Stitch Fix Box #1 - August 2015

Oyster just wanted the box

I received my first Stitch Fix box! yay!  If you don't know what Stitch Fix is, I gave a quick run down in this Stitch Fix - A Primer post. Check it out, and if you have any questions that I didn't answer there, just drop a comment below and I'll do my best to answer. Basically, in each box, there is a note from your stylist, 5 pieces of clothing, a style card for each piece to give you ideas on how to wear it and a pre-paid return envelope for you to return any of the pieces that you do not want to purchase. Everything comes neatly wrapped in tissue paper inside of a sturdy box that has the Stitch Fix logo printed on the inside. It's a small detail, but details matter.  It's just another added level of customer service - by making a pretty presentation.  Or is it just me?  Could be, but I do pay attention to those types of things.

Love the teal logo

Style Cards and note from Lindsey

My stylist this time is named Lindsey. She did a pretty bang up job considering the information I provided her was a bit on the vague side. The 5 pieces she sent were:


Bay to Baubles Carmelita Twisted Wire Hoop Earrings
41 Hawthorn Sloane Colorblock A-line Ponte Shift Dress
Brixon Ivy Donna Embellished Neckline Blouse
41 Hawthorn Angela Quilted Detailed Blouse
Liverpool Collen Straight Leg Jean

So, before I share photos of me wearing the clothing, just a disclaimer.  
I am not a model or a photographer.  I am not a fashionista.  I am not even a real blogger.  I am just a regular person trying out a subscription clothing service. Just like millions of other women out there, I struggle with body image and am overly critical of how clothing fits. Surgeries have created puckers, bumps and weird bulges in places that they really shouldn't be and that makes finding clothes that fit properly that much more difficult. Add the middle age thing that happens after 40 and well...  blah.   These posts are mostly to share additional info with the Stitch Fix stylists.  The feedback fields on the SF website have a limited number of characters and, let's face it, I am quite wordy.  Just trying to make sure that they - the stylists - have all the tools necessary to provide me with pieces that will flatter (mostly hide!) all my puckers, bumps and weird bulges.  It's an added bonus if anyone else reads this and gains any amount of enjoyment, help or whatever from it.  I guess I have delayed long enough... on to pictures!

Bay to Baubles Carmelita Twisted Wire Hoop Earrings

These are really cute and are of nice quality but not really something I can use.  For one, the hoops are ginormus, at least for me.  I prefer small to medium hoops and while these are not dinner plate sized, they are definitely bigger than what I would normally wear.  In addition, I recently purchased a set of about 7 pairs of sterling silver hoops in various different sizes. The detailing is actually nice, though - a step above my plain silver hoops. At this point, I believe I will be sending them back, but that also hinges on what I hear from customer service on one of my other pieces. Edit: Heard back from Customer Service. My request on the other piece was a no go, so this will be the only item I keep from my first box.  Bummer.  I will likely be gifting them to some lucky soul this Christmas. Or maybe I could ebay them? 

41 Hawthorn Sloane Colorblock A-line Ponte Shift Dress

First, I have to say, when I saw this straight out of the box, I loved it.  The colorblocking is really cute.  The neckline is a good one for my size and shape - higher necklines usually work better for me.  The cutout detail added a little something to it that made it more interesting. I normally wouldn't gravitate towards navy but adding the orange and cream with it made for a great combo! I had high hopes that the orange detail would actually provide me something that I don't naturally have - a defined waistline.

Per my measurements, my waist is totally smaller than my hips.  But from the front view?  You can't tell!  It's because most of my hip measurement is in my ghetto booty. Couple that with a pretty small difference in measurements from bust to waist and my torso appears to be a straight line. It makes some styles very difficult to pull off.  Unfortunately, the dress is one of them.  I think if the orange was a smidgen higher it might have worked but I have my doubts. The material wound up being a little too clingy across the belly too.  That is where those surgery bumps and puckers I spoke about earlier come into play.  My belly pokes out - like any good middle aged belly should! But because of missing pieces inside, there is an indent right under my gut.  This dress grabbed ahold to that indent and basically made me look 4 months preggers.  The photo hides most of it, but you will have to take my word on it!  The material was nice, thick and soft.  The style worked for me, but as much as I wanted to adore this piece, the fit issues made it a no.    There is one other thing. The zipper.  You can see in the photo. It's zipped up, but wide open! Not good!

Brixon Ivy Donna Embellished Neckline Blouse

Another piece that I loved coming out of the box. Love the beading! It is sort of a bronze-ish color. It goes with the navy excellently. I had very high hopes because of the way it is cut - slimmer on top with a slight flare to the waist and hip. (helps hide that belly!)  Plus it really is one of those types of tops that could be worn both casually and professionally. HOORAY!  I put it on and decided it was a touch too small. My first thought was "I'll contact customer service and ask for the next size up!"  Then, I started looking a little closer.  Look at the photo - right above the doorknob - almost even with my elbow.  See that?  A little piece of material jutting out? There is a bunch of small gathers sewn in right there and it creates that...whatever.  I first thought it might also be solved by getting the next size up, but...The armholes are too big. I understand that they are poking out like wings because the rest of the blouse is too tight. Getting the next size up will allow the room for them to not poke out, but the fear is that if they hang naturally, they will hang entirely too low. Plus, a bigger size will likely mean bigger armholes. I don't want to spend the cash to find out. In looking at this photo, holy wow. It really makes me look like a have linebacker shoulders. LOL!  

41 Hawthorn Angela Quilted Detailed Blouse

Coming out of the box, I thought "WTF?!" I like green so the color was okay, but the material felt odd to me. When I held it up, my first thought was "No. Just...No." but per the unofficial Stitch Fix rules, I tried it on. I don't necessarily hate the style. It fits loose. I like the neckline. Even the little pleat-y details there are sort of cute. 3/4 sleeves can be nice at times. I would consider keeping it if not for the weird thing the hem does. See, this blouse has quilting (per the name?) across the back of the shoulders, on the sleeve cuffs and along the hem. The hem. *sigh* Am I too picky? Maybe. But when I put this on, the hem poked out. It's.. not right. If you look at the photos, you can see a slight curvature in the side view. (Look at the below pic, with the jeans - it shows there!) It makes it look like I am standing with my hips thrust forward and my butt tucked up. I just don't like it. At all. Darn it. And besides, the material was odd. I could look past that if everything else   about it was great, but it wasn't.

Liverpool Collen Straight Leg Jean

This is the piece that makes me the saddest. Jeans are so hard to find. Every single woman in existence will tell you that. When you find a pair that fit, it's like chocolate, Johnny Depp and a rainbow unicorn all rolled up into one piece of glorious awesomeness. This pair was an eyelash width away from being just that. The are snug, yes. But they are thin(ner) and stretchy. Gaining or losing 3-5lbs wouldn't make them unwearable. Dark wash, and they looked GREAT on my butt! (Any woman that tells you that isn't one of THE most important criteria for jeans is a damn liar!) Of course, there was a slight problem. *insert frowny face here* They are short. Look at the photos. (including above with the embellished tank) Is it me? Right now they are okay. But jeans have to be washed/dried. That equals shrinkage. Shrinkage = too short. I checked with Customer Service and they do not have them in another length. I could roll them up, but it looks silly because the inside is daaaaaaark. *sigh* I love everything about them except the length. Opinions? 

So there you have it - my recap of my first Stitch Fix box, which technically was a bust.  Everything was close, but not. quite. there.  I am keeping the earrings, just so that I didn't throw $20 out of the window (they are actually $28, and the least expensive thing in the box) I don't know if I am just overly picky or not, but when I started I swore to myself that I would not keep stuff just for the sake of keeping it. Every piece had to make me feel fabulous when I wore it and I am sticking to that. If I don't absolutely LOVE it, it goes back.  

If you would like to receive a box of Stitch Fix goodies for yourself, head on over using this link and start filling out the style profile for yourself.  Full disclosure:  if you use this link you are actually providing me with a $25 referral credit when you order your first box.  It doesn't cost YOU anything, it is just Stitch Fix's way of a) getting free grassroots advertising and b) thanking it's customers for said free grassroots advertising. Once you order, you will get your own referral link to pass along to your friends too!