Stitch Fix Review: Our Honest Thoughts On An Online Clothing Subscription

February 17, 2024

On the hunt for a Stitch Fix review from someone who's not just been sponsored to tell you about it? You've come to the right place.

Stitch Fix is an online subscription box platform that sets out to provide shoppers with the styles they love without having to traipse around an overly hot Zara store. It's been going since 2011 in the US and made the leap across the pond to start Stitch Fix UK back in 2018. Now, in the four years it's been live here in Blighty, Stitch Fix has been publicly backed by the likes of Venus Williams and Rosie Ramsey - of the Shagged, Married, Annoyed podcast - and stocks GLAMOUR-adored brands including Mango and Nobody's Child.

How does Stitch Fix work and cost?

The premise of the service, in a nutshell, is for buyers to fill out a quick style profile quiz - detailing everything from their fashion and accessories preferences to their dress and shoe sizes - before a dedicated stylist then carefully selects five pieces for you to receive at home. There's also a daily ‘style shuffle’ where you can swipe dating site-style through a short selection of outfits you do and don't like, to add that extra ounce of je ne sais quoi to your initial style quiz. Simple enough, right? And, the best part is that there's absolutely no pressure to actually purchase your Fix if you don't like it. You can pick and choose as you like, send your stylist feedback on the items you weren't keen on and, on the flip side, should you fall in love with your haul, you'll get a nice 20% discount on all five pieces as a reward for keeping the lot.

In terms of the price range of Stitch Fix, it varies greatly from item to item. You'll pay a £10 styling fee for each Fix, but it'll be deducted from any pieces you decide to keep, essentially making the styling service itself free. With lower end prices hovering around £35 - including pieces from Stitch Fix's own-brand collection, Editor's Cut - as well as higher end fashion houses such as Hugo Boss (with more premium price points) stocked on the site, the cost of your Fix will be just as you like it and, if you're on a tight budget, you can even make a personalised note to your stylist to tell them as such.

You asked Google: “Is Stitch Fix legit?" so here's our honest Stitch Fix review…

As someone whose style flits from day-to-day; athletic on Monday, clean-girl aesthetic on Tuesday, a Matilda Djerf-inspired ‘fit on Wednesday…etc, the idea of a ‘do-it-all’ stylist service had me feeling slightly sceptical. Naturally, working for a fashion and beauty publisher, it seemed an apt opportunity to give the service a whirl and put it to the test, from the POV of a quite fussy dresser.

So, after filling out my style profile, telling my stylist to steer clear of skinny jeans (heaven forbid the Gen-Z lot accuse me of being a millennial 🙄) and advising her that I was on the look out for some workwear for GLAMOUR HQ, I patiently awaited my first fix.

Fix #1: My first Stitch Fix

My Stitch Fix stylist was Katie Eastwood; asking about how she selected the pieces for my first box, she said, “As Lucy mentioned she’d like to see some styles inspired by the puff sleeve trend, I picked out the AllSaints top and Nobody’s Child dress. Both styles had a dramatic puff sleeve that could easily be worn day to day.” Coincidentally, I would go on to keep both styles as I felt they were great day-to-night options if I wanted to pop for dinner or a drink after work. The top felt high-quality and easy to dress up and down as needed, while the dress was a top pick for transitional dressing - ideal with the colder months drawing in.

While Katie also picked out a pair of jeans, I opted not to keep them having already owned the pictured similar pair above. That said, the Mango pair fit like a glove, so they weren't the easiest to pop back in the post come returns day. With regard to the blazer - a great nod to the workwear request I'd made - I found the pattern wasn't for me and, likewise, the green collared Mango top didn't complement my body shape.

At check-out - which buyers complete after their items have arrived (you have seven days to do this) - I didn't get to cash in on the 20% discount, but I had found a dress that I certainly wouldn't have gone for had it not landed on my doorstep and a top which was bang-on with regards to my usual style. Branching out? Tick. Accurate style profile? Tick.

Returns are free, with the choice to return via the Post Office, Hermes (Evri) etc. I fed back to Katie what I didn't like and, for research's sake (of course…), booked in for my second fix. This time, I had two festivals on the horizon and was in need of some going out attire in my fix.

Fix #2: My next fix

For my second box, my personal stylist had changed to Charlotte. She commented, "Lucy requested some items for Glastonbury in this Fix, so it was a really fun Fix to style! I picked out two fab dresses, including an animal print mini dress from AllSaints and a light green midi from Mango - a brand I know Lucy is fond of from previous feedback.

“The green dress (aptly named the Lucy dress!) was so feminine and fitted at the top, which matched her Style Profile fit preferences. I also loved the juxtaposition with the chunky, black sandals from Only, which are everywhere this season.”

Charlotte hit the nail on the head with this Stitch Fix box, and I kept both the AllSaints and Mango dresses, as well as the Only sandals - a slightly smarter upgrade on the Birks I'd already had my eye on. She added that, while appropriate ‘fits for my festival checklist, all three items had style longevity outside of the party setting and, as she describes, “the AllSaints could also be worn in the winter with tights, over the knee boots and a jacket.” She wasn’t wrong and, in the months since the dress landed on my doorstep, I've worn it on countless occasions - on holiday, to Glastonbury, to the seaside… If anything, I've become a shameless outfit repeater.

With regard to the Fiorelli backpack, I felt it was a tad too nice to take down the muddy fields of Glastonbury and, in terms of the Mango jacket, it unfortunately came up a tad tight on my shoulders.

My Stitch Fix review verdict?

Overall, I was impressed. I'd found a new brand - Only - that made oh-so-comfortable and chic footwear, I'd found a high-quality wardrobe staple in the AllSaints leopard print dress (which I'm certain I'll wear in the coming months, too) and I'd expanded my workwear supplies into new styles. Plus, I didn't have to spend the time trawling around a sweaty H&M store for new clothes, nor did I have to commit to an hour or so's worth of scrolling through ASOS' new-in section to find what I was looking for. My Stitch Fix initial questionnaire and style shuffle answers (together with my stylists) left me with pieces I loved first time, without the hassle.

My one bug bear? It'd have to be the sizing. Currently, the brand only stocks womenswear up to a size 18 so I'd hope to see plus size items on site in the near future as an improvement. That said, SF's US site do currently have this feature, with sizes 14W-24W (up to around a UK 26) being stocked across the pond, so perhaps we might see this on the horizon for the UK sometime soon, too.

All-in I'd definitely use the service again, especially with more brands being added as the months go by. As someone who works full-time, it was a lifesaver pre-festival when I hardly had time to pack my rucksack, let alone get to Westfield for a day of clothes shopping. My top tip would be to be specific in your personal notes to your stylist - if you don't like a V-neck, banish them! It's your money after all.

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