February 2016 Stitch Fix Review: I'm in Love...

Friends, thank you for waiting so patiently for my latest Stitch Fix review. I know I skipped January-- it came right before I went to DC and I didn't have time to take pics before I sent it back. It's sad, as it was a really good one, even though I ultimately only kept one thing. (Which I have since worn three times a week.) But we must chug along, so be it.

The good news is... this Fix was awesome! Alison has really been killing it lately, and this box just raised the bar even higher. Thanks Alison! (For a review of how Stitch Fix works, see my earlier post here.) I had a fashion show during the Super Bowl with my friends Jenn and Doron, because there's only so long that you can watch people give each other brain damage before you need a new activity.

My styling card: look at all the colors!!

 I loved the whole box and had to exercise some self control to not keep everything. (How that happened will come later.) Luckily, the combo of a gift certificate and referral credit meant that I had $125 to work with, so there was some flexibility. Because of that, the whole box would have cost $115 after the discount, credits, and styling fee. Let's get to it, shall we?

Colorblock Verbena Sequin Detail Blouse in red-- $68

According to Alison, I pinned this blouse. I don't remember, but that seems like something I would do. I loved the sequined detail, and how it is not overpowering but so pretty. I also really liked the color, which was an orange-y red, which is not something I have a lot of in my wardrobe. It seemed classy but also sparkly, which is a good combo. I was sure I was going to keep it when I tried it on the first time, but when I modeled it for my friend Jenn, we both agreed that it was good but not great. It was a little short in the torso and I couldn't quite figure out when I would wear it. For the price, since I wasn't keeping everything, it needed to leave me. Good bye, beautiful blouse. May you find a good home with a shorter torso'ed friend.
Status: Returned

Ezra Cuballa Embroidery Knit Top in navy-- $58

This I did pin. That's because I am in love with it. First of all, I love that the back fabric is different than the front. Second, it's SUPER soft. Third, I love the embroidery detail very much. The only weird thing about it is that it's short on the sides, but my friend Rachel theorized that it's supposed to be that way. So I will wear a tank top underneath and feel happy forever.

Status: Kept!

Gilli Jodie Textured Skirt in navy (although I swear it's black)-- $58

This was my favorite. I have been searching for basically this exact skirt for MONTHS. Thin stripes, knee length, pleats, textured cotton. Happy Rachel! (This was also Jenn and Doron's favorite.)

Status: Kept!

London Times Nancee Dress in green-- $98
Mak Jaclynn 3/4 Sleeve Button-Up Cardigan in cobalt-- $38

I thought two things when I saw this dress.  #1: LOVE. #2: I think I already have this? Indeed, I already own a dress in the same color and almost the same fabric and shape. As much as I love kelly green, even I have my limits, especially for $100.

Alison, knowing of my modest ways, sent this cardigan to go with the dress as well. It was very soft and I loved the color. It was also the least expensive thing in the box. I would have been happy to add it to my closet, except that I have a million cardigans, so I exercised some self control and decided not to keep it.

Do I regret it now? A little. But life goes on. It's only clothing, friends.
Status: dress and sweater both returned

So that's February. Home run. If I hadn't already had an almost identical dress, it's likely that all five things would now be in my closet. But I am very excited about my new shirt and skirt. Just have to wait for March to see what comes next!

Want to get in on the fun? Sign up for your own fix here!

Coatless Caroling

Here, dear readers, is something you might not know about me. Despite the fact that, I think we can all agree, I am SUPER Jewish, I also have a great love of Christmas. The trees, the lights, the music, the way everything slows down and people are a little nicer than usual-- it may very well actually be the most wonderful time of the year.

One of the things I love is a good Christmas carol. I don't sing the ones with a lot of religious overtones because those feel a little uncomfortable to me (although I do enjoy listening to them since they are so beautiful), but enough of them are ecumenical that I get to sing along. So when I heard that Gramercy Park, one of the snottiest places in the city, opens its gates for an hour once a year for caroling, Sarah and I decided to go.

Here's what I have to say about Gramercy Park: not much. It's a park. It's not very interesting. Their trees was pretty, but I was less than impressed when the caroling ending and they basically told us to get out. Oh well.

Here's what I have to say about the caroling: It was fun! The spirit was good, the crowd mixed, and the band and choir pretty good. I liked that they gave us song sheets and encouraged us to sing along. Plus, as you can see, I was wearing no tights and no coat because even though it was Christmas Eve, it was in the 60s. So it was nice to be outside, if also disconcerting and vaguely terrifying if I thought too much about it. Instead, I focused on White Christmas, which is one of my favorites. Those Jews sure know how to write good carols.

I ended up walking home, which was a little insane because it's about five miles, but I wanted to see the store windows and it was a lovely evening. Here are some of the sights I saw along the way, including a red and green Empire State Building and windows from Macy's, Lord and Taylor, and Saks. The streets were full of tourists, Christmas spirit, and people eating ice cream. Because nothing says Christmas like ice cream, right?

That's it for the blog for 2015. Happy New Year, everyone! I hope 2016 is everything you want it to be and more. See you back here next year!

What I'm wearing: Boden skirt (very old, similar here), Downeast Basics blouse (similar here), GAP Factory cardigan (similar here), Sperry for J. Crew boat shoes (similar here)

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!

The One Where I Can't Decide: Stitch Fix Review August 2015

Friends, it Stitch Fix time again! But this time, I need your help. For the first time ever, I got a fix where I could imagine keeping everything or keeping nothing. Most likely outcome will be something in between, but any and all feedback would be welcome. So please leave opinions!

Alison was my stylist again, and we are still very happy together. I had asked for a striped dress and a specific polka dot shirt, but I guess they didn't have either, as neither arrived in my box. However, Alison did send me some great 3/4 sleeve shirts that would be good for summer or for layering in the fall.

Always so exciting to see 

Look! Colors this time!

 After my last fix, some more of you signed up. Thanks guys! So I have $75 to play with, which is good, because a couple of things cost a little more than I would want them to if I was paying full price. The total would have been $234 to keep all five, but if I kept it all, it would be $159 because of my credit.

The Style Card

Sorry that there are fewer pics than usual. Studying for comps is really taking all of my concentration, and someone, hanging each item and photographing it again was a little more than I had the energy for. I'll try to do better next time! So let's get on with it, shall we?

Mystree Lodi Shirred Back Cardigan in Dark Purple (although it looked brown to me)-- $64

The coolest part of this cardigan is definitely the back. Otherwise, it's sort of blah. It feels very lightweight (although well made) for something that costs $64. The color didn't do anything for me, and I generally feel like drape-front cardigans swallow my super narrow shoulders. Alison suggested pairing this with the maxi dress I loved in fix #8, but I have a sweater to go with that that I like much better.
Status: Return

Pixley Edmond Henley Knit Top in Teal Green-- $54

This shirt is a Stitch Fix classic these days. A lot of people I know have gotten it, and it is as soft as advertised. However, I didn't love the colors on me, and the shape didn't do much for me either. Definitely not worth $54 for a t-shirt, even a cute one. I would have kept this one for the discount, but since I'm sending back the sweater, I won't miss it when it's gone.
Status: Return

Dear John Marson Wide Leg Denim Trouser in Black-- $78

Now things start to get complicated. When I saw wide leg trousers, I was skeptical. Those of us who have bottom halves that are bigger than our top halves usually do not do well in trousers, as they can make you look even bigger. However, these were more of a hybrid of a bootcut and a flare, and they fit perfectly. Plus, they had a mid-rise, which I loved. However. They are sort of a faded black, which is really not my look. It just feels sort of dated to me. And I'm not sure I can spend $78 on a pair of jeans where I don't love the color? My friends Sarit and Miriam were pushing hard for me to keep them. What do you think? Keep? Return? Ask for them in my next fix in a blue wash instead? Decisions, decisions...

Status: Undecided

Collective Concepts Rilo Button-Up Blouse in Pink-- $68

I know, who has $68 to spend on a blouse? But the answer might be that I do, as I could keep it and still not actually pay anything. I love the color and the pretty print. Plus, it's a nice fabric that could work with jeans or work clothes. It's sheer, as you might be able to see (I would not usually wear it with that tank top, but I was in Sarit's apartment so I didn't have other options.) The detailing is actually navy, which I like a lot. And I think generally it fits me nicely. This was both Sarit's and Miriam's favorite.
Status: Likely keeping

Market and Spruce Crescenta Henley Top in Teal Green-- $48

Out of the box, this was my favorite. I love the color and the pattern, and you know that I am a sucker for popovers. However, the fit is not the best. As sometimes happens to me with almost-tunics like this one, it's a little tight in the hips. But then Sarit and Miriam said it didn't look small at all. But they still liked the pink one better. But this one is so soft. Guys, SOMETIMES STITCH FIX IS SO HARD. I mean, not really. But anyway. Keep or return? (It's also the least expensive thing in the box, which is a plus.)
Status: Undecided

So what do I do? Keep the pink shirt and the blue shirt? Just the blue shirt? Just the pink shirt? Is it a bad idea to send back the jeans? And if it's only $20 more to keep everything, should I do that and try to sell everything else at a discount? Decisions, decisions. All comments are welcome!

And want to get in on the fun? Don't forget to sign up for your fix here!