Stitch Fix Review #5 (and a Bonus!) – March 2016

It’s monthly(ish) fashion show time!

But first, I have to tell you about what I figured out about the Stitch Fix business model that is so damn smart. In any given month or so — if a customer is anywhere near as addicted as I am — there’s at least two weeks, and maybe more, of active Stitch Fix engagement. Consider this:

You check out of a Fix, leaving detailed feedback for your stylist. Upon checking out, Stitch Fix immediately schedules your next Fix (if you’ve signed up for a regularly scheduled box every 2-3 weeks, every month, or every other month, which you don’t have to do). You get an email: Your Fix Is Scheduled! You get a little rush of excitement.

The next time you sign into the Stitch Fix app or site, you’re reminded to leave a note for your stylist with any specific requests for your next Fix. You jot down a few notes that you’ve already been thinking about…but keep coming back to tweak it in the following days and weeks.

And then there’s Pinterest. Time to update your Stitch Fix page! Deleting pins, adding new ones, following new pinners, thinking about what you want for the next season. This goes on over the next couple of weeks, on repeat.

You log into Stitch Fix just to confirm your estimated delivery date. And then you think, “Crap, that could come on the weekend (to my office). I should probably move it up a day or two.” And you do. And then you get another Your Fix Is Scheduled! email. Cue another little rush.

Then the days creep closer, and you do the math, and you realize….if my Fix is going to get here in a week and a half, it will need to ship a week from today. Which means it will probably go into styling in the next day or two. Better finish updating Pinterest and finalize that note to your stylist.

Then you obsessively refresh your app. Is it in styling yet? No, not yet? How about now? You eye the month’s other SF reviews to see what kinds of new stuff people are getting and wonder if any of those line up with what you’re requesting. You pin just a few more things.

And then you see it: In Process! Your stylist is choosing things now. (In reality it probably means it’s been moved to a styling queue, then your stylist will choose things, then the warehouse will fulfill them, and then it will get mailed.)

Again, more obsessive checking. When will it ship? Has it shipped yet? Now? Probably won’t ship overnight, huh? I’ll check first thing in the morning. And then: En Route! No shipping information yet, BUT, even better, you can sneak a peek at what’s in your box. Some customers like to be surprised, but not me. I sneak a peek, followed by searching on Pinterest, through reviews, and on Facebook SF pages to find pictures of the items in my Fix. I alternate between being really excited and kind of bummed. And then I remember: don’t judge it until you see it.

In between web searches, you now obsessively update the tracking information. Sure, it says it will be delivered on Tuesday, but isn’t there a chance it will get here on Monday? Refresh, refresh, refresh.

And then…the box arrives. Only you get it at work, so the question is: break into it now, or wait for later, when you can actually try things on? (You’ve probably figured out where I come down on this one by now.) Carry the box home, eye it during dinner, bath time, and bed time.

Ah. Kids are in bed. Grab that box and head to the mirror. It’s show time.

But before the pictures and the reviews, a quick reminder of how Stitch Fix works. You fill out an online style profile, based on which a stylist chooses five items (clothes, jewelry, and/or accessories) to send. You pay a $20 styling fee, which covers the cost of the stylist and shipping, and if you keep anything, you apply the $20 toward the cost of the item(s). If you keep all five, you get a 25% discount on the whole box! (You send whatever you don’t want back in a pre-paid envelope.) 

You can read my reviews of my earlier Fixes here. Last month, I kept two of the five pieces, a great pair of Just Black jeans and a pair of Liverpool pants.

This month I requested a trench coat to replace the raincoat I’ve been wearing for the last 10 years, the denim jacket that continues to elude me, tops, and a dress. I also repeated my plea for bright colors and petites. I was glad to see that I had Shelby as my stylist again. How did she deliver?

Loveappella Dolli Mesh Detail Knit Top ($54)

Remember what I said about first impressions? When I read that this top had mesh, I grimaced. Mesh? I think the last time I wore a mesh top, it was a pinney at field hockey practice. But this is no garden variety neon orange mesh. Shelby knew what she was doing here – stripes, basic colors, not too clingy, back detailing that can be covered up at work with a sweater but shown when getting slightly dressed up. Yup, this shirt has it all.

Verdict: Keeping!

Skies Are Blue Dorian Embroidery Detail Blouse ($58)

Remember what I said about first impressions? (Yes, you’ve read that line twice.) They’re not always wrong. When I peeked at my Fix and saw this picture, I suspected that Shelby sent it because of the color, and I was right. And the color’s great, and it’s a petite. But nothing else on this top works for me – not the flutter sleeves, not the embroidery. I’m just not a boho kind of girl.

Verdict: Sending back.

Adrianna Papell Melynda Dress ($108)

Like so much else in my wardrobe, my dresses could use a refresher. The dress I wear most often: a $25 number I bought at Loft in 2003 or 2004. In my defense, it’s a black, sleeveless jersey dress that can be dressed up or down and it travels fantastic. It’s my roll-it-up-in-a-ball-no-need-to-iron dress. But it’s showing wear like the others in my closet, so I pinned a few dresses that I thought would fall into the same category as my beloved ball dress: fun, and easy enough to wear either to brunch or to work. This one could probably fall into that category, if on the dressier side of brunch, and it’s got a great color and is a petite, but I’d hoped for something a little more casual (and a little less expensive). The Loft dress lives to see another month.

Verdict: Sending back.

Just USA Anjuli Dark Wash Denim Jacket ($58)

Ah, my elusive search for a denim jacket continues. I feel like Goldilocks at this point. Blue, but not too blue. On trend, but not too much. Shorter sleeves, but not overly cropped. Does my dream jacket even exist? I’m starting to wonder. This jacket almost has it all — the color’s perfect, love the length, and LOVE the price. But I hadn’t noticed the distressing on this when I pinned it, and since I’m on the hunt for a jacket that’s going to be a long-term classic, I don’t want to look back at this a year or two from now and feel like it’s outdated because of the wear and tear. The arms are just a little too long, too — I think I just have to have petites in my jackets. My hunt goes on.

Verdict: Sending back, reluctantly.

Street Level Abri Suede Envelope Clutch ($48)

Last month, I described the state of my bags, and mentioned that my going out bags are…lacking, to put it mildly. I pinned a few larger clutches, and then, wouldn’t you know, this lovely bag appeared in my Fix? And again, lesson learned on making guesses off of my first peek — there wasn’t a picture of this bag in my Stitch Fix app, and in the few pictures I could find online, the bag was red. I love red, but red + suede didn’t have me too excited for summer. But greige? Yes, please. This has plenty of room for everything I need when going out sans kids (and their diapers and changes of clothes and cheerios and tissues and hand sanitizer), and a crossbody strap to boot.

Verdict: Keeping!

But wait, there’s more!

When I peeked at my Fix and saw that I wasn’t getting a trench coat or a chambray shirt (which I’d decided I’d really like to add to my wardrobe), I took to my usual fallback: Old Navy. I know the quality isn’t great, but they actually have a good selection of petites, free shipping for orders over $50, and I can return stuff to my nearby store without having to pay return shipping charges. I ordered up one of each — and they’re both keepers!

The final tally: 2/5 (Stitch Fix) + 2/2 (Old Navy) = 4/7. I have two new tops and have filled in big wardrobe gaps with my new jacket and bag — win! Stay tuned for next month. I already know what I’m requesting!

Disclaimer: This post isn’t sponsored by Stitch Fix (or Old Navy), and I pay for whatever I keep. But if you’re interested in trying Stitch Fix and you sign up using my referral link, I’ll receive a small credit to use toward future purchases when your first Fix ships. Thanks!

And, if you’re like me and can’t get enough of Stitch Fix reviews, visit the Stitch Fix review link up hosted by Maria from Kinder Craze and Crazy Together.