This is my review of my first “fix” from Stitch Fix. For those who don’t know, Stitch Fix is an online personal styling service. You can read all about it at stitch fix.com. You start by filling out a very detailed questionnaire about your size, shape, budget and fashion preferences so your personal stylist can get a sense of your style and what you might like. Then you schedule a “fix.” I signed up for monthly fixes so about once a month I will receive a box in the mail with five clothing and/or accessory items hand-picked just for me. They give you three business days to try on your items and decide what to keep and what to send back. There is a $20 styling fee, but if you purchase anything from your box they will apply the $20 to your order. Also, if you purchase all five items in your box you receive a 25% discount off the total price of everything. After you decide what to keep and what to send back you give Stitch Fix detailed feedback about the items you received to help them do a better job on future orders. The ladies at work who turned me onto this said the more feedback you give the better.

Also very cool, they send you a photo card with ideas on how to style the items they’ve sent you:

When thinking about signing up for this service I became fascinated reading the blogs of other Stitch Fixers, looking at the photos of the clothes they received and reading their thoughts about the items. That inspired me to blog about my own Fix.

I am not being paid by Stitch Fix and this review is not endorsed by them in any way.

If you would like to try Stitch Fix yourself, follow this link:https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/3377683. If you do I will receive a $25 credit should you decide to sign up.

Excuse the bad selfies — there was no one around to take pics. Also excuse my utter lack of any tan — it is February people. Temps are in the freaking 60s here in San Diego so why would I be out in the sun???

So, on to the Review of Fix #1:

By way of background I should say that I told Stitch Fix I was going on a Caribbean cruise and was interested in receiving cruise-worthy items, including perhaps a cocktail dress and more casual dinner attire. Thanks to my stylist, Michelle, who really did a great job for the first one.

My first item was the Kahlo Racer Back Striped Maxi Dress ($78):

It is ivory and black with a tomato red lace embellishment in front. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the embellishment (I saw it with a yellow embellishment on someone else’s blog), but the dress is soft and comfortable, fits well (not too low-cut) and, most importantly it was the right length — with a bit of a heel it does not need to be hemmed.(Probably a bit too much heel here.) I thought it would be good for a casual dinner night on the cruise and something I could wear at home with a jean jacket over it. The Verdict? Kept.

Update: Here I am wearing the maxi on vacation in St. Kitts. It was very comfortable, great for casual activities and lounging (not that I spend a ton of time “lounging” but I like the idea of it. ) 🙂

The second and third items were the Priya Tribal Printed Knit-Back Tank in turquoise and navy ($54), and the Calla Solid Swing Skirt in navy ($58). Bewildered looking Golden Retriever not included. 🙂

The skirt was comfortable and fit well. I hemmed and hawed over whether to keep it but at the end of the day I have a black skirt that is very much like this. The Verdict? Returned. The tank on the other hand was unlike anything I have in my wardrobe. It is described as turquoise but is more of a deep mint green. It is a silky material with the print on the front and the back is solid green in a knit — different! I might have liked it a tad better if it was black/green instead of navy/green but I thought it would look cute both with white or black slacks for work or on the weekends with jeans. The Verdict? Kept.

Update: Here I am wearing the tank top at dinner with my cruise buddy Candy.

Update: Here is the top with some dark denim jeans from Talbot’s (Heritage cut, color:Indigo).

The fourth item was, I believe, my stylist’s attempt to provide me with a cocktail-type dress for the cruise. She sent me the Dovette Draped Detail Dress in a teal green ($58)(it looks a bit blue in these photos but is actually teal).

I liked how this dress emphasized my curves and made my waist look small. It fit surprisingly well. What I didn’t love was the sash across the front. There was too much fabric. I felt a bit like the Statue of Liberty. Far be it from me to mock Lady Liberty, but I don’t take my fashion cues from her. Also, I was not a big fan of the color (also Statue of Liberty-like). The Verdict? Returned.

The final item was the Toren Cropped Cargo Pant in white ($88):

I was super excited about these as I loved the idea of a white cargo capri for the trip. Unfortunately, as you can see, these did nothing for me. They are a parachute-type material which would be great for the tropics, but was a bit too sheer. I also didn’t love the rose gold detail on the side of the leg. They were comfortable with good stretch but would probably work better on someone with a less curvy bottom half. The Verdict? Returned.

So, all in all a fairly successful first Fix. I have two items that will definitely go with me on my cruise and I’m happy about that. Even if nothing had worked I would have found this worth the $20 styling fee just for the entertainment value. Until the next Fix, I will be working on my tan and working out … 🙂

Lo