I’ve been watching my front steps like a hawk this week waiting for the FedEx truck. I have waited MONTHS for my next shipment from Stitch Fix! My last fix was in December and I knew I’d want to try again. So once the timing was right, I booked that baby and set to waiting. As in I scheduled it a few weeks ago to get sent on a specific day and I keep checking the calendar.
Why the wait?
Well, my original fix was so-so. I really loved one piece, liked three, and disliked one. But I sent it all back – for several reasons.
1. I didn’t have a whole lot of extra cash at that point. It was just before Christmas and while I could have asked for a piece or two to be part of my presents, I just wasn’t sure enough to make that justification.
2. The pieces were fairly spendy. There was no way I was going to spend $70 on a pair of jeggings. Nope. Can’t do it. Especially when I found this pair on Amazon with stellar reviews for almost a fourth of that.
3. I really wasn’t sure what I was looking for in my wardrobe. I knew I wanted some new clothes, but I have been really bad over the last few years about buying random pieces and hoping they work with what I have at home. Now that I’m building a capsule wardrobe with the Big Book of Outfit Formulas I know exactly what pieces I’m looking for and don’t need to waste my time on other pieces.
Now that I’ve got a little bit of spending money, plus a bit of Stitch Fix credit, and I know what types of pieces I’m looking for, I am READY! Are you ready to see what I got?
If you’ve never done Stitch Fix and aren’t sure how it works, keep reading! I’ve got a little tutorial down below for you 🙂
If you want to watch the live unboxing I did on Facebook, you can see that here, otherwise just take a gander at the pictures to see the goodies I got – I really liked this fix! Also, I’m a goof when I need to take pictures. Is it really possible to take decent pictures when using a timer? 😉
1. Skinny distressed light wash jeans
Light washed jeans are on my to-buy list so I was excited to see these in the box. They are incredibly stretchy, which is awesome, they go up high enough to help hold in the mom-top, and they are sooooo comfortable. Like I didn’t want to take them off. But they are $58 for torn jeans. Ugh.
Y’all. I’m a hot mess when it comes to certain things. I’m perfectly capable of distressing jeans on my own, just give me a year, or less 😉 And if there is a hole in my jeans? I’m 100% going to catch it on my toes when putting them on, or on a cupboard door or something and make the rip worse.
So yes, the jeans feel amazing. If they weren’t distressed I’d be super, super, super interested, even at the $58 price point, just because of how soft and comfortable they are. But I don’t see these lasting for more than a few months before I’ve caught a rip while getting dressed and torn out the whole bottom leg. RETURN
2. Polka dot blouse
This is my favorite piece in the whole box. I don’t know why I love polka dots so much but they simply make me happy. There are small details on this top that are adorable and make it stand out from a typical top, like the keyhole back and tulip sleeves.
As I’m building my capsule wardrobe I’ve noticed I have a severe lack of patterned or nicer tops. I live in solid colored tees, maybe a graphic tee thrown in on occasion. I basically have zip for nicer events or if I simply feel like dressing up.
I also liked the fit of this top. It fits comfortably now but won’t be too big as I continue to drop a bit of weight. I can see this becoming a go-to top for me. KEEP
3. Red criss-cross tank
I couldn’t get the lighting quite right on this tank but it’s more of a wine or burgundy than bright red. I like the color but I was not a big fan of the fit. The length was great, but the plunge of the top was too deep. I felt like I needed to keep pulling it up or would need to wear a cami underneath, which then would show with lines and through the criss-cross.
Also, at $38 this felt really expensive for a simple tank top. I’d much rather spend that money on a different piece in the box. RETURN
4. Floral kimono
I have been on the hunt for a kimono for the summer! Not only is it on my list for my capsule wardrobe I’m also simply in love with how they look! My typical wardrobe up until now has been a tee and cardigan. I like layering and the pop of color a cardigan can bring. Or using a neutral cardigan with a colored tee. But that doesn’t work in the summer!
When I started seeing kimonos everywhere I started hunting for a good deal. Cents of Style offers them quite frequently at a discount but I still hadn’t found one in store to try one first… not that I have really tried because going clothing shopping with all the kids is not the type of shopping experience I want – which is why I’m doing Stitch Fix in the first place 😛
Ultimately, as much as I like this kimono, I couldn’t justify the $38 knowing I can get them cheaper elsewhere, ya know? But now that I know I do for sure like it I’ll be hunting more intentionally 😉
5. Red high neck tank
I wanted to love this. Like really, really wanted it to knock my socks off when I put it on. It’s totally different than anything I own and the fabric is soft and thick enough that I wouldn’t worry about it being see through without another layer.
Ultimately once I tried it on it simply didn’t fit right. It could be my wide hips but I wanted it to hang instead of getting stuck. Because it sat on my hips it bunched more in the midsection than I was comfortable with and the bust area was roomy, so my bra would end up showing. Super bummed out, but now I can start being a little bolder in my top choices since I’ve realized that I’m comfortable in louder patterns. RETURN
So what now?
If you’ve never done Stitch Fix before, here’s a quick run down of how it works.
1. Sign up with Stitch Fix here (if you are new that means your styling fee will be waived for your first box!) and fill out the questions. The most specific you are, the better. If you love green but hate purple – tell them! If you are not looking for dressy, tell them. If you want to dress to the nines and make everyone say, “WOW” when you get on the dance floor, tell them! If you want items that are under $50 or over $100, tell them. Word vomit if you need to 😉
2. If you have Pinterest, start an inspiration board and share it with your stylist. Pin pictures of outfits or clothing pieces you like or even looks you are interested in trying! My board is filled with a bunch of ideas, many of which I love the look of but don’t actually own pieces for so I don’t know how they’d look on me! But I want to try, so this is a great way to do it.
3. Schedule your Fix. You can pick a specific day – like I did for this fix – or just let them send one when they are ready – like I did in December.
4. If you signed up using my referral link your styling fee will be waived. If you didn’t sign up with a referral link, or if this isn’t your first time, you will be charged a $20 styling fee. This styling fee can be applied to anything in your box that you choose to keep. This means that $38 shirt from up above that I’m keeping will only cost me an additional $18, not $38 on top of the styling fee.
5. When your fix arrives, try everything on. Post pictures on Facebook, Instagram, or send them to your friends for input. Get your spouses opinion. Make sure that you choose items you love, and don’t compromise just because. I didn’t feel guilty about not keeping anything in December because I hadn’t paid the styling fee. If I had I probably would have kept the shirt I really loved.
6. You have three days to try your items on and decide what to keep or send back. You are only charged for what you keep, and the styling fee is applied to those items. If you choose to keep all five pieces you will receive a 25% discount – not too shabby!
7. Check out on the website and give feedback for every item – be specific about what you loved or what you hated so your stylist knows for the future! The more feedback you give the better they can work with you for your next fix.
8. Send the items you don’t want back in the included, prepaid envelope. Just drop it off in any USPS mailbox and you are done!
Now that I’ve chosen my pieces I’ll be sending the rest back. I can guarantee you I’ll be wearing the polka dot blouse soon!
As for the items I didn’t choose…
Because I enjoyed several of the pieces in this box I’ll be looking for places to get similar pieces, without the high price tag. Because I’m a frugal girl I’m all about hunting down a good deal – I just needed to know what to look for!
Recreate the Stitch Fix box for less!
1. Skinny distressed light wash jeans
Skinny distressed jeans are not hard to find so there are LOTS of options, depending on your price points. Here are a few options I found at various stores.
These Pohiya Women’s Mid-Rise Skinny Jeans on Amazon are less than $20 – and when you are an Amazon Prime Member you can get free returns just in case you don’t end up loving them. Sweet!
Want a pair that’s easy to return in store? Target carries these Universal Thread Destructed Skinny Jeans for only $27.99. And because Target runs sales ALL THE TIME if you wait a week or two I bet they’d go on sale! Or if you are impulsive and want them now, that works too 😉 Don’t forget to use your REDcard for an extra 5% off and free shipping!
Want light washed jeans but not the distressed style? I totally understand. Target to the rescue again with these Denizen Modern Skinny Jeans. I have several pairs of Denizen jeans and they are ridiculously awesome. I scored three pairs last year when they were running a sale for $15 per pair – WOOT! They normally run about $20-30 so if you can be patient, I’d wait for a sale.
2. Polka dot blouse
Because this was my favorite piece I was really interested to see if I could find the same or similar item elsewhere. Surprisingly, I couldn’t find it! Either the polka dot shirts came in different cuts or fabrics or the similar style did not have polka dots. I picked a few you could choose from!
This one from Amazon is navy blue with white polka dots… but the dots are bigger and it’s not the same material. My blouse is more of a crepe type fabric but this shirt is a mix of cotton and spandex. But at half the price for the Stitch Fix option and 4.5 stars, it’s not a bad choice!
And of course I needed to find something from Tar-jay because, it’s the best. This sleeveless button up top is on the dressier side and is made with a similar material to my Stitch Fix top. And again, less than half the price at only $17.99.
Don’t care about the polka dots but really want the tulip sleeves and keyhole back? I’ve got ya! Amazon to the rescue again. The cut of this top is spot on to the top I got, but in a solid color. You can even get free shipping and free returns as a Prime member!
3. Red criss-cross tank
One of my biggest issues with the tank from Stitch Fix was how low cut it was. I tried to find similar items that didn’t seem like they’d show off my whole chest!
The color of this top is different but the style is virtually the same. It’s hard to tell where the V-neck would sit because there aren’t pictures of the shirt on a model. There is a picture from a customer that looks like it would sit high enough so hopefully that would be the case!
Or you can eliminate the V-neck completely and get a regular tunic tank in the same berry color as my tank from Stitch Fix. There is a large variety of colors available in case berry isn’t your jam 😉 See what I did there? I’m hilarious.
Then there is this tie back tunic tank that adds a little something extra to an otherwise simple design with at the bottom in the back. For only $12.99 this top is a steal! Plus, get an extra 5% off if you are a REDCard holder.
4. Floral kimono
I really, really liked the look of the kimono, but ultimately couldn’t justify $38 on it because I knew I could find one cheaper. And I was right!
I grabbed this one to show you because it’s got some of the red flowers that the original had. But there are over a dozen different solids and patterns available if this one isn’t your fave. Judging by the nearly 1800 reviews giving this poncho 4 stars on Amazon, it seems like a pretty safe option!
And I couldn’t very well ignore this kimono since it’s less than $10! I really like the soft colors in this one.
5. Red high neck tank
This top was the hardest to find comparable items for because how on earth do I describe it to a search engine? My card from Stitch Fix described it as a “halter top” but it does not feel or look like a halter to me, but I still searched using that term. And the design? It’s not floral, at least not in the traditional sense, so this was a challenge. What do you think of my choices?
This top seems to have a similar shape, but the design isn’t quite hitting the mark. This top is more pink and the pattern and other colors aren’t as vibrant or eye popping. But it might be a good choice for less than $20.
I found this halter/tank that is from the same maker/brand as the top I received in my Stitch Fix box – Renee C. So no, this isn’t exactly the same as the tank above, it is probably the same quality and fabric, which would make it a win in my book. The red top was so nice! I really wish it had fit better.
And while this one isn’t actually a top, I know plenty of people, myself included, that would rock this short dress with a pair of jeans and a cardigan and call it good! It’s got the same vibrant color selection that the top in my fix had but with a longer length and a crochet topped for a little something extra.
What do you think? Did I find some good options for less?
How about my box choices? What item(s) would you have kept?
Don’t forget! You can get your first shipment from Stitch Fix for FREE when you sign up with my referral link!
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