Before I tell you all about my wonderful experience with Stitch Fix (spoiler alert: I love it) I want to provide a bit of context into who I am and my personal spending habits so that you can gauge the authenticity of my review. First of all, I am not being paid for this review in any way. Second, I am a 25 year old working my first salary job with an avalanche of student loan debt and a trusty coupon booklet. The idea of budgeting for a personal stylist was laughable to me. I cut corners whenever possible, and services like Stitch Fix never usually get an ounce of my attention. I’ll even be so honest as to admit that I didn’t expect to stay subscribed for longer than 1 month. I truly didn’t believe I would find justification in budgeting for this service. Based on my experience with Stitch Fix thus far, I will humbly admit that I was dead wrong.
What Prompted Me To Try Stitch Fix
My first impression of Stitch Fix, when I learned about it through my sisters’ recommendation, was “That’s a luxury I can’t afford.” I thought the concept was smart and intriguing, but I never really looked into it any further because I assumed It was a service for people with much bigger bank accounts than me. But then COVID-19 happened. With in-store browsing put on hold, I was stuck with exclusively online shopping. It took me a few days of scrolling through page “18 of 800” on the Nordstrom website to realize I didn’t have the patience, or attention span, for online shopping. Don’t get me wrong, I can do some serious damage on Amazon- but when it comes to traversing the Old Navy “Sale” page, I’m done.
The thought of having someone else update my wardrobe for me was very appealing at this point, so I gave Stitch Fix a fair shake. The fact that I could get $25 off my first order by using a referral code really sealed the deal for me in the end. Since then, my experience with Stitch Fix has been nothing but fabulous. I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect to like it this much. That is why I’m sharing a detailed account of my first experience with Stitch Fix, so that hopefully I can shed some light onto why this service is so phenomenal. From a true skeptic, I can honestly say Stitch Fix lives up to the hype.
Items I Purchased From My First Fix
Nine Britton
Araya Tie Front Brushed Knit Top
$42.00
STS Blue
Ellie Skinny High Rise Jean
$49.00
Fortune & Ivy
Irene Faux Wrap Brushed Knit Maxi Dress
$54.00
How Much I Paid For My First Fix:
- I kept three out of five items, (prices of those items listed above) which totaled $145.00. (If you keep everything in your box you get a 25% discount, just in case you need an excuse to spoil yourself)
- I had a $25 credit applied to my order, which I received by using a referral code when I signed up. This brought my total down to $120.00. You can use my referral code to get $25 off your first Stitch Fix order by clicking here: https://www.stitchfix.com/invite/z5fd2grrk7?sod=w&som=c
- The final price I ended up paying for my first Fix was $129.91 (including sales tax)
- While there is a $20 styling fee, which goes towards the real, live person that is picking out your clothing, it gets credited towards the items you end up keeping. Which means you’ll most likely avoid that charge, as long as you keep at least one item from your Fix.
- You’ll notice I never paid for shipping. That’s because shipping is ALWAYS free with Stitch Fix. I really enjoy that rule.
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Additional Items I Purchased Through Stitch Fix
Once Stitch Fix learns which items you’re keeping they will offer suggestions for additional items that you can purchase through their website. The idea is that these suggested items will pair well with one of the items you decided to keep. Additionally, when you choose to keep an item, you will be given the option to purchase it again in a different color or pattern.
I received a black pair of pants through my first Fix, and they fit so well that I thought, “I want these in every color.” Well, thankfully, Stitch Fix gave me that option. I was able to select the original jean version of the pants, shown below.
Report Footwear
Toni Mule Heeled Bootie
$60.00 (+4.95 sales tax)
STS Blue
Ellie Skinny High Rise Jean
$59.00 (+4.87 sales tax)
All The Ways I Was Pleasantly Surprised
- I was given the option to change my personal stylist when I scheduled my next fix. I personally chose to keep the same one, but I imagine this feature would be helpful if your first few Fixes were all duds.
- Inside the package I received a personalized note from my stylist. (shout out to Carlie) The note briefly explained why she chose these specific items for me, and why she thinks they’ll fit my lifestyle. I thought that was a nice touch that adds to the overall experience.
- They pack everything into a conveniently sized box, with beautiful wrapping inside as well! They really nail the presentation factor.
- You are provided with a large prepaid envelope for return items. I love that this is provided to me. No need to print off any return slips, or attempting to reuse the original box for shipping. No hassle, no fuss.
- You can write messages to your stylist. This is great if you want to request a specific style, need an outfit for a certain occasion, for a specific occasion, or provide feedback.
- Ordering additional items is so easy it’s astonishing. It’s honestly a bit dangerous how easy it is to purchase items from the suggested style items tab. The suggested items are already set to your specific size, so if you want something you just click “Checkout” and then confirm your order. You don’t need to reenter credit card information or shipping address. Zero frustration.
- You can adjust the frequency of your Fixes, or skip a month entirely. I am so glad this option is made available to consumers, because there will certainly be times in my life where I don’t need an influx of new clothing. This also makes the service MUCH more affordable, and accessible to different degrees of spending.
Get $25 Off Stitch Fix
Click Here To Use My Referral Code
Let's Talk Return Policies
From the moment you receive your Fix, you have three days to decide what you’re keeping and return the unwanted items. At first this short return window gave me a lot of anxiety, and made me a bit weary of the service. Living in an apartment, I don’t always get packages the moment they are delivered. I have to wait for a notification from my apartment to send me a code that allows me to retrieve the package. It’s not a huge delay, but add that to my forgetful nature, and I was pretty sure I’d never be able to make the 3 day return window.
In reality, I was so excited to receive my first Fix that I ended up trying everything on immediately. I knew within 10 minutes which items I would be returning, and the prepaid shipping envelope was right there in the box. Stitch Fix makes the process so simple that it wasn’t difficult to prepare for the return. Plus, I’m assuming most people that use this service are just as excited to recieve their Fix in the mail, so it’s not exactly something you procrastinate on. The three day window has not been a problem for me yet. If I do ever reach that point though, I was happy to learn that you can actually extend your return window very easily.
According to the Stitch Fix website, “When your Fix delivery arrives, we invite you to take 3 days to try everything on and see how your new pieces might pair with the styles currently in your closet. If you need more time to decide, you can extend your return date by a few more days by following these steps. The options below are only available before you check out.”
For more information about extending your try-on window, click here.
Now that 3 day window only applies to returning unwanted items from your Fix. If you purchase an item that you later decide is not for you, you have 30 days to make a return. So, overall, their return policies don’t make me feel like I’m rushed or forced to make decisions too quickly.
Extra! Extra! Read All About It.
So far I have not made any purchases in the ‘Extras’ category, but I am certainly not opposed to the idea. As described on the website, Extras are a “curated collection of intimates” which you can shop, select, and then receive along with your regularly scheduled Fix. These are different from the suggest style items mentioned above, as Extras are exclusive to pajamas, undergarments, and other intimates. Also, remember that styling fee we discussed earlier? That $20 charge can also be applied towards purchases you make in Extras. I’ve include a sneak peek at what you can expect to find in Extras, featured below.
Get $25 Off Stitch Fix
Click Here To Use My Referral Code
Disclaimer: Given the current situation regarding COVID-19, You may experience some delays in service while using Stitch Fix.
Click Here to read Stitch Fix’s official response to COVID-19, for more information about what you can expect.
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