September 2, 2015

Why I'm trying Stitchfix again


I do have a thing sort of against Stitchfix in a weird way. And I don't like the pimping out of referral links*.  And Stitchfix is like the trademark of basic.  If there was a checklist of basic traits it would look like this:

Pumpkin Spice Lattes
Fall
Boots
Scarves
Stitchfix

I do fit the basic scale pretty well except that I don't like pumpkin so that statistic throws off my basicness and skews the data.

(This is mostly sarcasm. Don't be offended. I like fall as much as the next blogger.)

+However, I hate browsing for clothes.  I don't mind finding something I really like and buying it like I did with a couple of fantastic dresses last spring but I hate the physical act of driving to the mall/store/whatever and looking for something when I don't necessarily know what I'm looking for.  It's a waste of time.  And sometimes I feel the pressure of Well, I'm here so I might as well get this when it's something I don't love.

+And, over the summer, I took a day and tried on every single thing in my closet.  If it didn't fit the way I wanted it to or if I hadn't worn it since we'd been in Colorado (a full year), I got rid of it.  I do have a bag for clothes that are a little too big, a bag for clothes that are for the beach, and a bag of memorbilia-ish clothes.  I can't get rid of my high school soccer t-shirts or Penn State clothes.  No one would be snatching those up at a Goodwill in Colorado anyway.

+In this way, I created a partial capsule-ish wardrobe.  There was no specific number of items I was shooting for. I was just paring down to what I would actually wear.  I was pretty brutal about it too. There was no aspirational thinking. It was Do I wear this? and that was it.

+I do actually wear real clothes every day, but I have a lot of trouble justifying buying them sometimes.  I had a lot more clothes when I was in college, but now is when I need to put together outfits every day. I don't know why I keep dragging my feet.

+I've actually kept track of how much I've spent on clothes this year.  I was tempted to do this in January because Scott mentioned once about money that "went to Target" and he assumed (not in a bad way) that I was buying clothes.  I was actually at the SuperTarget spending $60 on groceries many weekends.  So I started keeping track of how much I spent and where I spent it.  Also, there was a blog post by someone this past spring and she gave herself at least $500 to spend every season.  I was all What?!?! That's so much! 

However, I got a package from Old Navy out of the mailbox a few weeks ago when Scott and I were on our way somewhere and I opened it up and said I bought some new stuff for school and Scott's all You don't need an excuse to buy clothes.  Which is nice.

+I've noticed my spending is primarily at Target, Old Navy, J.Crew Factory, and Gap.  The stuff at Target is mostly sandals/canvas shoes and crew-neck tees.  The stuff from ON, J.C.F, and Gap is usually online and mostly skirts and dresses.  There were also two fabulous dresses I got at T.J. Maxx in May for $70 total.  Those really stand out to me. And there was an amazing tunic from Aerie. And a pair of leggings from Athleta that started out January on an expensive note, but I wore them at least once a week until May so they've paid for themselves.

+AND...drumroll...I actually haven't bought a purse since OCTOBER 2014. That's almost a year without spending $100+ on a purse.  That deserves a standing ovation.  Actually I haven't bought a purse because I haven't had my eye on a purse and I was okay with the status quo.  I do have my eye on this one, but I'll probably wait until Christmas-ish.  I'm good for now.

+If we're talking shoes, I'm not a shoe person at all.  I might get a new pair of brown boots this fall and I'd like a pair of brown booties.  My brown boots are 3 years old and my black booties are also 3 years old.  The only shoes I've bought this year were some canvas sneakers at Target and some $8 sandals that are pretty fabulous.  I get my gold star in frugality in this category.

All of this is why I attempted Stitchfix again.  This is my long-winded explanation: There are two things I got from Stitchfix back in 2013 that I still wear ALL THE TIME.  I love them.  I've always kept that in the back of my mind. Like, what exactly do I have against them? Well, they're overpriced, but I'm not spending lots of money on clothes elsewhere and, really now, time is money because I'm not going to waste time browsing for clothes.  This is easier. It nice to have someone say This is in style right now. Try it on. And it's much less overwhelming than walking into a department store.

I got a box over the weekend and you'll have to come back later this week to see what I liked and what I didn't (i.e. this post is getting to be annoyingly long).

There are two things I was so conflicted over that I had to wait for Scott to come home from his camping trip so he could offer an opinion.

*You might ask how I can sell something like Rodan+Fields and still not like it when people advertise referral links. Well, I invested in running my own business, so I like to think it's different. But the bigger reason is that I believe that Rodan+Fields has something for everyone and I don't think everyone should try Stitchfix. I'm conflicted enough over getting back to it myself! And I just wrote an entire manifesto of reasons. That's dedication toward proving a point.

12 comments:

  1. I know a lot of people who're really into stitch fix but it's never really been something that's intrigued me... at least not for me. I'm excited to see what you get and if you like it!

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  2. I am so tempted by Stitch Fix but their price points are a little too high for this non-shopper. I have actually started wearing real clothes daily (never know when I'll have to stop on my way home for a client meeting, like last night) plus, it helps me feel more my age/more put together. I went through my closet and did sort of the same--but if I got rid of everything I didn't like/didn't wear/ didn't fit right, I'd literally be left with nothing.

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  3. "I like fall as much as the next blogger" LOL! I found a chevron pillow I loved for my couch but told Jason I didn't want to be basic, and he said, "what do you think the gals of blog world won't like it?", to which I replied, "No, most of them probably have the same pillow." So I get your basic mindset ;)

    I have never tried Stitchfix. I have wanted to but then again I am kind of lazy about it.

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  4. I have yet to give in to stitchfix for many of the same reasons as you. BTW, not a big fall blogger, I like summer best so the beginning of fall makes me sad. I've done some closet reductions the past few months but am SURE I could be more brutal if I wanted.

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  5. I like the idea of Stitch Fix...but I just can't deal with their prices. I'll spend a good chunk on a quality item once in a while, but every single month? No. Especially when you have to pay even if you don't keep anything (I know your $20 monthly fee can be applied to the next month's box but still). I'm interested to see what you get, though - I wish someone would come out with a bit of a cheaper option because I still think the idea is great!

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  6. I haven't tried StitchFix yet and I'm not sure if I will. I have very mixed feelings about it and also, I don't wear real clothes every day so I'm struggling with justifying the expense.

    Embrace the basic!!!

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  7. I've been wanting to try StitchFix for awhile, but I'm trying to lose weight, so I don't want to invest in clothes that I won't be able to wear for long. I'm not a shoe person, either. I guess that's where I get my gold star in frugality as well. I don't enjoy shoe shopping at all!

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  8. I don't mind referral links, as long as people are honest about it - sneaky referral links are rude.
    i LOVE to shop. but only online, not in stores with people. i have absolutely spent more than $500 a season. but i agree with you, it's way too much! ever since i started tracking my spending, i have slowed way down, much to my husband's, and our bank account lol, happiness. but i was still spending too much which is why i signed up for stitch fix, even though that sounds counter intuitive. it helps because i can look forward to a box, and i can get (hopefully) good quality items that i wouldn't normally get. i don't do it every month though, because i don't have that kind of money.

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  9. I'm in the process of making a capsule wardrobe... because I'm sick of my clothes and sick of how many I have. So I'm tearing through everything and also being brutally honest about the process. I do Stitch Fix now every couple months to get a couple quality items to beef up my wardrobe.

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  10. It didn't work for me, but my coworker absolutely loves it and it's perfect for her. I hope you get good stuff!

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  11. I get a Stitch Fix box probably every other month. I agree that they're ridiculously overpriced but like you said, actually going shopping is pretty painful because I never have ANY idea what it is that I'm looking for. It allows me to try on things I would typically pass over.

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  12. I get my StitchFix now, only when I'm in the mood for....well....a fix. I had one box that I loved everything and bought the whole box. I've had more boxes that I bought something that I liked but didn't love just to not lose out on $20. I got myself a box for my birthday, and I got a dress that I love and a cute top. Those two things were more expensive than I'd like, but it is fun to see what they send in your box!

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