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Sunday, November 29, 2015

My First Fix with Stitch Fix

I had heard of a new kind of online shopping experience for men which sounded perfect for my husband Kiran or men in general, the concept being that they send you a package of clothes and you keep what fits/suits you best and the rest goes back. I thought what better way than having someone else do all the hard work for you while all you do is choose what you like from a curated set that caters to your style. And one day I thought why not for women? How come no one has thought of this for women..... maybe because women are more enthusiastic about shopping, why would they do away with someone else doing the most enjoyable part about shopping....window shopping....well until you buy that is ;) But here is the thing...Life happens and you lack the mojo to get out of your comfort zone to actually explore what other options there are..dressing wise. Wouldn't it be perfect if someone went out looking for what best fits your needs and you choose from the bounty! A quick google search yielded websites targeting to this specific need catered towards women too and after the search they kept tagging me everywhere I went haha so I decided I would give it a try. I went to the Stitch Fix website and signed up and filled out a  looong questionnaire asking me for measurements, what size I usually wear and chose which look I gravitated towards from the various images of looks they presented like bohemian, classic, biker chic, casual etc. They also asked for a link to my Pinterest board that spoke of my style sensibilities, which I thought made so much sense. Overall they are making a thorough analysis of understanding your style and needs. After that all you have to do is schedule your next fix... 

Here it is! My First Stitch Fix! 

The days leading to the arrival of my fix were filled with anticipation and excitement......Will they get it right? What will I do if I don't like any of the items in my fix? How did I trust someone else to do the choosing for me? And lastly.... what if I absolutely loved all the items sent to me and the gross total is way above my spending budget? I had to rationalize my thoughts by saying the worst would be losing the $20 stylist fees but the novelty of the experience is worth the money and the best would be finding someone who understands your style aesthetic on a long term basis!

And my package arrived...exactly on the date it was scheduled for! The unboxing was uniquely sensorial and felt like I was treating myself to a customized shopping experience roller-coaster. 


I absolutely adored the details that went into branding Stitch Fix, from the tape used to seal the package, the insides of the box lined with their logo to the stickers they used to tissue wrap the clothes, to how much thought actually went into choosing garments for me and also having style flash cards for every item in the box showing two ways for pairing them. I thought the flash cards were a genius way to guide someone(me) who is absolutely lost for ideas on how to make the item work in their wardrobe. The icing on the cake had to be the part where everything and I mean every single thing fit me like it was tailer made for me......now thats what I call bang for your buck!!




In the image above you can see they sent a note with numbered instructions for the course of action depending on the items you want to keep and return. The other note was the breakdown on prices for each item. They also sent a souvenir in the form of a cell phone case cardholder. There was also a pre paid envelope to send items you decide not to keep. 

Everything that came in this shipment was weather appropriate as it came in October mimicking what I would be shopping for in real time, like fall and winter essentials, if I went shopping. The fix included a pullover sweater, an open cardigan,  a jacquard print straight leg pant, a stripped dolman top and an infinity scarf.  

The wrapping paper looked crisper before I wrapped it close for this picture :)


The pullover sweater had a very soft and comfy feel to it and the length of it was perfectly long to cover my behind. From the two looks they had created, it could be dressed up or dressed down. What did not work for me was the color, I thought the color blended into my skin tone. 


The cable knit cardigan was warm, cosy and had an unusual detail in the way the collar was connected to the pocket. I instantly liked this piece for how utilitarian it would be in my wardrobe.



Next up was this straight leg pant with jacquard print and stretchable waist. Its length was exactly where I wanted it to be and the color made it possible to pair with many things that were already in my closet. 




The stripped dolman top would be ideal to layer under jackets and blazers and the material was airy and flowy hugging you where you would want it to hug and flared out below waist. It worked well with a scarf which was what the next piece of item in my fix was, an infinity scarf which came with illustrations on how to wrap it. I was not sold on the quality of it and seemed a little over priced for what I would normally spend on a scarf.


To make a final decision was confusing and dizzying at the same time. What also added to the pressure was the items I decided not to keep were supposed to be mailed back in three days time. I made a mental checklist of what worked in my favor for each piece and how I could get the most use of the piece/s I decided to keep. 


Finally I zeroed in on the blue jacquard print straight leg pant for the following reasons:



  • Finding pants that fit me well is a task!
  • Finding printed pants that fit me well and the print not overpowering me is also a task!!
  • Finding pants that have a stretchable waist is a boon that I will get good use of for a long time even though I aim to maintain the same size for the rest of my life, you get the drift right?!!!
  • This piece seemed to justify the need for a stylist as opposed to all other pieces which I could source on my own!!!!
  • I have nothing else to add really, other than the fact that I wanted the pants haha!!!!!

To summarize what I liked and disliked about my experience with Stitch Fix:

PROS: 

  • The quality and fit was worth the effort and need for a stylist if you are in a pinch for time or just generally.
  • You just pay for the stylist upfront and if you decide to keep any item the stylist fee with be credited to your bill. 
  • Special mention needs to be made on how they stuck to the price ranges I had mentioned in the questionnaire filled out at the beginning of the process.
  • The prepaid envelope to send items you decide not to keep makes it breezy to return items.
  • You pay for the items you decide to keep online and fill out a survey about each item so your stylist better understands your style aesthetic for the next fix.

    CONS:

    • There could be items you like but may be over priced to what you normally like to spend.
    • If you don't send your return package in the three days time, you will get charged for all the items in the fix and this caused a bit of an anxiety.
    • There is a learning curve for your stylist to understand your style profile better so it can be a hit or miss for a while.
    • This is more like a fun fact than a con, be sure to check what items you want to be sent i.e do you want them to send earrings, bangles, scarfs or do you want them to stick to just clothes.
    • If you have a change of mind and want an item you already mailed, there is no way you can get it back. 
    • They ship to US mailing addresses only for now.


    Note: I had miscalculated the number of days the return items were supposed to be in the mail to be three business days but turns out they mean just three days and if the third day falls on a holiday then you will get an extra day. So I mailed in the package a day late and wrote a ticket on their website and got an automated reply saying they were currently experiencing higher ticket volume and if the query was regarding the current fix I could hold on to the items until I hear back from them, which means everything worked out fine in the end!!


    p.s: I will get a referral fee of $25 every time someone signs up through their website link on this post and have their first fix shipped. So visit Stitch Fix and fill out your own style profile.








    13 comments:

    1. I had never heard of Stitch Fix. What an amazing alternative for fitted clothing!

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      2. It's an experience worth trying atleast once for the novelty of it, thanks for reading Dani!!

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    2. Had never heard of stitch fix before but now I know.

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    3. I have been wanting to try them! I love the first sweater picture!

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      1. Thanks Lindsey, I wanted to keep all of them haha

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    4. A friend of mine does Stitch fix and keeps trying to me to get it. I'm a bit concerned about finding the right clothes since I can be different sizes with different designers.

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      1. Mary you must give this a go! Since they have your exact measurements and there is an actual stylist picking clothes for you, its very hard to get the sizing wrong i feel!

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    5. I've never heard of this service but it seems pretty cool! I like the pants, shirt, sweater, and scarf you got! The pants look good on you. And I know how difficult it is to find pants that fit so that's a plus for them!

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      1. Thank you so much Sassy Critic Beauty! it feels like a luxury to have someone do all the hardwork for you while all you do is dress up pretty haha

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    6. Awesome blog and you, would like to try

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      1. Prachi, thank you so much! You must try their service too!

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