Saturday, January 17, 2015

Stitch Fix Unboxing: Marked Up Mommy Style

Warning: I'm a mom. This blog post will not contain amazing fashion blog-style photos or perfect hair and make up. I use my iPhone 4s to take selfies and that's not ideal, I understand this. Now that you've been warned, I will continue.

I got my 6th Stitch fix box today!! It's exciting, it's fun, it's like a present, man. And I love presents.

But aside from the present thing, there are a few practical reasons why I continue to get regular Stitch Fix boxes.

I'm a mom of 4 kids. 2 of my kids are in school, one is preschool age, and the baby is 10 months. I bring this up for two reasons: first, my body has been altered. I am no longer a size 4, flat-chested, no lumps or bumps kind of girl. I can't just pull an outfit off the rack at the Gap and look amazing in it. I. Must. Try. Things. On. Annoying, I know, but there it is, the life of a grown woman.

This brings me to the second reason I bring up my state of parenthood. I literally can't successfully shop (i.e., try on clothes) without some kind of break down. And I'm not talking about my 4 year old. So I end up snagging a few cute things when I can, trying them on at home, then making a trip back to the mall to make returns or exchanges because (of course) something(s) didn't work like I expected them to.

What's worse is sometimes I'm too busy, or tired, or I just refuse to go back and make a return with my two adorable children who are hell-bent on keeping me from ever having a decent pair of jeans. I used to love shopping. Sigh.

But I digress.

My box came and it looked like this:



Isn't it cute?? Ok, it's just a box. I know, just humor me. But then I opened it, and it looks like this:


What you see here is the instructions on the upper box flap, and then everything you see when you open it. There's a card from my stylist and an invoice in the envelope, there's a postage paid mailer to send back whatever I don't keep, and then my stack of clothes wrapped in tissue. I usually look in the envelope first. Some people avoid looking at the prices until they check out their items, but I just can't. Price is definitely a factor for me, and I don't want to fall in love with something that's way out of my budget. What's great about this service, however, is that if your boxes are too expensive for your liking (I expect at least one item to be priced above average), you can leave appropriate feedback when you check out online. Next time, they will know that a $70 shirt just isn't going to make you a happy lady. 

So here's everything:


Ahhh!!! Look at my stuff!! (Please excuse the blurry phone pic)

In this box, I got a gray stretchy hi-lo tee by Market and Spruce, a soft jersey knit cardigan by Splendid, a pair of boyfriend jeans by Kut from the Kloth, a striped knit infinity scarf, and a soft knit hoodie top thing by Sanctuary. What I love about these brands is that a lot of them are made in the USA or are local boutique brands. 

I love that all the clothes come with styling cards, to give you an idea of how to wear each piece (for fashion novices such as myself). You have 3 days to figure out what you want to keep, so spend that time trying the clothes on with other items in your wardrobe. I'm lucky because my boxes have been coming on a Thursday or Friday, and the 3 day rule doesn't apply to the weekend. So I usually have until Monday to "check out."

Here's my pretty clothes as they came to me:


The gray tee is hiding in there between the jeans and the blue cardigan. 

I did try things on, so you can see how they look on. However, remember my pictures are super lame. I'm sharing them anyway because it's good motivation for me to upgrade my phone or use a better location for next time. 

I took a shower. I worked out, so I really needed a shower, but then I didn't have time to do anything with my hair or face because I had dumped the baby on my husband who was supposed to be working from home that day. He was very happy about that. 

Here's the Market & Spruce tee and the boyfriend jeans. I've been seeing this tee show up in other fixes and have wanted it for so long. I'm keeping it. Soft, stretchy, flattering. Looks like it will wear well and can be dressed up or down.

The jeans are super comfortable and fit perfectly. Although $78 isn't a terrible price for nice denim, I have a couple pairs of boyfriend jeans that I love right now, and so I don't need these. 


Next was the scarf. I went and threw it on with this same outfit: 


Not the best angle, but it's just a basic infinity scarf. Great piece and would go with quite a lot, but I don't need it. I got a lot of scarves for Christmas. Also, I can't help but think I could knit this myself quite easily.

Next, the hoodie:


I probably would have kept this is it wasn't almost $80. For a top. I would easily spend that on a nice dress or a pair of jeans, but this is a thin knit hoodie in a strange orangey color. So, no thank you. It's a very nice brand and made in the USA, hence the price. I might look around elsewhere for something similar as this could work well in the summer for vacations on the lake. I did like it, just not enough.

Next, another very pricey, almost $80 cardigan:


Splendid is a great brand. The fabric was amazingly nice, so soft and stretchy. But again, not worth the price to me. Just a basic tab-sleeve cardigan, nothing fancy or unique about it.

So let's break it down. The Stitch Fix service fee is $20. I paid that when they shipped the box to me (linked to my debit card). However, if I purchase something in the box, I deduct that fee from the total price. You can look at it two ways: either the service really ends up being free, or you are getting an item for $20 off the retail price. Then, if you decide to buy the whole box of items (and I did once), you get 25% off the entire purchase, plus the $20 deduction for the fee you already paid. If you love it all, it really does end up being worth it. If I had bought this whole box, the jeans would have been free. 

If you don't like anything, or nothing fits (this has never happened to me), you are out the $20 styling fee. It's a gamble, but the odds are really in your favor.

So, all I kept this time was the gray tee but I love it. It was a $44 top, minus the $20 fee, so $24 for a top that I love, that I didn't have to search for among racks of items with kids climbing through my legs or yelling because they are hungry. I also didn't make any impulse purchases on stuff I didn't need or didn't end up fitting because I was too overwhelmed to even try anything on.

Completely worth it. Completely.

If you want to try the service out, feel free to use my referal link. I do get a little credit if you sign up and get a fix shipped to you. Click here --->

https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/3791642


Also, thanks for reading this lengthy blog post. Next time I will give you prettier photos. Or maybe I won't. Now you know this is me. I'm really a busy mom who barely has time to shower. Or take pictures outside while roses bloom to my right. Or when the lighting is perfectly aligned with the arch of my cheekbone. 

You're welcome, and happy Stitch Fixing!















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