getting fixed v3.0

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it's that time again! my 3rd stitch fix post. (1st fix here, 2nd here)

i have earned some referral credit at stitch fix, and at least as long as i have it, i will definitely keep the stitches coming. when you sign up, you get your own unique referral code so you will earn $25 stitch fix credit for every person who signs up through you.

this arrived at my door on monday:

and if you read raechel (which you should), you will notice her fix arrived monday as well and she posted about it yesterday. we didnt plan that, so i just have to assume our fixes have sync'd up like our ladytimes would if we lived near each other.

you'll also notice with blinding jealousy (oh, is that just me?) that she got the exact same dress that i almost loved last time, and it was a winner for her. i have written stitchfix and asked for my dress back so that we can be twinsies, obviously.

let's open up my box!

my love-offering gift was chapstick this time! it's not just fancy on the outside, it's also really quite fine balm. manufactured in gilead, perhaps?

when i first opened my box, eyes aglitter, with visions of my soon-to-come fashion coups (like this one!) dancing in my head, i was a little crestfallen because a sea of black and brown greeted me.

i took it in stride and decided to: 1-give them a try. i wasnt going to be WEARING 5 neutrals at once, after all, so i could liven things up and 2-to update my profile with them and request bold colors and less neutrals.

first a sleeveless kimono. yes. i, too, thought this was impossible, but the scientists have finally figured out how to make a garment that has no sleeves and does not wrap up and still call it a kimono:

for $92, this kimono better come with my own personal geisha. it didnt.

on the hanger impressions:

-the pattern is dark and floral. two things i dont wear a lot.

-the sleeves (weird to find them there since this is sleeveless) were interesting and strange with how low they went. note: the black rim sleeve thing is really just decorative; the armhole opening isnt that big (aka you cant see my sideboob/bra).

i am mean. this is as close to fierce as i have in my arsenal (see also: awkward, eyes closed).

on me impressions:

-far cuter than expected.

-not a flattering color/pattern for me

-too short to help me with my hips (which i like to play down)

final verdict: it's a no for style reasons, but the price tag made the prospect of owning this pretty much fictional from the get-go.

my accessory item (i've had one in each shipment so far)

just like last week, i didnt even need to see these on to know that $28 was too much. these are a pretty basic style earring in a neutral color. i could find these somewhere else for cheaper.

i have duly updated my profile to say "interesting, statement jewelry only please."

oh, man, yall, this next one about knocked me over:

oh, it's a black and brown maxi dress with double leg slits (a la angelina at the oscars)

i would never have tried this on in a millionty billionaire's years if it wasnt for you guys.

i knew styling would make or break this dress (we are disregarding the fact that, as far as my style goes, it was already filed under "broken.") but first i wanted to style it the way i first saw it in my head when i pulled it out:

with a slouchy black cardigan, greasy hair, glasses, hippie moonstone jewelry and a camisole.

if you'll excuse my friend above, she is late for teaching divination up in the astronomy tower. now someone please accio me some mother-flipping bleach now so i can scour this image off my retinas.

and while we're doubling your pleasure, let's go ahead and double your fun.

that wasnt a real cami under the dress!

that's right!! you've been punked by my cami secret®! this delightful snap-on contraption (as seen on TV):

looks like a thong, works like a bib! finally a dickie i can wear in the summer!

and why, you might ask, do i own these? wait for it....my mother in law gave them to me!

now, in any other universe, a daughter in law might take this as a passive aggressive hint (albeit hilarious) that her MIL thought she was freaknasty and needed to cover up. but not me. because A- i love my mother in law and we are quite close. all of our aggression is handled actively, not passively. B-i had said something to her before about hating having to wear a whole extra shirt underneath things to contain inappropriate mammarial spillage and she was being so kind and loving to find these for me to help me with that.

that still doesnt mean i cant enjoy a good laugh with her (and yall) about the whole concept of these lace-trimmed modesty-keepers (which, honestly, i will probably secretly use in all seriousness, to de-vamp some of my date clothes for church or work).

here's the dress as seriously and real as i could make it:

the cami secret is out! and i am belted, wedged (shoes) and accessorized better.

in the end, it did fit me perfectly and is quite prettily cut.

but that pattern killed it for me. i am just not a lady who like mottled neutrals. and i dont think i could have pulled off a maxi that had double thigh-high slits because i'm too much of a hem-hiker (when i need to show off my moves, of course). at $95 this was basically just a fun round of dress up.

at this point i am thinking of making my requests for colors, preppy styles and classic patterns IN ALL CAPS for next time.

i was a bit discouraged when i pulled out item #4 and it was another black.

the styling suggestions almost made me not even try this on since they looked so staid and buttoned-up.

the pattern photographs like an optical illusion, but it's really just a classic white pinstripe (you can see it up close in the pic on the right)

this is a silky loose-fitting button up blouse with tab sleeves (which i LOVE because the permanently rolled up look looks sporty AND doesnt make me have to keep shoving my sleeves into place).

since it's more of a menswear silhouette with a definite menswear color/pattern, i left it pretty deeply unbuttoned to fem it up ( i would wear this on a date night in the ATL, btw):

i wanted fun, colorful shorts to pair this with, and my choices were orange (nixed due to halloween) and yellow, pictured, which i was afraid would scream "i just got off work at california pizza kitchen" when paired with black pinstriping. whatever.

i actually felt great in this shirt. i liked the cut, details and fit of this. in a medium, it is almost even too big and can be belted with success (these boutiques need to stage a size-standardization conference so that all mediums will be created equal).

and at $42 BEFORE my mandatory $20 styling fee (to have my fix sent), this was a great deal for a long sleeved button up shirt.

this was my keeper.

and to celebrate, this happened:

catch me next at the summer olympics, dominating the gold in the event of: standing

the last item was yet another black/brown piece:

they gave me another blazer! i was excited about this since the one in my last fix was an almost, but the black/camel colorblocking scared me.

i gave it a whirl:

dont be fooled by that stank face, i actually really like this look.

the rounded split-sleeve detail is awesome, and the cut really was flattering to a chick who carries her weight down south. i even think the colorblocking assisted with this.

for $70, it was in the running.

except for one little thing. it was WAAAAAAAAAAAY too small.

until i shoved my arms in this beast, i had always wondered what it might be like to stuff your own sausages. cross that one off the old bucket list, because i bet it felt just like this.

again, ALL of my coats in my closet are mediums, so this is just a freak sizing thing. i refuse to let it get me down and instead choose to spend 10 minutes in my back yard do, fat guy in a little coat, hulk, and in a van down by the river guy impressions.

for your viewing pleasure:

so yeah, another 1 for 5 situation.

ok, blog friends: hear my cry:

-color

-no neutrals/blacks

-clean lines/patterns

-statement jewelry

this is what i have asked for in my next fix. this is the first time i have been ultra-specific and i think, (based on other folks experience) that it is going to work. i was afraid of being too narrow at first and limiting potential risk-wins, but now i realize that my spectrum of what i would even consider is a little more focused than i thought.

i know the people at stitch fix listen. they have impressed my brains out repeatedly with their customer service, and they really do want to make you look good and feel happy.

so my strong advice when you sign up (no, they dont pay me at all for writing about them, it's just such a bloggably fun service) is to be really specific FIRST and then open then door on later fixes. i think my experience has been less successful partly because of sizing issues (preach, sister) but also because i was too afraid to really speak up and say what i wanted and what i like.

i do imagine the poor stylist who gets my order every time puts on coldplay's "fix you," and belt out the chorus while looking at pictures of my dressed as above. the final line i wrote in my style profile was: "i might be your everest of styling. godspeed."

until next time...

My other Stitch Fix Posts:

fix #11 (post preg)
fix #preg
fix #10

fix #9
fix #8

fix #7

fix #6

fix #5

fix #4

fix #2

fix #1