Stitch Fix Review #2 - February 2014

My second Stitch Fix has arrived!!   If you're not familiar with Stitch Fix, check out this post here to see what it's all about.  My stylist this time was Michelle, and just by seeing the online invoice earlier this week, I am really really impressed by her selections for me.  She totally nailed my style - now I just hope it all fits!   When my husband saw the contents of my box, he asked how much it was going to cost us to buy all five pieces, because he saw how perfect they were for me!

Check out the link for my first Stitch Fix here.

What is Stitch Fix?

Stitch Fix is a personal styling service. You tell them all about your style, size, and budget preferences, and your personal stylist sends you a box of clothing and accessories to try on at home. Each Fix is unique and hand-picked just for you.  You keep what you like, and return the other items for free!

My main reasons for using Stitch Fix:

1. I am a SAHM.  I cannot take a 3 year old and 1 year old shopping, while maintaining my sanity.
2. I live really far from shopping options.  I live 40 miles from Target and Kohl's.  I live 115 miles from Gap, Anthropologie, H&M, Dillards, etc. I can't just run out and find cute, good quality, unique clothing, unless I make a day trip of it.  And there's no way I could do it if both my girls are with me.  It would not be fun at all! 
3. When I factor in gas costs for a shopping trip, it's worth it to pay slightly higher prices through Stitch Fix.  Even if I could pay a few dollars less by shopping sale racks at the mall, the travel expenses and headaches to get to the mall aren't worth the savings.  Plus, Stitch Fix makes me go outside my comfort zone, and I need that!

I Cheated.  Again.   :)

I got an email last Saturday afternoon, letting me know my fix shipped via Fedex.  So I once again logged into my Stitch Fix account to see a list of everything in my box.  Then I googled all the item descriptions to get an idea of what I was receiving!

Based on what I found, my stylist did great!  I asked specifically for print or colored denim skinny jeans, and shirts or blouses with quirky prints or nautical stripes.  My box contained a nautical stripe tee with a bejeweled neckline, a stripe maxi skirt, cobalt blue skinny jeans, a stud detail shirt, and a heart print tab sleeve blouse.  

I *think* my stylist may have checked out my pinterest page.  I just went back and counted.  I pinned the stud detail shirt 11 times.  I also pinned 20-something pairs of colored jeans.  LOL!

Before I move on to the review, I want to share my referral link.  I'm not compensated by Stitch Fix for this review.  BUT... if you use my link to sign up, I'll get a small credit to use towards my next 'fix.'  I would be really grateful for a referral credit!
https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/3242453

The Review

So, here's a pic of the box I got in the mail.

And once again, my items were so nicely presented.

There was a note from my stylist, and cards that showed me how to style the items in my fix.  But... um.....  Those jeans aren't cobalt blue.  They're 'dark denim'  -  nearly black.  I snapped a pic of the style card with the jeans, and emailed customer service right away.  I still tried them on, even though I don't need jeans this color.  I bought a pair of jeggings  from Old Navy last month in a pinch... since I knew I had asked for printed or colored jeans this month.

 

 

 

First Item:  Lulu Sheer Stripe Bejeweled Neck Top - $48

Now THIS is why I love Stitch Fix.   I would have NEVER chosen this for myself, even though it is definitely my style.   I love the nautical stripes, as well as the contrasting mint color on the neckband accented by jewels.  So cute!  My only reservation -  I tend to stay away from jeweled clothing.  If I lose a jewel, then the shirt is ruined.  When I tried it on, I noticed that the hem bunched up all the way around.   I think my hips are a little too wide.  Had there been a slit in the side hem, this would have been great.   Also, the material is 100% polyester, so it doesn't stretch when I move.  If I decided to keep all 5 pieces, this would have been totally fine to keep, the slight bunching really wasn't horrible.

Item:  Lulu Sheer Stripe Bejeweled Neck Shirt by Ellison Ellison Ellison
Status:  Sent Back

 

 

Second Item: Moni Stud Detail Dotted Print Top - $58

This is the shirt that made me want to try Stitch Fix.  It is so stinking cute!  I had high hopes for this one!   I am so glad that even though this was a teensy bit over the price range in my style profile, my stylist sent it anyway. (I have my price range for blouses set at "cheaper the better")  I wasn't able to discern the color of the blouse from all my Google searches, so it was a nice surprise to pull this out of my box!  I love polka dots, and I don't have anything this lovely burnt orange color.

 

(Notice the Harper photo bomb.   She was yelling 'cheese!!'  And I was laughing.)

Item:  Moni Stud Detail Dotted Print Top by 41 Hawthorn
Status:  KEPT!!!! I would probably buy this in another print :)

 

 

Third Item:  Elouise Striped Maxi Skirt - $70

Holy cow.  A $70 maxi skirt!  I just bought one last week for $16, and considered that to be the top of my budget.   So before I saw it, I knew that there would have to be something special about it for me to keep it.  And I love the unique striped print!  Plus, the fabric feels super nice.   To give  my stylist credit though, I upped my budget for bottoms this month.  I changed my style profile to "$50-$100" for bottoms, because I was trying to make it clear that I was okay paying more money for skinny jeans. So $70 is right in the middle of my price range for bottoms.

I tried it on with an open mind... because I really hoped it would all fit and I could buy the entire box.  And I LOVE it!!!  If I keep the whole box, I would love this.

Item:  Elouise Striped Maxi Skirt by
Status: Sent back

 

 

 

Fourth Item:  Colibri Heart Print Tab-Sleeve Blouse - $48

How cute are these hearts?  And I love the longer length hemline for this shirt.  This is so perfect for Valentines day, which I'm sure is a big reason it was included in my box.  It is pictured on the style card with a cobalt blue skirt, and my stylist suggested pairing them with the cobalt blue pants that were included in the fix.  Except. The jeans in my box were black.  And the shirt is true navy.   I wore this outfit today with my Old Navy jeggings I bought last month.

 

I love this blouse.  It's a nice weight material and it's tunic length, which is something I mentioned I was looking for in last month's fix.   I wish the skinnies in my box had been cobalt, but I tried to brighten up the outfit with a red scarf and shoes.

Item:  Heart Print Tab Sleeve Blouse by fun2fun 
Status: Kept... I think Kelly or Mint Green skinnies would look good too.

Fifth Item:  Amrita Skinny Jean by Just Black - $68

I got jeans!!! Happy dance!!!   Here is the trouble with Google.  It couldn't tell me what color these jeans would be when they arrived on my doorstep.  I saw them on different Stitch Fix reviews in navy, burgundy, bright blue, plum, green, and dark teal.  But OH how I hoped they would be green!

When I opened my envelope, I saw the style card and thought, "Cobalt Blue.  Not what I would choose, but still nice!"  My stylist did a good job getting me to go a little outside my comfort zone. Then, I opened my box, and saw the blackish denim jeans.  Super dark wash.

I was bummed.   BUT -  I'm grateful to be able to try a new brand of jeans in any color, ya know?  They were too long, so I turned the hemline under for the pics, which I totally don't mind.  The fabric was nice and thick, soft, and so luxurious.

Item:  Amrita Skinny Jean by Just Black 
Status:  Sent back.  Better luck next time!!

 

Note:  I did email Stitch Fix about the mix up on Wednesday.  I was really hoping they would find my AWOL jeans and offer to send them to me, since I kind of wanted that 25% discount.  Friday morning, I woke up to a reminder email to send back my unwanted items.  I still hadn't heard from customer service, but was worried that Stitch Fix would charge my account for the whole box if I didn't check out soon.  So, I gave up on my 25% discount and checked out with the two shirts I couldn't live without.  About 2 hours later, I received a super sweet reply email from Customer Service.  They offered to take the pants off my invoice, so I could still get my discount.  By then I had already checked out with my two shirts and dropped my package off at the post office.   I had also just ordered these jeans from Nordstrom, in the color 'oxblood.'  I am settling for a more subdued color with the Nordstrom pants...  I just can't wait another month for Stitch Fix to send me jeans, by then I'll be wearing shorts down here in the South.  It's not a big deal, really.  Just a bit frustrating.

 

The Verdict

So, if I had kept all five items, I would have received a 25% off discount, plus the $20 credit from my styling fee.  Which means I could have gotten five items for $206.  Now, this is significantly more than my first fix, which would have been $132 for all five items.  BUT - the items I received this month were perfect for me, and within the limits I set in my style profile.  I ended up keeping the two shirts, and paying $106.

 Was my Stitch Fix experience fun, convenient, and delightful?  Sure!   Was it the right size and the right style?  Mostly!  My stylist did a great job!  Yes there was a problem with the jeans, which I am bummed about.  But it's all good. :)

I decided to skip my box for March.  I really need to spend my money on jeans, in the next week or so.  Otherwise I'm not going to have much time to wear them before temperatures get into the 90's here.

As of right now, I have a box scheduled for April.  I asked for cute, comfy clothing that I can wear at Disney World.  We have annual passes, and I spend a lot of time in the parks.  I am also going to request the same stylist again next time.  She nailed my style, and I feel like she listened to what I wanted, and then pushed me to try clothing right outside my comfort zone.  Thank you to my stylist, if you happen to read this!  You did great!