Stitch Fix: Not for Me, Maybe for You

So I asked Michael if I could take the Stitch Fix plunge as a fun experiment for a Mother's Day gift.

$20 later, I've decided it's not for me. Or not right now. Or maybe I need to be more clear in my wants/needs. Something.

NB: all these opinions are entirely my own!

Stitch Fix might be for you if:

- You don't mind spending upwards of $25 on a single article of clothing.

- You've been looking for something really particular and can't seem to find it anywhere.

- You hate the idea of going to a store to hunt for that thing you need/want, and you just wish someone would do it for you.

- You don't have time or energy to go to a store to find that thing you need/want...etc.

- You really have difficulty defining your style: you know what you do and don't like when you see it on a style board, or what colors look best on you, but pulling something off the rack and knowing if it's something you could pull off ... doesn't happen much. Answer some questions and let your stylist help!

- You just want to try it for fun and see what shows up in your box! (my choice)

They did a decent job of both giving me some things I requested, but took some of my notes too seriously. For example, I mentioned I have a party and a wedding coming up this month, so a nursing-friendly dress would be nice, but I'd also like some tees to update my go-to jeans/Capri/shorts/skirts and a nicer top daily wear. So they sent me 3 dresses, only one of which was nursing-friendly, and 2 tops, both of which were a bit too trendy for my taste. They did well with the color scheme (I have lots of blues/greens/neutrals in my wardrobe to pair these with), but perhaps a bit heavy on the patterns. I like me some patterns to mix things up sometimes, but the chances I'd keep a lot of these were slim.

Also, price point: I rarely buy anything full-price, so I'm only going to spend the cost of these clothes if I REALLY need something for an occasion, or it's a very unique piece that I can't get elsewhere/make myself. Now, they DO put your $20 sign-up fee toward anything you decide to keep, but still... I am a lover of TJ Maxx for these kind of pieces, and these prices are what I usually see on the tags before they've been marked down. So, hard for the bargain-hunter in me to get over....



Close-up of prints: definitely mixed up the patterns

Photo disclaimer - working with a too-short tripod while Michael occupied the kiddos. Not the most flattering angle, but right about how Annie sees me ;)

Market & Spruce O'Hara Faux Wrap Tie-Waist dress - $68; Returned

OK, So I loved the colors and cut, and decently liked the pattern of this dress. It was also SUPER comfy in a soft knit. And nursing-friendly = WIN!

Buuut, my stinking' long legs make dress/skirt shopping really hard, and while I've been told that I can pull off this above-the-knee length of dress, I still like them to come a little longer. Hitting the top of my knee is fine, but years of knee-length dress codes and the plain fact that I just don't like my knees makes me more inclined to cover them. I'll wear shorts this length, sure. Since my legs are so long, things look that much shorter on me (whereas they wouldn't on someone under 6' tall), since there's more skin showing overall.

Also, cost: can't bring myself to pay that for a simple knit wrap dress that I could probably find for $20-something in a better length.

Pixley Marie Abstract Chevron Elastic Waist Dress - $64; Returned

The background color matches my currently pasty white legs, bleh, but the design helps a bit. I added the belt because I think it needs it. It also strikes me as being a bit too... young-looking on me, perhaps because it's short. I see high school girls wearing these, albeit they wear them even shorter, which I think is ridiculous, but anyway.

Too short, too expensive, a style I don't need; I suppose I could've added it to my packed-away maternity wardrobe, to wear with leggings underneath in spring or fall, but to me that defeats this breezy summer look. I have a very similar dress already in denim-blue with cream polka dots in a little longer length, too. So, not needed.

41Hawthorn Mace Dot Print Fit & Flare Dress - $48; Returned

 Totally my colors and style, and I really wanted to like/need this dress enough to keep it. Very Kate Middleton, who is all over the Pinterest board I linked to in my Stitch Fix pre-style survey. But again, I have several variations on this color in my closet, I don't really need this style (and not nursing-friendly for this summer), and while I might have been able to justify the cost, Eh... maybe if it had pockets! The pleats were lovely, and the fabric was the perfect weight to hold the shape of this dress.

 

Also, not to brag, but this look is super-simple to make if I really wanted one.

 

 

Market & Spruce Split Back Tee - $48; Returned

 

Of all the "trendy" pieces I was sent, this one almost reeled me in, because it was so incredibly soft and comfortable. The pattern was way outside my usual, but neutral enough to work for me. The split back was a bit odd - I wear camis under all my shirts anyway, so it didn't matter that much, but I predict those tails would get caught all day long in doors and greasy pans and, well, toilets (Hey, two kids 2 and under, potty breaks gotta be fast. Ain't nobody got time for tails n things!)

 

But then I had a thought:

 

Wear it backwards as an even more nursing-friendly look!

I thought it was brilliant. Not enough for me to spend $$ on it, though.



Papermoon Wynn Blouse - $48; Returned

Color and print were nice, but bottom line: too sheer and poorly constructed. Also, I'm not a fan of the chest pockets. I tried styling it untucked, 1/2 tucked, with a straight skirt like they told me to...



Um, I'm not an excellent seamstress, but if I'm charging $$ for clothes, I think it's time to make sure the buttonholes are centered. Or at least close?

Again, quality of some of the lower-end things I've found at TJ Maxx that end up ripping seams or losing buttons right and left. No way am I paying that much for that. $15, maybe, tops.


THIS, with flip flops instead, really embodies my spring/summer "mom" style.

I'm a bargain-hunter, what can I say? I found the above outfit at Goodwill last weekend during a "Honey, I need to get out of this house while the kids nap" moment. Top is JC Penny for $3, capris were...$6? from Talbots. Whole outfit, $9. BOOM.

Conclusion: people say Stitch Fix is great because while things are pricier, they are picked for and sent to you, saving you time and $ in the process. To which I say, well, true, but I don't think they're saving me THAT much money, and frankly, when I can get it, I enjoy a good scavenger hunt through thrift/consignment/Goodwill/TJ Maxx, trying to find quality clothes at fractions of the retail price.

So, maybe someday in the future we'll give it another go, when I really can't find some wardrobe staple. For now I'll be sticking to weeding out the things I really don't wear/need, and filling in any gaps with more budget-friendly options.

Do you want to give it a go? Use my referral link!