Finding the Perfect Fit
Customer Service- When the last box arrived, the Stitch Fix stylist had done a solid job of sending an appealing array of clothes. The items were in colors with which I am comfortable, and just enough of a style stretch to pique my curiosity without being too trendy. The key to making Stitch Fix work is in managing my expectations of the perfect fit. The elusive perfect fit versus settling for ok.
I had 3 perfect fit questions. How does one wear an off-the-shoulder blouse? How to tell if the off-the-shoulder blouse is too big, when its obviously designed to be flowing? How long is a maxi-dress supposed to be? I turned to Stitch Fix customer service online and sent an email to ask about the blouse and request a smaller size maxi-dress because the medium seemed too long. Within the promised 24 hours, a response waited in my email. The blouse has 3/4 length sleeves- not elbow length. That was helpful. Then, the customer service representative offered to send the smaller size maxi-dress so I could compare the two sizes. That was fantastic! As a new customer, I just figured if the piece did not fit it had to be returned and then the customer was supposed to wait and accept the replacement. Apparently, not always. It also meant the 5-day return window needed to be extended. Since I had now tried the blouse and could not figure it out either, but liked enough to commit to the box with its 25% discount, I risked being rejected and asked to have a smaller size sent for comparison, too. Stitch Fix said, “Yes.” This was like having your own stylist- recommendations, styling, and advice.
The small maxi-dress arrived about a week later, the smaller blouse did not. This prompted another email inquiry. Again, the response came within 24 hours. I was reassured it was in transit but concerned the delay was due to limited stock in the requested size. This caused me to wonder if my purchase commitment was pre-mature. These two items were the most expensive.
Sizing I tried the small maxi-dress. The length was an inch short, and the fabric fit snugly over my hips. The white halter fit too tightly, too. I put the medium on again and wore it for an hour while searching the internet for sizing information. Other than the obvious dragging, there was little to go on.
I wore the medium maxi-dress Easter Sunday and tied one of those knots discovered on another fashion site to shorten the length enough so it did not drag in the grass. It was comfortable- overall satisfaction 82%.
The blouse has its own story. Not only was there a difference in size, the smaller version was not identical to the medium. It took side-by-side photos to figure it out. The color of necklines differed, and so did the patterns. The sleeves were too short and the elastic too tight. Sadly, The smaller was destined for return. Once again- overall satisfaction 82%
In summary, my torso is too long for a small, my legs too short for a medium. My shoulders too wide for a small, my arms are perfect for a medium. Stitch Fix is not a custom dress-maker, and although I am slowly coming to terms with my obvious particularities, the question remains, “was the fit good enough?” It probably did not matter anyway, the box was already purchased.
Returns Thankfully, Stitch Fix made the returns easy. I dropped the rejections in the bag and mailed it out. I am grateful, the timeline was relaxed even though there was no problem making the deadline.
Value Assessment and Wish List Overall, Fix #2 is a success and Fix #3 is tentatively scheduled for June. I continue to love the convenience and Stitch Fix is doing exactly what I hoped it would- it’s fixing my closet. SF is increasing my confidence to try new colors and styles. SF is providing a pleasurable and relaxing shopping experience. SF is helping me to share how important how clothing and appearance are in our daily casual and professional lives with my daughters.
There are a couple of changes SF could make to make my experience even better. While exploring, I discovered a few other services, LeTote, Wantable, Trunk, and something Bee. SF tempts me into trying more. My Wantable box is waiting for delivery and I am excited to see how it compares. And then, on Amazon the other night, there was a little ad, for a Prime box. SF is going to have to stay one step ahead if Amazon is getting into the stylist business at a lower entry cost. Of course, from a pricing stand-point when using the SF service, one pays full price for clothes. The quality and sizing of the clothes seem reasonable- 80% is good enough for now.
Here are the value-added features which would great to see. Wantable sold me more quickly on their service because of their Stream appeal. It remains to be seen how it will translate. SF’s Pinterest page is nice, but it’s not built in and that’s not convenient. It would be pretty cool to select an item every now then. It is even better to select from those great daily outfit calendars. After, getting a few pieces, I am finding I’d like to have a couple of coordinating pieces that match the included idea cards. Second, I wanted to review my first box and could not find a record of it anywhere on their site. Please SF, keep a copy of our purchases and rejects with any feedback we share with you so we can easily share with others, too. It is such a bummer I can’t share about the light blue striped fuzzy sweater which got passed over in Fix #1. It’s the one that got it away.
Thank you Stitch Fix. Let’s see if we can get the “perfect fit” in Fix #3.
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