So I fell… for the publicity, for the reviews… for a service that [finally!] includes often forgotten Puerto Rico… for the promise of being well-dressed even when I hate shopping for clothes… Yes, this curvy Puerto Rican teacher caved in and tried Stitch Fix.
Let me tell you a little about me. All my life, I’ve had a curvy body. Don’t get me wrong; I love it, but it’s a pain to dress. So even when as a kid, I dreamt of becoming a fashion designer, as an adult, I’ve succumbed a little to buying what fits, rather than what I love. Some people still say I have style, but I know I’ve slacked a little with trying. As I’ve gained more weight, it’s gotten even harder to find things that fit and are fashionable.
A good friend of mine lovingly calls me «the lobster». I have an average bust, small waist, big hips and rear. My arms are large and it’s very frustrating to me to find some tops that are beautiful and fit perfectly, except for my arms. So basically, I’m about five or six different sizes: for pants, for skirts that flare out, for form-fitting skirts, for tops, for dresses that flare out, for form-fitting dresses…
I’ve learned to accept that dressing my body is neither easy nor cheap. Since I shop very little, I feel like I can spend a little more than the average person does on clothes, not because I love expensive things, but because a good find is hard to come by.
So when I first saw a Stitch Fix ad, I was intrigued… I hate shopping, I have a hard time finding stylish clothes for my body, and it’s [kind of] risk free (you pay $20 up front as a styling fee, but they are credited to any purchase you end up making). A few months later, I found myself hitting the «schedule a fix» button. Eeek!
As I filled in the style profile, I felt pity for the stylist that would have to arrange my first «fix». I could hear myself being difficult on the comment section: «I’m this size sometimes but this size at other times. I hate destructed jeans. My arms don’t fit in most things. I’m a teacher; I need to be comfortable. Shoes need to keep my heels covered.» They show you some style arrangements, and I did not press «love it» once. A few «like it» ‘s, a bunch of «just ok» ‘s and one «hate it» made my profile.
My reasoning was: «If this poor stylist can find me one piece I like so I don’t lose my $20, I’ll call this experience a win». Order placed. So… how was it?
My first fix
The fix came one day after scheduled, which was not bad, since I’ve expected a little delay in shipments to Puerto Rico. It came in a pretty lightweight cardboard box with the Stitch Fix green logo. I received five pieces, as promised:
- two tops
- a pair of jeans
- a shirt dress
- a pair of Toms flats.
Problem was… I loved everything. The stylist’s understanding of my likes and dislikes was on point. I could see myself wearing each of these five things. And the price for getting the whole fix wasn’t that bad–they give you 25% off if you get everything– so this whole fix was $208, plus the styling fee I’d already paid. I ended up returning one of the tops and the dress, for fit issues, specifically in my arms (I knew that was a possibility). I’m sorry I forgot to take pics of what I returned.
In the picture below you can see what I kept. First, a printed navy blouse that was practically what I imagine when thinking of my teacher style: loose-fitting in the midsection, a tad bit dressy (because I love to wear jeans but am not very sporty), with a fun detail on the back. I also kept the pair of indigo boot cut jeans by Democracy. By coincidence, this had been the brand most people recommended me when I asked for curvy jeans recommendations on my Instagram stories not too long ago. They fit perfectly (no waist gap!) and I don’t think I’ve had jeans that were more comfortable! I also didn’t have a really dark pair of jeans in my closet, so that was great. Lastly, I kept the Toms shoes. I’ll admit this wasn’t something I needed, but I couldn’t resist a pretty, comfortable flat shoe, specially when I’d been thinking of getting something animal print for a while. I mean, the stylist’s picks were scary right!
The fix ended up being a bit expensive, yes, because I didn’t get the 25% off. But I thought these were some pretty special finds, and I didn’t have to waste hours in traffic and in several stores–plus gas–, getting frustrated at the lack of options.
The verdict
I loved my first fix, so much so I plan to get another around March. This time I let my stylist know that I have a special occasion, and gave her pretty specific notes, so we’ll see how it goes. I also had the opportunity to review all of the items received, so I was able to explain the arms fit issue, and hopefully, they’ll really understand the extent of my problem and think about some different sleeve silhouettes or maybe take stretchy fabric into consideration. I dropped some of my price preferences from «$50-100» to «The cheaper, the better!» in hopes my next fix is a little more affordable. The only things I left in that range were shoes (because my experience is cheaper shoes are not that comfortable) and dresses.
To conclude, if you have trouble finding clothes that fit your body, be it that you are a curvy latina like me, or very skinny, or very tall, or plus size, or whatever, I think you could benefit from giving Stitch Fix a try. It sure surprised me!
Have you tried Stitch Fix? Let me know your experience below! Do you want to give it a try? Please consider using my referral link by clicking here or the picture below. You’ll get $25 and I’ll get $25, so we both win! May your fix be as awesome as yourself!
