Stitch Fix
I received my first Stitch Fix last night and I was pumped! It was over a month ago since I first heard about the service and signed up. Stitch Fix is basically a personal stylist that will ship you five items of clothing and/or accessories on the schedule you’d like. The other great thing about Stitch Fix is that they try to help you pair outfits. I was hooked as soon as I heard about the service and spent a really long time getting set up.

The first thing you do after you sign up, is fill out a survey about yourself and fashion preferences – i.e. sizing, but also the type of styles you like, price points, areas of the body that you prefer or don’t prefer to show off, what type of accessories do you like, certain prints to avoid, etc. It’s a very exhaustive (in a positive way) process. You’re also shown pictures of different styles and asked to pick whether or not you like them. At the end you’re given an option to add your Twitter handle and/or a link to a Pinterest board (I wish I discovered the Pinterest board earlier). Once that is all said and done, you pick a date for your first Stitch Fix (usually about a month out), pay $20 for the styling fee, which will be applied towards your purchase if you buy any of the items, and then it will be delivered to you.

When my package arrived last night, it was like Christmas! It’s definitely a very cool feeling to know that you have a package of clothes waiting for you but you have no idea what’s in it. I was excited to see what the stylist had picked out for me. The packaging came very compact and wrapped nicely. Also, you receive a personal note from the person who picked out your items. Mine reminded me that it would be helpful if I had a Pinterest board! You also receive a picture of the items you received plus different ways you can pair the items.

I didn’t end up keeping any of the items I received, however, that doesn’t change my opinion about the company or service. I am not easy to please when it comes to clothes and used to ordering a lot of different things and returning most of them. Generally, I thought that the stylist aired on the conservative side when she picked my items. In my preferences, I listed I would be willing to spend a little more on certain items and the ones I received were on the lower end of the price range (which there is nothing wrong with, I’m always looking for a good deal/find) except that the quality and material of the items weren’t all quite there. Some of the items were too big or didn’t fit right, or it just hugged in the wrong spots. I told you how I’m not easy to please, right? However, if I did want to keep any items, it would be an easy process. You just log back into the site, pick the items you liked, rate all of the ones you received, and then checkout. There is a discount if you purchase all five items. In my case, I went back on to the site, rated all the items, included a comment about each, and just lost the $20 that I paid for the styling.

I said I lost the $20, but I don’t actually consider it a loss. It was an experience and one that I would try again. In fact after I commented on each item I received, I immediately logged into my very inactive Pinterest account and created a board of clothing and accessory styles that I like. This is also something I spent way too much time on! After I edited my board, I added it to my Stitch Fix profile. I haven’t scheduled my next fix yet, but plan on doing so soon.

Pinterest
When I signed up for a Pinterest account months and months ago, I wasn’t sure what to do with it but after spending some time going through it this morning, I have to say, I really like it. It’s a brilliant way to track the things you like (and you can even set it so you are emailed when the price changes on something you “pinned”). You almost get the same pleasure as online shopping without spending money (win, win?)! In my case, I created a board of clothing and accessory styles that will be helpful for Stitch Fix but also for myself to refer back on when I’m trying to pair outfits together or just a wish list of items I may want to buy in the future. I also created a board of hairstyles that I’ll want to show my hairdresser when I go in for my haircut and style before my cousin’s wedding (no more printing pictures out, technology these days!). There’s so much to Pinterest that I want to explore – recipes, home design ideas, and health and fitness tips. I’ll just need to make sure I have hours to spare because it really sucks you in!

Are there any cool websites or services that you discovered recently?