The siren’s song of Stitch Fix has been luring me for years. It all started when big-name bloggers I follow posted their fixes. Then, slowly, medium-sized and smaller-bloggers I knew joined in the chorus. Then one of my I-didn’t-meet-you-on-the-Internet, you’ve-been-to-my-house friends signed up. I figured if she was on board, I could give it a whirl.

Now I know why people have been making such a huge deal on Stitch Fix Friday (*not yet a national holiday). Seeing that darling mint box on my doorstep literally got my blood pumping. Thankfully my children were sleeping and, like the great Mom I am, I left my newborn in her carseat carrier on the floor while I ripped open my box of sartorialist wonder. (Don’t worry, she was buckled.)

The appeal of Stitch Fix is that a professional ‘styles’ you. You fill out an in-depth profile on their website, answer some questions about your life, and SHA-ZAM! You’re matched with a stylist who’s sole job it is to select five pieces especially with you in mind. My stylist was named Jennifer. It took me less than five seconds to fall in love with her.

An index card-sized personalized note from Jennifer rested neatly on top of the garments. She congratulated me on being a new mom (so kind!), then explained why she chose the pieces and suggested tips on how to wear them. By the end of her letter I imagined Jennifer and I grabbing brunch, laughing over mimosas. (Not that I drink mimosas, but I would if I were with Jennifer.)

I won’t leave you hanging: the pieces were absolutely perfect.

Exhibit A – Tahoe Flannel Print Infinity Scarf

Exhibit B – Keira 3/4 Sleeve Split Back Knit Top

Exhibit C – Manni Zipper Detail Pullover Sweater

Exhibit D – Norah Distressed Flare Jean

Exhibit E – Rizzo Skinny Pant

Her picks were excellent. They made me feel trendy, put together, confident. I loved how I looked. Jennifer used the information I had provided in my style profile and on my Pinterest board, then conjured up some magic ability to see into my deepest fashion desires. Everything Jennifer sent was perfect for my lifestyle and my body.

I rifled through the packaging to get the price list. Then my jaw hit the floor.

Let’s just say, if you’re using the word ‘pieces’ to describe your clothes, be prepared to pay for the term.

To be fair, Stitch Fix does ask which price range you want you pieces to fall under. Though I chose the fewest number of dollar signs possible, I still had sticker shock.

Here’s my sitch with Stitch Fix: I do believe that quality counts. I’m on board with The Tiny Twig’s idea of a No-Brainer Wardrobe. I see the benefit of investing in a few, solid pieces to build your closet. I’m 26 years old and I want to ‘adult’.

But the reality is my family isn’t financially able to invest in a pair of $98.00 jeans. (Which is a really tactful way of saying, “Right now I’m too poor to afford nice clothes.”) It’s not that we don’t budget, it’s that there isn’t room in our tight budget. And I know it’s a bit crass to discuss money in public, but for you to understand this story it needs to be said. Our family is in especially lean times and keeping the clothes, as gorgeous as they were, would have made Dave Ramsey cry. (Don’t get me wrong, in my mind I was like, “SHOVE IT, DAVE RAMSEY! I hate your financially responsible ways. You don’t know my life.”)

“Wanting to look nice isn’t bad,” my husband softly reminded me as I got a little teary thinking about sending all these lovely items (sorry, pieces) back from whence they came. Crestfallen, I realized that my ‘Year of No’ sensibility was kicking in.

I needed to say ‘No’. It was a great moment to practice self-discipline and self-denial for the good of others. Though, to my husband’s credit, he was seriously trying to justify the expense of keeping at least one item. I didn’t want to make our already-stretched dollars cut a backflip for a pair of jeans.

Don’t misunderstand the heart behind this post. I’m not writing a humble brag. “I’m better than you because I care about more important things than how I look,” is not what I’m saying. I’m saying that, for the first time in my life, I do find myself caring about how I look. I want to be put together, to give my daughters permission to value their status as being made in the image of God. I’m just saying that, for now, I learned I need to find ways to tend to my appearance without dropping serious cash on a sweater.

That said, I still really enjoyed the Stitch Fix experience and would recommend it to others. I don’t actually feel as if I lost my $20 styling fee (which would have been applied to the total of the pieces I kept). For me, it was worth it to have a professional style me. Though I didn’t keep the outfits, I now have an idea of what looks good on me and what sizes I need to buy. I enjoyed putting together my ‘Creative Casual’ pinboard, which will serve as a guide anytime I consider buying new clothes.

So my verdict on Stitch Fix isn’t a ‘No’, it’s a ‘No, For Now’. Hopefully as my family continues to work hard, we can build our household income to a point that will allow me to invest a few hundred dollars into my wardrobe.

If you want to give Stitch Fix a whirl, you can click right here.

All the links in this post are referral.

A Newfound Alternative!

A friend tipped me off to the online consignment service threadUP. I tested it out and bought two pairs of brand jeans for a total (to me) of $2.18! WHAAT!? So far looks like they also have a great referral program (a friend makes a purchase, you get $20) and fabulous prices. Give it a try!

All the links in this post are referral. Signup for either service and get your own referral links!