Stitch Fix #10 - February 2014

Are you ready for more Stitch Fix fun?  It's been almost a year that I have been getting monthly fixes and it's still so much fun.  Though I've decided I like Stitch Fix better in the warmer months.  I think it's the bright colors and amazing prints that they send me for the spring and summer months. I'm hoping our weather here in the Tri-state takes a turn for the better soon, I want to beak out my lighter clothes and request summer clothes from Stitch Fix!

This month I asked for some fun clothes for my new job.  I was so happy to see a variety of color and print in my box this month.  I'm always a little sad when I open a box and find a monochromatic box full of black and white items.  No need to worry about that this month, everything was so bright and cheery!  I think the stylists at Stitch Fix know that I'm over winter.

First out of the box, this beautiful striped top from Daniel Rainn.  In our current weather, this top is only appropriate under a blazer.  It would be perfect in the warmer months (or in a warmer climate) with jeans.  Great color combo, great print, it was just a little more expensive ($78) than I would usually spend on a simple tank.  If it had sleeves, then maybe I would have ponied up the cash.

Daniel Rainn - Barcelona Striped Silk Short Sleeve Blouse

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Stitch Fix #9 - January 2014 & a HUGE Giveaway!

Happy New Year Stitch Fix friends! It's time for another fix and this one was lots of fun, though not so fun to photograph.  It's getting cold out!  My poor little fingers were freezing!  This fix came in the mail just before my Christmas trip home to Buffalo, so I took this fix home and had my family help me choose what to keep!

Haven't heard about Stitch Fix yet? You can read a full review and explanation in this post and decide if it's something you're into!  Basically you fill out an online profile and the Stitch Fix stylists send you some pieces from their vast collection.  There is a $20 styling fee that gets applied to anything you purchase.  Personally, I like to set up a Pinterest board for each coming season to help the stylists understand my style and what I've been lusting after.

This month I asked for a blazer for my new job and some cute weekend pieces.  The pieces they sent me ranged from - Just what I was looking for - to - Totally not my style.  Be sure to read through the entire post for a chance to win a $100 Stitch Fix gift card!!!

First up, this sheath dress from 41Hawthorne.  I've been getting at least one item from the Stitch Fix private label each month.  This month I got two. While I generally like the pieces from 41Hawthorne, I'm hoping for a little variety next month.  This dress was cute, but I wasn't liking the fabric. It felt a little to flimsy for a work dress.  I also just scored a few Hugo Boss dresses from the Bloomingdales Outlet recently, so back to California it went.

41Hawthorne - Clement Striped Sheath Dress

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Stitch Fix #8 - December 2013

It's the most fun part of the month - Stitch Fix day! Getting this box was like receiving an early Christmas present. This is my 8th box from Stitch Fix and this is by far the best one yet. My past few fixes have been hit or miss, but the best part about this company is the combination of personal style and computer algorithms. With the comments I left about the items I returned and my online style profile, Stitch Fix has really narrowed down on my personal style, while testing my boundaries with some new pieces.

Haven't heard of Stitch Fix yet? It's been in the news a lot recently! I did a full review a few months back. The gist of the company is this - 1. You fill out an online style profile and schedule a fix. 2. The team of stylists and computers pick out clothes they think you would like and send it to you on your chosen date. 3. You try on everything at home! 4. Keep what you like and return the rejects within 3 days. 5. Checkout online. Leave detailed comments on each piece they sent you. Was it too big? Was the print too crazy? Color didn't work well in your wardrobe? Tell them!

This month was actually full of items that I had on my wish list. Bonus? The items all went together! Hence why I only have three images to share with you!

41Hawthorn - Ivy solid tab sleeve v-neck blouse
Ark n Co - Stagnitto pleated skater skirt

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Stitch Fix #6 - October 2013

It's my favorite post of the month, time for another Stitch Fix review!  (Don't know what Stitch Fix is?  Check out my full review from July.)  This month I asked for some cute fall tops and maybe a pair of boyfriend jeans.  My stylist did her research and sent me some fun pieces.

Why does it have to be over 80 ºF each time I do a Stitch Fix photo shoot?  I'm sure it will be cold and rainy come my next fix, so I shouldn't really complain too much!

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Stitch Fix #3 - July 2013

It's Stitch Fix time again!  It's becoming my favorite time of each month.  Sure, I enjoy shopping and I'm in the city a few times a month checking out my favorite shops.  Nothing is more fun than telling people you have a personal shopper and stylist.  Haven't heard of Stitch Fix?  Here's the down low...

You sign up and wait until you get an invitation e-mail (they're still in beta and take on new customers when they can handle it).  I think it takes a few weeks to get your invitation these days.  Once you get your invitation, you fill out a long, in depth style profile.  It asks for all your sizes, fit and style preferences and asks how far your want to be pushed out of your comfort zone.

After you finish the style profile, you pick a date for the delivery of your first fix!  In my experience, the package usually arrives within one day of the date you choose, either before or after.  Next up?  Try on those clothes!  Get some second opinions!  Take some pics and have your Facebook friends decide!  Like everything?  Great, keep it all and get 25% off the purchase!  A few rejects?  Pop them in the prepaid mail bag and send them back.

How much will you have to shell out for Stitch Fix?  It's a $20 styling fee for each fix, which is then applied to the cost of anything you decide to keep.  You can set your price ranges for each category - tops, bottoms, dresses, outerwear, accessories.

How do you know if it's right for you?  If you are solely a Target/Old Navy shopper and like spending upwards of $10 on a shirt, then Stitch Fix might not be for you.  Personally, I asked for slightly higher priced items because I'm looking for quality pieces.  The designers I have received are ones that I often see at Nordstorm, Saks and Bloomingdales.

Now, are you ready to see what I got this month?  I asked for color this month, especially after last months mostly black and white fix.  My stylist this month, Jocelyn, totally answered my call and sent me lots of fun and bright tops.  I received this fix just before I headed home to Buffalo for a visit.  I took my fix with me and had a little photo shoot with my mom, in our backyard!  Yes.  My parents have a little barn in the yard, it holds all my dads tools and toys.

Collective Concepts - Gorden Geo Print Sleeveless Tunic - $78

Let it be said, I'm not really sure how to style this tunic.  But I love it.  If I were a few inches shorter I could totally wear it as a dress.  I loved the color and print right out of the box.  I only had these straight leg black jeans to wear with it in Buffalo, but I'm thinking it will look fab with a pair of black, capri length skinny jeans.  I'll work on styling this some more and maybe you'll see it again on my new project...  WITC (more info soon!)

Darling - Kesey Bird Print Belted Dress - $108

Say hello to cuteness in a dress!  I didn't take a close up, but those little blobs are actually black and white birds.  The combo of the bright color and the Peter Pan collar - neither of which exists in my closet - made this one a winner.  I can picture it with a little sweater and boots for the fall too.  Very excited about this one!  My only problem is the following - I found this dress on another website for $10 less, but it was baby blue.  I sucked it up and got this one, figuring shipping of the other dress would eat up my savings.

Sweet Rain - Tarah Printed Flutter Sleeve Blouse - $48

When I tried this shirt on at home, BF told me I looked like a modern day Charlie Brown.  Uh, thanks?  Yeah, I wasn't sold on this one either.  Neither was my mom.  She said that something very similar to this lived in her teenage closet.  Between the length (I have a longish torso) and the flutter sleeves, I felt like this shirt was a bit too young for me.  This one went back to SF.

Sanctuary - Arissa Sheer ButtonUp ShirtTail Tank - $78

This shirt was almost a winner.  Too bad it had three things going against it.  1. It's a mullet shirt.  High-low shirt.  Whatever you call it - there was about a foot of material tucked into my jeans.  2. I have this shirt in two other colors from Michael Kors (courtesy of T•J•Maxx!).  3. I really don't like the material - crepe.  It just felt a little cheap for the price.  Back to SF it went!

Ella Moss - Alecia Abstract Print Racerback Tank - $98

I've seen a few items from Ella Moss at Nordstrom before and thought they were pretty cute.  I was jazzed (yup, I totally used jazzed in a sentence) to see this tank in my SF box this month.  The print and color combo is so much fun.  Plus, I love the racerback.  I'm a fan of my shoulders and racerback tanks do a good job of showing them off.  Yes, this shirt is a bit expensive for a tank, but it's well made and fits perfectly.

This is my third fix (here are fixes number 1 and number 2!) and I think SF is getting to know my style better and better.  Sure, I haven't been able to take advantage of the 25% off 5 item fix yet, but that's okay.  I haven't really hated anything they've sent me, I'm just picky.  My next fix is set to arrive next week (see, I'm a bit behind) and have asked for some fall transition pieces.  While I'm not looking forward to the end of summer, I can't wait for fall.  I know, I'm a total contradiction.

If you're interested in trying Stitch Fix here's a referral link - Click here for cute clothes!  Total disclosure - I'm not affiliated with SF (they don't know me or my photographer mom), but if you sign up via that link they give me $25 to spend on clothes.  

Now enjoy some bloopers from our photo shoot!  We took these pics only two days after my wisdom tooth extraction and I felt like my cheeks and jaw were all puffy.  That's why you'll notice a few hand to chin photos!  There were also bugs in the backyard and two golden retrievers.  The humidity in Buffalo totally was killing me too.  My hair got more and more out of control as the shoot progressed!

What else have I gotten?

Fix #1 - May 2013
Fix #2 - June 2013
Fix #3 - July 2013
Fix #4 - August 2013
Fix #5 - September 2013
Fix #6 - October 2013
Fix #7 - November 2013
Fix #8 - December 2013
Fix #9 - January 2014
Fix #10 - February 2014

Stitch Fix Review - My First Fix

With my recent unemployment situation, I've found myself having more time to write about non-food related things.  And I'm so excited to share this non-edible post with you today!

Have you heard of Stitch Fix?  Apparently I had been living in a bubble for the past few months because I became aware of it only a few weeks ago.  Jumping on the success of other monthly subscription boxes like Birchbox, Julep Maven and Barkbox, Stitch Fix is a monthly (or how ever often you feel) women's clothing!  Here's a little pictorial explanation of how it works, straight from their website.

Basically you fill out the extensive style profile.  Do you like classic, edgy, boho or glam?  What's your size, arm length, desired clothing shape?  Do you go out a lot or do you mostly dress for work?  It's seriously long, but the more honestly you fill it out, the better your fix will be!  You can even link up a Pinterest board with ideas for your stylist.  You also can choose how much you want to spend on each item.  I set my accessories to "the cheaper, the better" and you can choose price intervals up to $200+.

After you fill out your style profile, you may be put on a waiting list.  I think it all depends on your size.  Most people have been waiting about two weeks for their Stitch Fix invitation.  Personally, I got mine right away.  They must carry a lot of size 6?  Even though I got my invitation right away, I scheduled by first fix to arrive right after we got back from Morocco.  I wanted a little something to look forward to after coming back to the real world!  Then my company decided to go and close.

Thankfully, I'm still getting a paycheck through August, which means I didn't cancel my fix.  I needed something fun and positive to look forward to!  I was so excited the day my Stitch Fix was set to arrive, I waited patiently by my phone for the package notice to arrive.  I couldn't wait to see what my stylist had picked for me.  They had a little challenge when it came to me - I'm a girl who loves shopping that lives near New York City.  I have endless options when it comes to clothes, what would my San Fransisco stylist pick for me?  (Ooo, I have a stylist, I'm so chic)

First, the box is totally adorable.  Everything is all matchy-matchy, from the emblem on the outside of the box, the pattern on the inside and the way the clothes are wrapped up.  It's like getting a little present!  I was thrilled to open the box and see all those pretty colors!  Then it was time for a fashion show.

First out of the box was this magenta cut-out button-up tank from RD style ($58).  So pink!  Love it.  I've been looking at laser-cut tops for a while and was excited about this top.  The only problem I had with it, it's a mullet shirt - longer in the back.  Each item in the box comes with an attached styling card, just in case you're not sure how to wear your new clothes.  It came in handy when I realized I could just tack all that shirt in!  This shirt made its way into my closet.

Next up was this houndstooth print skirt from Lasome ($48).  I love everything about it, except the waistband.  The fabric was great, length perfect, print was something I really liked too, but the waist was a thin elastic band.  It felt just a bit too cheap.  I also sent back this green tiered racerback tank by Eight Sixty ($58).  I just couldn't picture where I would wear this top.  And I thought it made my chest look droopy.  It went back in the box.

This pink cinch-waist textured cotton tank from Tulle ($48) was also a disappointment.  I marked my style profile with definitely non-peasanty and I would describe this top as very peasant inspired.  Totally not me.  Great color though.

The last thing I tried on was this crochet detail belted dress from Evolution by Cyrus ($128).  I set my dress price range a bit higher than everything else, so that's why this one is a bit on the pricey side.  I absolutely loved this one!  It isn't anything that I would have picked up in a store, but wound up being my favorite piece in the box.  Thanks for pushing my fashion choices Stitch fix!  Into the closet this went...

The three items I wasn't sold on went into the pre-paid mail bag and into the blue post box down the street.  Overall my first fix was pretty good.  Three out of the five items I really liked and I was on the fence about that green top.  I almost kept everything because of the 20% discount!  I've scheduled my next fix for the end of June and added some more comments to my personal style profile.  Here's hoping for another fun fix!

Want to try out Stitch Fix and join the legions of home shoppers?  Here's a personal invitation from me!  (Total disclaimer, Stitch Fix gives me a nice referral bonus if you sign up!  Then I can buy more clothes!)

What else have I gotten?

Fix #1 - May 2013
Fix #2 - June 2013
Fix #3 - July 2013
Fix #4 - August 2013
Fix #5 - September 2013
Fix #6 - October 2013
Fix #7 - November 2013
Fix #8 - December 2013
Fix #9 - January 2014
Fix #10 - February 2014