The Stitch Fix Experience

I wavered back and forth about whether or not I should write this post. I mean, this is a blog about my journey to learn grace, compassion and the nature of a servant, not a site to share my fashion knowledge. Because if it were, this page would look like:

***crickets****

Come into my closet. In the forefront you will find t-shirts, 3 pair of jeans (only 1 of which I wear regularly), 1 dress that looks like an oversized sweatshirt, and lots and lots and lots of yoga pants. Peek in the back and you’ll see other items in there, but I don’t wear them so they are of no use to me.

Which brings me to the reason I decided to go ahead and post about Stitch Fix. I despise clothes shopping. Nothing seems to fit anymore. I keep thinking I’ll lose the baby weight, but it’s been 12 years so I’m giving up. Sometimes I’ll buy something because I think I’m getting a really great deal, but then it sits in my closet with the rest of my things because it’s just not as comfortable as those yoga pants. I cannot tell you the amount of items I’ve bought online, only to have them arrive and not fit at all. However, because of the “deal” I found, they either can’t be returned, or cost a fortune to do so. 

Edd and I place a huge priority on being good stewards with our money. Which is why it kills me when I waste so many little dollars on a lot of things costing more than I want to spend and ending up getting no use at all. When I researched the idea behind Stitch Fix, I thought this may be a great option for me to try.

Here’s how it works:

Log onto the Stitch Fix website and enter in as much detailed personal information you can regarding sizes, styles, and budget. I told the stylists I only wanted casual clothes and clothes I could wear on date night. Which, lets be honest, I live in Portland. Yoga pants count as date night wear. But I digress.

The Stitch Fix fee is $20, which is then be applied to your order if you choose to keep anything. Returns are sent in a postage paid envelope, but if you decide to keep it all, you get a 25% discount. After I submitted my preferences and chose a delivery date, I logged onto my Pintrest account and updated my style preferences board. This way, the stylist could look at the clothing items I gravitate towards.

Last week, I received my box in the mail. I slit the tape open and pulled everything out. I loved it all. How would I choose? (Mind you, I hadn’t tried anything on yet. Once I did, it was very easy to decide what to keep and what to send back.) There was even a styling guideline so fashion ignoramuses such as myself would know with what to pair the sent items. I quickly glanced at the prices. It was a tad more than I usually spend, but I never pay full price for anything. And I buy things that don’t necessarily fit quite right because they are cheap. But we’ve covered that.

The following were photographed by my 14 and 11 year old daughters. I was a horrible model according to them. So, there you have it. Modeling career = over.

Item 1: Fiancee Wilam Zig-Zag Print Top 
$44.00


Item 2: Kensie Jeans Sophia Skinny Jeans
$88

Let’s discuss my football shoulders. I have them. (Thanks, Mom.) Cap sleeves do not flatter these arms whatsoever. The pattern is okay, but not really my thing. Also, the shirt felt just snug enough I felt it would rip if I gave someone a hug.
Result: No.

Those jeans? I so wanted them to work. And they so didn’t. They were my size, but the rise hit right at my belly button and squeezed (squoze?) every cell I had right to the top. I swear, I am not pregnant. I need my pants to hold everything in, not shove everything out.
Result: Heck, no!


Item #3 THML Basel Lightweight Striped Sweater
$68

Here is another reason I wavered writing this post: this photo is now on the inter-webs forever. I loved this sweater when I pulled it out of the box. Putting it on, I found it was so thin I was afraid I’d snag it with a hangnail. The stripes accentuate areas I don’t want accentuated. It does give you a better view of those jeans cutting below my midsection. My belly was cute when I was 5 months pregnant. It is not cute now. I couldn’t take this off fast enough.
Result: Not in a trillion years


Item #4 41Hawthorn Julia Utility Jacket
$78

At first glance, I thought for sure I’d be sending this back. I didn’t really need another jacket and the price was more than I wanted to spend. But once I had it on, I loved it. It is so comfortable. In the photo you see the snaps used to fasten. What you do not see is the zipper underneath that sucks everything in. A reminder: shoving out = bad, sucking in = good. I don’t have any jackets in an actual color, so this is branching out for me.
Result: In my closet

Item #5 41Hawthorn Queensland Dolman Jersey Top
$48

This eggplant colored top feels like a dream. Seriously, it may be the softest thing that has ever touched my skin. The bottom of the shirt ruches so pudge showage is minimal. I wear this and I feel like I’m wearing pajamas. So, win for the daytime sleepwear.
Result: I may wear this every day for the next month


The day after I received my shipment, I had my friend Kristi come over to affirm my choices. Once I had her approval, I placed items #1-3 in the postage paid envelope and dropped it in a neighborhood mailbox that night. I logged onto my account, told Stitch Fix what I was keeping, what I wasn’t, and the reasons why. Rumor has it as the stylists receive detailed feedback, the “fixes” get better and better.

The beauty of this service is you can schedule a shipment when it works for you. If you need a clothing fix every month, you can sign up for automatic delivery. If you only want to splurge once in a while, you can manually schedule it to arrive when you want it.

Stitch Fix uses “word of mouth” marketing. I don’t get paid for posting my review, but if you want to try the service, they’ll credit my account for referrals. If you’d like to try it, click here. And if it works for you, refer it to your friends.

Trying on the Stitch Fix items made me realize how great clothes can feel when they fit correctly. After I dropped my returns in the mail, I headed back to my closet to purge the items I haven’t worn in ages. (And some things I’ve never worn.) Next week when I volunteer at HomePlate, I’ll have some donated items to bring with me. I’m sure they’ll look better on a couch-surfing teen than they do hanging in the back of my closet.