Stitch Fix: May 2015

Wow. I had forgotten how much fun it was. It had been a few months since my last Stitch Fix box. The last one was average and I decided to take a break. After having little luck in traditional stores I decided to give it another go. They sure delivered.

So most of you know the deal: you fill out an online profile and their stylists pick out clothes and send them to you. Whatever you don't like you send back and you keep and pay for what you do like.

Being 5 foot 2 inches tall, I have a helluva time finding clothes for my proportions, especially tops that aren't too long. The struggle is real, people. I was encouraged to try them out again when they recently started carrying petite sizes.

I loved the blues and greens and fun patterns that greeted me when I opened the box! Hello, lovelies!

I laid the pieces all out and assessed: one dress, one skirt, and three tops! No accessories this time, by request. I almost didn't want to try them on and risk the disappointment of any of them not fitting. But the package arrived as we got home from school pick-up, and it ended up being later that evening before I could try anything on. Part of the fun of the shopping experience is trying on the clothes, and I didn't want rush through and deprive myself!

The first thing I tried was the Brodie French Terry skirt by LA Made.

I normally stay far away from a drawstring waist, but I loved it anyway. The fabric was a very light-weight, terry-like material. And I'm a sucker for stripes.

Perfect for summer and so comfortable. I really wanted it to work, and if it wasn't $78, I probably would have talked myself into it (and ultimately regretted it, because it really wasn't that flattering).

A very "roomy" fit from the side-view

I actually found a similar more flattering skirt at H&M about a week later for under $10 that I picked up because it reminded me of this one. Probably wouldn't have given it another look otherwise.

I am a sucker for anything fuchsia, so I liked the Evan Crochet Yoke shirt from Skies are Blue off the bat.

I love when a shirt has unique details like the crochet at the neck.

The stylist suggested pairing the skirt and shirt together.

Although the colors are great together, the loose fit of the two wasn't flattering to my body type.That's when I decided the blouse was too drapey.

The other shirt in the box was the Holden blouse by Papermoon.

See how the fit is so much more flattering?

It's a guazey material and so lightweight. I have another shirt that is similar but a totally different color that I have worn all spring, so adding another one to my wardrobe was a no-brainer. Best of all, it fit!

The cut and style of the Nell dress by Gilli was right on the money.

I didn't have time to snap a picture of myself in it, but it's perfect for mindlessly throwing on and looking cute. And you know how I love easy summer style. It fit perfectly! Unfortunately, I used to have a dress that looked almost exactly like it. Hmmm, keep it because it fit so well or not, because it was just recreating something previously had? Ultimately, I didn't keep it although the stylist made a great selection.

The other shirt, the Preston Open-Back by Fun2Fun, was super cute too.

Trying to figure out with which shorts I could wear it

It was a fun print and again it fit great. I tried it with several different bottoms and at first it was a definite keep. Buuuut, looking at the pictures I took of myself, I felt like the color washed me out, and it only seemed to go with white. I really wasn't that wowed by it, so I put that in back in the box.

Although I did end up returning a lot, I think they did a great job giving me what I asked for. Yay! It was a good fix, but they can't know what I already have in my closet, and because I'm so discerning about fit, I'm a tough customer. I think most people would be happy with a fix like my last one.

So, if you do decide to give it a go, do me a favor and use this link to sign up so I can get a credit towards my next box, mkay? Thanks, chicas!

https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/3630084

What do you think about my choices? Have you had a fix yet? What did you think? Comment below!

Other Stitch Fix reviews: June '14, April '14

Top of the Muffin to You!

Who remembers that Seinfeld episode where Elaine finds a bakery that sells only muffin tops because no one likes the "muffin stumps?" It ends up the store got closed down when they discovered muffin stump disposal scandal. (Or something like that. It was a while ago.)

Well, we've got a bit of a muffin stump scandal going on at our house too. My kids gnaw off the fluffy, delicious, top part like squirrels and leave the bottoms as carcasses. Panera sells the muffin tops and it got me thinking to try it out at home. And guess what: it's super easy, and more than half the calories of a full-size muffin! (haha)

Here are my easy instructions for making muffin tops at home.

Make the batter as directed. Use a box recipe or, if you're Martha friggin Stewart, make it from scratch. (Sorry for the passive-aggressiveness.)

Anyway, when it's time to put the batter in the muffin cups, instead, flatten the muffin papers out and put them on a cookie sheet.

Pour the batter to just fill the bottom of the paper.

Put the trays in the oven for about 10-15 minutes at the temperature indicated in your recipe. When you take them out, they'll look like this.

No more muffin stumps!

My Dressing Room Tip

You know those days when you have good shopping karma and you love everything you try on? It happens like once or twice a year. A few weeks ago I was checking out a new(ish) boutique downtown I've been dying to shop and loved everything: the colors, the fit, the flattering styles. Oh my!

I narrowed it down to a handful of dresses but couldn't pick one. (I know, first-world problems.) Yes, I was only going to get one (for now). I try to be practical.  

The salesperson was telling me, "everything looks great on you!" and I wasn't getting any closer to a decision. I pulled out my trick for when I can't make a decision in the dressing room.

But first, let me take a selfie!

No, that's the trick. I take a mirror selfie and look at the photos of myself. It makes it easier to judge how the clothing looks. You can see the fit and colors more objectively. And then you can easily swipe between outfits and narrow it down.

Normally, I take the pictures myself in the dressing room mirror, but on this day it was a slow time, and I recruited the saleslady to help me out. She kept telling me what a great idea this was, so I figured I might as well share it with you guys.

Here's my fashion montage. What do you think?

The headless mannequin! It's good to get your face in the picture so you can see how the clothing looks with your skin, hair, and eye color. The rest have my face. But what a great summer dress.

I love the fit of this one. It's gathered in the back to give the dress shape and you can't go wrong with a v-neck.

 I like this one because of the colors (go Gators!) and neckline. (Similar dress here.)

Love the blue-green color of this one. I'm trying to get more of this color in my wardrobe. These are all great dresses that are so easy to throw on and perfect for Florida weather.

Tough decision, right? So which one do you like? Comment below on this page and I'll let you know which one I picked!