Stitch Fix #15 Review - December 2015

I can't believe it!  Time flies.  It's time for another Stitch Fix review!  :)  (It's also almost time for Christmas, but don't remind me about that - I'm not ready!)

I loved my last fix, which arrived the day before Thanksgiving!  I've had the same stylist (Melanie) for the last several fixes and I've gotten some great things.  I got an awesome fringe bag, which I've been using regularly.  I also got some lovely teal corduroy skinnies and a black faux suede moto jacket!  It had a broken snap, but SF customer service took care of that promptly - over Thanksgiving weekend, no less!  :)

Well . . . this one was a little rough.  It's OK.  It's bound to happen.  It was disappointing in more than one way.  Seriously, though, if I have time to get frustrated over a clothing box, then I have it pretty good.  I know that!

First things first:  If you're reading this, there's a good chance you're familiar with Stitch Fix.  If not, check out any of my previous reviews for a more detailed explanation of this awesome service!

November 2015 - #14

November 2015 - #13

October 2015 - #12

September 2015 - #11

Stitch Fix Keepers

September 2015 - #10

August 2015 - #9

If you're not currently a member and are interested in trying it out, here's my referral link:

https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/4660198

If you sign up using my link, I'll get a small credit.  Just in case you were wondering, I pay for all my own fixes.  My only relationship with Stitch Fix is as a customer.  I signed up this past January and I've really been enjoying it!

Well . . . here's what I got!  :)

1.  Zenzii Torazo Layered Chain Necklace - $44.00

I specifically asked for some more mixed metal jewelry in my note to my stylist.  I used to be all about silver, but I'm finding that it can be fun to mix things up now and then.  This necklace is very interesting.  Most of it is grey, but it's got some sparkly accents and some gold mixed in with some of the chains.  It's easier to see in this photo:

I wasn't sure what to style it with at first (though there are a lot of possibilities) so I grabbed the Gilli Boatneck Shift Dress that I just recently received from another clothing by mail service, Golden Tote.  This dress was my favorite item out of my last Golden Tote box!

Golden Tote is a little different than Stitch Fix, but it's equally fun!  I'm on my third tote and I'm already a little bit hooked!  Here are my reviews of those experiences if you're interested:

Golden Tote #3 Review - December 2015

Golden Tote #2 Review - November 2015

Golden Tote #1 Review - October 2015

So . . . the necklace.  Yes.  It's pretty cool.  I'm starting to like long necklaces quite a bit.  At this point, I'm in favor of it.  Good choice, Melanie!  :)

Verdict:  KEEP

2.  Fate Howardson Striped Lightweight Sweater - Price - $68.00

I can definitely see why Melanie picked this for me.  I have a few different striped sweaters and tops pinned on my Stitch Fix Inspiration Pinterest page.  The stripes are navy - blue is always a good choice for me.  The sleeves are long enough.  It's really a cute sweater.  Here's a view of the back.

It's also lightweight, which is a good thing.  In Arizona, it's rarely cold enough for heavy sweaters, and if it is, things could change by mid-morning!  This was a good choice.  

  

I really have concerns about the quality of this item, though.  Look at the photo below:

As you can see, one of the seams is coming out.  There are also multiple flaws along the neckline.  At first, I thought that it was purposely "distressed", but I'm not so sure.  I did see a few photos that other people took of this item that seemed similar, but none to this degree.  

There are lots of little spots on this sweater that make me question its quality.  I could definitely ask Stitch Fix if I could exchange it for another of the same sweater, but I'm just not motivated to do that.  Would it really be better quality?  The price of the sweater is almost $70.  If it doesn't feel like an item that will hold up with normal wear, then I'm going to pass.  With regret.  It's cute.

Verdict:  RETURN

3.  41Hawthorn Arnette Jumpsuit - Price - $88.00

I have to admit - I peeked at what was coming in this fix!  When I saw that I was getting a jumpsuit, I was not thrilled.  I've never put on a jumpsuit that I thought fit well or was flattering on me.  If there had been a way to veto this item, I would have.  I always try everything on, though, because you never know!  :)  Well, the top is kind of cute, but it's super low-cut and needs a camisole underneath.  Because it's a jumpsuit, there's not a convenient way to keep the camisole pulled down so it doesn't ride up and create bulk at the waistline.

The bottom half does not work for me at all.  It is loose and saggy - there seems to be a bunch of extra fabric in the crotch area.  I hate that.  This is just a big NO all around.  It's funny - my husband kind of liked it.  Ha ha.  I just couldn't do it, though.  I felt self-conscious, uncomfortable, and kind of pudgy.  Not happening.

I went to my style profile to see if there is a way to indicate that I don't want jumpsuits or rompers.  There isn't.  Stitch Fix?  That might be a good check-box to add!  I think I will email customer service to see if they will put a permanent note on my profile as I would rather not receive them in the future.

Verdict:  RETURN

4.  RD Style Rawson Faux Suede Moto Vest - $98.00

This vest was the biggest disappointment in my fix.  I actually emailed customer service about it before I even received my box.  That might have been jumping the gun a little bit, but I was pretty surprised at this one.

What's wrong with the vest?  Isn't it cute?  Yes.  It is.  It's totally my style.  Look at this jacket that I purchased from my last fix, though.  That was three weeks ago.

Maybe it's just me, but I feel like this is almost the same item.  Without sleeves.  I don't think I can justify spending that much money when I just bought something so similar.  Maybe if it was another color I might consider it.  It's a nice vest.  It feels like it's probably better quality than the jacket.  However, one thing that I do like better about the jacket is that, if you're wearing it open, you can snap the front part of the jacket (with the snap detail) back so that it's out of the way.  You can't do that on the vest.  It kind of sticks out and I could see it getting in the way.  I probably wouldn't wear something like this zipped up.

I did request a vest.  I had pinned several faux fur (and a couple of quilted) vests.  Melanie stated in her note to me that there weren't any fur vests available.  She was trying to fulfill my request for a vest.  Fair enough.  I'm not sure if the last fix is clearly visible when the stylists are choosing items for a current fix - I'm sure things like this can happen.  Given the large number of fixes each stylist must complete, I'm sure it's easy to miss something from time to time.  Or maybe a lot of other people really would like two black faux suede moto-style items and I'm just being weird.  (Ha ha.  That's not out of the question.)  I would just rather have received something else if my original request couldn't really be fulfilled.

I just feel like it was a wasted item.  The chances of getting a 5/5 fix (and thereby getting the discount) were pretty low before it even got here.  I did get a response from customer service that kind of puzzled me - something along the lines of, "Sometimes you might receive things that are out of your comfort zone . . . "  ???  But - the vest was NOT out of my comfort zone.  That was the point.  I liked this style so much that I just purchased almost the same thing.

This was my first interaction with customer service that didn't really thrill me.  They're usually pretty great.  I don't know what I was expecting - maybe an assurance that, had I liked the other four items, I could have still gotten the discount since I was unhappy receiving something so similar to my last fix?

Anyway, after receiving the box, I could tell that I wouldn't be keeping most of it, anyway.  It was then a moot point, so I just decided to drop it.  Ha ha.

As I said before, getting annoyed over a clothing box is a luxury.  If I have the time and energy for that, I have a pretty good life.  Moving on . . .

UPDATE:  After my last communication to customer service, (in which I basically said, "I don't really understand your response, but thanks, anyway") I got another email (a different representative this time) stating that they would honor the 25% discount if I kept the other four items.  That was nice.  Obviously, that's not going to work out this time, but it's nice to know that they took the time to address my concern.  It's all good.

Verdict:  RETURN

5. 41Hawthorn Zappo Printed Mixed Material Top - $58.00

This lightweight sweater is a pretty blue color.  Did I mention that it's lightweight?  It's see-through, especially in the back.  I don't mind sheer tops, but this one is pretty fitted and I wouldn't really want to wear a camisole underneath it.

I'm just not loving the print.  It seems rather paisley-ish, and paisley is not usually my thing.  I don't think it's similar to anything on my Pinterest page.  It's just not my style at all.  (Except for the blue.)  I've seen this sweater on other people and thought it looked cute.  On me, it feels frumpy.  It just doesn't do it for me.

Verdict:  RETURN

So, that's it.  I really wanted to love this fix, but I just didn't.  The necklace is pretty and unique.  So, there's that!  :)

To be honest, I feel kind of bad for complaining about the vest because Melanie has done a great job for me over the last several months.  I think this was just . . . one of those things.  Oh, well.  I'll just look forward to my next one.  I saved some money by not buying more items, right?  I should look at it that way!

Please comment?  Did I make the right calls?  Do you think the vest and jacket were too similar, or was it just me?  Have you received any of these items?  What did you think?  Thanks again for reading!