Intro to Stitch Fix

If you know me in real life, odds are you have heard me wax poetic about Stitch Fix. My older sister talked to me about it for months before I bit the bullet and tried it, and now I've been converted and am bringing others along with me (including my mom!)

What is it, you say? Great question!

Stitch Fix is a personal styling service. It's basically a remote personal shopper. Here's how it works:

1. You sign up for the service and fill out a style profile. Basically, you tell them about your body type, your likes and dislikes, and the genres of clothing you would like to receive. You can also give them a price range of what you would like to spend for different types of items. For those of you who follow modesty standards, this is the place to include those as well. (For example, I told them no short sleeves or sleeveless, no shorts, nothing super tight, and all skirts should be at least to the knee.) You can also link to a Pintrest board to give them a better/ more extensive survey of what you're into. You can see mine here. (In case you couldn't tell, fashion-wise, I still sort of wish it was 1957.)

2. Whenever you're ready, you sign up to order a fix. You can get them automatically every month or every other month, or you can order one whenever you feel like your wardrobe could use a little freshening up. Shipping is free both ways!

3. A stylist views your profile and picks out five items especially for you! You are not charged for the items when they are shipped. Instead, you are charged a $20 styling fee for the service. However, that $20 goes towards any items that you keep, so the service only costs money if you don't keep anything. Additionally, they send style cards for each item, suggesting two ways to wear it-- one for more causal occasions, and one if you want to be a bit more formal. This can be especially helpful if you are sometimes stumped about how to wear certain items.

4. Once the package arrives, you have 3 business days to try everything on and decide what you like. You then check out online, telling them which items you want to keep and which ones you are returning. In addition to commenting on fit, quality and price, there is also a box to leave feedback. (In this part, it is important to be VERY specific! Don't be afraid of hurting their feelings-- feedback is important!) If you are returning things, you put them in the enclosed pre-addressed envelope and drop them off at the post office. And if you are in love with your whole fix, you get a 25% discount off the box!

A few things to know:

1. Try everything on! Trust me. Sometimes you see something you think you'll hate or would never wear, and then try it on and it looks amazing and awesome. This is a good way to push your style boundaries a little. Take advantage!

2. If you usually shop at places like Target and Old Navy, this is going to cost you more than you are used to spending. In my opinion, it's worth the extra money to have things that are higher quality and for the convenience of having them sent to your house, but be prepared to pay more. However, once you order your first fix, you get a referral code you can use to get your friends to sign up. Any time someone orders their first fix using your link, you get $25 of credit! So if you're willing to spread the word, it can really help mitigate the cost.

3. They have recently added lines for petites and maternity! So if you are short, or expecting, or short and expecting, they have you covered! Unfortunately, at the moment, Stitch Fix only offers up to size 14, but they say they are working on expanding their offerings, so hopefully that will happen soon.

4. For those of you looking for modest clothing, I've had pretty good luck with them. In my first box, 4/5 things followed the parameters I had outlined for them, and when I pointed out the item that didn't, they adjusted for my second box. Again, the trick is to be specific!

5. It's super fun! It's like getting a present every time, albeit one you have to pay for. Additionally, it's a good way to try styles you might never have considered for yourself otherwise. And everyone says, the more times you do it, the better sense they get of your style, so the boxes get more accurate.

So that's Stitch Fix! I'll post pictures of what I kept from my past fixes soon. Also, my next fix is coming next week. I'm excited, and hope all of you will help me decide what to keep!