Fashion — Page 3

My Third (and Favorite!) Fix: Stitch Fix Gets Me

October 8, 2014 by Nicole 38 Comments

I got my third delivery from Stitch Fix a couple weeks ago and they get me, guys. They really, really get me. Everything in it rocked—either something I needed or something I didn’t know I needed but apparently did because I’ve been wearing it for a week straight. So instead of the painful mirror selfies I took for my previous two Stitch Fix reviews, I’ve stepped this one up with some outfit styling and a photoshoot (a.k.a. hey mom, wanna come over and take a bunch of pictures of me pretending to model?) in the oh-so-chic alleyway behind my apartment. That’s what you get when you have a fitness blogger pretending to be a fashion blogger…

If you missed my first two Stitch Fix posts and have no clue what it is, you can read about the online styling service here and here.

Renee C. Skirt= KEEPER

Before I even tried this on, I know I was going to keep it based solely on the print. As soon as the weather starts to cool, I swear the only colors I wear are black, off-black, dark gray, and more black. I’m so boring.

I can wear this skirt all year long—pairing it with a white crop top in the summer, a darker top and scarf in the fall, and then layering on a blazer and adding some tights in the winter. For this particular look, I paired it with a t-shirt tied up in a knot, scarf and some booties.

IN THIS LOOK | skirt: Renee C. via Stitch Fix // top: c/o Reebok // booties: Jeffery Campbell

Mavi Black Skinny Jeans = KEEPER

I actually already have a pair…ok two…of black skinny jeans, so I debated keeping these, but convinced myself they’re all different enough that three pairs of black skinny jeans is rational and necessary. I had a leather pair and a biker-inspired pair with edgy zippers, so this classic pair is a good complement to the others. Just humor me…

41 Hawthorn Blouse = KEEPER

I love this flowy blouse. The print is fun, and it has pretty beading along the neckline (you can’t really see it in these pictures). You could pair it with black lace shorts and heels for a night out, or with a blazer and dress pants for the ol’ corporate look (work style advice coming from a girl who wears yoga pants as a career…).

IN THIS LOOK | blouse: 41 Hawthorn via Stitch Fix // pants: Mavi via Stitch Fix // blazer: Nordstrom Rack // heels: asos

Tart Scarf = KEEPER

It’s scarf season, and it’s always leopard-print season (in my mind), so this circle scarf was a definite keeper. You can wear it loose, looped around your neck a couple times, or wind it into a sort of neck warmer. Lots of ways to style it!

Mystree Crew Neck Sweater = KEEPER

I know I’ll wear this comfortable crew-neck sweater a ton. I don’t have enough neutral, wardrobe-staple sweaters (I have a white one that I refuse to part with, but it’s riddled with holes—it needs a backup).

IN THIS LOOK | sweater: Mystree via Stitch Fix // shirt: Brandy Melville // jeans: Mavi via Stitch Fix (from a previous fix) // shoes: Kork-Ease

Every time I do a fashion-related post, I read it back to myself and think You are one basic, baaaaasic bitch, Nicole. Spewing out sentence after sentence gushing over an article of clothing with I-can’t-even’s and OMG-so-cute-right’s may not be the most intellectually stimulating way to spend my time, but WHATEVER these posts are so fun for me to make! I can’t help it: I love clothing; I love playing dress-up; and adding new items to my wardrobes fills me with joy and excitement. Stitch Fix, you made my day with this fix!

Which item/look is your favorite? Is it just me or do you slip into Basic Mode against your will when clothes are mentioned? 🙂

xo Nicole

Filed Under: Day Outfits, Fashion, Night Outfits, Wish Lists & Roundups

My First Stitch Fix (Review)

June 4, 2014 by Nicole 40 Comments

If you read a lot of blogs, you’re probably no stranger to Stitch Fix. I had seen a ton of my favorite bloggers review the personal styling service and always thought it sounded cool, but ultimately never tried it out because I figured I was plenty good at doing my own shopping (much to my wallet’s dismay haha). Well I was recently invited on an exciting blogger trip hosted by Stitch Fix (it’s coming up this month—don’t worry, you’ll be reading allll about it on P&I), and they gave me a credit so that I could try out the service.

As a heads up, all the links to Stitch Fix in this post are my personal referral link—if you sign up, I get a $25 credit to my account. You get your own link with the same referral benefits if you try out Stitch Fix! Ok, boring disclosure BS out of the way, on to the review…

My first Fix totally exceeded my expectations and opened my eyes to the benefits an outside stylist can bring to your wardrobe. The jacket I kept, for example, was something I never would have pulled off the rack while shopping myself, but is so perfect—and something I know I’ll wear all the time. I’m actually wearing it now as I type this post in Starbucks. Apparently there’s a whole world of clothing out there that I never even knew I needed…this could get financially dangerous. 😉

What Is Stitch Fix?

Let me back up before we get to the goods (the clothes I was sent). If you haven’t heard of Stitch Fix, it’s a personal styling service where you are sent five items handpicked by a stylist. You try them on, return the ones that don’t work in a prepaid package provided by Stitch Fix, and then go online to pay for the ones you’re going to keep. If you keep all the items in your Fix, you get 25% off the order.

When you set up your account, you can specify tons of details about your Fix. Price range, any particular pieces you need (a dress to wear to an upcoming event, for example), the type of clothing you want (office-appropriate clothes, big night out clothes, casual clothes, etc.), your style preferences (preppy, edgy, etc.)—you name it, you can customize it. You also can leave a link to a Pinterest board to help your stylist get a better idea of your personal style, which I thought was great. My Fashion board on Pinterest has a bajillion pins on it, but is a perfect collection of all the styles I love.

Last, you schedule your Fix. You can pick a regular frequency or opt for one-off packages when you need them.

My First Fix

Let’s check out the goods I got in my first Stitch Fix box! WARNING: Gratuitous amount of selfies coming your way…

Mavi Ruxin Distressed Boyfriend Jean = KEEPER

My stylist, Layla, noticed that I’ve pinned a ton of distressed/ripped denim looks to Pinterest (you get a little note from your stylist in your box), and I actually have been wanting a pair for months now. I think it’s tricky for just about everyone to find a pair of pants that fit them perfectly, so I was actually shocked when I put these on and they fit so well. I’d never heard of Mavi before, but now I can’t wait to check out more of their denim!

Amour Vert Alessandro Floral Print Silk Henley Blouse = NO GO (reluctantly)

This top was really cute, and I actually need to invest in more quality blouses that can be dressed up or down. The only reason I decided to return it was that I wanted to keep the total price of my Fix close to the credit I was given—as I’m sure you all can sympathize with, money is always a little tight around wedding season!

Pomelo Analisse Anorak Jacket = KEEPER

As I mentioned before, I never would have picked this out for myself when shopping. But I’m in love! It’s so adorable, but also so practical—I already know I’m going to get a ton of use out of it. This piece is a prime example of why stylists can be useful!

Shiraleah Dita Woven Hobo Bag = NO GO

I love woven bags, and really liked the color of this, but the shape/size didn’t quite do it for me. In general, I’m also just not a huge bag person. I’d always rather spend my money on clothes and then buy cheapo handbags only when the need arises.

Tart Mallika Dotted Stripe Belted Maxi Dress = NO GO

This dress was pretty and fit well, but just a tad too plain for me. If I’m going to spend over $100 on a dress, I want it to have some super unique feature—an open back, cool shape, or an outrageous print—something to make me go “wow, I need that.” When I tried this on, I thought “cute, but I can find the same thing at H&M for $25.”

When you check out online, you review your Fix, so I was able to give all the above feedback to my stylist. It’ll make the next Fix all the more spot-on! I probably won’t do another one until September (again, wedding season is draining my cash flow), but this first experience has definitely made a loyal customer out of me. If you’re interested in trying it out, visit Stitch Fix.

Have you tried Stitch Fix? If so, how was your experience with it? If not, what was your favorite piece from my first Fix?

Happy Hump Day, people!

xo Nicole

And special thanks to my roomie for letting me use her mirror to take all these obnoxious selfies. You know you’ve picked an odd career when you send text messages to your friends saying “Hey! Is it cool if I use your mirror to take some selfies today? Gotta blog about some new clothes I just got.” 🙂

Filed Under: Fashion, Lifestyle, Stitch Fix, Wish Lists & Roundups

Giraffe Halloween Costume

October 26, 2012 by Nicole 14 Comments

Halloween is not just a holiday for me—it’s a sport. And becoming the Michael Jordan of it is my life’s goal. Nothing is more fun for me than coming up with creative costume ideas and craftily executing them.

For my company’s Halloween party yesterday, I went as a giraffe. And not just a look-my-shirt-is-giraffe-print-and-i-have-a-horn-headband-on giraffe. I wanted to go big (literally) and recruited some contractor’s stilts and crutches to do so. Yes, I felt a little like a young Forest Gump-giraffe hybrid with the stilt leg braces, but ultimately, they were perfect.

In case you want to make your own giraffe costume, here’s how I did it:

I covered both the stilts and crutches in giraffe-print felt using a hot glue gun, and cut slits in each wrapped crutch so that I could slip my arms into them. The height of the stilts and crutches lined up perfectly so that my body was at roughly the same pitch as a giraffe’s.

For the tail and ears, I bought a cat ear & tail set at iParty and covered them in the same giraffe-print felt. I found this awesome fur trim at A.C. Moore and added that to the ear insides and tail end.

To recreate a giraffe’s horns, I put my hair in pigtails, twisted a doubled-over pipe cleaner around each hair tie, and wrapped my hair around it, securing with a second hair tie.

Brown face paint was an easy choice for turning my face and neck into that of a giraffe’s, and some false eyelashes recreated the animal’s signature long lashes.

Originally, I wanted to make a full-on giraffe-print body suit by adding brown felt spots to a nude-colored jumpsuit, but there just weren’t enough hours in the day. I reach for the sky with these costume ideas, and then my full-time job, adult responsibilities and budget slowly bring me back down to earth.

I have two more costumes (one for this weekend in Boston and one for next week in Vegas), which I’ll share over the next week. Also, I promise that in November I’ll get back into the swing of posting one or two workouts a week. Pinkie promise. Cross my heart and hope to die stick a needle in my eye.

What are you guys being for Halloween??

Filed Under: Costumes, Fashion