Before you treat yourself to a Stitch Fix subscription for Christmas…
This post is a little bit retraction + a little bit (100% unsponsored) review. Back in the summer, you may remember, I tried my first Stitch Fix and shared it with you all. (That post has since been removed because 1. the photos were hideous and 2. well, read on.) I also included it in my “Favorite Finds” for July and as part of an Instagram giveaway in August, which I’m not taking back because I did really love it… At first. (P.S. If you don’t know what Stitch Fix even is, now would be a good time to check out the website and see what it’s all about so this post makes a little sense. Here’s a link, but it is NOT an affiliate. Go on, I’ll be here when you get back.)
Many of you took my advice and signed up to receive your first fix. In fact, I received some referral credit from those of you that scheduled your first fix through my link, and I used it to try the service several more times (four more to be exact). To you, I need to say: THANK YOU and I’M SORRY. I sincerely hope that you had a really positive experience (like my mom who now receives monthly boxes of absolutely adorable clothes that she keeps about 90% of the time); and, if you didn’t love the items you receive, I hope you’ll forgive me for the $20 you lost at my recommendation. Really. These are the things that keep me up at night folks (well, these are the crying baby in the room next door ;))
As it turns out, I DON’T actually love Stitch Fix. Despite the fact that everyone else seems to think it’s the greatest thing ever, it was basically a fail for me… From July to November, I received five boxes total (enough to say I gave it a fair shot, wouldn’t you say?), kept THREE items (none of which I truly love), spent way more money than I normally would on clothes, and felt frustrated and disappointed more often than excited and happy. (If you’re thinking this is awfully dramatic for talking about a clothing service, you are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. I realize this really doesn’t matter, but I still feel like I need to share my experience to keep the internet honest. This post is also about 10x too long, so… You’ve been warned.)
Anyway, let me back up a bit and explain…
First Box: This was the one I originally posted about it. I only kept one item, a basic grey t-shirt, but I was still really excited about the process and thought it was fun! The gray t-shirt is still my favorite item I’ve gotten from Stitch Fix (out of three), and I wear it a lot, so it was win. It was definitely more expensive than what I’d usually pay for a t-shirt, but it appeared to be high quality and definitely goes with a lot. It could definitely be considered a closet “staple,” and I was trying to “invest” in better clothes, so I could justify the price tag a little bit. At this point, I really thought I was going to be a Stitch Fix fan. I scheduled my second fix for only three weeks later (the soonest you can schedule, I think) and became borderline obsessed with reading Stitch Fix blogger reviews and pinning things to my Style board.
Second Box: Maybe my expectations were too high, but this one was a total flop. To be honest, I don’t even remember exactly what they sent in this box, but I sent it all back (which was especially disappointing as I scheduled it to come right before school started and was hoping for a first day outfit). I do know that I specifically requested jeans and didn’t get any because “they didn’t have them in my size.”?!?! (I bought Loft jeans instead and do love them. FYI.) At this point, I was still optimistic though, and I thought one flop was fair. Being completely transparent, I also had a decent amount of credit left over from after I wrote that first blog post, so I tried to be more specific in my notes, Pinned more ideas, and signed up for another box in three more weeks.
Third Box: I got jeans this time, but they didn’t fit great, and by this point, I’d already found another pair I loved (see above). I also got a jacket that I had pinned and decided to keep it (though I’ve never actually worn it and don’t like it nearly as much in person as I did in the photos on their blog). Everything else was just meh. (They do have some really great black pants that I can see someone loving, but the ones my stylist sent had a funny herringbone pattern and were WAY too long.) Still, I wasn’t ready to give up quite yet (and that credit was still burning a hole in my pocket), so I expressed my disappointment in the comments, was even more specific with my requests, and placed one more order.
Fourth Box: This one actually made me kind-of mad. I asked for dresses that would be “nursing friendly” and that I could wear to work, and I received a black, stretchy, mini, wrap dress. (Did I mention I’m a TEACHER?!?). Returned. I got a few other things I didn’t like (nothing from my Pinterest board that they keep saying is so important), and kept one purple cardigan because the price was right(ish) and I didn’t want to lose my $20 box fee again (dumb). I’ve worn the sweater twice since, but I wish I hadn’t kept it. It isn’t my style, and I could have found the same thing at TJ Maxx for half the price. (Negative Nancy Alert.) After this, I swore off the service. (Well, I said I did at least.)
Fifth Box: After a couple of months hiatus, I still had $14 left in credit, and I’m a slow learner, so I decided to try it one more time… Also, as I mentioned above, my mom had been getting fixes steadily since I first recommended the service and hers were always GREAT, not to mention several blog and real-life friends were continuing to sing SF praises, so I figured it must be ME. I was really hopeful for this one because I felt like I was “harsher” in my notes to my stylist (which apparently helps?!) and took the time to update my style profile, Pin some new items, etc. This one came just this past Monday and, I have to admit, it was a little better. I got two longer sweaters and a long blouse (as requested), a pair of pants that would have been very cute had they not been a mile too long (again), and a vest that I asked for but wasn’t really what I had in mind. Still, nothing was from my Pinterest board* (I don’t know why this makes me so darn mad, but it does), and I just didn’t feel like the style was quite right – especially since nothing was less than $40.00. I kept the items in the box all week to think about it, but just yesterday I finally shipped the whole package back. Another $20 gone. Seriously, no more.
*So apparently one of the sweaters WAS on my Pinterest board (I stand corrected); but, it was a random pin and did not include the “I LOVE THIS” or “PLEASE INCLUDE” memo that many others did. 😉
Stitch Fix, please kindly consider this my break-up letter.
Ok, to wrap this up…
Ultimately, I think Stitch Fix didn’t work for me because a.) I like to shop for myself too much, b.) I’m at a weird size being post-pregnancy, nursing, etc., c.) I’m picky (basically I just wanted them to send me exactly the items I pinned on Pinterest, which really defeated the whole purpose), and d.) despite my efforts to “buy good things” and “invest,” I’m pretty cheap when it comes to my clothes.
It certainly might work for you. You absolutely might love it, and, if you don’t, you are really only out of $20 if you have better willpower than me. (In their defense, returning items and canceling fixes is VERY easy.) For every one negative review out there, there are fifty good ones (this is not based on actual research ;)), so the odds really are in your favor. I do think, however, that you should be careful of all the reviews. Stitch Fix offers a GREAT referral system (that I’m obviously a fan of – not judging!), and that definitely incentivizes bloggers etc. to push them.
On that note, one final comment… I genuinely want to be a voice on the internet that you can trust. I love sharing my favorite things and new discoveries with you, and I take my responsibility as someone who’s opinion you value seriously (or as seriously as one should take things like apps and blouses and coffee drinks). As I mentioned above, I took down the original Stitch Fix post with my affiliate link and the sidebar ad that I had up for a while as soon as I determined that I couldn’t, in good conscience, recommend it. (I will, seriously, reimburse you your 20 dollars if you bought from my link and hated it. Email me!) In the future, I hope you know that I will always be honest, only share things that I feel 100% good about, and always admit when I make a mistake. Pinky promise.
So there you go…
Now, I know there are lots of you out there that use this service yourself. PLEASE tell us what you think!!! Can you relate to my sentiments, or are you are you one of the ones that has had a great experience?!? If so, do you have any tips or advice to share?!? I’d love to hear from you!
Have a great day!
E