My 5th Fix

I got my 5th and final fix of the year last week.  I had asked my stylist to send me a dress for the wedding in Jamaica so I was hopeful that I'd love what she sent.  Here is what I received... my apologies for the photo quality - the lightening in my bedroom is awful now that the sun is setting earlier!

Piece #1 - Patterned Dress

I pretty much knew I was not going to like this when I pulled it out of the box because I saw that it had cinching around the waist and that style of dress never looks good on me because I actually do not have a waist - I am pretty much straight as an arrow from my torso to my hips. But I tried it on anyways...

The look on my face says it all - it did not work for me.  I liked the neckline but that was about it.  So my decision was to send it back.

Piece #2 - Silky blouse

I saw that the stylist had also sent a top for me to wear in Jamaica, which sort of annoyed me because I only asked for a dress, but so be it.
 

I liked this piece but I have so many silky blouses and with the temperatures rapidly declining here in Minnesota, now is not the time to add blouses made from a thin material.  If they sent this to me in March, my decision would have been different, but given the time of year and low chance of me wearing this anytime soon, my verdict was send it back.

Piece #3 - Dress for the wedding

I was pleased when I saw the color of this dress as I love that bright magenta color, but I was disappointed when I saw that this also had a cinched waist.

 

I tried it on and as I suspected, I was not a fan.  It was very baggy up top so combined with the cinched waist it was really unflattering and felt frumpy.  So my verdict was to send it back.  It's not a big deal as I can wear the dress I wore to Amber's wedding this summer.

Piece #4 - Sweater

I am in need of some new sweaters as I am tired of what I have in my closet so I was happy when I saw this navy'ish sweater...
  

Except it was what I would call a 'business in the front, party in the back' kind of sweater.

I am sure there are women out there that can pull this partially backless look off....  But conservative "I dress like a librarian most days" Lisa is not one of those women.  So my verdict was to send it back.

Piece #5 - Another sweater

Let's close out this post with some good news!  My stylist sent me a second sweater which I really liked! 

The sweater is oh so cozy and warm and it's good for me to diversify away from stripes and embrace a new pattern.  So my verdict was to keep it.

So all in all, not my best fix as I only kept one item, but I have realistic expectations with these fixes as I know I am a particularly picky person.  I really like the one piece I kept and know I will get a lot of use out of it on the weekends.


This is my last fix for 2014 as I am going to take a break from clothes shopping until the new year but it's been really fun to get fixes for the last 5 months! 

The thoughts in this review are my own and I was not compensated by Stitch Fix to post this review.  However, I will receive a $25 credit if you sign up for Stitch Fix using the referral link included in this post. 

My 4th Fix

When I got back from my San Francisco trip (which was over 3 weeks ago! Where has the time gone?), I had another Stitch Fix waiting for me.  In this fix, I had asked for some fall items and I specifically requested a denim jacket.  Here is what they sent!

Item #1 - Dark Green Fitted Pants

I am all about colored pants so when I saw these in the box I was excited!

They are a dark green color, which is a color of pants I don't own and they go great with the new boots I bought this fall so my verdict was to keep them.

Item #2 - Cropped Sweater

When I pulled this next item out of the box I thought, "ooooh, a sweater!"  Then I saw that it was sort of a sheer knit material with a cropped front and I thought - "oh, not my style."

And trying it on confirmed it.  I do not care for cropped sweaters, or sweaters with different lengths in the front and back (at least on me, I think they look better on those with a shorter torso) and I really didn't like the sheer knit fabric so my verdict was to send it back.

Item # 3 - Jean Jacket

I had specifically asked my stylist to send a jean jacket so I was glad she sent one!

The color of the denim was different than what I had envisioned as it's sort of a gray denim but I liked the fit and loved how soft and comfortable the denim was.  I sent it to a friend for her opinion on the color of the denim and she liked it so my verdict was to keep it!

Item #4 - Pencil skirt

I had asked my stylist to also send a pencil skirt and instantly knew I'd like it when I pulled it out of the box.  It's hard to tell in this photo but little geographical shapes create the stripes.

I tried it on and loved it so my verdict was to keep it!  I actually ended up wearing it to work the next day and got some compliments on it.

Item #5 - Green Blouse

The last item in my box was a silky green blouse.  I have more than enough bottoms in my closet but don't have enough tops so I was hoping to like this.

Unfortunately I did not care for it.  It felt a little bit too billowy and I didn't like how it look when it was tucked or un-tucked.  Plus I did not care for the green color so my verdict was to send it back.

So in total, I kept 3 pieces and sent back 2.  Each fix does seem to get better so it's good to see that they are incorporating my feedback.  I will get another fix later this month and I asked my stylist to include a dress for the wedding we'll attend in Jamaica so hopefully I like what she sends.  After that fix I am going to take a break for the rest of the year as I want to cut back on my spending as the holiday season approaches.


Have you added any fall pieces to your wardrobe recently?  Besides the 3 items I kept out of this fix, I also bought brown boots, a brown leather purse and skinny jeans in September.  

The thoughts in this review are my own and I was not compensated by Stitch Fix to post this review.  However, I will receive a $25 credit if you sign up for Stitch Fix using the referral link included in this post. 

My 3rd Fix

I received my 3rd fix towards the end of last week.  It's so fun to come home to a box of clothes!  I had asked my stylist to focus on fall items.  Here's what she sent me!

Item #1 - Navy jersey dress

It's hard to see the detail of the dress in this crappy iPhone photo but it has a really fun neckline and some ruching through out the body which is flattering.  I also liked that it has a higher neckline as I do not like wearing lower cut dresses since I work in a male dominated environment.  I decided to keep it because it's something I can pair with a cardigan on warm fall days or I think I could add tights and wear it with boots and a heavier cardigan when the weather turns cooler.

Item #2 - Striped skirt

I pulled this item out of the box and thought - this is cute, but this is SO NOT fall like.  I also didn't care for the elastic waist as I don't think elastic waists are flattering on me as my stomach is my trouble area.  Trying it on confirmed that I needed to send it back.  If I had received this in spring and if it had a zipper enclosure, I might have felt differently about it.

Item #3 - 3/4-length sleeve cardigan

I think they technically referred to this as a jacket but I consider a cardigan due to the type of material.  It felt a bit frumpy so I sent it back.

Item #4 - Top 

 

My 4th item was a silky maroon top. It has some fun detailing on the neckline, which you can't see in this photo, and it's a top I will get a lot of use out of as it goes with cropped pants, dress pants, and pencil skirts.  I am always needing more versatile tops like this, so I kept it.

Item #5 - Chevron print 3/4-length sleeve dress

This dress is definitely not something I would have picked off a rack at a store but once I got it on, I liked it.  I really liked that it had sleeves as I am always freezing in my office.  However, the fabric was really thin and I felt like the price was too high for the type of fabric so my verdict was to send it back.

The final tally = I kept 2 items and sent 3 back.  If the price of the chevron-print dress would have been lower, I would have kept that as well.  So all in all, I feel like my stylist did a pretty good job.  Since I am keeping 1-2 items per fix, I think it is worth continuing to do it.  I think if I didn't vehemently dislike shopping so much then maybe this service wouldn't be worth it, but given my great dislike for shopping, it's still worth it even if I only keep 1 item/fix. 

I am going to do another fix at the end of September and this time I asked my stylist to send more fall looks and to keep in mind that I live in a part of the country where it can be cold in the fall so I will need heavy, sturdier fabrics.  

My 2nd Fix

Last week I received my second "Fix" from Stitch Fix.  I had provided really detailed feedback on my last fix so was excited to see how this one would turn out.  Here is what I got!

Items #1 and #2 - Top  and Cropped Pants

The first thing I saw when I opened the box from Stitch Fix was some red pants.  I  was excited as I love bright cropped pants.  I tried them on with a patterned top that they had sent me.

You can't tell in this photo, but unfortunately the pants did not fit me.  They were already a little bit loose in the waist and butt areas and I could tell they would likely stretch a bit so as much as I really loved them, I had to send them back.  But - I love the top and it fit great so I am keeping it!  I can see myself pairing it with cropped pants, jeans, or a pencil skirt so it's going to be a versatile piece for my wardrobe.

Item #3 - Tank Top

I saw that they once again sent me something with stripes which I was excited about...
 

But I wasn't crazy about the side panels which makes it flare out a bit.  I prefer more tailored looks so this was a bit of a miss for me.  Plus it's pretty casual and not really something I could see myself wearing to work so I opted to send it back.  I have a hard time spending money on clothes that I can't wear to work.  

Item #4 - Cardigan

I heart cardigans and can never seem to have too many of them as I love layered looks (and am perpetually cold) so I was happy to see a cardigan in my fix.
 

This cardigan was super comfy, but I ended up sending it back because the price point was too high for the style/fabric in my opinion.  I feel like most of what I have received from Stitch Fix is reasonably priced, but this cardigan was $78 which is just way too much for me to spend on a casual, cotton cardigan.

Item #5 - Dress

When I pulled this dress out of the box my immediate reaction was a solid two thumbs down due to the pattern...
 

After trying it on, I actually liked it more than I thought I would.  But I did not love it.  I think if I was in a situation where I liked everything else, I would have kept this dress to get the 25% off of my total order.  But, I was sending other things back so the verdict was to all send this back.  Plus I felt the price point ($148)  was too high for a thin, jersey-type fabric dress.  I spend a fraction of that on the dresses that I get at Banana Republic which are made from a sturdier fabric.

So all in all, I once again only kept 1 item - but I really like the one item I kept.  I would have kept the red pants if they had fit better and there wasn't anything I strongly disliked in this fix so I feel like my stylist is getting better.

My plan is to do at least 2 more fixes to see if I start to keep more things.  But even if I just keep one item/fix, it's actually worth it for me as it will allow me to slowly build my wardrobe over time. 

The thoughts in this review are my own and I was not compensated for Stitch Fix to post this review.  However, I will receive a $25 credit if you sign up for Stitch Fix using the referral link included in this post. 

My First Fix

Anyone who knows me well, knows I do not enjoy shopping.  Especially my mom as she got to experience some epic "I don't want to go shopping" tantrums during my youth.  Don't get me wrong - I like having new things but I don't enjoy the process.  At all.  I'll never be one of those girls who views shopping as a hobby - for me it is a total chore and a means to an end!

So when Nilsa posted about Stitch Fix, I was intrigued.  For those not familiar with this company, the way it works is that you fill out a style profile and a stylist then sends you 5 articles of clothing, along with a sheet with tips on how to style each piece.  You try them on, keep what you like, and return what you don't (postage is free and they send an addressed envelop that you drop back in the mail so they make it very easy). You get charged for what you keep, and if you keep everything, you get 25% off. 

The thought of someone sending me clothes to try on in my own home sounded appealing and I could certainly use a change from my usual head-to-toe Banana Republic looks, so I decided to give it a try in July!  I got my first fix last week and here's what I got!  (My apologies for the crappy pictures, I suck at taking photos of myself!)

Item #1 - Dress

When I opened the stitch fix box and saw this magenta dress, I thought YES!  Now I might have something to wear to Amber's wedding (which is this coming Saturday).  I was a little skeptical when I saw that it was a wrap dress as I usually don't like how those look on me.  But my initial impression when I got it on was - hey, I like this!
 

But...  on closer inspection, the dress had some flaws - mainly the excess fabric area which you can see in the photo below.  I think if I had a bigger chest it might have look better, but since I am a small-chested gal, it just didn't look right.

But I loved the color and thought maybe I was being too picky.  I posted the photo on IG and asked if I should keep it.  Darn near everyone said that I should keep it - but a couple of people contacted me directly and said the top looked too baggy on me.  And when I showed it to Phil, he echoes their sentiment.  So my verdict was - send it back.  But I let the stylist know that I love the color so hopefully I'll get something in this color in the future.

Items #2 and #3 - Skirt and Blouse

When I saw the print of the skirt I was initially pleased - until I pulled it out of the box and saw that it had an elastic waist band.  So I was not surprised when I tried it on and did not like it at all.  I felt like the cut of the skirt was unflattering. 

I actually really liked the blouse but I already have a top that is nearly identical, so my verdict was - send both pieces back.  I let the stylist know that I would have liked the skirt if it was a more structured pencil skirt.

Item #4 - Blazer

Ok honestly all I could think when I saw the blazer was, "the 80s called and they want their blazer back."  The stylist suggested wearing it with the skirt and top ahead, but Amber suggested pairing it with something more tailored, so I tried it on with a dress I wear often.

I still hated it, so my verdict was - send it back.  I told the stylist that the color was to neon for me and that I need blazers that have a more tailored look.

Item # 5 - Top

I am ending on a positive note with this last piece which was a striped top that I absolutely love!  I mean, you really can't go wrong with stripes since it's my signature pattern.  I tried it on with a skirt I wear to work often and liked how it looked.  

I can see myself with this with many different bottoms from a pencil skirt to jeans to a jean skirt.  So my verdict was - keep!

My thoughts on the fix

I only ended up keeping 1 out of 5 pieces, but if I didn't already own a shirt similar to the black blouse, I would have kept 2 of 5 pieces.  And I liked 3 of the 5 pieces so feel like my stylist is off to a good start.  I think/hope that with the detailed feedback I provided, I will like more of the pieces in future fixes.  But even if I only keep 1 piece of clothing from each fix, that's a win in my book as it will allow me to slowly build my wardrobe.

My next fix will arrive in early August and this time I asked my stylist to focus on tops that can be worn with pencil skirts or dress pants and I also asked that she look for work-appropriate dresses.  I'll excited to see what she comes up with next!

Have you ever tried Stitch Fix?  Do you enjoy shopping for clothes?  

The thoughts in this review are my own and I was not compensated for Stitch Fix to post this review.  However, I will receive a $25 credit if you sign up for Stitch Fix using the referral link included in this post.