Great Finds: Stitch fix - a personal stylist sends you clothes

I want to preface this post by saying it is not sponsored and Stitch Fix did not ask me to blog about it. I just like to pass along great finds.

A couple of months ago a friend suggested I signed up for Stitch Fix to try it out.

The concept, if you are not familiar with it, is based on the profile you fill out with information about what you like and don't like, your size and a ton of other information. Then, a stylist selects and sends you five pieces of clothing for you to try out.

That's right. I now have a stylist! I never felt so fancy before. It's around this time ones M&Ms should be color separated, right?

After you try on the clothes, you select which ones you want to keep - if any - and return the rest in a pre-paid envelope. Then you hop online and finish the sale with a few clicks of the mouse.

Here is just a small sampling of the types of questions you will be asked, with my answers. While you fill out your profile, they also show you outfits and you tell them if you like them or not. That was really fun.



Then you wait for your first Fix to arrive. I had to wait several weeks because this service is becoming so popular there is now a wait list. Apparently, we have all been waiting for a stylist to come into our lives. It is pretty great!

Then, finally, on Monday, my box arrived. Wheeee.

The clothes were beautifully wrapped in tissue paper with a little note from my stylist. Have I said "stylist" enough? No?



And 5 articles of clothing. They want you to try them on and then leave detailed feed back on each piece so the stylist gets to know you better along the way.

They also send you a list of pricing. You can set your own price maximum online, so you stay within your budget. I gave my stylist a little wiggle room because I want to get a couple of better quality pieces of clothes for my wardrobe. As much as I love my 10 dollar pants from H&M and my 6 dollar flip flops from Old Navy, I think having a few solid, a bit higher priced items, lets you get away with the cheaper items more easily while not looking like you stepped out of a Target catalog. If you know what I mean. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Love you Target. Kiss, kiss.



I had put a note in there about how difficult it is for me to find long pants. I am 5'11" and I weigh 136 lbs. That works out to make me a size Medium or size 8 around, but a size Large or "Long" in length. Usually the inner seam in pants are 30 inches and 32 inches if they are "long". 33 inches would be perfect for me, especially since most pants shrink after you wash them the first time.

Ok, let's try on the clothes, shall we?

Outfit #1
First up Michelle sent me these fabulous pants. At this point we are totally on a first name basis, right?  Level 99 Brian Linen Wide Leg pant.  The fabric was awesome. A soft cotton-y almost linen feel to them without going canvas. And she found them LOOONG. 35 inches inner seams. Swoon. That was awesome. Unfortunately she sent them to me in size Large. So as you can see, they were too big.



The leg was very wide. Almost a bell bottom. I would have liked them to be a little less flare-y. They were plenty long. In fact I am wearing heels here and you can only see my toes. Had these been 30-50 dollars, I would have had them hemmed and put on a belt. But at $118, I want the pants to fit me like a glove. And possibly make me feel like Elvis. Or something.

Outfit #2
Next up a maxi skirt. The Tart Caroline Water Chevron Maxi Skirt. This is also something I would usually be having a hard time finding one that fit me around the waste but still be long enough. Unfortunately this was too big. There was also this little white polyester tank top in the package. It wasn't listed on the invoice. I tried it on with this skirt.




The skirt was way too big. Also, I was not completely sold on the pattern and all the mintiness going on here. I mean, it wasn't bad. It just wasn't good. The pattern felt a little contrived and predictable to me. I liked the quality of the skirt. It was the kind of fabric that travels great in that it doesn't wrinkle and it also didn't cling to my legs. Major points for that.  But, this skirt was 98 dollars, so I passed. Again, it needs to be really awesome and fit really well, if I am spending that kind of money.

Outfit #3
One of my other notes on my profile, was about how I would love a skirt or dress that did not land mid thigh. It just doesn't look good on me when my legs get cut above the knee. Again Michelle was awesome and sent me this wrap dress that hit just below the knees. It's a 41Hawthorn Callafia Short-Sleeve Wrap Dress. I had also filled out that I am not afraid of wearing color, which she certainly took to heart. And I am not. However, as you could see above, I filled out that cocktail or date night attire is something I use extremely rarely. So those pieces should probably be more on the neutral side as I would want to wear them multiple times. I don't mind wearing pink, but this was just a lot. Of pink.



Also there was so much fabric in the skirt which I thought made the dress feel a little bit older. And the front seam of the wrap kept turning as you can see in the picture. So while 68 dollars was something I would have paid for a dress like this, it just needed those last couple of things to stay in my keep pile.

Ok, I saved the best for last...

Outfit #4
I have a jacket fetish like you wouldn't believe. If it's outerwear, I am pretty much there. It is only out-conquered by my love of boxes and containers. I need a 12 step program...

This is the 41Hawthorn Abrianna Longsleeve Knit Cardigan. Usually when I try on cardigans that have fabric in the front like this, they look very slouchy. Well not this one. The fabric is a knitted quality rather than a t-shirt fabric. Also the fit was phenomenal. I don't know if you can tell in this picture, but this one was hugging my curves in all the right places.

This is something I would wear all winter or in the evenings on colder nights.



I love how it looks with my brown leather boots from last winter. Keep, keep, keep. And the price was right at $48. Which, granted, is a little bit more than I would usually spend, but I have been looking for a piece like this and not found one I really liked. Oh and there are my 10 dollar pants from H&M.

Outfit #5
Last up is this Pomelo Moni Stud Detailed 3/4 Sleeve Blouse. Ok. A couple of things. I am really into cream shirts lately. And I love detailed tops, as in pleats and folds and seams. Love it. I don't mind the studs either. Here I am wearing the short tank top that came in the box, but when I am going to wear it out, I will be wearing my own longer white cotton tanks so you won't see that dark band almost at the bottom.



I love how it is flaring out at the bottom. This is something I could be wearing to a mom's night out or if I had to go to Home Depot and get lumber carried. I always dress up for that because then there is a 100% chance that I get lots of help loading my van. #bonustip. This shirt was 58 dollars. At the very, very top of my budget for a shirt, but only because I am so cheap normally. Uhm... I mean frugal. I am really trying to get a bit more quality into my wardrobe, however, so this landed firmly in my keep pile. Also... those are my 6 dollar flip flops. They are not going anywhere.

Forgot to keep score? No problem. 2 keeps and 3 returns.



I went onto the website and bought my two pieces, then put the three other pieces plus the tank top into the postage paid, self addressed return plastic envelope and handed it to my mailman when he came by yesterday. By the way.... I love that you can hand your mailman packages and mail and save a trip to the post office. That is so smart! Denmark should take note of that.

On the website I also gave feedback of each piece. And I was as specific as possible. So specific that I ran out of room on some of them. I also updated my likes to include "edgy", just to see if I can get something a little more, well, edgy. It's just that the "edgy" they were showing me was very Kardashian, which I am not that into... But I have great faith in my stylist Michelle and I can't wait to see what she picks for me next. I love the surprise of it all.

Now we will just have to see if I get a big head from having a stylist. But I swear, one of my friends asked me yesterday if "we should do lunch". So I guess I will just have my people call her people and set that up. #sobeverlyhills. But all kidding aside, I can't wait to have lunch with her. I think I will wear my new Moni Stud blouse.

Want to try it yourself?

Click here to get your Stitch Fix*

*referral link. I get a credit if you sign up and get your first fix. You will get the same if your friends sign up from your referral once you are a member. Thanks for supporting my blog!