Stitch Fix: March 2016 (my last fix for a while)

I got the best note from a stylist in this Fix!! Angelique, who I have never had as a stylist before, wrote specifically about my Pinterest board and expressed enthusiasm about my desire to work toward a capsule wardrobe. She sent items that were very similar to things I pinned, including an awesome red pair of TOMS, which I love, but don't plan to keep.

Here are some photos of the pieces in my Fix, with a bit of feedback. Below, I'll explain why this is going to be my last Fix for a while. 

TOMS run big and stretch because they are canvas. I typically wear an 8.5 in shoes, but wear a 7.5 in TOMS. This red pair is an 8.5, based on the shoe size I gave in my Stitch Fix profile, and are much too big. I also can't really justify buying red shoes, because they don't go with enough of my clothing. But, gosh they're cute. (Note- I haven't tried it, but apparently Stitch Fix will sometimes exchange for a different size of an item, if they have it. Nice feature of a company, though I don't have the experience myself.)

I was disappointed in the pants shown below because I'd seen great things written about the brand. However, they felt kind of cheap and were too stretchy, plus they were a 6 long. Ugh-- my profile says I consider my legs to be short, and prefer 'ankle' length pants. It's very annoying to me that I got a long length of pants in this fix. I tried to sell them on a facebook group I'm in, but nobody was interested. Bummer. 

I thought this plaid shirt was super cute, and it was different enough from some of my other shirts for me to consider keeping it. My only complaint is that it wasn't quite long enough and cut off my torso in an awkward spot. Disappointing. 

This super cute striped shirt is almost exactly like the navy blue shirt I kept in my last fix. I tried to take a photo of the tie back, but it ended a bit awkwardly , as you can see below :) I LOVE the black and white stripes, and the length and fit were really good for me. But the material is very thin and clings to my belly too much for my liking. 

Now, this chambray shirt was unique. I love a good chambray, and the varying shades on this one were kind of intriguing. The back was different, too, kind of cut open at the bottom (hard to explain), and I tried to take a picture but was unsuccessful. But, I'm a completely die-hard fan of the chambray shirt I currently own and am not ready to even consider sharing my love with another. So it's going back as well. 

Stitch Fix and I have had a good run, but I'm going to stop scheduling fixes for now.

Here's why: first, I no longer have any credit from referring friends to the company. Second, because I'm seeking to build "capsule wardrobes" each season, and ultimately to have a limited number of clothing items in my possession, I'm usually on the hunt for very specific items. Stitch Fix is amazing for experimenting and trying to step outside my fashion box, but I'm not at a point in my life where I really want to experiment. I would rather spend my money on high quality basics and a few hand picked accessories. I already have a spring wardrobe wish list going, and none of the items I've been getting from Stitch Fix are on that list. 

I've said it before: Stitch Fix is a great company and the idea behind style Fixes is a good one. But I'm taking a break, happily and with no regrets. :)

Stitch Fix: February 2016

Today's blog post brought to you by overlapping naps for the baby AND toddler! I got to try my clothes on, take awkward photos using the camera timer, and start typing a post to review my Fix. Amazing!

I feel like this was probably my best Fix yet! Though I only plan on keeping one item, my stylist (Shelby) got the closest to my actual style that Stitch Fix has come so far. Since I still have some credit from referrals, I scheduled another Fix to come soon and requested some brighter colors for spring. 

Here's a photo of the style card and note from my stylist, in case you are curious. :)

The item I plan to keep is the navy blue tie-back knit top, shown below. I wasn't that enthused when I pulled it out of the box, because I already own a lot of navy clothing. Once I tried it on, however, I realized it was super cute!! The fit is really flattering and the tie-back gives a little bit of flair to an otherwise understated shirt. I also like that the material is soft, and that it's made in the USA. 

This striped shirt was a near miss. The feel and fit are really good. I like that I can pull it up easily for breastfeeding, and it's really soft. The length is very flattering, too. Plus, stripes! BUT, the colors just aren't great for me, especially the light pink that's lining the collar closest to my face. Like I said, really good in theory. But I'm sending it back.

If I didn't spend my days wrangling little kids (and carrying their stuff all over creation), I might have kept this clutch. The colors are really fun and it has a lot of inner compartments. Since I do spend my days wrangling little kids, though, it's not worth keeping. I don't use the reversible tote bag that I got from Stitch Fix last spring nearly as much as I'd hoped, so I can't justify keeping another cute bag at this stage in my life.

Something I seriously considered keeping was this navy blazer. I asked for a blazer in this Fix, and the one they sent was very soft and had a cute flowy part in the back, which I loved! However, the material pulled at the front when buttoned, and was a bit short on my long torso. 

The worst item in this Fix, which I couldn't even fit over my baby-birthing hips, was this pair of pants. My stylist specifically mentioned them, and apologized that she couldn't meet my request for a pair of white skinny jeans. This pair of pants was her alternative, but I wasn't impressed at all. Couldn't even get them on, plus they look old-fashioned and frumpy to me. 

Still on the fence about Stitch Fix? I think spring is the perfect time to give it a try. If you are concerned about not liking anything in the Fix, send me an email. I can connect you to a Facebook group where people sell stuff they don't plan to keep, in hopes of not losing their $20 styling fee.

Like I said before, this was definitely my best Fix... I've gotten five over the last 18 months and they seem to be closer to my actual style and preferences each time. If you're ready to take the plunge, please use my referral link, and let me know how you like your items!

Winter capsule wrap-up

I've been inspired by one of my new favorite bloggers to do some kind of summary, wrap-up, re-cap of my winter capsule wardrobe.

Now that spring is (finally!) here to stay, I'm boxing up some of my heavier sweaters and putting away my boots. I'm not throwing anything away, and many of my capsule items are also going to be part of my spring capsule (more on that soon!). I'm also not planning on donating much- my current pile for the thrift store is mostly junk that we had hanging around the house, not old clothes that I'm tired of. I consider that a real win. Maybe in future seasons I will be able to keep this capsule idea going and not immediately purge all sorts of un-wanted and un-worn items at the end of every season. 

 Alright-- on to my re-cap.

Favorite items: chunky gray sweater from Everlane, light red T-shirt from GAP, dark Levi skinny jeans, low black boots. 

Least favorite item: gray v-neck from Everlane. I am really disappointed with this T-shirt. The fabric has not held its shape well at all, through a winter of wash and wear. The v is also too low, even with a tank top underneath. Bummer. 

Favorite outfit combinations: 1. skinny jeans, t-shirt of any kind, black boots, and chunky sweater; 2. Khaki cords, black boots, black long T, with fun, colorful jewelry or scarf. 

Lessons learned: 1. add a bit more color next winter-- the grays and blacks got a bit tedious with the dark, gloomy winter weather. 2. Also-- accessorize more! 3. Take more photos! I don't have documentation of the outfits I wore, so I think it will be harder to remember how things worked together when I pull all my winter clothes out this coming fall. 

Things to remember for future capsules: pay for quality pieces from companies I trust and whose styles match mine. Everlane was a new-to-me company this past fall and though I'm very happy with my chunky sweater from there, it was a risk to purchase two t-shirts when I wasn't familiar with the way they would fit. This is a significant downside of purchasing clothes online. 

Overall, I am very pleased to have experimented with a capsule wardrobe this winter. It was interesting to pay attention to my personal "style" and having some staples I could mix and match made it much easier to put on real clothes, even when I was hanging around the house with kids all day long. :) 

Jumping on the (capsule wardrobe) bandwagon

Back at the end of the summer, I stumbled upon the idea of a capsule wardrobe. It was an intriguing concept because (1.) I hate clutter and (2.) I tend to regularly get rid of clothes that have been sitting, untouched, in my closet. BUT! I also tend to be a sale shopper and sometimes come home with clothing that was a great deal but isn't all that cute or high quality or good for my body type/personal style. Oi!

I used some of Caroline's free wardrobe planner sheets to help me think through my lifestyle as well as the items of clothing I wear over and over again. I got rid of a few things, bought a few things, and tried to unofficially start my own capsule. Since then I've kind of been muddling along, keeping the idea of a capsule in my mind but never really solidifying things in my own closet and dresser drawers. 

Here are some more resources about the concept; others can explain it far better than I can, so I'm going to let them do the dirty work while I just share my own experience. Rachael; Elise.

My experience so far has been a bit strange, but also kind of fun and definitely eye-opening. I had a few key things to consider, as I sort through how concept this will play out in my life.

• My style has always been pretty casual. I like to dress up occasionally, but I'm most comfortable in jeans and a casual shirt. However, I hate feeling sloppy and I rarely leave the house in sweatpants and a hoodie. 
• I'm mostly at home, with Charlotte (and the little guy I'm now watching 3 days a week). My clothes need to withstand spit up, messy breakfasts, baby wearing, sitting on the floor, and making several trips out the door with a car seat over my arm. 
• I have very few formal occasions; I only get slightly dressed up for church and dates with Joel.
• For the last 11 months, I've been nursing Charlotte multiple times a day. My wardrobe has to reflect that reality. (This means I basically NEVER wear dresses any more because dresses aren't breastfeeding friendly; I also wear a tank top under my shirt every day for easy access and some tummy coverage.)
• I'm hoping to have a couple more kids in the years to come. No capsules I've found really deal with pregnancy and/or maternity clothes, so I'll need to sort through that if I get pregnant again some day. 

So! Here are the items I'm wearing now, in this winter season. Many were also my favorites in the fall and I'm betting a few will carry over into spring, as well. I'm pretty sure I have about 25 items (not including pajamas, underwear, tank tops, or the cozy/ugly workout pants I wear on chilly mornings before showering). 

4 pairs of shoes: black boots, tall brown boots, winter boots, and Merrels 

4 pairs of pants: khaki cords, dark skinny jeans (mine are Levi's), black skinny pants with zipper legs, and navy cords (handed down from my mom; I paid $20 to have them hemmed by an excellent tailor in town!)

4 t-shirts: two from Everlane (gray & brownish purple) and two from Gap (navy and light red)

3 long button up shirts: all from Gap (white, blue/white striped, chambray)

4 miscellaneous shirts: black long sleeve shirt (Gap), red flannel shirt (from the men's section at Target), dark green tissue tee (from Target), dark blue/flowered thermal I bought while pregnant last winter (Target clearance rack). 

4 sweaters: gray chunky knit sweater from Everlane, navy button up from Gap (men's section!), chunky black cardigan from the GAP outlet clearance rack (I paid $5!!), and a light blue cardigan that I bought at TJMaxx last spring.

[Edit: as I was working on this post, I took a trip to the outlet mall. On that trip that I got the black cardigan on super sale at the GAP outlet that I mentioned above. And though I didn't need it, I impulsively bought a light purple T-shirt that I have been wearing a lot lately! Guess I better add that to my official total...]

#iloveblue

In the near future, I'll be posting a couple of outfits I've made from these combinations. Anyone else jumping on this capsule bandwagon? As far as bandwagons go, it seems like a pretty good one :)