Stitch Fix: A Frugal Girl’s Honest Review
It feels like all of the cool kids on the internet have been doing Stitch Fix for years, but I have never been brave enough to try it myself. Is Stitch Fix frugal enough for me? I had my doubts.
This post is not sponsored by Stitch Fix, but it does contain affiliate links. If you schedule through my link I’ll earn a small commission at no cost to you. All opinions are my own.
Why did I finally push my doubts aside to try Stitch Fix? They are running a promotion that waives the usual $20 styling fee! Which means I could try Stitch Fix completely free!! (Unless I decided to buy any of the clothes. Duh.)
What is Stitch Fix?
Stitch Fix is a personalized, at-home shopping experience. After filling out your Stitch Fix profile, a real life stylist will ship you a box of 5 items (jewelry, tops, dresses, shoes, pants, etc). You can try on the clothing, buy what you want, and send back the rest.
Stitch Fixes offers women’s sizes 0-24W and XS-3X, maternity, petite, and men’s sizes XS-XXL.
There is a $20 styling fee for each box. (This fee is waived until January 31st when you use this link.) If you decide to purchase anything from your box, the $20 styling fee is applied towards the cost of your clothing. If you don’t keep anything in the box, then you are out the 20 bucks. Shipping and returns are always free.
What I Loved about Stitch Fix
I was very impressed with the signup process. I knew that Stitch Fix would ask me questions about my sizes and style preferences, but I didn’t realize how thorough they would be.
They asked . . .
- current sizes I wear
- body proportions (long legs, short torso, average shoulders, etc)
- modesty preferences
- current needs (fancy event, business casual, everyday casual, etc)
- style preferences (They provided different style pallets & asked which I liked best.)
- color preferences
I was also able to tell them how often I wanted them to send me certain types of clothing. I requested mostly tops, and said no to shoes, accessories, and outerwear.
I appreciated being able to tell my stylist to avoid certain colors that I know aren’t flattering, and focus on other colors. Also, I made requests for no animal print, no cold shoulder shirts, and breastfeeding friendly tops.
There was even a place for me to share a Pinterest board with my stylist. I created a style board years ago, and it was very easy for me to share the board’s URL. If you don’t already have a style board on Pinterest, this extra step would be worth the time to be sure your stylist has a good idea of your fashion preferences.
It was so much fun to receive a box full of personalized clothing! I don’t enjoy shopping very much, and I rarely make the time for it. Stitch Fix was extremely convenient. Plus, the stylist really nailed it with the clothing items.
What I Didn’t Love about Stitch Fix
When you are filling out your profile, they ask about your budget. For jeans, tops, shoes, etc, they want to know how much you prefer to spend. I selected “the cheaper the better” in every single category. The next price range up from that was “$50-$100.”
Most of the items I received were around $50. I prefer to spend less than that on clothes, but every now and then it does happen. Recently, I spent $50 on a sweater from Old Navy and $50 on jeans from H&M.
So $50 or more, was a little disappointing when I had indicated “the cheaper the better.” However, even as a frugal girl, I can recognize that the clothing that Stitch Fix sent me was nicely made and would last for a long time. I am willing to spend more on things I completely love and know will last.
A Breakdown of My Stitch Fix Box
Skinny Jeans – $78
- nice stretch
- comfortable around the waist
- great length, which is hard when I’m 5’2″
- cons: no pockets, could have been tighter in the legs
- verdict: I sent them back because I like my H&M jeans better.
Green & Black Cowl Neck Knit Top – $54
- super soft
- loved the cut/style
- cons: didn’t like the colors
- verdict: sent back
Plaid Top – $38
- soft and silky
- loved the colors!!!
- cons: slightly tight across the chest, flowy waist wasn’t flattering at all angles
- verdict: I sent it back after much debate. This was my favorite item in my box, but it didn’t fit perfectly. Plus, I recently bought 2 plaid shirts. I really didn’t need a third.
Black & Floral Knit Top – $54
- business in the front & party in the back!
- I own nothing like this.
- soft & silky
- cons: front is a little boring (I’ve since styled it with a long silver necklace. That helps.)
- verdict: I kept it!
Grey Cardigan – $46
- incredibly soft
- pockets!
- a classic I could wear with lots of things
- cons: none
- verdict: I sent it back because I just bought a long grey cardigan.
Overall, my stylist did an amazing job. It is just bad luck that I recently made purchases similar to two of the items in my box. Otherwise, I would have been very tempted to keep those items!
I wish the items were cheaper, but I would pay that price again if the items were things I truly loved, were classics I could get a lot of wear out of, or if they were perfectly fitting petite pants.
Is Stitch Fix Frugal?
Yes and No. According to Stitch Fix, the average price per clothing in their boxes is $55. The prices are certainly higher than thrift stores and some other retailers, but I believe that the prices match the quality. If you are a frugal girl like myself, I would go into Stitch Fix with the thought that you might buy 1 of your items rather than all 5. (Although, they do offer a 25% off discount if you purchase the entire box.)
Time is money. The last time I went shopping, it took me hours. The driving. The going from store to store. The trying on of different sizes. The waiting for dressing rooms. The wandering throughout the stores. The endless decisions with all the endless options. Stitch Fix was fast and easy. It came to my house, was the right size, and I wasn’t flooded with options.
You can earn free credit to offset the cost of your Stitch Fix. There is a referral program that is available to all Stitch Fix customers. If your friends sign up for Stitch Fix with your referral link, you will earn $25 in credit. That would add up quickly!
Right now you can try Stitch Fix risk free! With the waived styling fee promotion, you can enjoy the experience of trying Stitch Fix without paying a penny. I had so much fun with my first Stitch Fix. It is worth signing up just for the experience even if you don’t keep a single thing.
Will I Try Stitch Fix Again?
Yes, if . . .
- I have a special event, and I need help finding the perfect piece. It would be fun to request a box of just dresses!
- I need new petite pants or jeans.
- I earn some Stitch Fix credit or have some birthday/Christmas money to spend.
How to Try Stitch Fix for Free*
Fill out your profile. Schedule a box, and the styling fee will be waived.
*You will have to pay for any clothes you decide to keep. Duh.
Enjoy your Stitch Fix!
Disclosure: This post is not sponsored by Stitch Fix. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. Top Photo by Stitch Fix. Other photos by Donna Shenk.
I absolutely LOVED this review! So honest and answered all the questions i had about Stitch Fix. Your honesty is refreshing. (And I really like the top you kept!)
What a kind thing to say! Thank you! Honestly, I think the fact that I was able to try it for free (kinda) really took the pressure off. I was able to just have fun with it, and I really had a ton of fun.
You should see if you can get sponsorship from LeTote to compare. I loved it and miss it and if I move back home I will have it again! I consider LeTote super frugal, although in some ways it’s the opposite. If you RENT special clothes Jon don’t wear every day, you can keep your wardrobe pretty minimalistic and still get to wear new stuff all the time. They also can style your box for you (although I really liked picking out my own stuff). Anyway, if you can get sponsored, I would LOVE to see if you would like it or not!
If you only keep one item, then doesn’t it become like an $70 shirt instead of $50, because of the styling fee?
No, the styling fee is applied to the total cost of any clothes that you keep. So if the shirt is $50, your $20 styling fee will go towards that purchase. However, with the waived styling fee promotion, you don’t have to pay the $20.
Does that answer your question?
Ah, gotcha. Thank you very much for answering!
Loved the plaid shirt on you!
Excellent review! I never understood how those services worked!
You’ll have to give it a try. It was fun to see what they sent even if I didn’t keep anything.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us!
You are very welcome! Have you ever used Stitch Fix before?
The plaid shirt was totally right for you. Even if you didn’t keep it, you should try these colors again!
I loved how honest you were about StitchFix, I thought I was the only one who didn’t appreciate the price points. If I am selecting the cheaper options, why are the clothing more expensive? That’s when I started doing my own research and found, Fashom. They are very similar to SitchFix where you get a personal stylist to provide you with quality clothing. However, their price points are far more competitive and budget-friendly. I stopped my subscription with StitchFix for Fashom and I have never been happier!
I loved how honest you were about StitchFix, I thought I was the only one who didn’t appreciate the price points. If I am selecting the cheaper options, why are the clothing more expensive? That’s when I started doing my own research and found, Fashom. They are very similar to StitchFix where you get a personal stylist to provide you with quality clothing. However, their price points are far more competitive and budget-friendly. I stopped my subscription with StitchFix for Fashom and I have never been happier!