And welcome to another round of awkward photos and my pleas for your fashion advice! After a wildly fun first experience with Stitch Fix, a personal styling service, my second box was….ahem….less than thrilling. In fact, I sent everything single item back. I have a very minimalist wardrobe, so why clutter up the closet with anything I don’t absolutely love?
In hopes that last time was a fluke (and after this last time, I’m pretty sure it was) I signed up for a new box and I’m really happy with the results. I won’t be keeping every item, but I requested my original stylist and I could tell that any feedback I gave was carefully taken into consideration for this next round. So, I didn’t love everything, but it was exactly what I asked for.
If you aren’t familiar with Stitch Fix, I go into detail in the first post, but the abbreviated version is that you fill out information about your style preferences, a personal stylist puts together a box of five items, it arrives on your doorstep, you use your house as your fitting room, keep what you love, and send back the rest. Kind of perfect for those of us with many small kiddos who don’t like spending the luxury of an hour alone doing something we don’t particularly like…which for me is shopping. No thanks. Coffee shop and a book. That’s the way to spend an hour alone.
So, your job is to leave your feedback in the comments and help me decide what to keep and what to send back!
Ok…without further ado, let’s just jump straight to the best one:
Item #1: Black Cocktail Dress. LOVE. Classic, fancy, versatile, and a little vintage. I plan to wear it to every wedding for the next 10 years. Watch me.
I requested a fancy cocktail dress so that I would have something to wear to the first night of the Edel Gathering, a Catholic women’s conference I’m going to in Austin. First of all, fashion stuff intimidates me. And I haven’t bought any shoes except $10 sandals from Target in almost three years. So when I heard there was a Crazy Shoe Competition at Edel…I felt a little anxious. But when this dress arrived, I knew I could pair almost any shoe with it, so I marched myself over to a shoe store and got these yellow numbers on clearance. Because I cannot for the life of me purchase shoes that cost more than $25. I just can’t. Whew. Clearance win. Conference outfit complete. These shoes are as crazy as I get.
Daniel’s take: “You look pretty.”
Item #2: Patterned Pencil Skirt. I think this one’s a no. It’s just an unflattering length. I’m a shorty. And the fit is just slightly off. It’s slightly too big around the waist and hips and poofs out. And I don’t think the pattern is doing my hips any favors. I also don’t love the material.
Daniel’s take: “It’s almost a good skirt.”
Item #3: Chevron Maxi Skirt. Sorry for the blurriness. But you get the idea. Pretty skirt, pretty fabric, but weird fit. I think maybe I’m just not a good candidate for maxi skirts. It looks messy to have the shirt not tucked in. But I experimented with tucking in a few shirts and because the waist of the skirt is so snug, it’s all bumpy where the shirts are tucked in, even if they’re very fitted. So, I like the idea of this one. It just didn’t work.
Daniel’s take: “It doesn’t look right with that shirt. It won’t look right with any shirt. You won’t wear that.”
Item #4: Black Dolman Sleeve Shirt. OK….I’m not sure on this one. On the one hand, I don’t hate it. On the other hand, it’s polyester which isn’t my fave AND unless I roll the sleeves up a tad like in the photos, the sleeve length is super awkward. It’s not the worst, but I’m not sure I’m feeling the love for it. Thoughts?
Daniel’s take: “I kinda like the big slouchy top with the leggings.”
Me: “But then I’m the girl who wears leggings as pants.”
Daniel: “You were already the girl who wears leggings as pants.”
Item #5: Arrow Necklace. I like it. My first thought was that it isn’t the quality to merit the price…BUT I do have some Stitch Fix credit to be used up. What say you?
Daniel’s take: “I like it. I think you’d wear it all the time.”
OK, dear readers. Time for you to share all your fashion thoughts in the comments! What should I keep and what should I return?
Oh! And don’t forget to chime in on This Week’s Miscellany with questions for me to answer in the next vlog! From the questions so far, I can tell it’s going to be a lot of fun.
P.S.: I’m in no way associated with Stitch Fix. I just think it’s fun and what’s the point of having a blog if you can’t crowd source fashion advice, right? But if you do want to try out Stitch Fix, kindly use my referral link and I’ll get some SF credit. Thanks!
LOVE the dress 🙂 It looks like it might be a little hard to nurse in, but for those dates without babies I think it’s perfect!
The rest are cute, but not a love so I’d say return them.
I think you should keep that maxi chevron skirt. I I think it would look great, with a tight/fitted shirt….like maybe the shirt you are wearing in the #2 picture. I think a skirt like that need a more fitted top..where the waist/butt of the skirt is the same level of “tightness” as your shirt so it is one continuous line down your middle. Makes sense.
I love that cocktail dress…definitely a keeper.
I would skip #4. For one thing…don’t you live in FL? It just looks too warm to really get a lot of use. We used to live in Fl and I basically focused on clothing I would wear in 95 degree weather. That shirt just looks like it woul be hot.
I actually love the maxi skirt, you have it styled perfectly. The arrow necklace would be great with it too. Love the cocktail dress. The dolman sleeve top looks like it will get hot. If the pencil skirt was shorter it would be fabulous.
1. Definitely a keeper, you look amazing.
2. Um, NO.
3. It’s cute and as far as I can tell it’s your style, but if the waistband is so tight maybe ask to try the next size up to see if that would help.
4. Meh. And polyester in FL is wrong. If it was linen or som nat.fib. ok.
5. It’s cute – if you’ll wear it keep it but otherwise no. Don’t keep anything you’re not sure about just because you’ve got credit, you’ll end up using it on something amazing like the dress!
The dress is fantastic! And I love the daring yellow shoes 🙂 I like the idea of the chevron skirt too, but I think it’s not working. I like the black top and the whole outfit really, but I can totally get your feeling on polyester. If I’m not in natural fabrics, I tend to wilt. And I don’t like in FL.
Love the cocktail dress. I really like the maxi skirt – what if you just tucked the front of your shirt in, and then left back out? I think there are some good pictures on Pinterest of what I’m talking about. It would also looks good with tank tops and that arrow necklace.
Love the dress and the maxi, just with a tighter shirt. The necklace is cute. Eh on the others. But, that dress is a win, for sure.
I am digging numbers 1, 2, and 4 — super cute! I am not into the maxi skirts… eh.
Such a pretty cocktail dress! And I love the necklace. Super fun.
#1 yes, totally.
#2–it’s hanging a bit low on your waist which for non curvy people is OK, but for girls with curves, we actually look like we have a proportional body when skirts rest on our waist, no below it. So if you pull it up a bit (belt?) and then take up the hem about 3 inches, it will look adorable on you.
#3 Do you have a sleeveless sweater that is a tighter fit? Maybe in a pink? I have a black sleeveless summer knit sweater that I wear with things like that. The skirt looks great, the shirt just shortens the heck out of you.
#4 looks like it was made for you. It is perfect on you.
#5, awesome necklace.
Yes to the cocktail dress! That one is a win for sure! Send everything else back (they are cute, but you know …. Minimalism).
If it were me I’d keep the cocktail dress, the maxi skirt and the necklace. I’m not a fan of dolman sleeve tops. I have 2 that just sit in the closet. It doesn’t look bad on you, though. The maxi skirt would look better with a t shirt that’s a little slimmer fit and a little shorter.
The little black dress adorable on you! I like the necklace. You have a cute figure and the rest don’t really show it off.
LOVE the cocktail dress! (But lose the necklace, that dress doesn’t need it.) That maxi is cute! Have you tried a slim top to go with it? The long drapey one is all wrong, but that skirt has serious potential. No to awkward sleeves. And does the arrow necklace (love arrows!) have to hang down in a giant pointy V? If yes, pass. If no, keep.
I’m soo much more decisive about clothing when I’m not the one wearing it. 🙂
But here’s my thought: the shoes are SO YELLOW that I feel like there needs to be a yellow tie-in somewhere, ya know? Thoughts?
I love that black cocktail dress on you! I want one just like it now. I agree with another commenter–I don’t think it needs the bulky necklace, though.
Item 2 is cute but I get the length and pattern thing. The pattern really confuses me.
Item 3 I love that pattern, but I swear by Target maxi skirts and you seem to be not-a-fan whatsoever.
Item 4 makes me cringe because of polyester, but I love how it looks on your. I also loved Daniel’s ” you’re already that girl” reminder. Darn husbands and forcing us to be candid with ourselves.
Item 5 is cute. Personally, I lose jewelry so I don’t buy it if it costs more than 4 bucks. I do love it, though.
The dress yes. The big roomy top looks like a basic to me, especially when you are between regular & maternity clothes. Dress it up or down. The necklace? What if you found a simple long necklace that you loved? Here’s my idea: every piece of clothing that you buy should be something basic (like a white button-down shirt) or something you absolutely love, like that dress. If you don’t love it why is it taking up space in your closet?
There are too many lovable garments out there!
Love #1! I also like the necklace a lot. The maxi skirt has promise, I think, but you need to pair it with a different shirt. A more fitted shirt, that skims your hips, would work really well. Polyester is a definite “no”, I’d say, because my goodness the heat. Too bad it isn’t in cotton, because the style isn’t bad at all.
Thanks for sharing! I enjoy these posts from you. 🙂
I LOVE the cocktail dress. It is fabulous in so many ways. Versatile, flattering, etc. I am really meh about the rest. The chevron skirt is cute but chevron is a pretty bold pattern and I don’t think it needs ALL those colors, so I would nix it. The dolman top is OK. The pencil skirt has a good fit on you but I’m not sure about the pattern. As for the necklace, I like it and it is super cute but it would depend on the price. I tried my first Stitch Fix recently (because of your blog) and although I loved one piece, I was kind of wishy washy about the rest. I would say keep #1 and maybe #5 if you like it, but not just to use your credits up.
I really like them all. And I’d like to know what you requested to get you such cute stuff!
Well, I asked for the stylist I had for my first fix because I just liked all of those pieces better than the ones in the second fix in which NONE of them really thrilled me. And then I asked for a fancy cocktail dress, a maxi skirt, and a pencil skirt. And I said I liked a vintage vibe as opposed to an old ladyish vibe which was what SF#2 seemed to be 😉
Keep the dress! It’s good to have a go to black dress and this one is classy but not boring. Send those skirts back! That pencil skirt is the total wrong length and it looks like a weird material. I am a shorty too and I think it is hard to pull off maxi dresses or skirts they seem to be designed for the statuesque. Do not hold on to anything polyester unless it is vintage and amazing. The necklace is cute but only if it’s cheap.
I love #1 and I think #3 looks good as well. The shirt doesn’t look bad with it, but maybe a more snug shirt would work. Necklace is pretty too. #2 is a no. Milder print or solid color would look great. Print is a little much.
Love the cocktail dress. I still haven’t figured out what I’m wearing to Edel. . . And I actually really love the maxi skirt. It looks so slimming and the colors and pattern are very pretty. The rest I’d send back 🙂
I need to decide what I’m going to wear on Sat. when I give my talk! Eek. Nerves. Can’t wait to meet you!
I love the dress, black top, and necklace! However, skip the black tip if you don’t like the fabric or if it is too warm for your climate.
I love the dress! I may be the only one, but I actually like the first skirt in a 60’s secretary kind of way (another potential option for the conference or mass), and I love the chevron maxi. The shirt and necklace are sort of meh… Not terrible, but both seem like something you could buy quite inexpensively at target.
Say yes to the cocktail dress! So great!
I like the necklace. It looks very you (based on what I’ve seen you wear in other pictures) and it’s unique and could be paired with anything – so keep!
I also LOVE the maxi skirt. I never thought I could pull off a maxi because I am curvy and average height but I’m so glad I was converted. I don’t tuck my shirt in with them but I do wear a more fitted shirt, if that makes sense. Not a tight shirt, but one that isn’t flowy, to show off my curves. So I would keep it 🙂 BUT if you don’t think you will wear it – send it back and find a better one!
I would say no to the other two things. They were just meh in my opinion.
Those yellow shoes rock, love them.
All the items suit you a lot and I think you should purchase them. Except maxi skirt, which doesn’t do you justice at all. Maxi skirts are mostly like that, I find very tricky and one has to be very tall to wear it perfectly.
Yes! I think after two maxi skirt tails, I just need to accept that they are not for me 😉
I love the cocktail dress! It fits you perfectly, and I love the bit of laciness at the top and the pretty bottom. It doesn’t need the necklace with it, though.
I don’t care for any of the other items – the pencil skirt is BAD, the maxi skirt looks unpolished with the top, polyester is just too stuffy for a hotter climate, and I like the idea of the arrow necklace, but the placement of the arrows looks awkward (maybe just because it comes to a point?)
Agreed that the cocktail dress doesn’t always need a necklace, but I’m trying to figure out a way to tie in the crazy yellow shoes. Can I get away with it? Accessory advice needed! 😉
LOVE the cocktail dress! I am also going to Edel! I love shoes but couldn’t bring myself to pay $$ for crazy shoes I don’t love. I also got some yellow ones on clearance! 🙂 The black shirt is cute too. See you in Austin!
Yay! See you there!
Love the cocktail dress! So classy!
I also really like the maxi. I’m all about a nice chevron pattern, and the colors are fun! But, I’m also trying to pare down my wardrobe, so I’d say don’t get if you don’t really love it.
I’m not a huge fan of the dolman sleeve top. I do like dolman sleeves, but I think it’s the length that I’m not crazy about.
The arrow necklace is very cute. Seems nice and versatile. And, if it’s something that will make an ok outfit feel special, it’s a great item to have.
Cocktail dress YES! I also like the chevron skirt. But what is most important is if you feel comfortable. If you aren’t comfortable in it you will not wear it unless everything else in your entire wardrobe is in the washing machine. 🙂
You said you really only want to keep items you absolutely love, so keep the cocktail dress! 🙂
Also keep the necklace if you love it…it’s not my style but maybe it is yours.
Number One: Yes! I’ve gotten some good things from Stitch Fix, but never anything THIS good!
Number Two: Meh. The skirt is trying. It’s trying so hard. But it can’t.
Number Three: I actually really like the pattern on the skirt. You can wear it with so many colors! I don’t think the shirt you paired with it is bad, but I do tend to wear more fitted t-shirts with Maxi skirts to counteract the long, flowy bottom. Depending the the cost, I would be tempted to keep it, but the reality is that TJMaxx has great Maxi skirts for about $15.
Number Four: I like it…from the picture you can’t tell the fabric is polyester. But, your body can feel the polyester…so no.
Number Five: If I had the credit I’d be tempted to keep it. I’ve always felt their jewelry was expensive for the quality…but this necklace is cute and I agree, you probably would wear it all the time! Very versatile.
Definitely keep Number One and then choose between Three and Five. But don’t keep both.
I agree with you on everything except #4. I think its a win! You will be surprised how much you will wear a piece like that. With a fun piece of jewelry you can dress it up or down.
Alana’s Leggings as Pants Rule:
If it covers your lady parts AND your whole hieny booty then they are leggings. If they show off any said parts listed above they are pants.
I LOVE leggings but firmly believe Leggings are not pants!
That’s my rule too! If it goes past your booty, you’re ok.
#1- Gorgeous and perfect! I’d say go without the necklace since that lace is so lovely.
#2- Meh. Not a fan.
#3- Love the maxi! I agree with the others- I think you just need to wear a tighter shirt- a tank top or t-shirt, and it will look great!
#4- I think this shirt looks like it was made for you! I love it. But I tend to love that look., so if it’s not for you, that’s ok! But objectively, it looks awesome on you 😉
#5- Cute, and you probably would wear it a lot! As long as it’s not too pricey, I’d say keep it.
Yes, you look adorable in the LBD! Love it. And I like the necklace too, but it doesn’t look super high quality. Maybe flip a coin on that one 🙂 Sounds like you’ve gotten lots of great advice about the leggings-as-pants issue!
Love love love the cocktail dress!! You look super gorgeous in it! The necklace is cute too and seems to be totally you. The others….not so much. I like the maxi, but then I’m also the kind of gal that likes to wear her shirts untucked to hide my belly. 🙂
Love the dress, the black shirt and the necklace, especially if you’ll wear it a lot! I’ve been a little disappointed with my last two fixes, and I tend to think most of the stuff overpriced, but the things I have kept I wear a lot, and it holds up well and still looks brand new, unlike target stuff…:-)
YES to the LBD. Those shoes are adorable with it! I don’t like the others, and the necklace is kind of meh to me. Can’t you use the credit towards the dress?
So glad you’re keeping the dress! I don’t think you need the necklace with it at all – the lace part is enough going on up there and I don’t think you need any sort of tie-in with the yellow shoes (which are so cool) because that’s the beauty of pop-of-color-shoes – they get to just be this WOW statement all by themselves!
OK! You guys are winning me over on the no necklace front!
I LOVE that black dress! I just received the same one & wore it to my first wedding of the summer, it’s PERFECT!