Stitch Fix Review

Has anyone heard of the clever online fashion service called Stitch Fix?

I just found out about it from my fabulous supervisor at work,

(her name is also Christine)

and had to try it out!

Basically, Stitch Fix sends you a box of five items every so many weeks

based on a style profile that you create when you sign up.

They hand select items just for you based on your preferences,

and you can select from tops, bottoms, dresses, shoes, and accessories.

I did not want to get shoes or handbags.

They send you the box,

you try it on,

send back what you don't like,

and keep what you do like!

I was super excited to try this out,

especially because I gravitate towards the SAME brands and the SAME styles

almost all of the time.

I thought it might be a good idea if I stepped outside my comfort zone...

a little.

Stitch Fix has a Pintrest board,

so I checked them out to see if they would have the kinds of things I might like.

I came across this outfit on their "Preppy" board

and thought Stitch Fix could definitely work for me!

source

Clearly my style....classic and timeless.

So my box came today!

 Impressed with the packaging.....

 And here are my five selections....

 Two tops and a sweater....

 This is an A-symmertical zip knit jacket...

 And this is a knit black dress with a scoop back.

Hmmmmmm........

Tried to be positive so I tried the things on.

Not photo-worthy.

To be honest, I hated all of it.

First, I did not like the colors of anything they sent.

Well, ok a little black dress is a must have, but not this one.

I also did not like the fabrics.

I did not feel like any of the items were even close to what I put in my profile.

Disappointed would be an understatement.

I did like how they send a style card with your box....

 Very handy and a great tool to use if you are keeping what's in your box.

It reminds me of the fashion boards you can make on Polyvore and share.

Now.....

Just because I did not have a good experience does not mean that Stitch Fix is a bad thing.

If you are a lot less picky than I am,

and your style is more trendy and less preppy,

then I think this would be something really fun to try.

Christine (supervisor) has had great luck with it and she is very stylish...and picky like me.

Once you get your box, you log into your account online and "check out" 

and you have the opportunity to tell your "stylist" why you are returning an item.

This helps them to get a better idea of what to send in your next box.

Sadly, I am returning all of my items in the pre-paid label that comes with your box.

My overall review of Stitch Fix is that it's a fun concept that will work for many people.

If you are pretty set in your style and you have go-to brands that you don't really deviate from,

then it may not be for you.

I'm going to give it a whirl one more time and then decide if I want to keep it going.

Let me know if you've tried it....

Leggings or No Leggings?

I love the current trend of tunics with leggings.

My daughters look adorable in them.

The key word being DAUGHTERS.

I am stepping WAY outside my comfort zone

 and just invested in my second tunic to wear with leggings.

It's a cute three quarter sleeve chambray blue one, 

and I plan to stye it similar to this set....

Even with the blessing of the daughters,

I still feel a little self-soncious about wearing leggings.

What do you think?

Is there an age where ladies should no longer wear leggings?

Rain Rain Go Away.....

I woke up this morning to a cloudy day,

which is an improvement over that last NINE rainy days we have had!

Tomorrow the sun will shine!

Here's a little rainy day fashion...

everyone around here are big fans of the Hunter rain boots,

and I am too.

But I'm LOVING the Joules rain boots this fall,

and they are having a SALE

right now....50% off select styles!

Here are a few of my favorites...

Could these Navy rain boots be any more adorable?

Love the bow in the back!

These polka dot with the pink have caught my eye...

Perfect with my pink rain coat and half off!

Loving these Kelly Green ones!

They are half off and only $30.75!!!

These are in my top three.....LOVE!

Can never have too much pink....these are also cute!

A classic.....these are not on sale but I also love!

And if you are not a pink lover like me, these would be fabulous!

I actually love the red too....not just the pink!

So go check out the super sale happening at Joules!!!

What to Wear?

This is the time of the year that I have the worst wardrobe trauma.

There are a few reasons...

First, it's hard to find fall clothes that are good for 80 degree weather.

Second, I gravitate towards bright colors and the fall palate is usually earth tones.

And finally, I LOVE my summer clothes and hate to hang them up for the season.

I was pleased with Lilly Pulitzer's first Fall line in the blue tones.

Still the bright and cheerful colors that I love, 

but a little bit more subdued with a hint of fall.

I bought the Lilly Pulitzer Layton Shift in the print "Blue Crush She Got Sole"

and this is similar to how I plan to style it for a cute September outfit.

Early Fall Lunch Date 

What do you wear in the early fall when it's still too early for sweaters and turtlenecks?

Renting the Runway for the Submarine Birthday Ball

D and I attended the Washington DC Area

114th Annual Submarine Birthday Ball on Friday night 

and we had a wonderful time!

Here we are at dinner....we were seated at D's corporate table.

My favorite part of the ball is seeing old friends....

this Lieutenant was a Junior Officer on the USS Texas back when D was the Commanding Officer,

and he and his wife have become dear friends of ours.

Here is a full length shot of my dress...which I loved!

And guess what?

I RENTED it!

I have three ballgowns that I have been re-running for about four years now,

and I wanted something new but did not want to invest in another gown.

My daughter, Caroline, encouraged me to try Rent the Runway 

and I'm so glad I did!

My hesitation in using RTR was that I did not want a dress that looked like it had been worn 1000 times,

I did not want a dress that was "cheap" and poorly made,

and I also was not 100% sure what size to order.

I am super picky and wanted a dress that was both classy and sensational!

I don't like to wear black to formal events....

I am a pink and green "bright colors" girl,

and I knew I wanted an emerald green gown for this event.

I did some research and RTR sends you two sizes when you order,

they guarantee your satisfaction and will overnight another dress 

if you don't like the one you ordered or are not satisfied,

and they have all designer gowns....as in some of their gowns retail for well over $1000.

Here is the online photograph of my dress...

I loved this Halston dress but was not too hip on the amount of leg the dress shows.

The other nice thing about RTR is that they have customer reviews on most all of their dresses,

and customers also upload their own photos wearing the gowns so you can see it on a "real" person!

The reviews on this dress all said the slit was not nearly as revealing as this photo showed,

and the color of the dress is slightly darker in person than the photos on the web page.

I took the plunge and ordered!

You can rent for four days or for eight days,

and the dress will arrive the day before your event by overnight delivery.

My dresses arrived Thursday afternoon...

I ordered my regular size and a size larger as most of the reviews said this dress ran small.

Inside the box both dresses were on hangers, had a plastic garment bags over them, were gently folded,

and both dresses looked like new with no signs of wear and no wrinkles.

My dress hanging in the mancave before the ball...

And here is how I styled it...

I posted this on Insta....you can actually rent jewelry too but I knew exactly what I wanted

and found the bracelet and earrings a Nordstrom.

Attached to the hanger was this tag with instructions on how to return the dresses...

it could NOT have been easier!

No dry cleaning or even hanging back on the hangers...

just place both dresses in the pre-paid envelope they provide and drop off at UPS!

It truly could not have been easier!

So my review on Rent the Runway is two thumbs up!

The selection, convenience, the price, and the quality of the dress were all excellent!

Rent the Runway has more than just ballgowns to rent,

so if you are looking for a fabulous designer cocktail dress,

or you would like to have a Chanel bag just for one event,

check them out!

Happy Birthday United States Navy Submarine Force!

Beall's....A Florida Institution

My visits to Florida are not complete without a trip to Beall's with my Virginia mom.

Have y'all heard of Beall's?

It's pronounced "Bell's" and my Virginia mom and I love to shop there!

It's sort of like Kohl's goes on vacation...

tons of "resort wear" at very reasonable prices.

It seems like they have an "extra 20% off" sale every other week,

and many of the regular sales are 40-50% off.

You can find name brands such as Nike, Sperry, Columbia, and Jones of New York,

but they definitely specialize in "Florida-fashion" and carry a lot of their own brands.

Here are some of my Beall's favorites from this season...

Chambray Shirt

This shirt actually looks better in person...it's a little more" fitted" then the picture shows.

I bought one and it's very similar JCrew's chambray shirt,

but the fabric is much softer and it's a fraction of the price.

Anchor Shorts

These are just ADORABLE....pink twill Bermuda shorts with white anchors embroidered.

They also come in kelly green and navy blue....LOVE them!

Columbia Knit Skirt

This navy and white skirt hits just above the knee,

 and I plan to wear it with a simple white t-shirt and my navy and white Jack Rogers...

perfect outfit for work this spring and summer!

Sperry Topsider

These were on sale and my Virginia mom ended up getting them for me for FREE

with her "Beall's Bucks" which is the same thing as "Kohl's Cash"

if y'all know what that is.

Pink Flower Statement Necklace

This is also similar to JCrew's flower statement necklace

and it comes in many fun colors.

They had a MILLION different statement necklaces, which I don't wear but my girls do!

Anchor Print Shorts

These are similar to the ones above, but the anchors are printed on the fabric,

and these have a shorter inseam....they also have a hint of stretch!

They also have a skort in the same print but with Nantucket red anchors...

I couldn't decided between the two...so I got both.

The prices are SO reasonable that it's easy to go crazy in this store....

If you are looking for some fun spring and summer things at bargain prices,

Beall's is a good place to shop.

They also have home decor, beach accessories, kids clothes, menswear, luggage...

it truly is a department store.

They do have a website so you can order online,

and they have many locations all over Florida.

Have y'all ever heard of Beall's?

Blue and White Spring Fashions

Today I am linking with Jennifer on her FABULOUS blog The Pink Pagoda

for one of her blue and white linking parties!

While I am primarily a pink and green girl, 

I also love blue and white!

One of my favorite color combinations to wear is blue and white...

After perusing several of my spring catalogs and visiting a few of my favorite clothing shops,

I noticed that blue and white is a popular color combination this spring!

I would love for any of these fabulous things to find a home in my closet...

Lilly Pulitzer Charlene Shift Dress

Lilly Pulitzer Cleona Skort

Roberto Cavalli White Floral Blue Print Dress

Barbara Gerwit Knit Dress 

Barbara Gerwit Printed Tunic 

Jude Connally Lisa Dress

 Sail to Sable Roped In Tunic Dress

 Vineyard Vines Whale Embroidered Seersucker Skort

Vineyard Vines Shell Tile Strapless Dress 

And a few accessories to add...

Tory Burch Serena Flat

Tory Burch Robinson Basket-Weave Tote

 Vineyard Vines Shell Tile Tote 

These are just a few of the things I spotted...

my favorites are the Tory Burch Basket-Weave Tote, the Vineyard Vines Seersucker Skort,

and the Barbara Gerwit Tunic.

I would have included the Barbara Gerwit Knit Dress but I already have it...in pink and green!

Rainy Day Shoes

I'm optimistic that spring is right around the corner...

and with spring flowers come spring showers!

(we are supposed to hit 70 degrees by Friday...YEA!)

Anyway, I am out and about in the rain a lot...

my job is all about home patient visits...rain or shine (or snow),

and I've been searching for some rainy day shoes

that are both functional AND somewhat stylish.

I know the Hunter rain boots are super popular right now, 

but a boot is just not practical for me or comfortable for me to wear all day.
My girls have the Hunter rain boots and I did try them out.

Here are a few of my finds...

Nomad Drizzle Shoe

Adorable...also comes in orange, black, green!

Definite possibility, but I am not sure how they will do in the mud.

I definitely encounter A LOT of muddy driveways in my job.

Chooka Duck Skimmer

Cute...comes in black and red.

Reminds me too much of my LL Bean Duck Shoes I wear in the winter for snow.

I think I want something different.

Hunter Rain Clog

Love the bright yellow....they come in black, green, and red too.

Unfortunately, they are currently out of stock on every website I can find them on.

I think these are my second choice....good in mud and rain.

But how would they look with cropped pants?

Hunter Maddy Clog

Practical, classic, and comes in Navy blue...perfect!

The daughter of one of my patients was wearing them in Navy blue,

and as soon as I got home I searched for them online.

These would be cute with jeans, pants, and cropped pants.

I think this one is my favorite...guess what?

It's DISCONTINUED.

That won't stop me...I will find it.

Although the yellow ones are really cute....

What do y'all think?

Any other suggestions I should consider?