Stitch Fix (Maternity) for July 2015

I'm going to go ahead and make this part of my baby prep. Maternity clothes can be hard to come by!

Ok, so I'm sure I'm the last person in the world to try Stitch Fix, but I finally decided to take the plunge when I found out they had expanded their service to include maternity clothes. 

Now, some of you might be wondering what Stitch Fix is. I'll take some time to explain it here at the top of the post, but if you already know all about it just jump down a bit for the good stuff! 

Basically, it's the cheapest and easiest personal shopping experience the internet can offer. Here's how it works: 

1. Visit Stitch Fix online. 
2. Sign up and complete your Style Profile. 
3. Decide when you want your Fix delivered and how often. 
4. Enter your payment information. 
5. Wait for your own box of goodies to arrive on your doorstep!

The Style Profile is a very detailed and customizeable profile you create in order to let your stylist know your sizes, preferences, and desires when it comes to your wardrobe. Need petite or maternity clothing? Check. Hate anything in fur or leather? Check. Refuse wear silver jewelry? Check. Never want to bare your arms? Check. I was able to specifically state that I only own clothing in certain colors and that my small shoulders and large bust makes it difficult to find tops that fit. You can even link up a Pinterest board (mine is pretty darn style-specific) to help your stylist!

After you've done that, you have the option to get just one Fix, or you can sign up for monthly Fixes. Honestly, if I wasn't pregnant I might have just tried one Fix, but I ended up signing up for monthly Fixes. Unless I want to drive for an hour, my only source for local maternity clothes is Target. Don't get me wrong, I am a Target NUT, but it would be nice to have some more diverse options for my maternity wardrobe.

The payment process is actually really neat. Stitch Fix charges a $20 styling fee, but that money goes toward anything you buy from your Fix. Let's say you want to keep the top for $30 and the scarf for $20. Instead of paying $50 for those items, you only owe $30 because your styling fee is credited toward your purchase. And if you purchase all five items you receive a 25% discount on your whole order PLUS the $20 credit. It can be a great deal, especially if you love all the items.

And guess what? All you have to do to return the items you don't like is to place them in the provided, pre-paid mailer and put that in the mail. As long as you do this within 3 days of delivery it's all free and taken care of for you. You check out online, letting them know what you are and aren't keeping, and then your card is charged the difference for whatever you decided to keep.

Easy! Simple! Fun!

By now, I'm sure you're wondering what my first fix looked like. Well, I won't make you wait any longer. Here is my July Stitch Fix!

When you open your box you'll find an envelope right on top with a note from your stylist. Along with your price sheet and some information on what to do from here, you'll find some style cards as well. These cards show you some styling ideas for each item in your Fix. 

Now it's time to dive right in to the items in your fix!

1. Victoria Maternity Distressed Skinny Jean in White, DL1961 ($158.00)

2. Lamar Lace Accent Maternity Top in Grey, Loveappella Maternity ($48.00)

I can tell you that I didn't even have to try on the jeans to know that I wasn't going to buy them. I have never spent over $100 on a single item of clothing in my life (with the one exception of my wedding dress). I actually only tried them on for this blog post. Ripped jeans are never something I buy, and white is a color that belongs only on the upper half of my body. This alone made me wary of the jeans, but the clincher (besides that price tag) was the size. My thighs have greatly expanded during this pregnancy, so my normal size was actually quite tight (can you see the lines from my underwear shorts?). I did like the fit though. The side panels worked pretty well for me, and it's nice not having my entire stomach covered with fabric. 

The top wasn't terrible by any means, but it just didn't feel right on me. I felt quite boxy, and the stripes were just a tad too wide. The lace accent (while pretty) was also a bit too bright a contrast for my taste. Levi put the final nail in this top's coffin when he told me he thought it looked like I was wearing a jersey. Ok then. Next. 

Verdict: Returning both items.

3. Augusta Maternity Dress in Black, Laveappella Maternity ($68.00)

It's hard to tell with my little point-and-shoot camera in the way, but the neckline on this dress was perfect. It's so nice when you don't have to worry about your incredibly busty bust busting out of your top. The stripes were nice and the waistline was great (very defined!), but there was just one problem and it centered on my lower half. This dress was just a bit too fitted for my comfort, and if I end up expanding even a little bit more it will be too small. 

Verdict: Returning

4. Veronica Layered Burnished Metal Cuff in Dark Grey, Zad ($32.00)

I was THIS CLOSE to keeping this cuff. Even though I'm a bangle girl at heart, this piece was so cool. Look at that cool, tarnished look! One large piece on my wrist is my favorite look (and pretty much the only way I'll wear something on my wrist), and my stylist nailed it. But when I really thought about it, I realized that the extreme rigidity of my wardrobe would make it impossible to coordinate this cuff with most of my clothing. Since my entire closet is based on a minimalist aesthetic (everything goes with everything else), I sadly let this beautiful bracelet go. Sometimes being a minimalist is hard. 

Verdict: Returned

5. Alma Maternity Knit Top in Grey, Market & Spruce ($38.00)

First, let me point out that those are my Wal-Mart jeans, and I'm still able to button them at 21 weeks. These stretchy Jordache jeggings have SO MUCH ROOM in the belly!

Ok, now on to this top. LOVED IT. Simple. Perfect color. Great fit. SO SOFT. I want to wear this shirt every day. Even Diego was attracted to its beauty. 

Verdict: Kept

After all of that, it's time to fold up the items you're not going to keep and send them back. You can keep everything for a little while, but you've got to send it back within 3 days. It was just easier for me to fold things up and seal them in the mailer right away, especially because looking at that pile and this post really makes me want to cave and keep that gorgeous cuff that won't go with anything else I own!

After all was said and done, I ended up sending back four items, but I feel really good about the choices my stylist made. Everything lined up with the wardrobe colors I prefer, but a few things here and there kept me from jumping in for everything. I may be pining after that cuff bracelet, but I know that the perfect bracelet it out there somewhere, and I just can't settle for great. 

UPDATE

As the bump has grown this month, I've continued to love the shirt I chose to keep. Here's a picture at 23 weeks. 

So what am I loving about this top? 

1. It is SO soft and stretchy. 
2. It doesn't show sweat because of the material pattern, and I've learned that this is a BIG DEAL when you're a pregnant lady in the summer. 
3. It has plenty of room for giant pregnancy boobs, and it doesn't make you wonder how much cleavage you're showing. 
4. As you can tell in the three weeks I've had this shirt, my belly has grown considerably. The shirt is growing well with me, and I anticipate at least another two months with it. WIN.

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All in all, I'm excited about my experience with Stitch Fix, and I'd recommend it to anyone! If you visit Stitch Fix from this post and end up signing up for a Fix of your own, I'll receive a $25 credit toward my next Fix. This same referral program can work for you, too! Once you sign up, you get a $25 credit for each person you refer as long as they sign up for their own Fix. 

Hope y'all find this as fun as I do! 

Keep it real,