May 2015 Stitch Fix Review

Woohoo! I came home to my second ever Stitch Fix! I'm so excited! And with this lovely box, my New Year's Resolution is coming to a close. I can at least be proud that I made it past the planned 3 months of not buying any clothes. If you're not familiar, the premise of Stitch Fix is that you fill out a questionaire about your size and style preferences, and then schedule when you want the clothes to be delivered. There is a $20 "styling fee" which gets subtracted from the price of whatever you keep, and you don't pay for whatever you send back in the pre-paid return package.

In the message to my stylist, I requested things appropriate for our variable spring weather. I said I wanted to go a little edgier than I had in the past, and was really hoping for pale distressed skinny jeans, a moto jacket, and a brown purse that I can wear cross-body style to replace the black bag I've been carrying for, well, a couple of years now.

Here's what was in the box:

Fun colors. Off to a good start. No moto jacket. Alas.

I started with the jeans, seen here in the two pictures on the left. They are the Haiden Distressed Straight Leg Jean made by Kut from the Kloth, $88. Distressed? Check. And a fun two-button closure with a slightly higher waist? Also cool. But then again, the color just about the same as the hand-me-down Citizens of Humanity jeans (which I cuffed to look like the Haiden), seen in the picture on the right. I have so many jeans, I think I can only justify them if they're significantly different from ones I already have. So, moving on.

This is the Moni Geo Print & Camisole Blouse by 41Hawthorn, $58. I love the fun orange color and print! I also appreciate that it comes with an off-white tank to wear under the blouse because it's see-through. My first inclination is that this is a keeper. I'm a little wary of the way the sleeves gather, it feels a little funny on the backs of my arms, and now that I see the pictures, is it strange that you can see my pants so clearly underneath? Is it awkwardly sheer? Also now noticing that the neck is flipped down, I have a feeling that might happen all the time. Although that doesn't really bother me. A slight downside is that it's not stretchy so pulling it off, it gets kind of caught around my shoulders and I had to do some minor gymnastics to get it over my head. So, back on the fence. But I do love the color.

Next I grabbed the bag, which I'm super psyched about. The Lyla Woven Crossbody Bag by Urban Expressions ($54) is big enough to carry all the various things do-dads I carry around, like my phone, wallet, and an extra sweater. Wouldn't have picked the chain-style strap for myself, or the woven detail, but I like it that it's got a little pizzaz. Looking again at the jeans, they're not doing me any favors.

I am LOVING this navy and white striped sweater, the Addison Striped Knit Cardigan by 41Hawthorn, $48. Even though I say I think 3/4 sleeves are dumb because they don't keep you warm in a cold office, I feel like I could make an exception for this. It's a lightweight, loose knit and I've been wanting to branch out into open-front sweaters, as all of mine are solid color crew-neck with buttons all the way to the top. Leaning toward keep.

Finally, I tried on the Jakobe Cevron Print Maxi Dress by Pixley, $78. It is SO COMFY. I can see myself wearing this to work with a sweater or to a cookout in the summer (I love long skirts because they are both warm and protect from mosquitoes!). The colors are right up my alley. Also, I was wearing it when Nate came home and he told me he liked it! Unprompted! That's a major plus. Side view leaves something to be desired, and I'll have to hem it a little, but I'm still leaning toward keep on the dress.

Not bad for my second fix! Now for decisions, and the downside to Stitch Fix. If you keep all 5 items, you get a 25% discount on the total. So, if I buy all 5, minus the discount, the total is $249.50. Kind of a lot of money. If I keep everything but the jeans, I end up at $238, which is almost the same amount. That feels kind of like a waste, right? So that makes me lean toward also returning the orange blouse to get it down to $180, which I feel kind of better about (maybe this is crazy reasoning?)... I'm not feeling so rich right now. If I was really being stingy, I would only keep the bag. But I do like that sweater. And I like wearing the dress. What to do??

UPDATE/Recap:  When it came down to game time, I kept the bag and the maxi, because those are the two items I think I'll use the most. I really did like all the things that came in the box, if only I had endless space in my closet and money to burn! I decided against the striped sweater because it was thin and 3/4 sleeves, not really warm enough to wear in my office, and also seemed pricey for a rayon/nylon blend. Mom and Molly both voted for the orange top, but I was too nervous about getting in and out of it without tearing the seams. The color and print were super cute though!

UPDATE, AFTER A FEW WEEKS: I am loving both the dress and the bag, but am sorry to report that the gold bedazzlements on the bag's strap catch my hair and rip it out, a couple strands at a time. Sadly, I can only really use it when my hair is up in a bun or otherwise away from my shoulders. Word to the wise!

If you think you might be interested in Stitch Fix, check them out! If you use the link, I get a little "referral bonus" credit to use toward my next shipment :)