Friday Favorites: My StitchFix Experience

The first time I ever heard about StitchFix was probably 3-4 years ago when my friend Meg signed up for it. I didn’t really think it was for me since I wore pretty much all Banana Republic and J.Crew clothing to work and never got to wear fun clothes. Even after seeing countless bloggers share their experience for the past few years, I still didn’t really think it was for me.

It wasn’t until recently when I began to dress a little more casually for work and was going out to dinner with Tommy and friends more often since moving back to WS that I felt like my wardrobe needed some help. That, and I TOTALLY over-purged my closet and clothes when I moved twice last year and seriously had issues getting dressed. Oops. Purging feels so good until you have nothing to wear. It became a running joke with my coworkers in Charlotte over my lack of shoes and clothes since I threw out or donated so much. 🙂 Oh, and after starting CrossFit and putting on a lot of muscle, many of my clothes (pants and dresses especially) didn’t fit even though my weight was roughly the same. Those glutes take up room!

Given all that, the timing worked out great when StitchFix reached out and offered me a free trial, meaning they waived the first $20 styling fee so I could try out the service. (I still had to pay for any clothing items I wanted to keep. Darn. 😉 ) I REALLY hate shopping in person so I do almost all my shopping online (Nordstrom and Banana Republic are my go-tos because they have free shipping and returns)…but that means I spend a lot of time returning clothes and going to the post office. It’s inefficient, I get frustrated that I can’t find clothes I like, and I really struggle to build up some basics in my closet, let alone fun pieces.

So, after getting two “Fixes“, I’m hooked. (What can I say? I take some convincing…RocksBox was another styling service I resisted that I now love. 🙂 )

Here’s how it works:

1. You fill out an extensive style profile and answer questions about your body type and how you prefer clothes to fit. You can also add a Pinterest board to your profile so they have an even better idea of your taste.
2. You can select how often you want a Fix, monthly or less frequent, or even as requested. I selected every other month.
3. For each Fix, you are charged a $20 styling fee. If you buy anything from your Fix, that styling fee goes towards your purchase.
   • The price range of the items I’ve received is $30-$80 which seems reasonable.
4. You try it all on, select what you want to keep and mail the rest back with the prepaid shipping bag they include with your order.
5. You can rate each piece – the fit, the style, the price and the quality – so they can improve the next go around.

Below is what I got in my first Fix. These aren’t great pictures because I just took them for some friends, not intending to post these. But then I never got around to taking more. Sorry! I’ll do better next time!

I LOVE this sweater. It’s something I never would have picked out, but I really like it. And I especially love how soft it is. Tommy loves this top too which is a bonus. 🙂 It was $58.

While I loved this striped shirt and the leather accents at the shoulder, it seemed too expensive for a t-shirt, even with the special touches. It was $50 so I sent that back.

I love love love this scarf they sent and wear it all the time. You’ve probably seen me post pictures on Instagram and on the blog wearing it. It was $28, which felt a little pricey to me, but I wear it all the time so it’s been worth it. Again, it wasn’t something I’d pick out but I love it.

Before the Fix shipped, I requested they sent some black jeans since the ones I owned were way too tight. (I love that you can request specific pieces!!) I really like the ones they sent. They’re a thicker denim – great for winter – and are fitted but not too tight. I kept those too; they were $78. They’re obviously not the highest quality or designer denim – they bag a little in the knees – but I still wear them all the time.

I like that they sent petite jeans since I’m only 5’1″ but I still ended up having to get them hemmed a little.

I hated this top. I didn’t like the fit or color or style so it went back. It was also too pricey for me – $70.

They also included some earrings (unpictured) but since I use Rocksbox, I sent those back without even trying them on and updated my profile to request that they not send jewelry. You can eliminate entire categories, like outerwear or dresses. I’ve asked for items that can be dressed up or down (I like versatility) and have requested an emphasis on dresses since I love the simplicity of getting ready with a good dress.

Bottom line: would I spend my own money on this? YES. I’ve already paid for a second Fix and will blog about that next shipment.

Who is StitchFix great for? Someone who hates shopping, someone who doesn’t have time to shop, someone who doesn’t know how to dress for their body type, or someone who doesn’t have access to good stores. I HATE shopping unless I’m on vacation and have tons of time to peruse, and even then, I only like small boutiques; department stores overwhelm me.

Who is StitchFix not great for? Someone who loves shopping (my coworker thought this service sounded horrible because shopping is her therapy!), someone who is very very particular about clothing, someone who only wants bargain prices or someone who wants only designer items. Another con is that StitchFix isn’t on eBates and I always use eBates to get cash back when I shop online.

If you want to try it out, I’d love ya forever if you use my referral link! I get a cool $25 for every friend I refer. And I’m dying for some white jeans so thank you for supporting my cause. 😉  (And I the only female who has never owned white jeans?? I swear it’s impossible to find flattering ones.)

If you already use StitchFix, please share your experience in the comments!