There are a ton of monthly subscriptions that have become popular in the last year or so…BirchBox, Ipsy, FitFabFun, Julep Maven, etc.  I’ve tried a few and ended up canceling my subscription.  They send great items, but I’ve figured out that I’m a creature of habit and ended up rarely trying anything that I was sent.  There were a few things I used, but for the most part, the items just ended up back in the box they came in and were added to my clutter piles.

Even though I’ve cancelled all of my subscriptions thus far, I was still intrigued when I heard about Stitch Fix (glutton for punishment maybe?).  In a nutshell, you spend $20 to schedule your “fix” and a personal stylist will send you 5 items of clothing/accessories straight to your door!  Once you receive your items, you have 3 days to try them out and decide if there are any you want to keep.  Whatever you don’t want to purchase, you send back in the enclosed bag.  Your initial $20 goes towards the purchase of any of the pieces you want to keep.  If you send it all back, you lose your $20, but if you keep all 5 pieces, you get 25% off the entire purchase price!

It’s a little bit of a gamble, but I like Stitch Fix for a couple of reasons.  First of all, I like that It isn’t a monthly subscription.  You say when you want to get your box, whether it’s monthly/every other month/quarterly, you decide!  Secondly, it’s only $20 to order your fix and while it’s scary to think you might not want anything and you’d lose 20 bucks, chances are that you’ll like at least one thing.  Thirdly, who wouldn’t want hand picked pieces of clothing delivered to their door?!  I don’t have to drive all over town and go from store to store? Sign me up!

When I signed up before Christmas, the first available date wasn’t until January 17th.  Seemed like forever at the time, but it was probably about a month out from when I signed up so I was okay with that date.  Of course I wanted it RIGHT NOW, but good things come to those who wait, right?

Well…the wait is over!!

My package came yesterday afternoon, but since I hadn’t showered, still had to workout for the day and needed to take the dog to the vet, playing dress up with my new clothes wasn’t going to happen just yet.  I did open it up and check everything out though.

It all looked pretty good.  Cute tops, good colors, polka dots!  I was immediately hesitant about the jeans, but decided to reserve final thoughts until I actually tried them on.

I put it all back in the box and waited until after my shower that evening to try everything on.

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First up…Kensie Jeans, Johnny Skinny jeans {$88}

Initial impressions: they don’t look like anything special, but I’ll see how they fit.

Thoughts: I am more than willing to spend $100k-$200 on jeans, but when I put them on, I want to love them.  These were just…okay.  I did like that they had a good amount of stretch to them.  They almost seemed like jeggings.  Plus, as I predicted, they were a little snug.

Ultimately: Sent them back. If they had fit though and weren’t $88, I would have likely kept them just because I don’t have any good jeggings.

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Next up…Honey Punch, Lanna Cross-Front Polka Dot dress {$68}

Initial impressions: Super loved the polka dots and the colors were great (it’s hard to tell but the dress is dark green with mauve polka dots). Light weight enough so you could wear it in the summer despite the long sleeves, but also wearable in the winter if you layered it.

Thoughts:  The v-neck was great and the bottom front hem was adorable and I loved the overall style of it, but…it doesn’t fit.  I’m not tall (5’4″), but this dress was made for someone shorter than me.  The cinched waist is above my actual waist and it was overall just too short.

Ultimately: Sadly, sent it back

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Next…Daniel Rainn, Barcelona Striped Silk Short Sleeve Blouse {$78}

Initial impressions: It’s not something I would have been drawn to, but I like the colors and I love the zipper at the back of the neck (not pictured, sorry).

Thoughts:  I like it!  It’s not something I would pick out and it’s not something I would usually wear, but that’s part of the reason I wanted to try this service.  I want to break out of my comfort zone and wear things I wouldn’t necessarily pick out.  My hubs was in the room when I was trying everything on and he gave this shirt a thumbs up.  The price tag gave me a bit of a pause.  Not sure I would pay that price if I were trying this on in the store.

Ultimately: I kept it. I liked it and so did the hubby.

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Next…41Hawthorn, Ivy Solid Tab Sleeve V-Neck Blouse {$68}

Initial impression: “Eh”

Thoughts: Hate it.  It’s just “blah”.  The material is that see through thin material that hangs so nicely and is great in the summer time, but unfortunately drives me batty. I tried it on and said, “eh, it’s nothing special”.  It’s just a black flowy shirt.  When I asked my hubs his opinion he said he liked it better than most of the stuff I wear.  Gee thanks, hubs.  :o/  Unfortunately he isn’t the one wearing it and as I was explaining to him why I don’t like it, I was even more convinced that it wasn’t for me.  I have a few of these types of tops in my closet and I rarely wear them.  The roll up sleeves that button to 3/4 length, drive me bonkers.  They keep falling down, but I want to keep pulling them up!  I see a lot of people wear them and they look great, but they just annoy the crap out of me.  Plus, it was too big for me anyway.

Ultimately: Sent back

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Last, but not least…Bay to Baubles, Blair Pave Chain Link Bracelet {$32}

Initial impression: My stylist got the memo that I like GREEN!  When I read, “pave link bracelet” on the invoice list I was worried it would be the same as a bracelet I already have, but I was pleasantly surprised that it was not.

Thoughts: It’s got an adjustable link closure so it fits a variety of sized wrists and the color is great, but I’m not sure how often I’ll wear it.

Ultimately:  Sent it back.  I don’t feel like the price reflects the quality and I noticed when I was taking photos that it’s missing a little jewel. 🙁

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Okay, so there you have it.  The unboxing of my first Stitch Fix!

At first I was disappointed because there was nothing I really loved.  Well, I could have really loved the dress, but it didn’t love me back.

After sleeping on it though, I think it was a great start.  I do really like the striped shirt, even though I thought it was a little pricey, and the dress could have been awesome had it fit.

Next step is to give feedback on the items I’m returning, tweak my online style profile and try again next month!  I think once my stylist gets to know me better and I get better at vocalizing what I like/don’t like, the picks will be closer and closer to items that work for me.  Lest not forget either that I signed up so I could stretch my fashion wings and get out of my comfort zone, which this box certainly did for me.

What do you think?  Did you agree with my likes/dislikes?

Have you tried Stitch Fix? What do you think of the service?

If you haven’t tried it, click here to schedule your own personalized fix!

Disclaimer: *this totally makes me laugh to type this* but, this was NOT a sponsored post.  I signed up and paid for Stitch Fix all on my own.