Stitch Fix #2

I'm here to tell you about my second Stitch Fix box. It was waiting for me when I got home today - a day early. Gotta love that!

Just to recap, Stitch Fix is a personal styling service. For a $20 per month subscription/styling fee, I receive a box of five clothing items and/or accessories to try. To get started, I completed a detailed survey about my style preferences and sizing information. I can keep one or more items, and if I do my $20 styling fee goes toward that purchase. If I love the whole box and decide to purchase it, then I receive a 25% discount. If I hate it all, I'm out my $20.

Whatever I don't want, I simply put into the postage paid envelope they provide, and ship it back to Stitch Fix. So long as I do that within three days, I will not be charged for the items I didn't keep. Before I ship anything back, I log in to my Stitch Fix account and give them some feedback as to what I'm keeping and/or sending back and why.

Here's this month's fix:

I really like how the contents of the box are packaged, and I love the styling cards that go with each piece. I only keep the cards that go with the pieces I keep, but I like looking at each one for styling ideas.

The shirt on the top really got my attention. I loved the fuchsia color and the neckline. However, I wasn't so crazy about what it looked like on me.

41 Hawthorn Breyson Split-Neck Tab-Sleeve Knit Top - $48

The fabric was a heavy knit jersey, and I didn't think it was flattering on me. It's the kind of fabric that hugs every curve. No thanks. This one will be returned.

Under Skies Topanga Crochet Detail Flutter Sleeve Blouse - $48

I really like this one! The off-white color makes it wearable with so many things, and the crochet detail and lace at the sleeves and the hem make it special.

^^ This one is a keeper. ^^

Next up is one that I had seen on another blog recently, and I was ambivalent about it. Ultimately I decided that it's just too busy, and that it draws attention to my middle - a part of me that I'm not at peace with. Ha! Into the envelope it goes.

41Hawthorn Franklin Striped Side Gathered Short Sleeve Shirt - $54

And then there was a dress. I love dresses, but I don't wear them often. This one I cannot see wearing. The fabric was too heavy for this time of year, and the waistline didn't hit me in the right place. I have a long torso, and I didn't like the way it hit me.

Pomelo Kathy Striped Fit & Flare Dress = $68

I don't think it's awful, but I can't say I liked it enough to keep it.

The last item in my box was a pair of pants. They were too small to even bother trying them on. To be fair to Stitch Fix, in my style profile I indicated that I usually wear a 6 or an 8. These were not sized like that. Instead they were sized as an M - medium. I guess if I were pulling pants for someone who wears a 6 or 8 pant size, I would probably pull an M, too. They were just the world's smallest M!

Margaret M Emer High Waisted Cropped Trouser - $98

Beautiful blue color, right? But, even if they had fit I wouldn't have kept them at that price point. I walked into the Goodwill on Saturday morning looking for some jeans for our upcoming camping trip, and I found two practically new pairs of CAbi ($108 retail) and Banana Republic ($90 retail) jeans for $7.98 each. Sure I had to wash them three times to get rid of the Goodwill smell (what the heck is that from?!), but I am so pleased with that purchase. I can't say I'd shopped for myself at the Goodwill before, but I don't usually pay more than $40 for a pair of pants or jeans at LOFT. And I'm even happier when they are marked down less than that!

Once again I ended up keeping just one item from this fix, and I'm fine with that. The kinds of things Stitch Fix has sent me so far are not the kinds of clothes I will be bumming around in over the summer. I'm utilizing Stitch Fix to enhance my work wardrobe more than anything, and the pieces they send me are along those lines. I've set up my next fix for August since I'll be traveling quite a bit next month. With the three-day turnaround required by Stitch Fix, I don't want to take a chance that I won't be able to get things back in time.

See you in August, Stitch Fix!

{If you'd like to try Stitch Fix, here's the link to my referral code: Joannah's Stitch Fix Referral Code. When you sign up for your first fix, I will receive a $25 credit for my next Stitch Fix - something you will get as well if your friends and family sign up in the future.}

First Stitch Fix

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine posted about Stitch Fix on Facebook, and I was intrigued. Stitch Fix is a monthly personal styling service. For a $20 styling fee, I receive five items of clothing and accessories. I can purchase one or more of the items and apply that styling fee toward my purchase, send them all back and lose my $20, or purchase all five items for a 25% discount off the list prices.

As someone who shops almost entirely in one place (LOFT), and doesn't have much time to shop, Stitch Fix seems like a really good way to try some new things, and expand my style via someone else's fashion resources and expertise.

After I signed up, I filled out a lengthy survey about my style preferences and sizing, and then I waited for my first "fix" to arrive. It arrived a couple of days sooner than I expected it to, ending my anticipation in the best way.

Inside the cute box, everything was presented very nicely:

My stylist included a personal note to me:

There were styling suggestions for the pieces she sent me:

And then the goodies themselves - wrapped up:

And unwrapped:

This fix included a necklace, two tops, one skirt, and a pair of jeans.

I loved the first top! It was a dusky purple, silk, and it had some crochet details on it. However, it was just a bit too small for me. So I didn't keep it:

Pomelo Shelli Crochet Detailed Tank $68

The second top was sleeveless and off-white. I suppose it would have made a good basic wardrobe piece, but I just didn't love it:

41Hawthorne Natasha Front Pocket Sleeveless Blouse $58

Finally, I tried on a cute black and white skirt:

Mystree Triste Chevron Striped Swing Skirt $58

This I could see wearing and I decided to keep it. However, in retrospect, I should have kept the necklace instead. It was kind of a modern two-toned piece, and the same price as the skirt. I'm sorry that I didn't take a picture of it! The thing is, I usually don't spend that kind of money on accessories. But skirts last a few years at best, and a necklace like that would have been with me for decades to come. Lesson learned.

The only piece of clothing that I did not model was a pair of jeans. Actually, I didn't even bother to try them on because they were distressed. I guess that's the politically correct way of saying, "Here's your new pair of $88 jeans with holes in them!" I am not going to wear jeans with holes in them. I guess I'm just too old for that kind of fashion.

In order to avoid being charged for all the items, I simply had to put them in their return, postage-paid envelope and mail that back to Stitch Fix within three days. So easy! I just gave the package to the office manager at school, and she gave it to the letter carrier when he delivered the mail.

The only other thing for me to do, besides enjoy my new skirt, was to go back into my Stitch Fix account and let my stylist know what I thought about each piece. I pretty much told her what I told you, and I also let her know the pieces were a little higher priced than I typically spend. I can see paying $58 for a dress, but not so much for a top. Know what I mean?

Anyway, overall it was a good experience, and I'm looking forward to seeing what Stitch Fix sends me in June.

If you'd like to try Stitch Fix, just click here. When you do, I'll receive a $25 credit toward my next Stitch Fix purchase (as does everyone who refers a new customer). :)

In the Garden

After Easter we had the worst, and terribly unusual, weather in the form of fierce Santa Ana winds and intense heat. That kind of weather isn't too unusual for fall and winter, but it is for spring. The first week like that brought down a mature tree in my sister's backyard - narrowly missing their roof. My trees are still standing, but my poor little vegetable garden suffered terribly. I lost all my bush beans, my radish and beet sprouts, and my strawberry plants were singed.

Today I trimmed back the strawberries because I could see that they have some new growth on them already, but I pulled up the beans. Michaela and I went over to the plant nursery and purchased some more veggies to replace those we lost. I'll put them in the ground before this long weekend is over.

As hard as those two heat waves were on my vegetable garden, my more established flower garden is no worse the wear. In fact, while I was out in the yard today, I was so happy to see how beautiful everything is right now. My roses and hydrangeas are putting on quite a show, and some of the wildflower seeds I sowed are now blooming. The only thing I'm really waiting on is for my Crape Myrtle to blossom.

While we were at the nursery, I picked up a few perennials to fill an empty space in the front yard flower bed. Although the plants are still small, they are already blooming. Two of the plants are French lavender. I love the smell of lavender, and they are right outside my bedroom window.

Come join me in my garden:

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