Stitch Fix Review December 2015

It’s official, I finally took the plunge and tried Stitch Fix! I have seen so many people post about their fixes on social media and review it on their blog that I have always wanted to give it a try. There was a slight problem though…they only go up to size XL. Sadly, 6 months ago I wasn’t anywhere close to an XL, so it wasn’t an option for me. After dropping some LBs, I was finally in a size XL and excited to give this Stitch Fix thing a try.

What is Stitch Fix?!

What exactly is Stitch Fix you might be wondering? Stitch Fix is a monthly stylist service delivered right to your front door.

• To get started, set up a detailed style profile where you specify your body type, preferred styles, price ranges, etc.
• You pay a $20 styling fee upfront, but you get to deduct this from any items you decide to keep.
• You set a schedule for your fixes or you can can schedule a fix whenever the mood strikes you.
• Receive a 25% discount if you keep all 5 items!
• You have 3 days to decide which items to keep.
• To return any unwanted items you simply place them in the provided pre-paid mailing envelope and toss them in the mail!
• Get a $25 credit for each person you refer.

Tips for a great fix

From the research I did on Stitch Fix, there are a couple of important things you can do to get the best possible fix for yourself. First and foremost, create a Style Board on Pinterest! By pinning your favorite looks and leaving notes for your future stylist, you are giving them a much better idea of what you like and don’t like. This will allow them to quickly hone in on what pieces you would love.

The second thing that is very important is to leave thorough feedback. This isn’t the time to be shy or overly polite. When scheduling each fix you can leave your stylist a note for specific pieces you might be looking for such as a good pair of jeans or a new scarf. Keep in mind, they might not always have the exact thing you are looking for on hand, but this does help them cater to what you want.

After you send the pieces back from your fix that you didn’t love, you have another opportunity to give constructive feedback. You can tell your stylist why you didn’t like certain pieces. Was a piece too long in the arms? Did something not flatter your figure? Perhaps you hated a certain print they sent? Whatever it might be, this is the time to go into detail with why you didn’t love the piece. It helps the stylist moving forward to choose the best possible pieces for you.

My fix!

There was a large part of me that was still very apprehensive about this whole Stitch Fix thing. Will the clothes fit? Do they have any fun pieces they will send me? I’m not going to lie, a lot of the people I follow tend to have rather…err.. plain fixes. Solid sweaters and basic tees just weren’t what I was looking for with this service. I can go to Target and get those things.

I wanted to find some fun things to add some style to my wardrobe. I love color and pattern and I always worried that the Stitch Fix warehouse was just full of boring grey sweaters, black cardigans and white lace tanks… That was until I saw my college roommate Anna posting about her fixes on Instagram. She has an eclectic style and Stitch Fix seemed to cater to her personal style full of color and pattern perfectly. I was sold, I went online, filled out my style profile, started a Style Board on Pinterest and scheduled my first fix. EEK!

I anxiously awaited my first fix to arrive in the mail. From what I have read, the first month can be a real miss because the stylists are still trying to get a sense of your personal style. Honestly, my style is all over the place. I love soft feminine pieces one day and the next I will wear an edgy leather piece. Therefore, I wasn’t sure if they would be able to hone in on some pieces I loved. It turned out that filling out my Pinterest Style Board was extremely helpful. The stylist referenced it multiple times when choosing pieces for me.

Look by M Alpine Plaid Wrap Blanket Scarf – $44

First things first, I saw this plaid blanket scarf peeking out of my package as soon as I opened it. I squealed with joy because I have been looking for a nice blanket scarf and I loved the pattern and color on this one. $44 is more than I would normally spend on a scarf, but this wool and acrylic blend scarf was too perfect, I just had to have it.

Honey Punch Layla Elbow Patch Cardigan – $48

I know I am behind the times on this, but I have been wanting an elbow patch sweater for EVER! I bought lots of cute little elbow patch sweaters from GAP for my nephews this Christmas, but I have never been able to find one for myself that fit the bill. My first impression of this sweater was that I would love it. The material was so soft and the elbow patches were calling my name.

Unfortunately after trying it on, I quickly realized it wasn’t flattering on my frame. The wide horizontal stripes were making me look wider, so despite the cute style, I had to send it back. 🙁

Pixley Bixby Bird Print Tab Sleeve Blouse – $48

While I think this is a cute top, I knew it was going to be a problem from the minute I saw it. A medium all-over print like this in a flowy top does ZERO good to flatter my shape. It makes me look extra large and boxy in a hurry. I tried to love it by toning it down with a faux leather cardigan, and while I love the look together, it wasn’t comfortable with the large buttons and so much material stuffed in the arms. If it had been a short sleeve printed top that worked better with a cardigan, I probably would have kept it. Sadly, as it was, it had to go back.

Market & Spruce Alan French Terry Asymmetrical Zip Cardigan- $68

Next up in my fix was this super soft and casual zip up cardigan. I was SO excited about this piece as soon as I saw it was asymmetrical. The material was soft and heavy duty, so I was excited to try it on. I went back and forth on this piece because it was sooo comfortable and flattering when it was unzipped. The cut of the unzipped cardigan curved in at the waist giving me a nice shape.

There were two problems at the end of the day. First, when I zipped up the cardigan, it quickly became unflattering. Secondly, it was navy. I don’t have anything against navy, but as I tried to style this piece I realized a solid navy top is hard to make work with my existing wardrobe. The only piece in my entire wardrobe that I could find that worked with this was the tank shown above. Granted I could have put a solid tank underneath, but that is incredibly boring. I just couldn’t justify the $68 when I would have such limited options for wearing it. Had it only been any other color…

Belle Bird Madison Lace Detail Pencil Skirt – $48

Ok, let’s just say we aren’t saving the best for last here. When I first saw this skirt in my fix, I’m pretty sure I had a look of confusion written across my face. First of all I said not to send dresses unless I requested them, and while this isn’t a dress, there wasn’t an option to say no skirts. I just assumed they both fell in the same category. This skirt looked like a big old granny tablecloth to me.

I figured I would give it a try though, so I zipped it up. It was far too big, way too long and just plain ugly. The only shred of goodness in the skirt was the pretty color. Apart from that, it was one giant HELL NO! Needless to say, I didn’t want to sear your eyes with a picture of me in this with my ghostly white legs. There is a reason I said no to dresses! LOL

Stitch Fix Review

In the end, despite only keeping the scarf from this fix, I was pleasantly surprised at how well my stylist did for my first fix. The main reason most items went back, wasn’t because they weren’t my style, but rather they weren’t flattering on me. I have high hopes that with future fixes, the stylists will be able to take my size and shape into consideration and send more pieces I love!