My Third Stitch Fix, April 2014

Welcome to my review of my third Stitch Fix!

If you are unfamiliar with Stitch Fix, it is a personal styling service for women. I signed up because although I love to shop, I just don't seem to have the time.  When you sign up, you provide your size, your budget preferences, and answer a lot of questions regarding your style.  You can also choose whether you want to receive accessories, jewelry and/or outerwear. There is a $20 styling fee that is applied to your order should you decide to keep any of the pieces.  If you don’t keep anything, you don’t receive a refund of the fee. And if you keep all of the pieces, you get a 25% discount on everything!  You have three days to try everything on and you send what you don't want back in the provided bag with a prepaid return label.  Easy peasy!
Your style profile also includes a place for you to request certain items and to provide feedback on your most recent box so your stylist can learn why certain items may not have worked for you.  They aim to please!
Ready to sign up?  My referral link is at the bottom of this post.

On with the review….
I realized a few days before my Fix was to ship that I never updated my preferences for this month's box and I also hadn't been keeping up on my Pinterest board.  That was probably the reason why, when I opened my box, it looked pretty boring.  This time of year I want to wear colorful clothes--hot pink, aqua, raspberry--but my box looked like a neutral mix of cream and navy/black when I opened it.  There was one colorful item, but it just seemed to blend in at the time.
Here are the handy styling cards that they send to help you know what to wear with your fixin's.  Several of my pieces went together which made trying things on easy.

Before we go any further, I want to apologize for the quality of the photos.  Given the same poor-quality photos last time, I had planned to have Dave take the photos this time.  However, I couldn't wait for him to get home.  I was so eager to get started I once again took the selfies in bad lighting!

 First up, the Downing Striped Knit Shirt paired with the Banks High Rise Cropped Skinny Jean

These are normal black skinny jeans except they are ankle length and the waist sits just under my belly button.  They were totally comfortable and the right size, but I have this thing about black pants--any black pant that is even remotely trouser-like reminds me of a work uniform.  For that reason, I don't own any black pants.  Charcoal, yes.  Black? no way unless it is embellished in some way that it looks nothing like what you would wear if you waitressed at at Mexican restaurant and had to wear black on the bottom and white on top.  Know what I mean?

So, I was bummed to see these pants, even though they are cute and they fit.  A bright spring color?black but with some punk-style zippers?--sure!  These were just too conservative looking for me.

Now, onto the shirt..the boring, unflattering shirt.  Does that say it all?  I think so.

Next up, the Wakeman Crochet Open Cardigan and Remmie Multi-Color Print Maxi Skirt

The sweater is the one item that I was excited to pull out of the box.  I need some warm weather cardigans to wear to work.  The is a nice neutral beige-ish color that will work will with the blues and pinks that I like to wear when the weather is warm. It fit well, the crochet knit was pretty, and the fabric was decent (a cotton blend).  Keep! Keep!

The skirt…well…I did write in my Stitch Fix profile somewhere that I wanted to try a maxi skirt.  The reason why I'd never tried one on out shopping is that I didn't think the cut of a maxi skirt would be flattering on me and sadly, it wasn't.  It just kind of hung there.  Although the print was colorful, it just wasn't my style.  Back in the bag it goes.

Lastly, the Pepper Hooded Front Pocket Sweatshirt--

I wasn't too thrilled to see this one.  I am not a fan of hoodies--I don't like the way the hood bunches on my back when I sit back in a chair and I don't think the kangaroo pocket flatters anyone with a bit of a belly (me).  But I tried it on anyway.  I was pleasantly surprised!  It didn't look too bad and it was very comfy.  I was tempted, very tempted to keep it.  In the end, I just didn't like it enough so I sent it back. 

My experience with the maxi and the hoodie are what I like about Stitch Fix--it gets me out of my comfort zone and I try on things I wouldn't normally choose for myself.

Overall, I didn't like as many items in this Fix and I did in my last one.  I am kicking myself for not writing a note to my stylist with some direction for this Fix.  Clearly, I also need to update my Pinterest board with some more colorful, spring-like clothing.  

Want in on the Stitch Fix fun?  Here is my referral link  You can go ahead and fill out your style profile and schedule your first Fix.  

**I receive a $25 credit if you sign up using my referral link, so thank you!

My Second Stitch Fix, March 2014

Hello and welcome to my March Stitch Fix review!

If you are ready to sign up for Stitch Fix and are looking for my Stitch Fix referral link, click here  Anyone can use this referral link to sign up.

Yay!  My second Stitch Fix arrived this afternoon.  It was a day later than scheduled, but I'm guessing the weather on Monday delayed things with FedEx.  Here is what I saw when I  opened my box:

I have to say, when I pulled apart the tissue paper and pulled out the layers of clothes, I was very happy with what I saw.  It took me a bit to gather up some spring clothes that might work with these separates.  Although the sun is warm, we still have below freezing temps here in the northern Midwest and I am still in heavy sweaters and boots.  It was kind of fun to pull those brightly colored wrinkled clothes out of the back of my closet.

If you are not familiar with Stitch Fix, it is a personal styling service for women. I signed up because although I love to shop, I just don't feel like I have the time.  When you sign up, you provide your size and budget preferences, and answer a lot of questions regarding your style.  You can also choose whether you want to receive accessories, jewelry and/or outerwear. There is a $20 styling fee that is applied to your order should you decide to keep any of the pieces.  If you don’t keep anything, you don’t receive a refund of the fee. And if you keep all of the pieces, you get a 25% discount on everything!  You have three days to try everything on and you send what you don't want back in the provided bag with a prepaid return label.  Easy peasy!  

Your style profile also includes a place for you to request certain items and also to provide feedback on your most recent box so they can learn why certain items may not have worked for you.  They aim to please!

Back to this month's Fix...

First up, Dot Print Pants.  I have been asking for pants other than skinny pants, and even suggested harem pants.  Last time I got a pair of Kut from Kloth jeans that fit perfectly; however, they were boot cut and I have a couple of pairs of boot cut jeans so even though they were flattering and comfy, I sent them back.  These are definitely not skinny pants.  They aren't harem pants either, but are closer.  The fabric is dressy and drapey with white squarish dots on a black background.  They have an elastic waist and side pockets.  I tried them on with my new black flats that I got at DSW for $15 (I know!)  The pants fit well.  I'm not sure they are terribly flattering, but not unflattering.  They are comfortable.

I couldn't decide if I wanted to wear them rolled up or not.

I didn't like the bright pink cardi with them, but did like my go-to black knit top.  Maybe with a statement necklace?

 Next up is this Embroidery Detail Knit Top.  This is kind of like a blouse but the torso is a knit.  Good thing, because I really am not a blouse person.  I like that it is navy but I find the gold pattern hard to work with as most of my colored bottoms are in the pink-blue range.  I went with jeans.

I think I look like Pioneer Woman.  The shirt, the camera...

The neckline in the back mirrors the front.

Here is the Striped French Terry Pencil Skirt.  I was so excited to see it in my box but I'm really glad the photo is not in focus--you don't need to see the detail.  Way too small and I'd need to find a top that would hide the horizontal stripes around my belly.  What do you think, should I see if I can get it in a larger size?  There was a note in my box that said I should email Stitch Fix if I need a different size.  

I really liked how the Raglan Striped Knit Shirt looked out of the box as well, but the neckline on the right side was flawed and the trim had extra material that bunched up.  What do you think, should I see if I can exchange it?

Finally, the Chevron Open Knit Cardigan.  Unfortunately, this had some similarities to that awful cardigan that I received in my last Stitch Fix:  open knit and cheap acrylic material.  However, I thought this one was pretty cute despite the similarities.  The stripes are a bit bold for me, but it would be nice to wear to work in the summer.

Bold, no?

If you've decided you want to give Stitch Fix a try, please use my referral link here and I will receive a $25 credit.  Thank you!!

My first Stitch Fix, February 2014

If you are ready to sign up for Stitch Fix and are looking for my Stitch Fix referral link, click here  Anyone can use this referral link to sign up.

I received my first Stitch Fix shipment a few days ago.  I had signed up at the end of December and had been eagerly awaiting it's arrival, looking through other Stitch Fix blog postings and wondering what I would receive.  My box came right on the date I had chosen.
Because it is still cold here in the northern Midwest, and will be for many more months, I had asked for  layering pieces, a sweater and some trendy pants.  I had been pinning things on my Pinterest style board and had even found photos of items I had purchased last fall from Anthropologie, Gap and Free People so my stylist would know some of what I already had in my closet.
Here is what my box included:

Striped Ruched top:  So I like this one right out of the box.  I love stripes, I was glad to see the long sleeves and I love ruching (it helps to hide my belly :)

When I tried it on, though, it was just kind of, well.. meh.  It was big in shoulders and bust and the fabric would catch on my bra and pull and wrinkle.  The ruching seemed to sit in a weird spot, too--I would have preferred it more to the side.  This one had potential but was sent back.

Kut from the Kloth jeans
I have these on in the photos above, too.  Out of the box, I wasn't too happy to see them.  The legs looked so wide compared to the skinny jeans that I wear all the time that I thought they'd be huge on me.

 But no, I was happily surprised--these jeans fit perfectly!  I have several pairs of bootcut jeans in the bottom of my jeans drawer, though.  These do have a higher rise and are very comfortable, but since they are fairly expensive I can't justify another pair.  I was also a little surprised that this is what I was sent when I asked for a "trendy" pair of pants.  I've been wearing boot cut jeans for nearly 15 years!

Next up-- Faux Leather Detail Leggings.  I had to laugh when I took these out of the box because I already have a pair of black leggings with fake leather panels.  I had pinned them on my pinterest board but noted that I own them.  I guess my stylist must have missed that note.

I decided to try them on for the fun of it.  Unfortunately, they ran really small (my boots are hiding it, but they are several inches above my ankle and the crotch sits halfway to my knees) and really cheaply made.  Even if I were looking for a pair, I would not have bought these.

Grey colorblock sweater--I was so excited to pull this out of the box.  This is just my style and I really wanted a sweater.

I really, really wanted this sweater to work for me, but it just kind of hung on me and wasn't terribly flattering.  Also, it was 95% synthetic material and only 5% cashmere.  Oh, and also, they had gone quite a bit over my budget with this one.  Had it been made of better quality material or been slightly more fitted I would have kept it, though.  This would be really cute on someone else.

Lastly, an "airy knit" cardigan--I really didn't know what to make of this one out of the box.  The knit is very open and they material felt synthetic so I knew it wouldn't be warm, but yet it felt very heavy.  And then I tried it on:

Oh my.  This was soooo unflattering I could hardly believe it.  There was a LOT of material in the body and it all just hung; even the pockets.  I tried it with a scarf and a belt and it just made it look worse.  I can't imagine anyone looking good in this sweater.  

Along with your five items, you get a personalized note from your stylist, a list of your items with prices and a handy styling card for each of the item included in your box.  Here are the styling cards I received:

So there are my first five items--a few near misses and one big dud.  Overall though, I'm glad I did it.  I had a lot of fun anticipating my box and it was pretty fun to try things on, too.  I had signed up for monthly fixes so my next fix is only three weeks away.  I'm already excited.  I noted again that I need layering pieces but asked for some spring colors.  We'll see…

If you are not familiar with Stitch Fix, it is a personal styling service for women. I signed up because although I love to shop, I just don't feel like I have the time.  When you sign up, you provide your size and budget preferences, and answer a lot of questions regarding your style.  You can also choose whether you want to receive accessories, jewelry and/or outerwear. There is a $20 styling fee that is applied to your order should you decide to keep any of the pieces.  If you don’t keep anything, you don’t receive a refund of the fee. And if you keep all of the pieces, you get a 25% discount on everything!  You have three days to try everything on and you send what you don't want back in the provided bag with a prepaid return label.  Easy peasy!  

Your style profile also includes a place for you to request certain items and also to provide feedback on your most recent box so they can learn why certain items may not have worked for you.  They aim to please!

I'll post again next month and promise to use a real camera for better pics.

If you've decided you want to give Stitch Fix a try, please use my referral link here and I will receive a $25 credit.  Thank you!!

Jill

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