Hey everyone!  So after watching about 87 Youtube videos, I decided to try Stitchfix for myself!  The concept seemed pretty cool, and I was excited to know that they had plus sizes available too.  If you are not familiar with Stitchfix, it is basically like a subscription box but for clothing.  When you sign up, you take a pretty in depth quiz which asks you about your size, body type, clothing issues, what styles you like and don’t like, and your fashion wants and needs.  It even gives you a box where you can write in any comments or specific requests for what they send you.  Then, you can link to social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.  This helps your stylist get a better sense of what kind of styles and such you like.  They send both apparel and accessories, such as handbags, jewelry, and shoes.

Each box is $20 for 5 items, which I think is pretty reasonable, and that is what they call their styling fee.  Now here is where it gets a little different than most subscription boxes (and perhaps a bit tricky).  When you receive your box in the mail, you have 3 days to decide what pieces you would like to keep.  The ones you do not want to keep, you send back in a prepaid bag.  It is important to note that if you do not send the items you do not want back within the 3 days, that you will be charged for the entire box.  After you decide what you want, you must log onto the website and let them know what items you are keeping and what ones you are sending back.  This is basically so they know what to charge you for the items you keep.  You can also rate and leave comments on why you did or did not like the items that were sent to you, this helps your stylist next time.  Your box comes with a cute little note from your stylist, telling you what they chose and why.  Also, it comes with a breakdown of each item and the cost.  For the items that you keep, you get the $20 styling fee put towards it.  So if you keep a shirt that costs $58, then you end up paying $38 for it, essentially.  If you do not keep anything from the box, then you lose that $20.  But, again, I don’t think this is much of a risk for the service provided.  If you decide to keep everything that was sent to you, then you receive the $20 styling fee off and also 25% off the entire order.  It breaks down how much the total would be on the sheet that tells you the cost of each item if you kept everything, which is helpful.  I don’t know about you, but I like to see my potential savings in writing.  Another cool feature is that you can schedule them to come every 2-3 weeks, every month, every other month, every 3 months, or you don’t even have to schedule them and can just get one at your choosing.  I like this because since clothing can get quite expensive, I don’t really have a want or need to get them as often as I would maybe another type of subscription service.

So let’s get into the box I received and my personal experience with Stitchfix!  I ended up linking my Pinterest fashion board, since that was the only social media where I have any sort of fashion  involvement (and also because I really need another reason to be on Pinterest…).  I also wrote in the comments section of the quiz that I really like to wear cardigans on an almost daily basis (call it a security blanket of sorts), and that sleeveless tops were okay if they would look good with something layered over them.  I also told them that for my job I have to wear red tops on the weekends, so I would love some red options as well (red is a lot harder to come by than you’d think).  I also chose not to schedule my next Stitchfix, but to be able to just request one when I want instead.

Tahari Charles Suede Booties

The first thing I got was these Tahari Charles Suede Booties in Cognac.  These were cute, but not really my personal style.  One of those things where you are like I would love those on someone else, but not really my thing.  Especially since me and any kind of heel is a no go, I am clumsy and also my feet are destroyed from working retail for so many years.  So, it was hard to tell if they were actually uncomfortable or if it was just my terrible feet.  They weren’t hard or weird to walk in though.

Vigoss Mary Skinny Jean

The next thing I got were these Vigoss Mary Skinny Jeans in Indigo.  I’ve never tried Vigoss jeans before, but these looked promising out of the packaging.  They weren’t so hot in the try on though…they fit around the waist, but that’s about it.  They were bunchy around the crotch (coming at you with the mom words) and the knee area.  They were also too long-which is common since I’m only 5’3″.  They just did not look flattering.  Also, I tend to like my jeans a bit thinner of a material and these were really thick.  In their defense, finding jeans that fit right is a struggle and a half for me.

41 Hawthorne Jamie Slit Detail Knit Top

Next was this 41 Hawthorne Jamie Slit Detail Knit Top in Dark Green.  This top was pretty plain, but as you can see it has this like thick seam detail that runs down the side at an angle and also a slight cuffed cap sleeve.  It did have a v-neck though, which I’m typically a fan of.  I wasn’t a huge fan of this top, the angled seam detail with the slit at the bottom kind of made the fit weird.  It wasn’t awful, but wasn’t flattering enough for me to love it.  I’m also not a huge fan of cap sleeves, I feel like they make my arms and shoulders look bigger.

41 Hawthorne Breyson Pleated Detail Blouse

I then got this 41 Hawthorne Breyson Pleated Detail Blouse in Red.  I’m sure they sent this to me because I requested some red options for me for work, which is nice.  It has a fairly loud flower print on it which borders tropical, but I don’t hate it.  I do like flower prints, though I usually gravitate a more vintage-y floral look.  It’s hard to tell in the picture, but it has a strip of pleating down the center and a v-neck opening at the top.  I like the pleating for it’s camouflaging properties, but I was not a fan of the way the v-neck was at the top.  It just felt like the sides of the v were flapping around and it was a bit boxy as well.  I also felt like this top aged me a bit.

Emily Rose Alfred Ribbed Cardigan

The last thing I received was this Emily Rose Alfred Ribbed Cardigan in Grey.  This sweater was cute, but perhaps a bit large on me.  Although I believe it was supposed to give an ‘oversized’ cozy look, I thought it just ended up making me look bigger.  It was a bit too slouchy for my taste.  I did like the ribbing in it though, how the top went one way and the bottom went another.  It was a also a very thick and heavy sweater, meaning it would definitely keep you warm if that’s what you were looking for.

Here is the cute letter you get with each box from your stylist, it also comes with tips for styling the pieces they sent.  I really like this touch because it gives your stylist a chance to tell you why they chose the things they chose for you.  It lets you know that time and effort really went into your pieces instead of just choosing whatever is your size, which I love.  I can also see that they actually did utilize my Pinterest board and the information I had given them to the best of their ability.  I think the styling tips are a nice touch as well because it gives you ideas on how to pair things in ways that you might not have thought of.

Lastly, here is the sheet you get that tells you what each item is and how much it costs.  Arguably, the most important part.  For me at least, this is the deciding factor on how much I really love each item and if I’m going to keep it or not.  Now, I should note too that in my preferences I chose ‘the cheaper the better’ for every option.  If you ask me, these prices are still pretty steep.  When I saw the price of the boots, I was like HA!-no way.  The rest was still pretty high for each piece, but you do have to remember as well that you do get the $20 styling fee towards it, which makes it better.  As you can see, they also break down how much it would be and how much you would save if you kept all 5 items.  Now, I don’t know about you, but I would have to absolutely LOVE all of the items to spend that much at once, even with the discounts.  But, if you are just keeping a couple things, I don’t think its too bad.

I didn’t actually end up keeping any of the items that I received in this Stitchfix box.  But I don’t fault my stylist, I think still think she did a pretty good job picking out clothes for someone that she doesn’t know and has never even seen.  I also can be very picky in my clothing and the way it fits, and as a rule I never buy anything that I don’t love.  The one thing I’m not a huge fan of is the whole having to return it within 3 days.  I feel like they could at least give you a week, I felt very rushed to get it in the mail in time.  I also had this paranoid feeling about it because they will charge you the total for all items if you don’t.  Overall though, I thought this was a really fun experience and don’t regret spending my $20 on it.  I’m actually excited to schedule my next box and see what I get next time!