Stitch Fix Review September 2015: The Fun's in the Details

Ok, I'm back! I'm sorry for staying away for so long. I'm still wearing the annoying brace, which makes typing a challenge, but thankfully, my thumb hurts a lot less, so I came back to all of you, dear readers!

And... it's Stitch Fix time!

This Stitch Fix actually came almost three weeks ago. I'm just behind. And this was a good one! Alison really listened to my requests, which were as follows: I asked for something I could wear during this crazy holiday season, the jeans from my last fix in blue, and things that would transition well for fall. (These pictures were taken the day before Rosh Hashanah, which is why my hair is weird and straight.)

Let's see what we've got. (And for a reminder of how Stitch Fix works, click here!)

The excitement builds... 

And look! I see color!

 I had a little bit of credit left this time around, so that gave me some pricing flexibility. If I had kept everything, it would have cost $202 before the credit, or $165 after. However, I did not keep everything (but I did keep more than one this time around!)

The Style Card

I included a close-up of Alison's note this time, because it was so nice! I really felt like she listened to me, especially with her recommendations about the dress. Let's take a look:

Fun2Fun Altoona Crew Neck Top in Black-- $48
Dear John Marson Wide Leg Jean in Navy-- $78

 This was a 50/50. I loved the jeans. They're the ones I got in the last fix, but I hadn't liked the black wash, so Alison sent them in blue. I had to keep them. I HATE jeans shopping. Seriously. It is just the worst. So if someone wants to send jeans that fit perfectly to my house, then I will keep them. Also, I used to be all about boot cut, but they all either stopped fitting or got holes in them, so it is nice to have something other than a straight leg again.

The top, I was less enthusiastic about.  As you can see in the pictures, it was sort of too big. Also, it was a little blah. My sister said, It looks like something someone middle aged would wear. And I'm not there quite yet, so I was not sad to say good bye to this one.

Jean status: Kept!
Shirt status: Return

Crescent Freese Scoop Neck Top in Navy-- $48

Shaina said this picture is a little Jesus-y.
I assure you I was just trying to show off the weirdo sleeves.

 I hated this top. I actually liked the pattern okay, but that was pretty much it. I didn't like the fabric. It reminded me of the crinkly skirts I used to wear as a teenager. And I HATED the sleeves. Seriously, who wants sleeves that are going to slide over the place and make your arms look bigger?

Also, there was this tie in the back. My shoulders were way too narrow for the shirt, so everything was flopping all over the place. Not for me. Good bye, weird shirt.

Status: Return

Papermoon Gresham Split Back Knit Top in Navy-- $48

This is the shirt I kept going back and forth on. At first I loved it, especially because it fit so well. Then I felt like maybe I have too much navy. But then it was so fun. Sarit ultimately convinced me to keep it, and I have already worn it, so I guess it was a good pick!

The whole fun of this shirt is in the back. It's a split back, so it needs a tank top underneath. I like the flower print because it's really different from the things I usually wear. Plus, it's SUPER soft. I had trouble figuring out what to wear with it, because I didn't like navy with dark jeans, but when I tried it with my green pencil skirt, and I liked it a lot. So...

Status: Kept!

41Hawthorn Danette Dress-- $74

This was the other thing I was on the fence about. I loved it right out the box. The color is beautiful and the fabric was really high quality. It was also really different from the things I usually wear, which I liked, as I am trying to mix it up a bit. Plus, it had this cool tie on the side, which was a little bit different.

The problem was the length. As Alison predicted, it was too short. It has a little bit of the high-low thing going on, so it's long enough in the back, but not in the front. I wasn't sure about how to layer it, but I put a navy skirt underneath, and it looked enough like a tunic that I thought it could work. I wore it a few days later and got many compliments. So yay!

Status: Kept!

So if you're keeping score, that's 3 kept and 2 sent back. This is the first time in a while that I have kept more than one thing. If it hadn't been Rosh Hashanah, I might have tried to sell the other two shirts to get the discount, but the holiday made it too complicated. But it's ok. I'm really happy with the things I kept, and feel like they were a helpful step in diversifying my wardrobe a bit, which I wanted. So yay!

And now, because of the delay, my next fix is in less than two weeks. Time flies! Want to get in on the fun? Sign up for your own fix here!

A Polka Dot Splint

That is my poor, sad thumb. Your favorite curly haired blogger is also a klutz, and I wiped out while running yesterday. Purple-y bruised knees and a badly sprained thumb are my souvenirs. Clearly the lesson is that I shouldn't exercise, right???

Among other things, this means that typing is difficult and sort of painful, and therefore my efforts must be directed towards things like finishing my Yom Kippur speech and taking notes for comps, and not blogging for a little while. I am bummed.

Hopefully the pain will lessen soon, and then I will be back with things like the end of the summer bucket list, my September Stitch Fix review, and the big plans for the fall.

And in the meantime, at least they gave me a polka dot splint. I'd like to think it's because they know me and want me to be happy.

On Breaking Fashion Rules

Let's talk for a minute about fashion rules. We all know them. For example, no white socks with dress shoes. Don't wear black and navy together. Or, in this case, people who are pear shaped should not wear horizontal stripes on the bottom.

Well, fashion rules, I thumb my nose at you! (Except for the white socks and dress socks thing. Men, take heed.) I love this skirt. In fact, I can't believe it's never been on the blog before, because I wear it with great frequency. I get compliments almost every time I wear it. And more important than that, you know what? I think it looks cute. So there.

This skirt is a few years old, but Boden just came out with it in other patterns for the winter. It's actually the same as the black one I wear all the time (like here and here.)

Stripes and stripes!

 In addition to my wearing horizontal stripes, I also wore my striped Toms with my striped skirt. REBEL. I'm going to tattoo my face any day now. I want to try more pattern mixing this year, and this seemed like a good way to slowly tip toe into those experiments. And it made me smile every time I looked at my feet.

Except for here, where I frowned because I was watching the Republican debate at Shaina and Avi's and it made me sad about America. Regardless of your politics, dear readers, I think we can all agree that we deserve a higher level of discourse, and also less lying. Sigh.

Finally, you might notice that my hair is not its usual curly self. I got a blow-out for Rosh Hashanah because it was easier to deal with over the holiday, and they did a good enough job that it actually lasted through four days, including a rainstorm and a rather warm walk in the park. My friend Sarah said that I wasn't allowed to put straight hair pictures on the blog, but again, I am a crazy rebel! And also, I had them add some curl on the bottom to maintain my curly haired roots (or tips, as the case may be.) Also, it made me realize that my hair has gotten super long and I really need a haircut.

Don't worry, I went for a run this morning and then washed my hair, so I am back to my usual curly haired self.

That's all for tonight. Coming soon: I will tell you all about my Stitch Fix that came last week! It was a good one, so come visit again!

What I'm wearing: Boden skirt (same cut here in different patterns), Jones New York shirt via TJ Maxx (similar here), Toms striped shoes (similar here)

Gonna Make Me Sweat

Hello from the library! The blog catch-up continues.

People like to say that women don't sweat, they glow. Well, people, that is dumb. I sweat. Sometimes gross amounts, or at least certainly more than I care to acknowledge sometimes. But you know what? It's part of being a human. And it means my body is working and doing cool things. So there.

These pictures were taken at Nyack Beach State Park, where I did my bucket list hiking with my friend Hannah. It was SUPER humid that day. We were both sweating before we even started up the mountain. Where we proceeded to lose the trail and get lost. Oops. Don't worry, everyone made it home safely!

See, we made it back to the bottom.

As a modest dresser, exercise clothes actually provide a significant challenge for me. I care not at all about what I look like if I'm, say, out running-- it will all be disgusting and sweaty in a few minutes anyway-- but I still want to maintain my modesty standards as much as possible. However, it seems that someone decided that everyone in the world only wants to work out in leggings. I do not wear leggings. But sweatpants don't work because they fall down, and I think we can all agree that mooning people certainly isn't modest.

The view from the top!

So I did a long and intensive search and finally found some workout pants at Marshalls that didn't fall down and weren't leggings. But now that I see these pictures... they look like leggings. Sigh. I promise they aren't, but there was only so much time and effort I could devote to this shopping project. But if you have any suggestions (that aren't insanely expensive), please let me know in the comments!

And now, some pictures of nature:

What I'm wearing: Look Human t-shirt, Danskin capris via Marshalls, '47 Yankees hat (similar here), Adidas sneakers via DSW

Shana Tova U'Metukah!

No time to write a full post, as Rosh Hashanah is approaching so there are challahs to bake and self-reflection to do, but I wanted to wish all of my dear readers a wonderful year of only good things, new adventures, successful risk taking...

... And skirts for grown-ups that look like tutus. Thanks for sticking with me on this funny project. Have a good and sweet new year!

Remember When It Was Summer? (3 Days Ago?)

Dear readers, Labor Day was only 3 days ago, and yet, summer still feels like it was over a million years ago. Sigh. Let us use this time to reflect, remember, talk (once again) about modest beachwear.

Next time, perhaps I will remember to take
pictures before I'm soaking wet and standing
super funny. Oh well.

 As you might remember, I had a day at the beach on the bucket list. I ended up going to Sarah, my mom, Simon and Leo, so it was a whole family party. My mom grew up in Freeport, Long Island, so we ended out to Jones Beach so she could get emotional and sentimental and stuff.

Jones Beach is beautiful, if you've never been there. The sand is super soft and the ocean is clear. Plus, when we were there, there were excellent waves, which Simon, Sarah and I had a great time riding.

And of course, no day at the beach would be complete without ice cream. Obviously.

We also got to try out my waterproof camera bit. There aren't so many pictures, but as Simon said, "Sometimes the best souvenirs are your memories." Truth. Although weird for a seven year old to say that. He's pretty deep when he isn't talking about poop.

This is my second rash guard. Obviously I chose it because it was polka dotted, which you all know by now that I love. However, since the black and white is pretty plain, I paired it with these board shorts, which were both long enough, super neon, and really cheap. I probably should have gone down a size, as they are sort of huge, but whatever. Live and learn. At least I did not get a sunburn. Modest and practical all in one.

I know it seems sad to talk about swimwear right now, but now is actually the season to buy if your body is more or less staying the same, because everything is on sale. (Up to 65% off at Lands End, where I got my fun rash guards.) So think ahead-- there's often an advantage to buying off season. Plus, then you have something to look forward to! A win-win.

And for those of you keeping track of the bucket list, Sarah and I also hit Hurricane Harbor at Six Flags to fulfill the amusement park item. It was really fun, and some of those slides are super bonkers. Like the cobra.

Great fun was had by all, in the same outfit I wore kayaking.

You don't scare me, shark!

And now, summer is over and I am back to tackling my comps list. I'm 44% done! Not that I'm counting or anything.

I hope to get one more post in before Rosh Hashanah, but if I don't, Shanah Tova-- a sweet new year to everyone celebrating. Hopefully this will be a great year filled with new adventures, exciting opportunities, and adorable outfits.

What I'm wearing: Lands End rash guard (both of them, buy now on sale!), US Polo board shorts via 6pm

A Bucket List Two-for-One

Well, tomorrow is Labor Day. Summer is over. Sad. But we still have many blog posts to go before to blog has reached the end of summer.

This pictures were taken by my friend Sarah on the High Line during a beautiful sunset. Zing! Way to double up, team. (We won't mention that it was 90 degrees and thus very unpleasant out. See how the dress doesn't show sweat??)

I love this dress. Is it the same color as my skin? Yes, sort of. Does that mean it's probably not the most flattering thing I own? Probably. Do I wear it anyway? Yup! Because it's comfortable and just the right amount of modest and a really pretty pink floral texture. And you know what? I get dressed for me, so if I like it, then sometimes I can wear things the same color as my skin. So there. (Nice sunburn lines too, no?)

Beautiful sunset over the Hudson. 

One of the things I like about the High Line is the cool blend of the urban and the wild. (For those of you who don't know about the High Line and its history, you can read more about it here.) This was my first time visiting the northern extension, which is beautiful and also way less crowded than if you go further south.

Crowd Sourced Lego Building

The original train tracks from the rail yards.

Most of the High Line blocks the view of the river, so we hung out in the northern part until the sun mostly went down and then headed south. There's something for everyone-- legos, flowers, art (most of it modern, which is not so much my thing, but to each her own), food, music, yoga... The list goes on and on. It obviously has a really different feel than most other parks, which are purely nature-based, but I like the urban and wild combo a lot. It reminds me that Manhattan was not always a crazy city with tons of buildings, but rather, there used to be nature. Who knew?

This dress is from an online boutique called LulaRoe. They do pop-up boutiques, mostly in person, but also sometimes on Facebook. You can also order online, although I've found that their stock is limited. It's all made the USA and it's all modestly-oriented (think length and sleeves). Also, they make only a few of each piece in each print, so you're unlikely to show up and find someone wearing the same outfit. Fun for everyone.

What I'm wearing: Pink dress via LulaRoe (online boutique here, Facebook group here), Downeast Basics cami, Bare Traps sandals (similar here)

Sparkly Toenails, Weird Dreams, and a Career as an Artist

Yesterday's lesson of the day: if you do nothing all day but alternate reading Harry Potter and watching Parks and Rec, you have VERY strange dreams. (Also, I think Parks and Rec has ruined me for all other TV shows. Ben + Leslie 4-eva!)

The big plan for today is to leave the house. Oh stomach virus, way to put my life goals in perspective.

Anyway. I don't have a huge amount to say, which is maybe just as well, as my energy is still pretty limited, but I just wanted to thank all of you who sent me get well soon wishes and also ideas for the fall/ winter bucket list. More on that coming soon.

In the meantime, here are some pictures of yet another time I ended up painting my toenails to match my shirt, despite swearing that I wouldn't do it again:

They ended up pretty intense, but I still feel happy every time I look at my toes. And when else, if not during a time I don't have to go to work, is it a good moment to have sparkling turquoise toenails?

This pictures were taken on day two of two of a crafting adventure. When Sarit graduated rabbinical school, I told her that as a present, I would take her to do any activity she wanted, as long as it was fun. She chose paint your own pottery:

A rabbi AND an artist!

However, mine never turn out so well, so I decided to do a mosaic instead. Turns out those take a long time, so Shaina and I went back a month later so I could finish my box and she could make a picture frame.

I think we have great careers as artists ahead of us, no?

I have nothing to say about my outfit, except that it too is boring, but I am working on some ideas to diversify and more interesting pictures will hopefully be coming soon to a blog near you.

And now, Harry is calling my name. Until next time!

What I'm wearing: Boden skirt (similar here), Willi Smith shirt via TJ Maxx (similar here), Franco Sarto sandals via DSW (similar here)