Part of the beauty in this blog is that I get to write not just about photography, but also about so much of my life…and some of the most popular I have written are the most surprising, like my blog on the best alternatives to Tieks! So here is my latest venture in trying new things so you can read about what I liked, what I didn’t, and what I’ll do in the future.
A few weeks ago, a friend was wearing an outfit that looked SO good on her, yet it was one I didn’t imagine her picking out for herself. When I asked her, she started raving about StitchFix and how her stylist had put together the perfect recommendations. I was hooked by the idea - I love a good, polished outfit but I am often unsure how pieces fit together, and I need a little help to make one piece of clothing look even more amazing by what I wear with it. With a $25 discount in hand from her affiliate link, I went online to sign up for my box.
The first step was taking an EXTREMELY extensive style quiz that, while it only took about 10 minutes to fill out, asked me every possible question I could imagine about clothes - how they fit, what I like emphasize, what I like to color up, favorite colors, what I’m looking for…the list goes on. It was a fun quiz to take in all honesty, and it helped show my personal style a whole lot better. I also got to put in a budget range, which I appreciate - I’m not one to spend a ton of money on clothes, and I knew if I got something too expensive I would return it even if I loved it.
I got my box in about a week, filled with 5 pieces hand-picked by my stylist. The box also came with a card giving me different ideas for outfit pairings, from shoes to jewelry and more. That was probably my favorite part - it showed me what I could wear that was already in my closet and how it would look with my new clothes. In the box were a few things I loved, a few things I liked, and one thing I really wasn’t crazy about, so I dutifully tried them all on. I was surprised that the top I liked the least was one that actually looked pretty good when I tried it on!
After sorting through all the clothing and prices, I ended up keeping one tank top that I love.…and I wish I could have kept more, but I couldn’t quite justify the costs. Don’t get me wrong - I don’t think the clothes are overpriced, but I wasn’t in need of any particular item enough to pay towards the upper end of my budget. The return, however, was extremely easy! An envelope was included for the clothes, I noted my returns online, and walked out to the mailbox. DONE.
Next I turned to ThredUp, which is completely different in so many ways. All the clothing is secondhand, and as a result the prices are lower. You can either buy individual pieces or put together a Goody Box, which is closer to the StitchFix experience. In the Goody Box, you get 10 items - you can choose as many as you want and the stylist will fill in the rest. I chose 5 things I needed and left the rest up to her. I accidentally skipped taking the style quiz because it wasn’t quite as clear.
When the box came just 3 days later, I was sincerely impressed. Everything was extremely high quality, and I couldn’t believe it was secondhand. The stylist chose some things that I truly loved, just based on the things I had already chosen. And the prices are, of course, lower than expected. I ended up keeping 4 items, and probably would have kept more if I wasn’t trying to stick to a budget. Because I spent over $75, I also get $10 off my next purchase…which I’m sure I’ll be making sooner rather than later!
SO. Here are my overall thoughts on which is better:
1) Cost: StitchFix is more expensive, but of course the clothes are not secondhand and the stylist seems to be a lot more involved in the process, so I completely understand why. ThredUp is more in my budget range, but I was surprised by how reasonable the StitchFix prices are compared to normal brands.
2) Convenience: Neither site was inconvenient to use, but the StitchFix return was much easier in comparison. I had to drop the ThredUp box at a UPS or FedEx location which, while not a huge deal, was more of a pain than just dropping my envelope in the mailbox.
3) Style: If you have trouble mixing and matching, StitchFix is for you. The style card is amazing, and this is something that ThredUp is missing. I kept the card even though I didn’t keep all the clothes, just for inspiration.
4) Extras: I love that ThredUp is more environmentally friendly with the idea of re-wearing clothes and not always buying brand new. This isn’t something I even thought about until I saw their marketing, but it’s important to me.
5) Conclusion: I can’t pin down one that is ‘better’ because both have different strengths. My thoughts are that StitchFix is awesome for working pros especially, and for people like me who need help pairing outfits. ThredUp is great because you have a lot of say in the clothing (if you know what looks good!) and the prices are lower in comparison. It all depends on who you are and what you want out of clothing!
Click here to try StitchFix!
Click here to try ThredUp!
Whew. There are ALL my thoughts on StitchFix vs. ThredUp, but if there’s a question you have leave it below! Also note that the links to both services are affiliates, so I get a discount on my next box if you sign up through them, and YOU get a discount as well - just wanting to be transparent! The cool thing about both services is that you can do the same. If you get friends to sign up, you get money off. Win-win!
Let me know which, if any, you decide to try!
