I have been well aware of Stitch Fix for a lot of years, but I have never tried it. In fact, I may be the last blogger out there to give it a shot. I am not one to hop on the "everyone is doing it" bandwagon, so while I knew about Stitch Fix, and was intrigued by the idea of it, I just hadn't tried it yet. There are a few reasons for that. The biggest one is that I am a budget shopper. I get more joy out of finding a great deal on the sale rack or at a thrift store than I do buying something for full price. It's a weird goal of mine to pull together an outfit for less money than a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Surprisingly, I succeed in that quite often and most people wouldn't know that the majority of my clothes are used. Keep that little bit of information in mind while reading this review. If you have no idea what a Stitch Fix is, let me fill you in.
What is Stitch Fix?
Stitch Fix is an online clothing and accessory company that uses your style profile to create the perfect 5 piece Fix for you. You pay a $20 styling fee, and the stylist helps to pull items he or she thinks you would like and would fit you best based on the style profile that you have created. The $20 styling fee can be used as a credit towards anything you keep in your shipment. Keep all five items in your Fix and you get a 25% discount on your whole Fix. You have three days to decide what you like, and what you don't like simply gets returned in the prepaid postage bag. I really didn't think I had a lot to lose other than my $20 styling fee so I gave it a shot. This is not a sponsored post. I got nothing for free, I just know there are a few of my readers who know about Stitch Fix and are sitting on the fence trying to decide if it's right for you. So here you go, my 100% honest Stitch Fix review, with the help of a Stitch Fix fanatic who gave me her 5 tried and true tips on getting the perfect Stitch Fix from your stylist every time.
5 Tips to Ensure You get the Perfect Fix from Stitch Fix
I have a sorority sister who loves her Stitch Fix. Honestly, seeing her post about her Fixes made me want to give them a shot. Back in June, Laurie posted some of her tried and true tips to getting the perfect Fix time and time again. After she posted those tips, some of our other mutual friends said that her tips helped them get the perfect Fix after several strike outs in the past. I thought, what do I have to lose? With her 5 tips and my $20, I can give this whole Stitch Fix thing a try. So let's see what kind of magic is in those tips shall we?
Laurie's 5 Tips to Getting the Perfect Stitch Fix
1. Most important in my opinion… Change your age in your profile to whatever age you want to dress like! I think my age in my profile is 31.
2. Provide a ton of feedback on each and every piece that they send to you. Whether you absolutely love it or absolutely hate it, tell your stylist why in great detail!
If you're still not getting the stuff that you want, ask to switch stylists, and if you love one particular box, request to keep that stylist!
If you're still not getting the stuff that you want, ask to switch stylists, and if you love one particular box, request to keep that stylist!
3. Create a Pinterest board full of style ideas that you love and have your stylist follow you!
4. Make sure to take perfect measurements, and if your size changes, change your preferences in your account settings. I honestly have never had an easier time finding perfect fitting jeans. My measurements are exact in my profile and my jeans they send me fit me perfectly!!
5. If you need specific items in your wardrobe, ask for them specifically. I am always asking her for bright summer flowy tops, and colorful skinny jeans… And she always delivers!!
I actually would have a hard time thinking that anything Laurie put on wouldn't look good on her. And honestly, that's a complaint about Stitch Fix that I have heard from women who generally have a hard time getting any clothes off the rack to fit them well. I usually find clothes to fit me pretty easily, but I did make sure I paid careful attention to the sizes and measurements I used on my style profile.
I had another friend tell me she had a few Fixes that just missed the mark. She said what finally worked for her was to literally write a novel about her daily life. She explained how she liked to dress and that her day consisted of teaching group fitness classes followed by volunteering in one of her three kids classrooms. She was very specific in her requests, even telling them not to send jewelry since she would prefer to find her accessories at the discount store in the mall.
So I set to work filling out my style profile. It took me about a half an hour because I wanted to make sure I had every measurement correct, every Pinterest pin I liked on my style board front and center and that I provided very specific information in my profile anytime there was a comment box.
Laurie's number 1 tip was to adjust your age to the age you want to dress like. I actually changed my age in my profile so that I was 8 years younger than I actually am. Later on, in the special notes section, I actually wrote about an upcoming trip to Texas to visit my son in college. My guess is, that tidbit of information threw her off and she was on to me! Either I had a kid when I was 13 or I was lying about my age. I think that comment alone had my stylist sending me, shall we say, a more mature style right off the bat. I probably should have said that I was off to some hip concert in Austin and maybe I would have scored something a little different.
I also took into consideration Laurie's tip #5 and specifically asked for skinny jeans that had some spandex in them. OK, maybe THIS is what made the stylist know I wasn't as young and hip and I said I was in my age profile. Whatever.
You do have the option to select "the cheaper the better" in the price range you like to pay for specific items. While this is totally true, I think that it didn't seem to matter in the stylist selection for me since my Stitch Fix included items that were in the average price range for a Fix that they had quoted on their FAQ page. Their cheap is not the same as my cheap. I passed up a shirt on clearance today at Target because at $13 it was still too expensive. I kind of wonder what a Fix looks like when the "I typically spend $200+ on a top" item is selected. I'm guessing that person isn't buying the majority of her clothes at the Goodwill Outlet like I do.
I finally, set my Stitch Fix to arrive at the next available date and waited patiently for it to arrive. Excited to see what my stylist would select for me.
I received 5 pieces that included a pair of olive pants, a pair of spandex skinny jeans, one cowl neck sweater, a blouse, and a cardigan. I loved that I received a style guide that showed me how to style the items that were sent to me. I actually looked at the guide and realized that I had a lot of the items they had suggested in my wardrobe already. I was able to pull together a lot of the looks they had styled for me. You know how you can walk into a closet full of clothes and think I have nothing to wear? Well, when you see it like this, it certainly helps you come up with some new ideas for outfits you wouldn't have thought to put together.
When I look at the style guide I was sent, I could see myself wearing 4, maybe 5 of the 10 outfits that are shown.
When I look at the style guide I was sent, I could see myself wearing 4, maybe 5 of the 10 outfits that are shown.
I had heard that when you get your box, your initial thought may be that you don't like the item. Try it on, it may surprise you. This was so true! I saw this navy blouse and really didn't like it folded up in the package. I looked at the way they styled it and really, it didn't seem like something I would wear, but I tried it on like they suggested and I actually really liked it.
The opposite was true for this sweater. I really liked it when I opened up the package, but once I put it on it was just meh.
I've heard it said a thousand times by people who use Stitch Fix, they can try on 600 pairs of jeans at the store and not find a single pair they like, but a stylist with Stitch Fix can send them one pair and they fit like a dream. This was so true! This pair fit perfectly but for $88 I really thought I could grab a pair for a fraction of the price that I liked just as much. The length was perfect though and there was just enough spandex to keep them comfortable but not enough for them to look like pajama jeans.
Speaking of pants, I also received this pair of straight leg olive pants. They were super comfortable, like I had my pajamas on. I tried them on with items in my closet that looked similar to the styled profile images the stylist sent, but they really didn't seem like the most flattering pair of pants for me. They were a bit baggier than I like to wear and I didn't really like the items in my closet I had to wear with them. I'm not about to keep a pair of pants when I have nothing to wear with them.
I mentioned in my note that I am always cold. I like to wear layers year round and this was the solution. This is the one item that I feel was the most mature in the box. I really think it would be a great piece for a woman a few decades older than me, but it just isn't the style I was going for.
3 comments
Well I decided to give Stitch Fix a try after reading/hearing so much about it earlier this year. I was pretty happy with everything they sent, especially the shoes, but since I no longer work I couldn't justify the prices which I think are too expensive to begin with. The shoes were around $90 and while I've paid that and would pay it again, I didn't love them that much (LOL)! One of the tops that I sent back I found the exact one at TJ Maxx the next week for less than 1/2 of what the Stitch Fix top was. I'm not sure if I'll try them again, it's a good idea but I believe they'd have more success if the prices weren't all so high. Maybe some folks spend $200-$300 per month (or more) on clothes but not me!
Great review by the way. I think it will help a lot of folks.
Hey Rachel!
Sally here....thanks so much for your post about Stichfix. We are soooooo much alike! I know that I would have a very similar experience if I tried Stichfix. Bottom line, I could not justify the price. I have spent next to nothing on my clothes this last year and get new pieces all the time. Here is how: Tim got me a gift card last Christmas for $100 from a resale shop. After almost a year, I still have around $30 on it. I am trying to only wear and own clothes that I really love and feel good in and so am paring WAY down on my wardrobe. I buy something from the resale shop with my gift card and take a few things back. (which they purchase and put back on my card. The only "big ticket item" I have purchased apart from the gift card is my "Mother of the Groom" dress for Pip's wedding. (Nordstrom Rack-$39.99) My sister loves Stick Fix and you are spot on with why she likes it. She is busy teacher, an empty nester and $ is not as much of an issue. Thanks Rachel!
Love to you and your family!
I have tried it about four times. It just sets me up for disappointment. Using a Nordstrom styler might be a better way to go for me. Better for the budget. I bought a necklace the two times I actually bought something on stitchfix
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