Over the weekend I received my first Stitch Fix box. As a jewelry designer, I'm always asked about my style, so I was curious if my inside perception would match what an outsider saw.
About Stitch Fix
If you haven't heard of Stitch Fix, it's a shopping service where you pay a $20 styling fee to receive five fashion items (clothing and accessories) that are personally selected for you. To begin, you fill out a survey with your measurements/sizes, preferences, and style. You can tell them not to send certain colors, patterns, or items. (For example, I told them not to bother sending me jewelry; I'd never buy any.) If you have a Pinterest style board, you can include a link to it. I decided not to do that; I wanted a sense of what I'd get if the stylist only had the minimum information required.
My First Box
They do ask that you try everything on. It's good advice because just looking at the clothes folded in the box, I wasn't sure I'd like anything.
The box includes little perforated cards that showed how to wear the pieces with different items you might own. There's also a little note from your stylist. My stylist Amy put together an interesting mix.
The Returns
You get a postage-paid envelope to return anything you don't want to keep. Here's what I received and returned:
- The "super skinny" black jeans fit my size, but not my personality. There is no way I'd wear pants this tight outside my closet, let alone to the grocery store.
- I liked the subtle pattern and drape of the sleeveless pastel blouse, but the tie in the front felt . . . old. It's a blouse that probably was a good match for my actual age, but not the age I feel.
- The scarf had huge hot pink polka dots the size of half dollars. Um, no. I know neon and brights are trendy, but there's no way I could have pulled off that look without feeling like a runaway from Barnum & Bailey's.
- The knit beige top with cream lace I almost kept. Very pretty and feminine, this was the piece that felt most like me. I was on the fence about it, but I ultimately returned it.
From reading other blogs, it seems pretty common that your first box might contain more misses than hits. Over time, with your feedback, the boxes should match your style better.
The Keeper
The $20 styling fee can go towards your purchase. (If you keep everything, you can take 25% off your total order.)
Surprisingly, the one thing I chose to keep has two features that I normally avoid in clothing: white and horizontal stripes. This nautical-themed top has a boat neckline and little gold anchor buttons at the top. I liked the 3/4 length sleeves and the thicker knit fabric. It fit perfectly. I'm already planning a long necklace with cobalt blue glass beads and chain to wear with it.
The Verdict
I wouldn't do this all the time. It's hard for me to justify spending money on nice clothes when I work primarily at home. On the other hand, the experience was so much fun! I loved the element of surprise. Plus, I'm not a big fan of shopping. It's worth it to me to pay a little extra if it means I don't need to drive to a string of stores and try on a bunch of clothes in a cramped dressing room with weird lighting. I can see doing this as an annual birthday treat or when I need clothes for a specific occasion.
If you're interested, you can try Stitch Fix yourself. (Full disclosure: I paid for this experience myself, but I do get credit for referrals if you use my link.)
Have you tried Stitch Fix? What did you think?