Fix #3 from Stitch Fix - July 2014!

I received my newest Stitch Fix this morning. One day early! The weeks between my deliveries seemed to fly by...I could hardly wait to open it. Last fix, I was very impressed with the items Shay, my stylist, put together for me. So, I requested her services again. I was not disappointed. Let's see what they sent me, shall we?

The best part is opening the box and seeing what's inside. This time, I had a necklace waiting for me. My first accessory! I don't wear rings, bracelets or earrings, so I've been looking forward to finding out what kind of necklaces they might pick for my fix.

This fix had fewer patterns and more solids. That was okay with me. I'm a solids gal. There was one strange print peeking out from behind that teal clothing item as you can see in the photo. What is that???

Next, I opened up the envelope. I don't look at prices. What I like to do is try everything on first. Decide what I really, really like and THEN check out prices. I don't want to be scared away from an item just because of price...and sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised at the cost of some items.

I received two tops, one pair of pants, a maxi skirt and a necklace. I knew right away I would like the teal sleeveless top. The maxi skirt also appeared to be a winner...the fabric and pattern appealed to me immediately.

The pants...well, they were a very strange pattern. I'd asked for some cropped pants since I started receiving Stitch Fix in May, but this was the first pair they'd sent me. They were also a pair of pants I'd requested by name due to some other Stitch Fix blogs I had read. However, I had never seen them in a pattern before...the pairs I'd seen were bright solids like red or blue. Hm....

Time to try things on!

1) The first item I wanted to try was the Emer Diamond Print High Waisted Cropped Pant by Margaret M for $98. Remember, I did not look at the prices when I tried the pants on. My first impression was that this was a weird print. See close-up photo below. Yes, kind of a strange harlequin thing going on here. A bit clowny maybe.

However, I wanted to give them a chance.  I pulled them on. They are made of a thick stretchy material. When I first saw them, I didn't know if they would fit me...but these babies are very very expandable. They also have some tummy control in them. The fit was actually amazing. I liked the length. I'm not particularly comfortable, however, with super tight pants that show off my thigh area. I think I had flashbacks to the late 80s/early 90s when I'd try to put my hourglass figure in leggings with loose sweaters. I came out looking like a big round person with mega legs. It was not pretty. If you are built like I am, you realize that showing off the waist becomes very important. Here I am in said pants.

I mean, honestly, not bad...from the side. From the front, I think there is just too much emphasis on the width of my thighs and the crotch area (I spared you that photo). I would probably need to do some specific shopping to find a top that I'd like to wear with these pants. Very specific shopping. However, I did set them aside, just in case the 25% discount made them more interesting. MAYBE.

Note: These ended up being a definite NO after looking at the rest of my fix and realizing these pants were the most expensive thing in the box! No thank you.

2) The next item I tried on you can see in the pants photo: the Esten Button-Up Sleeveless Blouse from Collective Concepts in navy at $54. Oddly enough, my fabulous hairdresser got her first Stitch Fix last week and had this same blouse in her fix, but in a lovely coral color.

The fabric is very light. I loved the feel of it for sure. It is sheer, as you can see in the photo, but when I tried it on with a nude bra, it really wasn't as see-through as I thought it might be. Below there is a picture of me wearing the top (I apologize for the blurriness. I have a really hard time taking photos of myself with one hand!).

My stylist mentioned on my style card that she picked out this blouse to pair with the crazy clown pants. I did wear them together as you can sort of see in the previous pants picture. However, this is a free-flowing top. For me, that is a killer when you are wearing something so form-fitting as those pants. I look like a blob with chunky thighs. If this blouse had a gathered waist or a peplum or something to define my waist, the two items would've looked better together.


Luckily, when I tried this top separately with other clothing items I had, it looked really good. I didn't mind how loosely it fit because it was so comfortable and light. I also like that it unbuttons all the way down, so I could wear something under it like a tank top. My hairdresser wore a bandeau top under hers and unbuttoned the blouse a couple of extra buttons and that looked super cute.

Navy is a good color for me, so that pushed this blouse over the top and it went in the keep pile. KEEP.

3) Next I wanted to try on the Charlie Mixed Stripe Maxi Skirt by Mystree with a price tag of $68. When I took this skirt out of the box, there was instant love. The feel of the fabric, the mixed striped pattern, the black-and-gray all said 'buy me!' I have a lot of black and gray clothing items, so I knew I could pair many things with this skirt if the fit was right.
I grabbed a black t-shirt out of my dresser and put it on. When I pulled on the skirt, I realized I missed something about it...there is a side slit that goes a bit above my knee. I wasn't sure how I felt about the slit. I just bought a maxi dress that also had an unexpected slit, which grew on me. For a moment, I wished the slit wasn't there, but after walking around in the skirt and giving it a looksee in several mirrors, I was happy with the slit. It wasn't too revealing, and it added an extra surprise to the skirt. I loved it!

There is a small bit of lumpiness about the waist (please ignore the bumps and lumps in photo!), but overall I think the skirt is quite flattering. The darker color means I can get away with wearing this in the fall as well. KEEP.

4) The final clothing item to try on was the Cadance Open Back Cowl Neck Top by Lily for $34. I loved the bright teal color right out of the box. I also knew that the cowl neck and shape of the top would be flattering. I love cowl necks! The fabric is thin and light for summer, but I could definitely see layering this under a cardigan or blazer for the cooler months. It is quite long, so you can pull it down or scrunch it up to hide figure flaws. It also had this lovely cut-out mini-cowl thing in the back.

That is what I love about Stitch Fix items...the added little details and surprises that I don't find in cheaper clothing. It's always nice to think you have something interesting going on in the front and the back of your outfit! I couldn't get a good picture of the detail in back, so here's close up of the top itself from the front (a little bustier from the angle I shot the photo then when you look at it straight on--this was the best photo of the bunch). This is the item I wore right out of the box! KEEP.

5) The last item was the accessory I received: Trisha Clover Charm Layering Necklace by Pixley for $32. I love silver. This necklace would definitely be something I'd pick out and wear. Most of the time when I see someone receive a necklace in their fix, it is over $30 so the cost did not surprise me nor scare me off. I do not have a necklace of this length, so I am very very tempted to keep it. I was really hoping that I'd like all 5 items in my fix, and that the necklace would be my 'free' item. Plus, I have a $25 credit, so I could pretend the credit pretty much paid for the necklace...but the failure of the clown pants meant no 25% discount. Argh! 

Here's a picture of me wearing it with my black t-shirt.
It was incredibly hard to get a good photo of the necklace without blocking out my whole face...sorry!

This is a tough call. I tend to buy the cheapest of the cheap costume jewelry...throwing items out after a few years when they break, discolor or go out of style. It is very tempting to buy something of better quality that I know I would wear a lot. I'm going to think about it for awhile and post an update when I make my final decision. MAYBE.

That's it, people. My July Fix. LOVED IT! This is such a fun experience. I never go shopping this often, so I feel like I am giving my wardrobe a major overhaul. With the addition of these new pieces, I have been weeding out the loser items. You know what I'm talking about...those items in your closet that you hold onto for years but never wear. Either because you want to lose weight or need to buy something to wear with it or maybe you are keeping it because you used to love it. I've got a number of those things...and with the addition of Stitch Fix pieces, those useless items are going into the donation pile.

If you are thinking about signing up for Stitch Fix, feel free to use my referral link (shameless plug). I will get a $25 credit when you receive your first fix. Just want to be open and honest!

I want to try Stitch Fix!

Come back for a visit in August to see my next fix. Or check out my previous fixes here:

Stitch Fix #1 - May 2014
Stitch Fix #2 - June 2014

UPDATE:  I checked out this morning (7/8) and decided to send back the pants and the necklace. Although I loved the necklace, it wasn't special enough for me to buy it. Hoping they send me something more unique in a future fix. Also, I corrected the price of the Cadance Open Back Cowl Neck Top by Lily in my post. The checkout page had the price listed as $34 NOT the $44 that had been listed in my box receipt. So that was a bonus!  I spent $131 after a $25 credit was applied. Not bad!