A quick review on Katrina Lake's Stitch Fix.
With nearly $1 billion in sales and even more positive Stitch Fix reviews spread throughout every crevice of the internet, Katrina Lake's personal styling service isn't doing too shabby.
In recent years, clothing hasn't quite spoken to me in the way that it used to. Sure, there was a time where I loved exploring little markets in Taipei for trendy pieces and I still get a little carried away with my Forever 21 purchases from time to time, but those nuggets of joy that stemmed from the hunt of cute clothes seemed to fade as I got older.
Since university, I never thought much about my personal style or what I look best in. Perhaps it comes from the uninspiring fashion in college, where doing the most was a basic t-shirt, jeans, and a pair of Uggs. Perhaps it's from the beautiful Mizzou 22 that I now carry so well. Or perhaps I just got lazy. Who knows? But you get the point. I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to fashion.
And that's exactly where Stich Fix comes into play.
For those of you who aren't familiar with the service, Stich Fix is a clothing and styling service. The process itself is simple. When you sign up, you take a quiz that asks you questions regarding your clothing size, personal style preferences, and how much you typically spend on your clothing. You can also submit a Pinterest board that your stylist will take into consideration.
My favorite aspect of the survey was the place where you can add notes throughout the survey. For example, I made sure to include that I typically wear a 25" inseam (yes, I realized that I'm short). But that just makes it harder to find pants my size, a challenge that I did not want my stylist to overlook.
Anyway, once you're finished with your survey, a stylist will be chosen for you and handpick five items based on what you wrote in the survey. You pay an initial service fee of $20 as well as the price of each item that you decide to keep, but you also get free shipping and free returns if you have any. If you choose to keep all of the items then you also get a 25% discount on your entire purchase.
After you decide what to keep and what to return, Stitch Fix will send you a survey so that you can provide feedback and improve your next experience. And with that, you're onto your next Fix, if you so choose.
When I opened the box, I was instantly gratified by the simplicity of every piece of clothing and impressed that the color palette was to my liking. As in, everything was neutral and mostly black.
In total, I received five items, including the Evelynn Ring Detail Crossbody, the Kay Skinny Jean, the Angelo Criss Cross Back Cotton Blend Knit Top, the Matt T-Shirt Dress, and the Dagmara Smocked Top.
After my initial excitement wore off, I dove into my box, examining every detail and imagining how they would work with the rest of my wardrobe. And most importantly, how I felt when wearing each piece. Though, my experience ended up like how I choose a boyfriend. I find one thing wrong with them and kick 'em to the curb until I find the right one for me.
The crossbody was definitely cute, but the ring detail felt a little excessive and didn't match my style as much as I would've liked. The knit top was gorgeous, especially the detail in the back. But, it was too thick for the California climate. The smocked top was definitely something that I would wear... well, half of it, at least. The non-smocked part. The t-shirt dress was the right length, but it wasn't exactly flattering to my body shape.
And finally, I got to the jeans. They were just the length that I wanted—25" inseam, as requested. The size was slightly too big, but the fit and comfort of them matched jeans that I already loved. A rare find.
If you couldn't already tell, in the end, I only kept the $88 jeans. However, I exchanged them for a smaller size.
And while I didn't necessarily keep every item, I felt happy and comfortable with myself and the clothes, something I haven't felt in a long time. And that, to me, is priceless.
Now enough talk about my feels. Here's a breakdown of what actually worked and what didn't.
• Personalized: From the quiz to the personal note left by my stylist, I appreciated how curated each Fix appeared to be.
• Convenience: I liked not going to the mall or stressing out when trying on clothes since what was provided to me was more or less my correct size.
• Easy to use: Everything was spelled out by Stitch Fix. There was no guessing how long I would have to wait for my box or how I would have to return it. Using the service was straightforward and easy.
• Sylists really listen to what you want: The only real comment I made when doing the survey was about my jeans. And my stylist got it so right. So, definitely make sure to note exactly what is important to you. You'll have a greater chance of finding something that you love.
• Price: I'm the type of girl who shops at Target for her clothes. So, paying that much for a pair of jeans is honestly painful for me to hear. And all of the items were between $36 - $88, a price that I could not justify unless I truly loved everything about it.
• Only have 3 days–sort of: The deal is that after you receive the items, you get three days to try on the clothes and return them. However, that's not a lot of time to figure it all out. Luckily, if you go to the site, you can select another return date that is further out. Though, I wish that Stitch Fix advertised this more.
• It might take a few times: So, obviously, I didn't love every item. However, there is an opportunity to communicate with the service to get down to what you really like and don't like. Next time, you might get something that you love. Though, the time and money that it takes to get there might not be worth it, depending on who you are.
I felt like Stitch Fix's service helped me grasp my personal style more than anything. Well, I definitely realized what I didn't like and I learned to be more specific when it came to my clothing choices. An experience that I would not replace in my journey into loving fashion again.
The convenience and easy-to-use aspect of it were a definite plus, and the price of the service itself is perfect. However, the price of each piece is high and something that I can't see myself doing regularly.
Personally, I would try Stitch Fix again, since I found my new favorite pair of jeans *and * I found a little bit of myself again. However, I would probably do it as a treat to myself rather than something I do month to month.
Want to make the most of your Stitch Fix experience? Stitch Fix shared a few tips and tricks with us. Check them out below!
How to Make the Most of Your Stitch Fix Box?
To help their stylists deliver the best Fix possible, clients should fill out the profile thoroughly. And if their style aesthetic changes, as most of ours do from time to time, we encourage you to go back in and update your style profile. This can even happen from season to season. Do you have a favorite store or celebrity style crush? Let us know! This will help us hone in on your personal style and get to know you better. Social media accounts, especially Pinterest, are also helpful to get a general sense of your personal style. We even have clients who create a dedicated Pinterest board just for their Stitch Fix Stylist.
Stylists do their best to send pieces that fall within a client's desired price preferences. Budget is personal and by sticking to a client's preferences we are able to let our clients know we are listening. We also always strive to send clients pieces that they will absolutely love. If there is a piece that a client has specifically requested or that your stylist thinks will really help round out your closet, they'll send it to you even if it may be slightly outside your price preferences.
While Stylists are located in different regions across the country, they style clients regardless of location. Stylists are assigned to clients based on a variety of reasons but proximity is not one of them. For example, if you love a Fix a stylist sent you, it's likely they will be your stylist again in the future!
Stylists may change each time or stay the same depending on if the stylist nailed your style and you were delighted by the Fix. The relationship between the client and the stylist is something that both stylists and clients value. That being said, clients can always mix it up and request a new stylist.
Feedback is always extremely important—it's one way we get to know our clients better! By continuing to share your preferences with your stylist, he or she will get a better understanding of who you are, your lifestyle and ultimately find you pieces that you love. Feedback and specific requests can also help guide your stylist to help them nail your Fix. We want to know what you are looking to add to your wardrobe, what you loved in your previous Fix and what might need an adjustment—so leaving detailed feedback about fit, price, and style is extremely helpful.
Stitch Fix carries outerwear, performance clothing, accessories, denim, premium brands, extended sizes, and more. And we are always adding new brands and product lines! We just launched Stitch Fix Kids in July, so we're excited that Stitch Fix can officially dress the whole family!