Stitch Fix Review: I Tried It Years Ago, And Again Today. What Did I Think?
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Founded in 2011, Stitch Fix is one of the original online styling services. It started with curating boxes for women and has since introduced men’s and kids’ boxes. But with competing services now saturating the market—Dailylook, Armoire, and Wantable, to name a few—you may be wondering if this OG service is the best option for you.
I first tried Stitch Fix in 2015 with poor results (more on that later). But, with coworkers and family encouraging me to give it another try, I visited the website and started setting up an account.
There’s a lot to love about Stitch Fix. It’s a great way to save time on shopping, update your wardrobe, or transform your style. However, recent online reviews report poor quality clothing, unexpected charges, and unhelpful customer service.
I personally spent hours researching Stitch Fix and testing its service to bring my findings.
Stitch Fix Review
Product Name: Stitch Fix
Product Description: Stitch Fix is a personal styling service that sends curated clothing and accessories boxes to your door.
Summary
Upon opening a Stitch Fix account, you’re charged a $20 styling fee, which is credited to any pieces from your Fix box that you choose to keep. So long as you plan on keeping at least one item from the box, the service is essentially free. But, be sure to return unwanted pieces on time, or else you’ll be charged for all five.
Stitch Fix also offers a Freestyle service, where you can browse images of complete outfits and purchase individual pieces or the whole outfit.
Overall
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Quality
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Variety
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Cost
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Customer Support
Pros
- Stylists curate boxes based on your likes and needs
- Wide variety of styles, brands, sizes, and price points
- Accurate sizing
- Variety of delivery frequency options
- Free shipping and returns
Cons
- Must return items within three days (not ideal for procrastinators)
- Some customers report that it can take a few shipments for Stitch Fix to nail down your style
- Not for picky shoppers
Consumer Reviews
This is the aggregate score of reader reviews we’ve received. Have a good or bad experience with Stitch Fix? Feel free to leave your own review in the comments. Please note that only ratings with valid review content will be published and counted.
10 Key Features Of Stitch Fix
- More than 1,000 stylists for personal styling
- Algorithm alters your style profile based on your feedback about the items in each shipment
- Nice variety of sizes for women, men, and children
- 1,000+ brands and styles
- Items start at $32
- Each delivery includes a styling card with photos that illustrate how to coordinate several different outfits with each item
- No subscription required
- $20 styling fee per Fix order — Stitch Fix applies this fee toward the items you keep
- Free shipping, returns, and exchanges
- Refer-a-friend program gives you $25 credit each time a referral schedules their first shipment
How Does Stitch Fix Work?
To start your Stitch Fix journey, all you have to do is complete a style quiz, schedule your delivery, and provide feedback for future orders.
Stitch Fix creates your style profile using the data it receives during the detailed style quiz. At the end of the quiz, you are asked to schedule your box and provide payment information. After receiving your shipment, you’ll return anything you don’t want using the prepaid mailer. Finally, you’ll provide feedback via your Stitch Fix account on likes and dislikes so that your stylist can pick better options in the future.
Step One: Set Up Your Style Profile
When I got to the Stitch Fix website, I was prompted to complete a style quiz, which creates a style profile for future orders. The quiz included questions about my size, body shape, favorite clothing brands, style preferences, and more.
Part One: Size & Fit
The first portion of the quiz focused on my size and how my clothes usually fit vs. how I want clothes to fit my body. Stitch Fix asked me detailed questions about how various articles of clothing typically fit and my body shape overall, such as “Would you describe your bottom half as curvy?”. Stitch Fix also asked if there were areas of my body I would like my clothing to feature or downplay, which I appreciated.
Part Two: Determining Your Style
After providing my measurements, I was prompted to complete the second portion of the quiz, which focused on getting a better idea of outfits that I would wear. The quiz shows you photo flat lays of different outfits, including clothing, shoes, and accessories, and asks you to approve or decline the look. I also had the option to select only some pieces from the outfit—say, a shirt or a purse. The style quiz continues to shuffle through outfits to better understand what you want to wear.
While shuffling through the flat lays, I found that Stitch Fix did adapt and fine-tune my preferences so that the later images featured almost exclusively pieces I would wear.
Part Three: Styling Preferences
The final portion of the quiz had me select the type of outfits I would like to see in my Stitch Fix boxes. Do I want business casual pieces, or would I prefer casual outfits? How often would I like to see date night outfits?
As someone who’s a big fan of dressing for your season (I’m a bright winter), I appreciated that the quiz asked about my preferred jewelry tone and clothing color preferences. I also liked that you could tell your stylist to avoid specific articles of clothing or categories of apparel and accessories. Stitch Fix also caters to vegans or people with allergies by offering the option to avoid leather and wool.
Stitch Fix boxes can include everything from tops and bottoms to shoes, bags, jewelry, and other accessories, so I like that you can pick and choose what you receive. After picking out the items I didn’t want in my box, I was prompted to select stores where I usually buy my clothing. This is a massive indicator of style and price, so I appreciated that the quiz featured a variety of shops: Target, Nordstrom Rack, ASOS, Revolve, Zara, Anthropologie, Lululemon, Madewell, H&M, and more.
The last portion of the quiz also asks you to answer questions about what you typically spend on clothing and lifestyle. These questions include what you do for a living and if you live with kids.
Step Two: Schedule Your Delivery
Once I finished the style quiz, Stitch Fix asked me to schedule a delivery date for my first box. Upon ordering a box, you are charged a $20 styling fee, which Stitch Fix credits toward any pieces you keep.
At this time, I also had the option to schedule regular deliveries, called a “Fix,” which could be delivered every 2-3 weeks, monthly, every two months, or every three months.
Your account page shows you the date of your next shipment, and it’s easy to reschedule or cancel. If these options don’t work for you, you can also manually schedule shipments when you want them (e.g., vacation outfits, holiday party dresses, etc.).
Step Three: Shipment Arrives
Each Stitch Fix box includes five items. Once you receive your shipment, you have three days to decide if you want to keep any pieces Stitch Fix selects for you. You can return any piece, no matter the reason. Just go to your online account to tell them which items you’re returning in the prepaid mailer. For those indecisive folks, don’t worry; there’s an option to extend your checkout and return window by a few days.
Step Four: Feedback on Items
Give Stitch Fix your feedback so they can learn more about your fashion preferences. This step is essential if you’re continuing future shipments. Your specific feedback on each item helps the stylists improve your style profile and customize future shipments.
What Range Of Sizes Does Stitch Fix Carry?
Stitch Fix carries a variety of sizes for women (including plus sizes), men, and children:
- Women: XS-XXL, 14W-24W, 1X-3X
- Men: XS-3XL, waist sizes 28-48, tall shirts, and inseams 28-36
- Children: 2T-18
Stitch Fix also carries petite and maternity sizes.
What Brands Will You Find In Your Stitch Fix Box?
Stitch Fix says they work with 1,000+ brands to feature constantly rotating options for different tastes and price points. The following are some popular brands you can expect to see:
- Beyond Yoga
- Dolce Vita
- Free People
- Hurley
- Kate Spade
- Kut From The Kloth
- Original Penguin
- Sam Edelman
- Scotch & Soda
- Todd Snyder
How Much Is Stitch Fix?
Of course, the burning question is, “How much does Stitch Fix cost?” Overall, Stitch Fix prices vary widely, depending on how many items you want to keep. But here are the general details:
- $20 stylist fee per shipment (applied as a credit if you keep anything from your purchase)
- Women’s and men’s items range from $25 to $500
- Children’s clothing starts at $10
- 25% discount if you keep all five items
My Past Experience With Stitch Fix
I initially tried Stitch Fix in 2015 and was excited to try this service since my schedule didn’t allow for shopping time. I remember the style quiz was extremely long. But, being the Type A personality I am, I put a lot of time into providing details for my stylist. At the time, they even recommended linking to a Pinterest board for inspiration on your personal style, which I did. All the time I put into creating my profile made it even more disheartening when I received my box and didn’t like a single item.
When completing my style quiz, I specified that I would pay more for good-quality products, so I was super disappointed with the pieces I received. The clothing was made from cheap materials, and the stitching was off on some of the items.
Still, I knew shipments were supposed to become more fine-tuned over time, so I returned these items and scheduled another shipment. This time, I kept a dress but returned the rest of the items.
The bottom line is that Stitch Fix was not for me. It felt like the clothing was mediocre at best. The pieces could have been of better quality. They felt uncomfortable and featured strange, unflattering cuts.
I pride myself on buying high-quality products made to last a lifetime, and the pieces in Stitch Fix boxes felt like they wouldn’t last past a couple of washes.
That being said, it’s been a while since I tried this service, and I’ve heard great reviews from friends and co-workers. So, it was time to give Stitch Fix another try.
My Updated Personal Experience With Stitch Fix In 2024
My Stitch Fix box arrived exactly a week after I ordered it. I opened my box to find my five clothing items, along with a styling guide, pricing sheet, and a return label and mailing envelope.
I like that Stitch Fix includes a styling guide to give you ideas on how to wear each piece. It also includes a note from your stylist explaining each choice, which is super cute. (Thanks, Neal!)
Overall, my impression of the clothing was that they were of average quality. Most of the clothing was made from inexpensive, synthetic materials (rayon and polyester), so it did feel a bit overpriced.
On the plus side, everything fit well, which is typically a huge problem for me when I order online. I often have to send items back when I order online because they’re too large or too small, so I was pleasantly surprised with the fit. I also like that every piece but one (the sweater) was machine washable.
My Final Thoughts
I think Stitch Fix is an excellent option for a few types of people:
- People who don’t have time to go shopping and aren’t picky about style, materials, etc. This service is great for people who want the time savings of clothing being delivered directly to their door.
- People who want to explore new clothing styles. Stitch Fix gives you the unique opportunity of having a stylist recommend new clothing ideas for your body and budget.
- People who like surprises. If you love the idea of receiving a mystery package in the mail each month (or whichever frequency you choose), you may enjoy Stitch Fix.
Our Team’s Personal Experience With Stitch Fix
I have been ordering Stitch Fix boxes a few times a year for 6 years. I use it mostly when I am either bored with my wardrobe and want some new pieces to mix it up, I am moving into a season change that will require some new items for the shifting weather temperatures, or I have a big event (wedding, party, important business meeting, etc.) for which I want to dress to impress!
While I have definitely sent some items back from most boxes, the personal stylist has done a great job of both fitting my style AND stretching me a little with some pieces I would not have bought on my own. I love that it forces me out of my comfort zone while also sticking pretty close to my personal style. When I do need to return something, the return process is super easy with a self-addressed envelope to return everything in. The app (or website) is also super easy to use for checkout.
My one complaint is that the prices tend to be higher than what I would expect to pay at stores where I would normally buy similar items. But, then again, I also understand that I am paying for the personal shopping experience and doorstep delivery. So, overall, I cannot complain too much about the prices. And, when I like all 5 items, they offer a 25% off everything discount, so that makes the prices much more reasonable.
I would recommend Stitch Fix to anyone who is looking to shake up their closet offerings, especially for special occasions and season changes!
– Michelle Schenker, Stitch Fix User & Editor For We Rock Your Web
Customer Feedback
Is Stitch Fix a good fit for its customers? We’ve researched consumer feedback online and included a balanced sampling of reviews we found.
Positive
Quality items with stylists who listen! I am so thankful for them! I could never find anything that looked good on me. I love their outfits and im a plus size girl! Thanks!
– Sarah Litz, Trustpilot 02/06/2024
I have used them for three years and in that time Ive tried EVERY subscription clothes company including ones that have mens clothes for my husband and son. Stitch Fix is the best hands down. Has every box been a home run? No. But if I do not buy anything more often than not they offer to send another box free. Despite what some of their competitors say you can set a budget. 90% of the time my stylist send me what I’m looking for or nake sure to not send things I dont want. You are styled by a real person. There have been times I’ve requested the same stylist and did not get them for the next box which can be frustrating. But you don’t know if that person might have quit or isn’t available that week. So you go with the flow. I have been extraordinarily happy finding clothes that fit well are good quality for a fair price.
– Renae, Trustpilot 12/23/2023
Negative Stitch Fix Reviews
Ordered and returned the items I received. I was very disappointed in the quality, patterns, and the items were severely overpriced! Canceling is difficult, and after contacting them to have your account deleted, they still email you anyway. Beware of companies who don’t answer the phone!
– Janice B., SiteJabber 11/23/2023
I’ve read some good things about their service, so I gave it a try. I spent $40, two different shipments, on a weekly frequency. The first time around I spent a good 2 hours on the app giving them my profile for clothes I like and what I would wear and buy to give them a sense of style. I returned the first shipment after it arrived. The clothes felt fine but the pants felt a bit cheap, like the cloth use for a tarp, cloth sizes were fine but the colors were nothing I would use. I added notes detailing what I would like to receive next. The 2nd shipment literally ignored all my notes or preferences and sent me a random assortment of shirts and sweaters, and a pair of shoes. Not even an actual full outfit to wear, no pants, I returned them again and cancelled the service. Maybe at one point it was a good service but as of 10/20/23 I would not recommend anyone to sign up. Let the company disappear and restructure with good service if possible or just fade into obscurity.
– Stitch Fix Customer, Trustpilot 10/23/2023
You Get Your Own Personal Stylist?
One of the biggest selling points for subscribing to Stitch Fix or a similar service is that you have an actual stylist pick out the clothes they think will work for you. Check out this video to get answers to the most asked questions about online personal styling.
Stitch Fix vs DailyLook vs Wantable vs Dia & Co.
Which clothing box is the best fit for you? Each company has its strengths and weaknesses. Take a look at our comparison table to see how they differ. All of these boxes offer free shipping and returns.
Comparison Table
Stitch Fix | DailyLook | Wantable | Dia & Co. | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Caters To | Women, men, children | Women | Women, men active | Plus-size women |
Categories | Clothing, shoes, and accessories | Clothing | Clothing and accessories | Clothing |
Plus/Extended Sizes | 1X-3X, 14W-24W | 1X-3X, 14W-24W | 1X-3X, 14W-24W | 10W-32W |
Additional Sizes | Petite, maternity | Petite | Maternity | |
Styling Fee | $20 (applies to items you keep) | $40 (applies to items you keep) | $20 (applies to items you keep) | $20 (applies to items you keep) |
Pieces Per Box | 5 | 7-12 | 7 | 5 |
Clothing Price | Starting at $25/item | Starting at $60/item | Typically $50-$100/item | Typically $35-$250/item |
Return Window | 3 days | 5 days | 5 days | 5 days |
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions our readers want to know about Stitch Fix. Don’t see yours? Ask me in the comments.
Is Stitch Fix Legit?
Stitch Fix is a legit service—one of the first of its kind. Unfortunately, the company has mixed reviews overall.
Stitch Fix has gone through many executive transitions over the past few years, with the company naming Matt Baer CEO in June 2023. Baer was previously the Chief Customer & Digital Officer at Macy’s, Inc. While Baer hopes to make changes in merchandising, pricing, and transportation, the company announced a 2024 Q1 active client decrease of 15% year-over-year.
Despite the Q1 net revenue decrease of 18% year-over-year, Stitch Fix still netted $364.8 million.
Is Stitch Fix Worth It?
It really depends on what you’re looking for out of this service. Stitch Fix gets points for catering to different body types and fashion tastes. If you’re a busy person who doesn’t have the time to shop, Stitch Fix may be worth the cost. If you’re like me, you also enjoy the surprise of discovering what was chosen for you.
Stitch Fix has previously received criticism for low-quality merchandise; however, the company seeks to remedy that by offering a premium brand option during your style quiz.
In the last few years, Stitch Fix also introduced Stitch Fix Freestyle. Visit this tab on the website to view personalized outfit flat lays and product recommendations. Again, if you’re like me, you get decision fatigue from scrolling through endless pages of clothing and accessories on traditional websites. Freestyle is convenient because it lets you view curated looks that require no outfit planning on your end. Simply select the look and have the items sent to your door.
What About Stitch Fix Competitors?
If you’re interested in learning more about clothing subscriptions, check out our review of Fabletics. This athleisure apparel company features clothing for running, yoga, tennis, and more.
Why Trust We Rock Your Web?
From a young age, Tara enjoyed styling a good outfit. She has been an avid shopper since she was young and has experience with many different brands and types of clothing. Tara has personally tested Stitch Fix clothing boxes in 2015 and 2024.
Tara and the team at We Rock Your Web have decades of experience researching and writing to bring you the most updated information to make informed purchases. Many on our team enjoy subscription services, and we’ve personally tested many brands.