9.18.2012

tog + porter: box #1

most of you have been with me through the emotional rollercoaster (fun, self-hate, confusion, delight, revulsion, inspiration) of my first 5 stitch fix experiences.

well, even though stitch fix was the first i had heard of this sort of thing, i have since discovered that these "box" services are quite popular. there's one for razors, one for beauty stuff, even one for adult toys. shazam!

so while stitch fix is still in beta mode (which may be why it takes a while to get off the wait list after you sign up), and since i had had some bad luck on my last fix, i decided to give another of these "we style it for you,  fashion-in-a-box services a try before i get another fix.

enter: tog + porter!


the basic premise is the same: a professional stylist picks out clothes based on your style/sizes and sends you a box of goodies. keep and pay for what you like, return what you dont. try everything one in the comfort of your home and with all of your existing closet to style the new pieces with.

i made a little breakdown chart of how the services match up in the nitty gritty  details as i know them (did i leave anything out? let me know!). 

update: the referral program actually is $25 each on T&P too, according to their website and the email i got when i first signed up...so i think i need to talk to someone about that!


you may need to click the picture to view it full-sized because excel is not playing nicely with blogger


ok so after my initial skype style session with emily, she took a few days to get my box together and then i got a shipping confirmation and receipt that my card had been charged with the total of the box. 

on wednesday, the box was here!

my favorite moment. (it totally reminds me of the priceless kate hudson in how to lose a guy in 10 days, "what will it be? little, big, little, big? i dont know, we will see!") 



a glimpse of goodness. LOVING the gray, green and baby chevrons.


classay


oh it's handwritten...i licked it just to be sure.

 and here are the contents:


1. sheath maxi dress. long sleeve. floor length. with metallic buttons on the cuffs. my first thought was that this looks like a costume from a movie based on a Dr. Seuss book about a charming turd who sheds its skin and becomes a beautiful lorax...or something.

2. TOMS wedges in black. nervous but wanting to love them

3. graphic red tunic. lots of cool details on the cut and print. loving.

4. green military jacket with tab sleeve option and a super cool lining print. loving.

5. grey infinity scarf. loving it a million (even before i spotted the $0 typo)

6. chevron print top. so loving.

7. metallic necklace. like and intrigued

8. wooden necklace. liking but nervous it will look crafty like my SF wooden geo necklace did.

so just looking at this stuff on the hanger, i am really encouraged. a lot of things that i dont feel like i could find at old navy or LOFT, not disgusting prices, great colors and styles that i might not normally gravitate towards.

let's get naked! and then immediately dressed again.

first up: the shoes and scarf:


the sweater is old navy and current though out of that color combo online

i had previously believed wedges were just for special occasions. at least on me. i am new to the heel-game, after all, and therefore if i'm 4 inches above sea level, it must be because it's someone's birthday or this is a HOT date.

however, the fact that these are TOMS sort of default them into a kind of casual feel, and i gotta say, these made me a believer in a daily wedge (give us this day our daily wedge).

and the scarf is just the softest, happiest, greyest little number you could ever dream of. i'm smitten by it. and jesse will be smote by its hotness.


if you believe the starks, winter is coming. so here's the same outfit with boots and the jacket


i love this jacket. i love that it is outwear in a vibrant color. that it can be warm with the sleeves rolled down, or rolled up to show the contrast lining in balmier weather.

the tunic:
i had some issues with my boobs not allowing it to lay like it should. the bust was just to small to fit correctly around my buxom chestal zone. i made a note to ask emily for a size up because i still really liked the look (and price)

and, oh my gosh, i must love yall deep and wide, because to even put this dress on in the PRESENCE of a recording device, much less take a picture with it and post it on the internet is just beyond anything i should be comfortable with. enjoy:

oh my gosh. i felt like i had to cover my reproductive parts. just so much showings of shapes and such.


i am 90% certain my mom as a nightgown from 1993 that looks just like this. my absence of siblings born in that era testifies to the fact that this is not a hot look.



and brass buttons to spruce it up! let's just not even mention that this ever happened. 



chevron tunic:

oh man, i want to love this madly, but again, the boobs had other plans. just beyond tight on my ladies. i actually got trapped in the shirt when i first tried it on and had to get jesse to extract me (like my last stitch fix).

but i wasnt photographing the clothes that day so i tried everything on again a few days later when jesse was out so i could take pics for this post. well, i dont know if i thought i had lost some boob weight in the meantime, but i ended up stuck, AGAIN, with no exit strategy and no husband to get me out. 

it would have required dis-locatable shoulders to get me out of here. i was like a chilean miner up in there. i started to panic. jesse was at band practice and would be home for hours. 

so i had to get judah to help me. god bless him, he may be scarred for life, but i coached my 3 year old son into undressing me from a top that fit me this tightly: he thought it was hilarious and hopefully will come to love boobs again in time.


that's not a bustline we want 


so i added this to the "see if they have a bigger size" list. (normally this would cause a downward spiral of loathing, but since it was boobs, i was fine with being too big for my top-britches)

the necklaces:


i like it! (and wanted to stop trying to make sweet normal lady faces)


i like this one too, but was confused with what to do it with. what do i wear this with?


i hopped on skype that evening for a quick debrief with emily of all my pieces. yet again, girlfriend is sweet and easy to work with and just gorgeous. and she even got them to honor the $0 price on the scarf even though it was a typo. love that.

so far i love T+P. my favorite thing (after my initial discomfort) is having my own stylist who has spoken to me live. that really goes a long way in getting the feel of what a person is about and it showed in the clothes i was sent. i also love that i set a budget for the whole box and can have a varying number of items (i had 8 this time) whereas stitchfix is always 5.

the things i missed about stitchfix: the offer of 25% off the whole box if you buy everything and the user interface in my account on the website. T+P doesnt have user account access set up now and that was something that was amazing about stitch fix.

if you want to get started with tog + porter go you can do so right here. they are really great about getting in touch and started ASAP. my referral code is dukesTP12

so we have one CLEAR strike and 7 solid (!) hits. what do yall think i should keep?


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21 comments:

  1. Tunic and chevrons for sure!

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  2. You are so skinny! Keep the tunic. And where is the blue stripey top from?

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    1. its an old navy sweater thats cheapo. i'll link to it!

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  3. At the very least you have to keep the shoes, jacket and scarf. That jacket is AMAZING! I would get the 2nd tunic in a bigger size, and I actually like the 2nd necklace.

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  4. This is the coolest thing ever! Love the tunic, scarf, jacket, brown necklace... Actually, can I just have it all? (minus the beautiful dress, that's all yours)

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  5. The tunic looks fantastic on you! Also, LOVING the toms wedges. After a terrible Stitch Fix experience, and now a rough Wittlebee one, too, I was ready to write off all of these "send-me-a-box-o'-stuff" programs. However, perhaps if I get some Christmas cash, I'll have to look into Tog+Porter. Keeping your referral code close JIC. :)

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  6. Love the green jacket! Then again, I'm from Canada... jackets may come in handier here than where you're from!

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  7. I'm in love with the tunic top. I really hope the next size up works for the girls because it is GORGEOUS on you. I love the print on the chevron shirt, but not the shirt itself. If it fit you, though, it would be awesome, and you'll get a TON of compliments on it, I'm sure. I also love the jacket, it's hot, but to be honest, it seems a little pricey for what it is. I feel like even Gap full-price should have a less expensive version of the same thing (not that I've actually checked). Love the wooden necklace. And a free scarf??? I mean, come on. Smart moves, T&G. They've basically won your goodwill for life.

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  8. oh man! i honestly love every single piece except the dress and the last necklace!!! this is enough to make me want to try it one day when this baby fat rolls off!

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  9. Love these posts! I think you should keep the tunic and the jacket (and of course the scarf)! You looked great in all of them!

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  10. Love the tunic, scarf, jacket, and wedges.

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  11. I was actually going to say to send back the scarf because you could probably DIY something similar, but if they're giving it to you for free, that's fantastic!!

    My favorites are the jacket and the wedges. Both the tunic and chevron shirt are great too, if you can get a size that you're more comfortable in!

    Also, I'm in love with your Old Navy sweater!! I'm going to have to see if they have that color in stores...

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  12. Read this post earlier while enjoying some mall Chinese food. And when I got to the bit about Kate Hudson, I definitely snarfed lo mein. SO not fair.

    Keep the Jacket!

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  13. I love that tunic shirt that was too small in the top. I love the color!

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  14. I've been eyeing a pair of TOMs wedges for awhile- are they comfy?

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  15. In the last pic, you look like your little girl :) Koot!

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  16. Do they work internationally? Because I am digging T & P. I love the green jacket, might need a update from my 2005 one. Love the Tom wedges! Scarf awesome. Peach Tunic was great too. Love the wood necklace. Way to go girl! Rock it.

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  17. Just wondering if you have done this again? I'm tempted to try it. Love how they work within your budget. makes you really think about how much you have to spend before you go whip out that credit card. ;-)

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  18. My husband got me a Tog & Porter gift account for Christmas last year. The first box was great; but the rest of the boxes have taken an incredibly long time to get together. In fact, they were supposed to send a 'summer' box that didn't arrive until early August. As a fellow large-boobed lady, I have had a hard time getting them to send me items--especially dresses and shirts--that fit well. I've asked them to send me handbags and accessories, but I have yet to get a handbag and when I decided to keep a scarf from one of the first boxes, they've sent me similar-looking scarves in every box (I only need so many scarves).
    Anyways, I was initially impressed, but I've now asked for a refund for the rest of the gift account amount because I've been so disappointed in the last three boxes in a row.

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    1. Angie, I am so sorry to hear this. There is no excuse for the time delays and Tog + Porter would like to rectify this for you. Please contact me at ellie@togandporter.com Also, I have some other exciting news to share with you regarding some of the items you mentioned above. I'll look forward to hearing from you.

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    2. This customer service is refreshing to see -- especially because I just bought a T+P gift account for my fiance :) I think she's going to really like this.

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