Welcome to my closet!
I am NOT a fashionista by any sense of the imagination, but I DO love having a nice put together look for events (around the house I'm all robes and yoga or PJ pants all the time - heck you know this if you follow me at all on IG stories).
Sometimes you just have to be honest with yourself... my strength is not shopping, fashion, etc. I get frustrated and over it pretty quickly, especially if I'm in a dressing room and item after item isn't working. Plus the time and energy it takes now, especially with a little one.
While I do love a girls shopping trip for the experience, these days it's usually to buy outfits for the little peanut!
When I learned about Stitch Fix, a personal styling service, I was super excited to give it a try. I've been using Stitch Fix for years... I believe I started back in 2015... and I even used it throughout my pregnancy - most of my cute maternity clothes were from my fixes!
How Stitch Fix Works:
When you sign up, you fill out an in-depth style profile. This profile will get a sense of your: sizes for several categories (dress, blouse, jeans, shoes, etc), proportions, body shape, price range, personal style, how you like items to fit, likes/dislikes, what you want to see in your fix, what you want to avoid, etc. You can even share a Pinterest board so your stylist can see your pins and thus your style (more on that later.)
Once the style profile is complete, you’ll pick the date and frequency of your Fix boxes. You can choose a couple times a month up to spacing them out over several months! When I started, I did about 4 a year, 1 per season so I could get some great up-to-date staples for that time of year.
Stitch Fix will ship you 5 clothing items and/or accessories based on your style profile. All you are "required" to pay is $20, a styling fee and the cost of delivery... but can be used towards your final purchase.
Once you receive your fix, you can keep as little (aka nothing!) or as much (all 5 items) as you’d like within 3 days of receiving it. The $20 styling fee will be applied as a credit for the items you are keeping. The remaining unwanted items are returned via a pre-paid return envelope that is included in the fix - simply drop it off at USPS. If you decide to purchase everything in the box, you get an additional 25% off the final price (I do this often now that I have a great stylist!)
You also have the option to fill out a survey about each box (I do this through the Stitch Fix app). I leave notes about everything so it helps for the next box.
Here are some of my top tips I've learned to get the most out of your Stitch Fix experiences
1. PIN AWAY. Create a curated Pinterest board specifically for your Stitch Fix boxes and only pin items that you really want or can see yourself wearing. You know how you may pin a super cute, fancy leather dress and sky-high heels.. but wont ever actually wear it? Pin that somewhere else. Also, make sure you change the caption so it matches what you like about the picture. For example, "Super cute jeans" or "Love the chunky necklace with the top and blazer." This will give your stylist even more feedback than style profile.
2. Be honest. Be honest with yourself about what looks good on YOU and your body and don't ask for items that are not going to flatter you (of course you won't like them then!) I'm not into open back tops, so even though it may look cute on someone else, I realistically won't wear them and thus, I should be honest about that when creating my boards and avoid those types of tops! Also, be honest with your stylist... which leads me into my next tip.
3. Share notes, provide feedback & fill out the survey for every box. A personal stylist who hasn't met you (most of the time) is choosing outfits just based on your style profile.. so help them out more but providing as many details as you can! I usually tell my stylist what I'm looking for in that box. For example, "I have a bridal shower coming up and a family vacation, which is pretty casual. I'd like some options to dress up or dress down." I've also talked about pins from my board "I really want to try an army green jacket for the fall." Then, when the box arrives and you try on everything (see #4), fill out the survey about what you are keeping/returning AND WHY. I make share my thoughts about everything - good and bad. "Love the fit, not crazy about the pattern." // "Really love the pattern of the dress, but it fit funny around my waist," etc.
4. Try on everything. Seriously, you never know if you are going to love something just by looking at it. There have been several instances where I pull a shirt out, feel "eh" about it, try it on and LOVE the fit... which makes me love the shirt! A lot of the clothes are "Stitch Fix Exclusives" and have really interesting details or fit differently than store-bought clothing. Additionally, I've NOT tried on items because I loved their style and kept them before realizing they didn't fit exactly as I would like!
5. Stick with a stylist who gets you. If you get a Fix that you absolutely love, request that stylist again in the notes for the box... and vice versa. My stylist, Kiara Higgins, is THE BEST (feel free to request her!), but I also know her personally from going to workout classes together in Pittsburgh, so she knows my style and we are connected via social - I think that totally helps (and I can't wait for her to do a Fix for Charlotte when she finally fits into 2T!) One time we somehow were not synced on a Fix and I was NOT crazy about most of the options... but with Kiara, I keep nearly everything every time!
My Favorite Stitch Fix Styles in My Closet
Most of these are just grabbed from social media right now, but I'll add more looks and nicer photos as time goes on!
FAQS
Is it expensive?
There's an option during the style profile to specify budget from "The cheaper the better" up to "luxe items" from designer brands. It's quite an array. I will encourage you to use a Fix to get staples and quality items that you will wear and repeat. I used to totally be a bargain shopper (maybe that's what I have a frustrated attitude towards shopping) and would have 4-5 black tees that were all $15 or less... but now I have the mindset that I'd rather have ONE nice black tee that was a little more expensive.
What if I don't like anything?
You still pay the $20 styling/shipping fee... but I've found that I always keep at least 1 item in a box!
What if something doesn't fit, but I would like to keep it?
They do have options to request a different size now... I did fall in love with an item once that was too small and they didn't have my size in stock. It was a little devestating, but that happens in stores as well!
Affiliate note: Stitch Fix will send me a thank you if you order through my link – which I appreciate a ton. And, psstt! You can share your own link with friends to enjoy the same benefit if you try the service and love it as much as I do!