that can be dressed up and dressed down.  The blazer I loved.  The necklace wasn't quite what I would normally pick, but I never try bold enough accessories myself so I appreciated that this was included in the box.  The skirt looked promising, certainly looked good on the hanger, although given the upcoming snow, wasn't really something I'd be using for awhile.    I did my best to take pictures of myself in all of the items (but forgot to take a picture of the necklace - oops).  Please forgive the awkward over-posed self-taken shots below.

I struggled with this one.  From some angles I liked it a lot.  From others, I felt like it gave my body no real shape and the waist was just slightly too low.  It needed a belt and none of the belts I have worked unfortunately.  Close, but not worth keeping it so I sent it back.  

The sheer blouse surprised me.  Overall I think I really liked it, and I wouldn't have ever picked it up in the store myself, proving that the idea of a stylist was a good one for me.  But sheer + nursing bras = not a flattering silhouette, and at some angles it did give me a boxy appearance which I was afraid of.  I was really loving the metallic polka dot print though.  Another one I had to think about before making my decision, but I sent it back.  

The blazer I loved on just as much as on the hanger.  Sadly it is just a tiny bit too narrow in the shoulders since I'm broad, but it's not problematic enough to rule it out.  I don't own anything similar and it can go with a ton of different tops and bottoms, giving me the versatility I was searching for.  

The skirt was the one clear no of the group.  I was not in love with where it sat on my body, the waistband drew attention to my hips instead of camouflaged them, and as you can tell I really struggled to match it with anything in my closet.  I was able to make a quick decision on this one, and back it went. 

I did decide to keep the necklace too, so for my first Stitch Fix I kept two of the five items included.  If you decide to keep all five items you do get the benefit of 25% off your total order by the way.  The items included in my first Fix ranged in price from about $30-$80, so overall these pieces are pretty affordable too.  

So will I order another one?  I'm pretty positive I will.  And with the feedback I was able to provide online, the theory goes that each new Fix gets better and better, and more suited to both my body and style.  

If you decide to try it out, please use this link:  https://stitchfix.com/referral/3213296