Christmastime is upon us. Which means families are asking for wish lists and asking what size clothes I wear. But what normally is a very straightforward answer for me, feels like a novel of a response right now.
Finding postpartum clothes to fit your body can be like… (insert funny, awkward, and slightly uncomfortable metaphor right here)!
Since my baby is now 7 months and I STILL don’t have a properly fitting pair of jeans, I decided to enlist some help. In theory, I know what styles SHOULD be flattering to my body. But my schedule and my non-predictable napping baby have made searching for those styles a huge challenge.
Insert Stitch Fix. An online personal stylist who, after thoroughly reviewing your style profile (along with numerous social media accounts), puts together 5 pieces, boxes them up all pretty, and sends them to your door.
While I personally love to do my own shopping, there have been a handful of times in my life that this has come in very handy. Before a tropical vacation in the winter, for example, when it’s next to impossible to find cute summer clothing in stores! Around Christmas (which also so happens to be the month of our anniversary and my daughter’s birthday) when I find myself short on time and/or am avoiding the over-crowded malls. Pregnancy and postpartum. And I’m sure you could add several more…
And since I know how many of you despise going shopping for yourself (I know because of the messages and texts I receive asking me to help you shop online, go through your closet, or just drag you with me to the mall!), I felt it was my duty to share this service with you.
I know I’ve talked about it here before, but in case you haven’t heard of Stitch Fix…here’s a quick rundown of how the service works:
1/ SIGN UP FOR AN ACCOUNT
(Preferably using my link so I can get a credit towards my next Fix!)
2/ FILL OUT YOUR STYLE PROFILE
(Include a photo and link to your social media accounts and be sure to be as detailed as possible.)
3/ SCHEDULE YOUR FIX
(And get ready for Christmas to come early!)
4/ PAY A $25 STYLING FEE
(Which you can use towards the purchase of any item in your Fix.)
5/ STALK THE MAILMAN
(And simultaneously the tracking information.)
6/ JUMP FOR JOY WHEN THAT BOX SHOWS UP ON YOUR DOORSTEP
(Because…duh!)
7/ TAKE A BOOMERANG OF YOU OPENING YOUR BOX
(*Optional, but still really fun.)
8/ OOOO AND AAAAH OVER YOUR GOODIES
(Try to keep the drool to a minimum.)
9/ TRY ON EVERY PIECE WITH AN OPEN MIND
(And don’t forget to try them with your current wardrobe, so you get a really good feel for it.)
10/ CHECK OUT ONLINE
(Leave detailed notes about what you loved and didn’t love so your stylist can make your next one even better!)
11/ SEAL UP ANY RETURNS IN THE BAG
(Included in your Fix. Needs to be returned within 3 business days.)
My last Fix was during my pregnancy and it was SUCH a stellar box that I wound up keeping the whole dang thing (which awards you in an extra 25% off, BTW)! I, of course, didn’t share that last Fix. Between normal 3rd trimester exhaustion, severe morning sickness, busyness, and a certain little babe arriving waaaay too early…let’s just say I never got around to it!
You could also say I had pretty high expectations this time around.
There were a few specific requests I made. A pair of jeans (preferably that didn’t accentuate the postpartum muffin top). A leather (or vegan leather) jacket with a drapey front. And I may have possibly publicly swooned over the black lace skirt that was in their recent email. Let’s see what I wound up with, shall we?
*I’m just going to go ahead and apologize for these pictures up front. The sun went down a wee bit earlier than I had expected so it’s horrible lighting.
1/ DALINA CROCHET DETAIL KNIT TOP – DANIEL RAINN /
Price – $58
I was so excited because of the color of this one. I mean, it should be no surprise that purple is my JAM! And the lace detail was just enough to make it more exciting than a basic long-sleeved shirt.
As you can see though, the sleeves are this odd like 7/8 length! I can live with a 3/4 length or full length…but this just looked like I shrunk it in the wash. Don’t you think?
Verdict — RETURNED!
2/ ELIZABETH SUPER SKINNY JEAN – LIVERPOOL /
Price – $78
I have to admit, I was a little bit bummed to see such “normal” denim this time around. Typically, Stitch Fix sends me denim that has just a touch of something special…whether that be a pattern, or distressing, or an unusual cut. But now that I think about it, I probably haven’t kept even one piece of denim from them yet…so maybe that’s why they felt the need to play it safe with a normal, dark washed pair.
That being said, I was surprised at the comfort level of this particular pair. Ultimately though, I felt the price was just too high for a pair of jeans I wasn’t completely obsessed with. Would you agree?
Verdict — RETURNED!
3/ MAISHA PONTE AND FAUX LEATHER JACKET – EDYSON /
Price – $88
My initial reaction was borderline jumping up and down! I am completely obsessed with the style and cut of this jacket and I am so pumped that my stylist included it in my Fix! It is ALMOST exactly what I asked for! Almost…
This one hurts my heart. My ONLY disappointment was how lightweight the sleeves and the back of the jacket were. It really felt more like a blazer than a jacket. And even though I could see myself wearing this ALL THE TIME, what I really need is a jacket and financially I just can’t spend this much on a blazer and still be able to get myself a jacket. So alas, I had to say my goodbyes.
Verdict — RETURNED!
4/ JEMIMA SPLIT NECK KNIT TOP – Z SUPPLY /
Price – $44
We all know that the squishy belly is one of the biggest postpartum struggles. While normally I would wear loose fitting tops to hide that, my monster nursing boobs have made loose-fitting tops resemble more of a mumu. Making me feel oh-so-glamorous. NOT.
I liked the.cut of this shirt. Like, A LOT. The V-neck was a flattering neckline without showing off a bunch of cleavage. And the Straight cut was fitting at the chest while just slightly draping away from my midsection. I easily could have kept this one if it wasn’t for the color. I felt like it was an odd shade of pink (coral?) that washed me out. Purple hair or not.
Verdict — RETURNED!
5/ MARLENIA LACE SKIRT – TRULY POPPY /
Price – $74
I might have squealed a little bit when I pulled this lacey number out of the box! The skirt from the email!! I swear, every time I ask them for something I saw in an email or another person’s Fix, they tend to be sold out. And this skirt is GORGEOUS! I was thrilled to try it on!
I was pleased that it actually fit since it is a high waisted skirt! And it wasn’t restricting, despite the cut. But the skirt couldn’t seem to decide if it was a mini or a midi skirt! I felt like 4 inches of it had gone missing! I mean…is it just me? I feel like a high waisted skirt needs to have a little length to it.
But this hemline, right?!?
Verdict — RETURNED!
Guys! I am so bummed! Like I said, this is a first for me! I have never (not once!) returned everything in my Fix! And what’s sad is…every single piece was SO CLOSE! In fact, if I was in a different financial situation at the moment, I easily could have kept the whole thing. Thankfully, Stitch Fix decided to waive my Styling Fee this time (apparently it had been a hot minute since I had scheduled a Fix, lol), making it easy for me to pass up items that were not the perfect fit for me.
Welp. It appears I will be taking my butt shopping a bit before Christmas since I am STILL in dire need of a pair of jeans and a jacket. Was it worth it? Well, yeah! Stitch Fix literally made it risk-free for me. Had I paid a styling fee, I probably would have kept something. Because I’m cheap like that.
Also! You won’t find me complaining about playing dress up.
And in response to that question of my size that seems to be on repeat right now…if you are buying me clothes for Christmas (which I LOVE!) just try your best and be sure to remember a gift receipt. Because trying to guess what size is going to fit me right now is like trying to guess the size baby you will birth (hey, look – a metaphor)!
