Stitch Fix April 2017

Stitch Fix recently started offering plus sizes, and since I had been wanting to try Stitch Fix for a while, I jumped at the chance to give it a go since they finally carry my size range!  My first month was not great, and while I posted it on Instagram, I didn’t want to blog about it.  I don’t quite have the confidence (or fashion sense) of all the gorgeous plus size ladies who blog about plus size clothing, and, let’s be honest, I haven’t had that confidence at any size, whether it was a 10 or an 18.  But hey, sometimes if we do things that seem scary, after a while they feel  a little less scary, so, here goes nothing.

My second Stitch Fix arrived today and I was eager to see what was in the box.  My first box was styled by Angie, and this one was by Lana.  The styling fee was waived for this box since the last one was a disappointment, and  I thought was a nice gesture by Stitch Fix!  I did keep the jeans from the first box, and I’m finding that even though they’re a little outside of my comfort zone in terms of fit (they’re more fitted through the thigh), they are so damn comfortable and look pretty stellar on.  For this month’s Fix, Lana added a note on the styling card:

Welcome back for your 2nd Fix.  I loved looking on your Instagram and your Sheetar website for inspiration!  I’m sorry to see you were disappointed in your last Fix.  I was sure not to include any pink this time.  Since you are looking for more figure flattering tops, I thought you would love the fitted style of the Ink Love & Peace mesh detail knit top.  Pair it with jeans and your favorite boots or black flats and add the Bay to Baubles fan necklace for a night out.  The Gilli Rinna dress will give you that 50’s retro style you’re looking for and will look amazing with some heels and red lipstick for your next special event or wedding.  The Skies are Blue split neck top is an easy style you can pair with jeans on your more casual days.  The Loveappella mesh detail knit top will also look chic paired with a fuller skirt.  Enjoy!

Well, Lana nailed it.  She clearly got a good sense of what I like by browsing around my social media accounts, and NO PINK!  (a friend likes to joke that I’m allergic to pink, I dislike the color that much)  So, let’s go piece by piece..

Item: Loveappella Normen Mesh Detail Top
Cost: $44.00
Paired With: Yellow crochet flats (mine), Jeans (last month’s Stitch Fix), necklace (this month’s stitch fix)
I LOVE this top.  It’s a great navy blue color, and the mesh detail on the sleeves is just on the top of the sleeve, so the mesh won’t irritate under your arms.  Super smart.  It’s also a piece I can wear without a cardigan which I almost never do because I like to hide my arms and tush, but I honestly would feel comfortable wearing this without a cardigan.  The fabric is a mid to light weight rayon/spandex knit – it’s not so light that it feels like tissue weight, but it’s just right for spring and fall and feels like a decent quality.  I even have a yellow fuller skirt that may go really well with this – I tend not to wear a lot of skirts since I have a short torso and I feel like they look weird since my waist is so high, but it’s worth trying it out!

Item: Bay to Baubles Zaria Fan Necklace
Cost: $38
Paired With: Loveappella Normen Mesh Detail Top
At first, I thought, eh, more jewelery, but it’s a really substantial, heavy piece, and I like that it’s silver and is more of a larger, statement piece.  It does go nicely to dress up the other two tops, and it’s not something I have anything similiar to already.  I’m kind of a little take-it-or-leave-it on this since it’s more than I’d spend on a similar necklace, but again, it is heavier than your average $12 clearance fashion jewelery.

Item: Ink Love & Peace Welden Mesh Detail Knit Top
Cost: $48
Paired With:  Jeans (last month’s Stitch Fix), black rosette flats (mine)
The top is plain black, but has a neat mesh detail that runs pretty much from armpit to armpit and down  the sleeves a little ways.  This is yet another top that I’d actually feel comfortable wearing without a cardigan (MIRACLE OF MIRACLES, TWO IN ONE BOX!).  It’s a nylon/spandex blend and is just a little heavier than the other top.  The fit is great!  The only thing I’m not sure I entirely like is the shoulder/sleeve construction and how there’s a seam running around the sleeve halfway between my elbow and shoulder, but it’s not enough to make me send back the top.  It’s just a weird design feature.

Item: Skies Are Blue Avena Split Neck Top
Cost: $54
Paired With:  Jeans (last month’s Stitch Fix), yellow crochet flats  (mine)
I’m not entirely thrilled with this one.  It’s a floaty, polyester fabric, and the fit isn’t great.  You can see how long the sleeves are (note that only my fingers are sticking out of the sleeve) and how far the shoulder seams hang down my arms.  The bust is way too big, but the fit is right around the hips, so if I went down a size, I’d be risking it not fitting in the hips.  I tend to have this same fit problem with most clothes since most plus size clothing is cut for  a gal with a larger chest.  I am definitely not that gal, so it means a bunch of excess fabric where my, uh, huge tracts of land ought to be.  I think it’s fixable  by taking up the sleeves a little and pulling in the darts around the bust, but it’s a lot of work for something I’m not terribly thrilled with.  It also still falls into that shapeless-sack category that a lot of plus size clothing ends up being with no structure to the body – I tend to prefer tops with a bit more structure and definition to them, and a good fit means they look better than something that shapelessly hangs.  I’d have liked  this a lot more if it was a cotton blend or a flannel, or a more structured fabric instead of a breezy, light polyester georgette.  This is also the only clothing piece in my Fix that wasn’t made in the USA.

Item: Gilli Rinna Dress
Cost: $58
Paired With:  Cardigan (mine), red heels (mine)
HEYO!  Spot on perfect!  This little number  is a dark navy blue with ivory polka dots and doesn’t it just look great with the red?!  The fabric is I think what they call a “scuba” fabric – it’s a textured polyester/spandex blend.  The wind caught the dress a little for the photo, so you can see it has a nice drape, but it’s still a heavier fabric.  The back is a wide crossed back with a little keyhole opening around the waist.  Again (AGAIN), this is a little too big in the chest.  Fortunately, the raglan sleeves are a perfect spot to nip in the excess fabric.  I do happen to have an anniversary and birthday coming up in about a month, so, hey, nice timing!  I think this could also be dressed down a little with a denim jacket and flats as shown in the styling suggestions, or even go a little less retro paired with nude heels and an ivory cardigan.

The total bill for the box comes to $242.00.  You get a 25% discount if you keep everything, bringing the total down by $60.50 to $181.50.  I was contemplating returning the Skies Are Blue Avena Split Neck Top since there are a lot of fit issues and I’m not too keen on the fabric, but considering that the discount takes care of the cost of that top and then some, I’m probably just going to keep the whole Fix and see what I can do about alterations.   I’m no stranger to altering clothes since I’ve never been an off-the-rack body type, it’s just a bummer that precious little ever fits right without some work.

Final thoughts:  This was a MUCH MUCH better fix than the first by miles, and I feel like Lana definitely paid attention to my notes and preferences.  My favorite piece is probably the dress, but I do like the first two tops as well.  The prices are much higher than what I’d usually spend on clothes, but I also feel like they’re better quality, definitely not things I can find elsewhere, plus most of them are made in the USA which is pretty awesome.  In case you’re thinking about trying Stitch Fix and want to give me a little love, here’s my referral link!