So today’s post will be a bit different so if it’s not for you, come back on Monday for another home post. I wasn’t even going to post about Stitch Fix but I mentioned it on my facebook page and got a pretty resounding yes that many people would like to hear my honest opinions, so I thought I would share. I am in no way am turning into a fashion blogger so no worries there.
So Stitch Fix… have you heard of it? I am hearing more and more companies pop up sort of like Stitch Fix – but Stitch Fix seems to be the most popular or been around the longest. Stitch Fix is a online, personal styling service that can send you a box of clothes at the frequency of your choosing. You fill out your size, style, price range, and general questions about things you like/don’t like and what you would like to receive in your box – you can even share a Pinterest board of outfits or styles that you like to help your stylist style you well. Then a personal stylist selects 5 items and ships them out to you a few days later. You can choose the frequency that you get a Stitch Fix box from monthly to bi-monthly and many other options. You get the box in the mail and have fun opening to see what was chosen for you! You can keep any or all of the items in the box and just pay the price listed for them. Or you can send them all back if you don’t like them. Normally to get a box sent you pay a $20 styling fee (and that’s it – no shipping or even return shipping fees), BUT for the month of January they are waiving the $20 styling fee! (Which is why I went ahead and tried it ). Normally if you have paid the $20 styling fee and then decide to say keep 1 item, the $20 styling fee gets deducted from that item. So you pay $20, the box gets shipped, you decide to keep something that it is $45, but will only have to pay the balance of $25 – hope that makes sense. If you send all the items back, you just have paid the $20 styling fee – you don’t get it refunded. And if you decide to keep all 5 items, they take 25% off your entire order!
So like I said they are waiving the $20 styling fee this month so this is a perfect time to try it out! Here’s my referral link if you want to check it out (and if you decide to try it, I will receive a referral credit on my account – you can also do the same, try it and then share your referral link and earn credit as well.)
Before I go into what I thought, or why I even decided to try it, let me show you what I got in my box. Like they suggest, I did share a Pinterest board where I have pinned outfits and styles I loved with my stylist and I added a note that I would like to see some tops that could transition from winter to spring. They have different price points you can put in and I put in the option that said “the cheaper, the better”, the next range up was $50-100 and it goes up from there.
The first item was this red vest. I LOVE vests and red so this was honestly completely my style. But it was a little snug, the collar was very puffy for up against my curly hair… and the price was $98. So even if this had fit perfectly, it would be going back solely based on the price. That is just way, way above my budget.
The next item was this white shirt. I loved the material and I loved the border on the bottom and it fit well. But I don’t care for that criss-cross neck style at all and it was too low-cut for my taste. The price was $38 – so much better price point. But I still sent back. (Sorry for the wrinkles – it comes perfectly folded, each piece individually wrapped in tissue, and no wrinkles, I just had already put in the bag to send back before I decided to take pictures and share with you. )
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The 3rd item was this navy blue mixed material 3/4 sleeve top. My stylist got this item completely right! I love navy blue, love polka dots, love 3/4 sleeves, and I love this casual/yet could be dressed up style of tops. The front material of this is so soft and comfy too! It fit great and I loved the polka dot contrast on the front. This was the one item I was very tempted to keep. But it was a little sheer, and the pleat in the back material at the top made it fit not as flattering as I wanted in the back/sides. At $38 the price was not bad (more on that later), and if I had already paid the $20 styling fee I would have only paid an additional $18 for this top. But I didn’t 100% love it, so I sent it back.
The 4th item was this button down top with 3/4 sleeves. The colors are super cute and perfect for transitioning into spring. But I should have specified in my style profile that I really don’t like button down shirts and don’t like the sort of oversized/cardigan style of wearing them either. This was $44 and I sent it back.
The 5th item, I didn’t take pictures of but it was a pair of red canvas slip on Toms priced at $48. I do need some new slip-ons but I am not crazy about Toms. Although red slip-ons are cute and can really make an outfit fun, the practical side of me would want a more neutral color especially if I was going to pay that much. So these went back.
So yes, everything got sent back. And because the styling fee was waived this month I didn’t lose anything. Normally I would have paid $20 and that wouldn’t have been refunded when I sent it all back.
Oh, I forgot to mention they send this style card along with everything in the box, which I loved! It shows some ways they would style the pieces they sent with each other or with some other items you have in your closet. You can also request that they send you something like an item in the picture in a future Stitch Fix box to maybe go with an item you decided to keep.
So here’s my honest opinion. I love the idea of Stitch Fix. As a busy mom who never gets time to shop without a little one (which means even if I do shop my time is limited due to having a little one with me), I would love the convenience of Stitch Fix. I find myself ordering things online more (especially at Kohl’s since I can use my Kohl’s card and get free shipping plus usually 30% off), but if they don’t fit then I have to take back to the store to avoid paying shipping so the added time doing that. I also don’t feel like I am very “stylish” so having someone select items for me and show ideas of how I can wear them was helpful and very fun!
But I am also frugal to the core – I am not above shopping at thrift stores or yard sales for my clothes and have found some cute things over the years. BUT that takes a lot of time. Browsing the racks at Goodwill with a little one when you might find something you like but it’s not your size, can be frustrating and time consuming. And even Goodwill charges $6-7 for a shirt/skirt/jeans and almost $8-9 for a dress! I find that it is easier to shop lower priced stores or browse clearance racks since then I can have my choice of sizes/and sometimes even colors in something I may like – my favorite cheaper priced stores are Cato and then Kohl’s, and JCPenney with coupons/discounts. So the price point of Stitch Fix goes over or pushes my budget to the max. I could see maybe keeping a $38 item every other month or so especially since my $20 styling fee would go towards it. But I couldn’t keep multiple items and couldn’t keep anything much higher than that. So I wish that the price point was lower. But for some the price point may be just fine – again this is a frugal girl’s review of Stitch Fix!
As far my style, I think she did pretty well on my first box. I am pretty picky about things I wear (have certain styles I just don’t wear/care for at all) and she did a good job sticking with that. When you send back everything you can give detailed feedback on your box, and I will make sure to do that on each piece (just like I did above!) I also am going to go through my style profile and check off that I don’t want shoes to be sent (those are much easier for me to find on my own). They say that you more boxes you order, the more your stylist will learn you – your style, tastes, price point – so they get better with each box.
So my thoughts – it is FUN! Getting that box in the mail and seeing what they picked out for you was fun. It’s convenient – free shipping both ways with a postage paid bag included in the box is perfect for a busy lifestyle. And I think if the price point was right and the items fit great, it would be a great way to add some nicer/staple/mix and match pieces to my wardrobe.
So I am going to try it again – at least one more time. This time I’ll have to pay the $20 styling fee so I may be out $20 if I send everything back but I figure it’s worth it to see if I can get even more reasonable priced items, more things that fit my style, and something that I love and will keep.
Remember the styling fee is waived this month so you can try it out for FREE – Stitch Fix also has a men’s and a plus size option if those would interest you.
I’d love to hear what you think – have you tried Stitch Fix before? Love it, not for you? Or maybe you tried another service something like this that you loved? Or maybe you have some frugal shopping tips for a busy mom of a little one?
Megan says
Will you post another review like this after you get your second box so we can hear your final verdict on StitchFix? I think it sounds great and have always been interested in it, but I’ve always been concerned about the cost as well. I prefer to keep my costs for a shirt under $20 or so, so even the less expensive things in your box seem to high to me.
Donna Marie says
I’m with you all the way. If you worked in an office and needed various outfits and could afford to spend more, if might be more in line with more people’s budget. But, try, try again and let us know. I know I want to hear how you do!!!
Kay says
I’m with you, bring on the bargain racks, this is too expensive !Kay
abby says
Thanks so much for this review! I’m frugal too, so I’m not sure I would like spending that sort of money. I’m considering giving it a try with your referral code, though.
Kathleen says
Thanks for the honest review! I’ve been debating on trying it. While I’m with you on the price points, I’m curious as to what you thought of the quality. I think sometimes we get what we pay for at Kohl’s and some of the clothes are a one season purchase.
Lisa says
I pretty much have the same mindset and experience that you had. I signed up to get 1 box every quarter, figuring that I would be out $20 every 3 months, and hopefully finding something “out of my comfort zone” as well. I tried it for a year. I ended up keeping 8 things…6 tunic style tops (3/4 length sleeves!)…1 cardigan, and 1 necklace. Of the tops, I have worn 2 of them twice, 2 of them once, and 2 of them never, but I don’t go out much…my fault. The cardigan, I don’t love, and the necklace I do, but again, I don’t go out much. I agree the thought of getting a box in the mail is like having a Christmas gift every quarter or whenever! I also have done Birch Box …that was fun for a while, and Dia & Co. (Stitch Fix’s size 14 and up)…everything was too big from there. I do think it’s something to try, and it’s easy to pick when you want to get a shipment, and the return is SUPER simple! So give it a go!
Liberty says
My best frugal shopping tip for a busy mom of one? Get a husband or another babysitter so you can go to yard sales or Goodwill for the best buys and a well deserved break! : )
Liberty at http://www.b4andafters.com
Lynette says
I’ve been wondering about Stitch Fix myself, so I really appreciate your review. Please do let us know what you think of the 2nd box. I would love to see the same post showing each item as you did on this one and if you plan on continuing with the service or not. Thank you!
Erica Rizzotto says
Ah, I feel exactly the same!! I have never done it and I probably won’t unless they do the special again.
Cathy says
I’ve seen it advertised and it made me curious. Thank you for the very honest review. It’s greatly appreciated. Enjoy your Sunday
Heidi says
I tried Stitch Fix a few years ago and while it wasn’t a terrible experience it just wasn’t for me. The clothes are very nice but I wasn’t used to most brands besides Walmart at the time 😉 So the size I ordered ended up being way too big in those brands they sent. I’m not good about sending things back, so I never did and ended up giving away or reselling the clothes later. There are a lot of great thrift stores nearby and I’ve since learned what name brands to look for so that works for me. Yes, with kids it is hard though. My only tip is to to get a babysitter if you want to do some serious shopping 😉 Online shopping is nice too, but I’m careful to read the measurents on each item.
Myra Wright says
Thanks! I was wondering how that worked!
You and I have the same idea about prices!! 🙂
Wendy Boyd says
Thank you for the review. I signed up for the 1st month with your referral link because the fee was waived. I figured you can’t lose right? And I’m frugal to the core! Thanks so much for sharing and I love your blog!