Fix #18 from Stitch Fix - July 1, 2016

What? Back again so soon with another review?

I know. It's crazy. A new Stitch Fix Review only a couple of weeks after my last one.

If you didn't read my June 14th review to find out why I have another Fix only 2 weeks later, please take the time to read about that here:

Fix #17 - June 2016

If you are entirely new to Stitch Fix, please read up on the service here:

My Very First Stitch Delivery and Stitch Fix Explanation - Fix #1

You can also check out a whole bunch of Stitch Fix reviews below. I've been writing them since May 2014:

Fix #2 - June 2014
Fix #3 - July 2014
Fix #4 - August 2014
Fix #5 - September 2014
Fix #6 - October 1, 2014
Fix #7 - October 29, 2014
Fix #8 - November 2014
Fix #9 - December 2014 
Fix #10 - January 2015
Fix #11 - February 2015
Fix #12 - March 2015 
Fix #13 - June 2015 
Fix #14 - September 2015
Fix #15 - December 2015
Fix #16 - March 2016

Now that you understand where this Fix is coming from, let's delve in, shall we?

This time around I had a single bundle in my box. No purses or jackets in this Fix. And look at all the pretty colors and patterns!

I had a little bit of everything in this box. And no gray or black! I hoped that my beloved stylist, Sari, had found me some good pieces after the fiasco of my last box.

For those who don't know my methods, I hang up everything first and then TRY EVERYTHING ON. Yes, even the things that I believe I won't like or are 'ugly' from first appearance. I have been surprised numerous times by the clothes in the box looking different on my body than on the hanger.

Here we go, people. Keeping my fingers crossed for success!

1) The first item I hung up was the Jessica Printed Flare Skirt from Renee C for $58. I really liked the funky, boho pattern. I'd pinned a similar looking skirt to my Pinterest board, so give Sari an A+ for effort! I had high hopes for this one. The waistband was soft, which is good for aging waistlines with a bit of extra pudge on the sides. Tight waistbands make for pretty ugly silhouettes in the over-40 set.

I tried this on with a blouse I'd also received in my fix.

Not bad. But I remember feeling like the skirt made me look very wide. In the picture on the left, I look a little waistless. I am not sure why. The length was good, but in order for this to be flattering at all, I'd have to pair it with a more form fitting top, and I really didn't have one that matched the skirt. Hm, not so sure about this one.

I put it in the MAYBE pile.

2) The next item I tried was the Plato Lace Inset Blouse by Creative Commune for $54. I thought this was lovely in color and style.

A very pretty pale blue with gorgeous lace detail and a nice pearl button in the back at the neck. Very feminine. Not something I would pick out for myself. I had no idea how this would look on me.

I really did love the pretty lace on this blouse. But as you can see from the straight-on photo, it turned me into a boxy blob. I wanted to have the top half of this blouse, but a different bottom half. Also, in the side photo you can see a low armhole that reveals underclothing. Not my favorite look.

Sadly, this went in the NO pile. On a narrower figure this really would've been pretty. Or, if I was a tuck-it-in kind of person or someone who wanted to layer this under a sweater or jacket.

3) Moving on, I decided to try the next top - the Semani Drape Front Blouse by 41Hawthorn for $58.

This had a lot going for it. I love the color. This kind of vibrant, electric blue looks very good on me. I also like drapey tops, as they seem to be flattering for me. I didn't take a picture of the back, but I should have. It had a pretty split back with an interesting detail near the top. Just trust me, it was neat.

But the trying on revealed this was way too big for me. I needed a size smaller. I was lost in a puddle of blue fabric, which somehow reminded me of Violet turning into a blueberry in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the 1971 original). The sides puffed out in an unflattering blob-like way. So sad!

This was dumped into the NO pile, and I never looked back.

 4) The next item I hung up was the Carlita Knit Maxi Dress by Loveappella for $78. I just recently received a Loveappella item in my March 2016 fix that I loved, so I was hopeful this would be another winner.

Fabulous Loveappela floral top from March 2016 Fix!

This dress was hard to get a full photo of because of its length, but here we go!

 

 Fabulous, colorful pattern. Wide straps. I really hope this fits well...

People, I have found the clothing MOTHER LODE! This dress was incredibly flattering, fit like a glove, and was just all over awesome. The waistline hit me perfectly (hard for me because not only am I tall, I'm short-waisted) and the straps and neckline hid the bra perfectly. Hello new favorite dress, welcome to my wardrobe.

A definite KEEP!

5) Last item in the box was the Emer Printed Straight Leg Pant from Margaret M for $98. I have received two other pairs of Margaret M pants, both of which went back to Stitch Fix. One for pattern problems (the 'clown pants' of July 2014) and one for fit (green pants were a tad too tight in the rear/hip area).

I had wanted a pastel pair of cropped pants, if possible. This hit both marks. However, I have my reservations about any pants labeled "straight leg," as I have anything but straight legs, plus I've got an ample backside to boot. But, hey, stretch fabrics are miraculous, right? I tried them on....

Be glad you are only seeing the front of these pants!

You are so lucky I'm sharing the best photo with you. The other two, oh holy heck, the pantylines were just atrocious. I couldn't do that to you, my audience. This front pic is bad enough. Yes, I could get them on. Yes, they were actually comfortable. But they were TOO tight and the fabric TOO thin for me to wear these in public. Which is such a shame, because if they had fit me well, I could've used a pair of pants like this.

This was a big NO. I even wrote in the comments for this particular designer that if she sends me anything else in the future, to give me a size larger. Clearly, I am not fitting into the sizes I usually have success with when trying on Margaret M pants. This is a zero-out-of-three for Margaret M!

So that is my entire box. I thought about the skirt. I just wasn't rah-rah-rah about the skirt. The price was reasonable, but I just didn't think I'd wear it very often. The skirt turned into a "NO," and I ended up with a 1-out-of-5 box. But a VERY VERY awesome 1 item it is!

I decided to get another fix at the end of July. Then I will be back on the once-a-quarter plan. Hoping I can still end up with some capri pants. This is the 3rd summer in a row I've wanted some. We'll see what my stylist can come up with!

If you have yet to try Stitch Fix, consider using my referral link below. I will get a $25 credit when you make your first order, just to give full transparency. Even though I've been doing these reviews for over 2 years, I haven't gotten much in the way of credit (not a complaint, just honesty...I write these reviews for the fun of it...not for the $$).

stitchfix.com/referral/3587901

Thanks for stopping by! I'd love to hear your comments on what I kept and what I sent back.

Also, if you are a reader, I just published a small collection of science fiction short stories on Amazon called SKYFALL. Check it out!

Fix #17 From Stitch Fix - June 14, 2016

My quarterly Stitch Fix delivery arrived one day early yesterday! Since I've cut back on my Stitch Fix boxes to once every 3 months, the arrival of a new box is even more exciting. I had been looking forward to maybe getting a pair of pastel pants (all the rage) or a fun colorful top to add to my wardrobe.

If you are new to Stitch Fix, please read up on the service here:

My Very First Stitch Delivery and Stitch Fix Explanation - Fix #1

You can also check out a whole bunch of Stitch Fix reviews below. I've been writing them since May 2014:

Fix #2 - June 2014
Fix #3 - July 2014
Fix #4 - August 2014
Fix #5 - September 2014
Fix #6 - October 1, 2014
Fix #7 - October 29, 2014
Fix #8 - November 2014
Fix #9 - December 2014 
Fix #10 - January 2015
Fix #11 - February 2015
Fix #12 - March 2015 
Fix #13 - June 2015 
Fix #14 - September 2015
Fix #15 - December 2015
Fix #16 - March 2016

Let's open the box and see what I received, shall we?

 I had two bundles inside my box. That's always interesting! Separate bundles usually indicate a bulkier item, like a coat or purse.

Through the paper, I could see color and pattern on the right. Feeling good about this one.

Unwrapped, I was happy to see the variety of color and pattern in the clothes. The purse was a lovely bright pink color, but I'm not really that into purses. So this one was a bit of a shrug for me. I probably could use a good beach bag, but another purse? Probably not.

But instead of focusing on the negatives, let's hang up the clothes, try them on, and see what we have!

1) First, we have the Florence Dress by Pixley for $68.00. I did love the patterned material of this dress. However, the style was not good. Typically, these kinds of gathered waist dresses look best on narrower frames with fewer curves. The gathered waist creates the effect of shape when maybe you don't have a lot of shape (apple body, slim hipped, etc.).

This is kind of the exact opposite of me. However, I didn't want to be a party pooper before I even tried it on. Those who have read my reviews for a long time know my rule: TRY EVERYTHING ON. I never toss something aside by looks alone.

So, I girded my loins for the expected result. My fears were not unwarranted. Behold, the dress on a curvier, more hour-glassy figure:

Yeah, about as expected. Wide shoulders, wide hips, I turn into a big box of a woman. My waist is lost in this dress. And the shapeless, loose top hides the bust area completely. That might have saved such a dress for someone with a body type like mine. Instead, what could've been a fun summer dress, turns into a very unflattering pile of cloth. Not to mention what goes unphotographed, which are the very open arm holes that would make any bra of mine visible to the world.

Big old NO.

2) Next on the list was the Kate Distressed Boyfriend Jean by Kut From The Kloth for $88.00. I thought these had potential. Kut From The Kloth pants have worked for me in the past. I think I have 3 pairs of pants from this designer.

However, the ripped up legs seemed a little young for 40-something mom. Hmm. Not so sure if this will fit into my wardrobe. I did need another pair of jeans, as I have some Levi's on their last legs.

I was a little disappointed I did not get a pair of pastel pants as requested. I mean, I know everyone can use another pair of well-fitting jeans, but I really wanted to see some summery pants in my box. Sigh...

I tried to be positive, hoped for the best and slipped them on. As you can see from the try-on pics they did fit just fine. They were comfortable, although I got my toe caught in one of the ripped up areas when putting them on. I decided to wear them while I tried on the two tops that came in my box to get a feel for the pants over time.

 I mean, they look pretty cute. Don't they? Hmm... I put them in the MAYBE pile as I continued on.

3) The next item was the Auburndale Tie Sleeve Knit Top from Skies Are Blue for $54.00. I have to be honest. When I unwrapped all the clothes and looked at them, I thought this top had deodorant stains on the front from a previous Stitch Fix customer. You cannot see the weird white stains on the picture I took of the front because not only is my picture horridly blurry, it just didn't show up well. However, the picture of the back gives you an idea of what I'm talking about. The back looked like someone had streaked white paint on it. It wasn't consisting streaking, or it would've been okay. It was rather random and looked accidental, like a stain of some kind.

Sorry it's so blurry and the color is off.

Weird random white streaks.

I actually took a washcloth to the front thinking I could scrub it away. That's when it became clear that no, this was no deodorant, it was intentional. Huh. Okay.

The fabric was also pretty thin and somewhat see through. Not sure I like that. But let's try that puppy on and see what we think!

Okay, when I put it on it was pretty flattering. And I did love the color. This is a good color for my skin tone. But, not only was the v-neck a little low for casual summer wearing, which is what this top would be, it had these ties at the shoulder as you can see in the 2nd picture below.

 I wasn't 100% sure this style was for me. As I said, I'm a mom in my 40s. Is this too 'young'? Possibly. But what really turned me off to the style was where it rested on my shoulder. I have had this problem before...the shoulder sat slightly back off my shoulders. It just didn't look right, and the ties were more visible from the back, which really wasn't the intent of the design.

In the end, it was the shoulder plus the weird white streaks (that aren't visible in the pics) on the front that looked like deodorant stains that put this sucker in the NO pile.

4) This fix was not going well for me. Yes, I was still considering the pants, but I only had 1 item of clothing left! The next item was the Bowie Solid Dolman Sleeve Top by Laila Jayde for $58. I had actually found this top on someone's Pinterest board, loved it and added it to my own Stitch Fix board to let my stylist know. I am a big fan of Dolman sleeve tops...usually because I have wide shoulders and Dolman sleeves always work for me. But also, the shape is flattering on my figure. I was pleased, too, that it was a fun color that was not something I had in my wardrobe.

 I really thought this would be a keeper. Everything about it seemed good. I tried it on:

Now, I have to say, this pic makes it look very cute and flattering. But it really wasn't that great. The material was thin and did not hang correctly, in my opinion. It sort of sagged on the sides. I just thought I could do better for my $58.

At this point, I also started to reassess the pants. They fit, but they had a very low waist. Bending over and kneeling down, there was an 'exposure' problem in the back that I did not like. I have another pair of boyfriend jeans from Stitch Fix that have a higher rise, which I like better.  In addition, the ripped up legs did seem a bit 'teeanger.'

So at this point I gave a thumbs down to both the top and the pants. NO.

 5) After trying on all the clothes and coming up empty handed, I was left with a purse I didn't need--the Lynden Satchel by Urban Expressions for $68.00. But I hung it up anyway:

It was a nice, large bag with a deep interior and both a single side zipped pocket and  double zipped pockets on the other side. It also came with a shoulder strap attachment. The reason I did not reject it from the very beginning is that, in the past, I had ended up with a basically free purse in one of my other fixes because I'd kept everything else in the box. My hope had been when I opened this fix that the same might be true here. I mean, I would've added another purse to my collection if it would be free.

And, looking at the receipt, it would've been!

Sadly, the purse was also a NO, since I was keeping nothing else from this box. I haven't had a complete failure in a LONG time with Stitch Fix. It was much more disappointing this time around because I am only getting a fix once a quarter.

So, I logged into my Stitch Fix account and switched it back to once a month deliveries, so that I could get another box next month. Hopefully, that box would be a better one, and I wouldn't end up with nothing new for summer.

The best part was, for some reason, when I switched to once a month deliveries, they scheduled me for a June 28th fix!  So I am getting another box of clothes in 2 weeks! Thank goodness.

Let's hope that box is a better one.


If you have yet to try Stitch Fix, consider using my referral link below. I will get a $25 credit when you make your first order, just to give full transparency. Even though I've been doing these reviews for over 2 years, I haven't gotten much in the way of credit (not a complaint, just honesty...I write these reviews for the fun of it...not for the $$).

stitchfix.com/referral/3587901

Thanks for stopping by! I'd love to hear your comments on what I kept and what I sent back.

Also, if you are a reader, I just published a small collection of science fiction short stories on Amazon called SKYFALL. Check it out!

New Release: SKYFALL

Yesterday, I decided to put together a small collection of sci-fi flash fiction. If you are into science fiction or just looking for a quick, fun read, please check it out. Only 99 cents.

Skyfall. A miner confronts a devastating future.

Time Travel. A failed engineer tinkers with a matter-energy transporter, which he plans to step into for the first time

Torch. A man attempts to escape from a futuristic prison.

Available at the Amazon Kindle store.

My Fairy Garden

About a year or so ago, I found pictures online of these fantastic little fairy gardens that people had built. I loved them. I wanted to make one myself, but didn't really know where to begin or how to find the materials. I enjoyed finding the pictures, but didn't do anything with my own desires to have a such a garden.

Example of a Fairy Garden

Then, last December, I visited my father-in-law. He lives in a tourist-destination town, so there is always fun shopping to do in the gift shops on main street. I wandered into an eclectic store that had a variety of fun things, including gardening items - mostly decorations for your yard. Then I noticed a whole section of the store had been dedicated to fairy gardening!

Tiny plants in little pots, itsy bitsy gravel, fine sand, little pots, tons of mini items in all variations of scale (will explain later).

I thought I died and went to heaven. I wanted to buy up everything!  But, once again, I didn't know how to get started and was overwhelmed with choice. I am not one to waste money when I'm interested in something new. I tend to sit back, research, and figure out exactly what I want to do...or at least get a better idea of what I want to do.

Nothing is worse to me than spending money on something I have no intention of completing.

Skip ahead to Christmas. My husband realized this was something I might be interested in doing, and he bought me a book about creating fairy gardens. I loved it!

Available on Amazon!

Inside the author instructs how to create a fairy garden by describing the plants, the designs, the additional details, and even scale considerations.

What is Scale?

I was aware of scale, more or less. When you are trying to recreate something life-sized in miniature, you must use a ratio in order to create the correct sizing. Some of you may have had dollhouses when you were kids. Your furniture for your house had to fit the size of your dolls...and so did everything else--the silverware, the clothes, the dog or cat, etc.

If the scale was off, the sense of realism disappears.

The same is true with fairy gardens. On the book cover, you can see that the chair and the wheelbarrow exist in the same 'world' because their dimensions match. The same sized fairy person could use the wheelbarrow and the chair. If the wheelbarrow were larger than the chair, you just destroyed the idea of the garden being truly 'miniature.'

In the book, the author describes the 3 most common 'scale' sizes: 1 inch, 1/2 inch and 1/4 inch. A one-inch scale item means that every inch equals 1 foot in real life.

So, you choose your plants and your decorations to be the same scale, and you will achieve a feeling of 'miniature.'

My First Attempt at Fairy Gardening

After reading the book, I felt more knowledgeable about how to create a successful garden. I set aside an afternoon to shop for plants and, hopefully, find at least one mini decoration item that I could use. I didn't know if I could find anything in my small town, but was hopeful. Worst case scenario, I would order my decoration items online.

I had to visit 5 different places that sold plants to get everything I wanted. It really is not that easy to find dwarf plants in tiny pots. Most places don't sell anything smaller than a 4-inch pot. The hardest thing to find was a dwarf evergreen. In the book, the author explains that mixing your plant types gives it that 'real' feel. And adding an evergreen can be very important.

My First Fairy Garden!

I finally found a dwarf spruce at Walmart of all places. I had all my plants, I had some fine sand and decorative stones, however, I had had a hard time finding mini decoration items. No one seemed to have any. My last stop of the day was a local garden center...and they had what I needed! A cute set of Adirondack chairs in 1-inch scale with a matching fire pit! SOLD!

 I had so much fun putting my little fairy world together. My goal is to order some more decoration items in the same scale. Not too many. Maybe 3 more little things. I don't want to overdo it. The examples that I prefer are the ones that are simpler.

Close Up. (the fire pit actually lights up!)

I'm looking forward to seeing the plants fill in the dirt spots. The tufts in front of the tree should have little tiny white flowers at some point. I likely will have to trim the tree to keep it small for the summer and the grass behind the chair. But it will be fun to tend to my little garden all summer long and see what happens.

I had so much fun with my first one, that I am planning on making some smaller ones. They would be easier to complete and only need maybe a single decoration item to bring them to life. Since it is so hard to find the plants in mini sizes, I might try ordering those online as well. Not sure yet!

I think what I find most fun is that I will have to create a new fairy garden every year. Mine won't last past the first freeze in October. The tree can be transplanted elsewhere in my yard at any point, so that is a plus.

Would love to hear about anyone's fairy gardens! Thanks for stopping by.

Editing for Dummies

As I mentioned in my last blog post, I am in the middle of working on editing stories for a science fiction anthology entitled NEMESIS. There are 10 authors, and I am editing 8 of the stories. Since I've been through many professional editing experiences since I've become published, I wanted to pass on what I've learned to writers who may not have had that opportunity.

It is interesting how you can't see the forest for the trees when you are a writer. You read over your story and think it is amazing and has hardly any problems...so why isn't an agent or a publisher interested in it?

Well, I am here to share with you some common errors that most writers make. I am not saying these errors are incorrect in sentence structure. These are errors that weaken your writing. Who wants to do that?

If you take the time to learn a few of these, you will come across as more seasoned writer. True confessions: every single one of these errors I have made in my writing.

1) WAS -ING construction. This one EVERYBODY does. Because it is a very common sentence construction. Here is an example of what I'm talking about:

Sally was choking on her toast, and Jim was smiling.

Reads like a perfectly normal sentence. But look what happens when we take away the 'was':

Sally choked on her toast, and Jim smiled.

See how that one small change makes the action more immediate? And also makes Jim reaction a little more disturbing?

Try to eliminate this from your writing, if you can. Sometimes, it is a necessary construction...but I would say 95% of the time, you can get rid of the 'was' in the sentence, and it comes out as a better, stronger sentence.

2) STARTED TO, TRIED TO, BEGAN TO, etc. This is also very common. I think it comes from the deep recesses of our brain. It is a crutch phrase that gets spat out on the page. As the writer, you are envisioning your character and his actions...as you move from one action to the next, you feel like there must be a connector to the next action. Guess what? Unnecessary.

Let's take a look:

David began to press on the brake. The car started to slow down.

Okay, this is also correct grammatically. Can you see how a writer got to this construction? He is imagining David bringing his foot down to the brake...and then visualizing the car afterward and what happens. But look what happens when you take away the crutch language:

David pressed on the brake. The car slowed down.

The actions still read as if they come one after the other, and the visual is still the same. I can imagine David pressing the brake just as I did before. The mind fills in the gaps. You don't need to lead your reader by the hand through every moment and every small action. But doesn't it read more cleanly? And the action seem more immediate?

3) Dialogue with no tags. I will admit. This construction drove me batty when reading the Harry Potter series. Not only did J.K. Rowling add dialogue tags all over the place, she also added adverbs. "He said menacingly." "She mumbled quietly." Etc.  Guess what? You don't need tags after every piece of dialogue! You can use action or thoughts of your main POV character in between dialogue bits to enliven the scene and even reveal character.

Let's try an example:

"I don't want to marry you, Billy," cried Sheila forlornly. "I'm in love with someone else. I'm sorry."

Sure, you know Sheila said the words with a certain emotion because the author was kind enough to spell it out for you in black and white. But this assumes the reader is lazy and has no imagination! Let's make it better!

"I don't want to marry you, Billy." Sheila thought about the opal ring she'd hidden away in her sock drawer a week ago. Josiah had slipped it to her during lunch and had professed his feelings for her. "I'm in love with someone else. I'm sorry."

Which one tells you more about the character? Which one is more fun to read? You can do it with action as well. Let's try another version of the sentence above:

"I don't want to marry you, Billy." Sheila hid her hand behind her back and slipped off the opal ring Josiah had given her during lunch. "I'm in love with someone else. I'm sorry."

In both examples we know who is talking, but we also get more information about Sheila. And, boy, did we find out some interesting information!

Those are my three quick lessons for how to improve your writing! I hope you learned something useful that you can put into practice. Funny thing is, once these writing crutches are pointed out to you, you will never be able to look at your writing without seeing those problems.

Let me know in the comments if you have any tips for better writing that you want to share!

Enter My New GoodReads Giveaway

I had such great success with my last two giveaways on GoodReads, I decided to do another that is even bigger! Enter my giveaway below for a chance to win 1 of 10 signed copies of ACAPULCO NIGHTS. The entry period lasts until April 21st.

ACAPULCO NIGHTS has been given many fantastic reviews and is my best book yet. Lots of twists and turns that keeps you guessing all the way to the end. Enter now!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Acapulco Nights

by K.J. Gillenwater

Giveaway ends April 21, 2016.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Fix #16 From Stitch Fix - March 21, 2016

My spring Stitch Fix arrived last week. I have been very busy with the day job, so I haven't had time to put together my review. With some downtime this morning caused by an internet hiccup, I decided to bang this out as I know you are all waiting for my newest review!

If you are new to Stitch Fix, please read up on the service here:

My Very First Stitch Delivery and Stitch Fix Explanation - Fix #1

You can also check out a whole bunch of Stitch Fix reviews below. I've been writing them since May 2014:

Fix #2 - June 2014
Fix #3 - July 2014
Fix #4 - August 2014
Fix #5 - September 2014
Fix #6 - October 1, 2014
Fix #7 - October 29, 2014
Fix #8 - November 2014
Fix #9 - December 2014 
Fix #10 - January 2015
Fix #11 - February 2015
Fix #12 - March 2015 
Fix #13 - June 2015 
Fix #14 - September 2015
Fix #15 - December 2015

As some may know, I am now doing Stitch Fix once a quarter. This seems to be working well for me. I added so many new pieces to my wardrobe that first year, I had to slow it down some. Now I get new clothes for every season, which is just about perfect.

My March box is my 'spring' fashion box, and I was looking forward to it. The only thing I think I requested from my stylist for this fix was a 'soft' blazer. Instead of those structured, stiff-fabric blazers, I was looking for one that was of a softer material and stretchier. Interestingly enough, I noticed on Stitch Fix's Instagram (or maybe it was an email I received) that blazers were 'in' this spring.

I also asked for more colors and prints. But the rest I left up to my stylist. I seem to get better fixes when I am not too demanding!

I opened up my 16th box with some excitement. I had two nicely wrapped stacks inside. And when I unwrapped my bundles, I was so happy to see colors and patterns. YAY!

The floral print especially stood out to me. I don't buy much floral print. Not sure why. Maybe I'm missing out on some fun, fresh prints with my aversion to florals.

As is my experience very time, I NEVER look at the pricing for each item before I try it on, and I NEVER dismiss a clothing item just by looking at it. I try everything on. Even if I think I'll hate it. I have ended up with some surprise favorites by treating my fixes this way.

Let's dig in and see what I got, shall we?

1) First I picked out the Felecia Colorblock Ponte Dress by 41Hawthorn for $78.  I don't have any orange in my wardrobe. Zip. So this caught my eye. Why have I avoided orange?

The main colors were burnt orange, a dark navy and a cream color. I do appreciate what a slimming design can do for one's body, so I was holding out hope for this one. It was made of a thicker, stretch knit. Typically I have problems with a dress like this fitting both my upper and lower half well.

I will admit, I was not in love with this right off the bat, but was willing to give a whirl!

So, it actually fit very well on the bottom and the length was right - not too short. I wasn't over the moon about the colors, but it wasn't half bad. However, you cannot see that the arm holes were just loose enough that undergarments peeked through. And there was no fixing because the material gapped open. It would always be a problem. Just didn't want to deal with it. It had promise, but not enough 'like' to consider keeping.

Sorry, but NO.

2) The next item I tried on was the Celso Mesh Detail Knit Top by Loveappella for $54. This was the floral item you saw in my pile. I hung it up on the hanger and had a feeling this was going to be a winner:

Really, really pretty. And the length was great. It was made of a stretchy fabric. I couldn't wait to put this one on!

OMG! Adorable. Why have I not purchased floral prints in the past??? The best part is, it looked really good with a pair of reddish-pink pants I got from Stitch Fix in the fall of 2014:

Glorious Red Pants of Awesome

The top provided great coverage and had a flattering fit...form fitting without being too tight. So, so cute. This is the top (plus pants) that I wore right out of the box for the day. KEEP!!!!!

3) Feeling good about this fix so far. Not bad. Keep one, reject one. The next item in my box was the Tameron Button Down Blouse by 41Hawthorn for $58. I liked this because of the fun print and the color. It said 'spring' to me.

 

Hard to really see the color, but it was a royal blue. I had rejected a white blouse last year that I really regretted (I got it in January of 2015 and thought it was too cold to purchase such a summery blouse). This time, since I only get quarterly boxes, I didn't want to dismiss a cute blouse just because I couldn't wear it much immediately.

Okay, you all are probably thinking: That's super cute! Oh definitely a keeper.

Yeah, you would think that by looking at the photo. It fit well, it was a cute style, etc. However, what is hard to really see in a photo is the dizzying affect this had on the eyeballs when it was in motion. A little nauseating, sadly. I WANTED to like it. I did. But the pattern was just too much for me. Sadface.

So this was a big old NO just based on the print. Not on the fit or fashion.

4) Hm, what kind of fix was this going to be? 2 rejects, 1 keep - only a couple of things left to go! Uh-oh....

The next item I tried on was the Elissa French Terry Striped Moto Jacket by Market & Spruce for $74. This was actually an item I had on my Pinterest board, so I was super excited to see my stylist send it to me. This is a first for me. (but I really haven't done a great job of keeping my Pinterest board up-to-date, so I'm not blaming StitchFix for that)

Not only did this fit my request for a 'soft' blazer, it was an item I had picked out, so it was a win-win. I didn't know how I felt about stripes (I seem to get a lot of striped things from Stitch Fix), but I was definitely willing to give it a chance.

I threw on a black t-shirt and kablooie - this was going to be a keeper. Such a well-fitting, comfortable jacket had to stay in my closet. And check out how great the shoulder fit and how flattering:

I've got broad shoulders and have a hard time finding jackets and fitted things that fit well. This was PERFECT.  Absolutely LOVED it. Wore it the following day. It can also be zipped up as shown on the hanger. It was flattering zipped or unzipped. KEEP, KEEP, KEEP!

5) The last item in my box was a skirt - the Morgen Skirt by Gilli for $54.

I liked the looks of this skirt. It seemed like the length would be good for me (not too much above the knee), plus the flow of the fabric looked like it would be flattering.

And I was right! Excellent length. Great fit. Would go with a lot of items in my wardrobe. Total KEEPER.

In the end, my March box was a very satisfying fix. 3 out of 5 is fantastic. I added several new pieces to my wardrobe and was able to freshen up my fashion choices for spring. YAY!

The funny thing is, if you look at my Stitch Fix Pinterest board, my stylist did an excellent job of trying to find me things that matched items I'd flagged in the last few months. I had no idea until I looked at my board with fresh eyes.

If you have yet to try Stitch Fix, consider using my referral link below. I will get a $25 credit when you make your first order, just to give full transparency. Even though I've been doing these reviews for almost 2 years, I haven't gotten much in the way of credit (not a complaint, just honesty...I write these reviews for the fun of it...not for the $$).

stitchfix.com/referral/3587901

Thanks for stopping by! I'd love to hear your comments on what I kept and what I sent back.