Gotta get Gekks

For the past year, I continued on my quest to find a solution for my flats that would make them not only comfortable to wear for long periods of time, but also keep them from getting smelly.

A few months ago I received a targeted ad on Facebook that suggested I try out a new sort of shoe insert that works wonderfully for flats, particularly Tieks. When I saw the mention of Tieks, and an image of the insert being used in them, I wondered to myself if this was the solution I’ve been looking for.

The product is called Gekks. On their website, they advertise Gekks as a “reinvented sock.” When you purchase Gekks, you receive two thin adhesive inserts that you line up to fit the sole of your shoe of choice. Once you’ve got the insert stuck on, you’ll take the “sock” that’s been provided and attach it to the adhesive. The sock attacks to about 80% of the adhesive insert, and to the small adhesive strip that’s provided for the heel, so everything is attached pretty firmly inside. The tip of the sock has a little toe section that I recommend holding to get your toes aligned fully inside, and then you’re good to get walking.

These worked beautifully for a newer pair of Tieks I had. The ones I test walked in were only worn a few times, so they were in great condition, with limited wear and odor. I really liked how they kept my heel comfortable, and didn’t make my feet sweaty.

After a few months of trying out the Gekks in my shoes, I felt it was time to step it up to the next level and see how good this product really was. Could it really survive in my oldest pair of Tieks that had seen better days? Would the Gekks keep the stink away from my feet? These particular Tieks are STINKY, and I mean bad. You can read more about my original review of them here to see what I’m talking about. So, it was time to test them out!

Before putting in the Gekks, we did some prep work, wiping out the inside of the flats with a wet paper towel and letting them sit to dry. Then, it was time to install the Gekks. Below I have the Gekks fully inserted, including the adhesive pieces and the sock.

The next day I took my stinky Tieks out on their first journey with their new Gekks buddies. This involved commuting to the city, wearing them all day in the office, and doing lots of walking. Once I got home it was time to see how my feet survived.

I slowly peeled my feet out of the flats and raised my foot to my nose, fearful of what the outcome would be. I was shocked. My feet didn’t stink! Now remember, these are my really stinky, seen better days pair of flats, so the fact that the Gekks were able to protect my feet and contain the previous odor from spreading was amazing. Now I’m sure with continued use they will get a bit stinky again, just because these Tieks were pretty bad in the first place, but the Gekss are machine washable! All you have to do is unstick them, which is very easy to do, and throw them in the wash. I haven’t washed any of my pairs yet, but I imagine they’ll wash fine. You could even throw them in a little washing bag if you were worried about them.

So far, I’m really pleased with the product. They’ve saved my Tieks, and I automatically place a pair in each pair of flats I get. The only downside is their site has super slow shipping. My last order was super late and took forever, but it looks like you can find them from a reseller on Amazon. Note, a lot of the reviews on Amazon aren’t great, but I haven’t experienced any issues with mine.

If you’re looking for something to keep your flats comfortable, in good condition and odor free, you need to try these out. From one girl to another, it’s worth it!

 

UPDATE (2/15/2019): If you’re looking to try a different flat, that I’ve found works better for me, check out my post here on Rothys.

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MM.LaFleur Review – High Style in a Bento Box

MM.LaFleur Bento Box – Quote inside box

Growing up, I dreaded having to go shopping for clothes with my parents. Today, I still dislike going to the mall or a clothing store and trying on clothes. Who likes dressing room lighting? Not me! I’m all for services that make shopping for clothes easy, convenient, and comfortable. That’s why I decided to try out a new clothing service by a company called MM.LaFleur.

I’ve seen a number of advertisements for MM.LaFleur, from subway advertisements in the cars themselves, to ads in my Gmail Promotions tab. It was only a matter of time before I signed up and took a chance.

Sign Up Process
Signing up is pretty easy. You aren’t asked a lot of questions so you’re left wondering how well the stylist/company is going to know you and your style. When you sign up, you’re requesting what they call a “Bento Box.” It’s a box of 4-6 items from clothing to accessories.

Some of the questions you’ll receive are based around cost, what you do for a living, and if you’re more into business formal style, casual, or something in between.

Cost
These items are not cheap! Prices start around $110 for a top, to $325 for a dress. I feel like the company uses keywords like elevated, work, and business to help justify the higher costs, hoping you’re willing to splurge a little more on something that’s dressier and more professional. What I appreciate the most about this service is that there is no styling or requestor fee. You pay nothing to receive a Bento Box, and if you hated everything, you could just return everything, no risk, no cost.

When you check out on the website, you don’t actually find out how much you owe until a few days later when the company receives your returns back. I should note returns are free, and you get a UPS bag to send whatever you don’t want to keep back. Yes, you could do the math if you were price conscious, but I would have liked it to have been displayed when I checked out. If you were click happy you could end up spending an awful lot without realizing it.

At Home Process

MM.LaFleur Bento Box

When you get your items, you have a total of 4 days to try everything on and decide what you want to keep. You’ll get a neatly packaged bag of goodies in your box, tied with a pretty bow. I appreciated the effort that went into the packaging of the clothing items in my Bento Box. I felt they took the extra step to make me feel like I was experiencing an “elevated” clothing experience, which you should expect when you’re willing to dish out a lot of cash for clothes someone else picked out for you.

You do get a print out with a note from a stylist, which is pretty lengthy, explaining the items they chose for you, along with a list of all the items and their prices.

I’m not sure if this happens for every first time Bento Box requester, but I also received a free tote bag that was mine to keep no matter what.

MM.LaFleur Bento Box
MM.LaFleur Bento Box

Trying on the Clothes

#1 – The Etsuko
The first item I pulled out was The Etsuko Dress in black. The dress comes with a built in belt to emphasize your natural waist, and give the dress a little umph. There’s a lot of good tailoring lines going on here, from the chest area to your hips. What I didn’t totally love, was that the dress was a little funeraly. I have several little black dresses in my closet that I have yet to wear, so I couldn’t justify adding another black dress to my collection at this time.

Price: $195

The Etsuko Dress by MM.LaFleur
The Etsuko Dress by MM.LaFleur

#2 – The Foster Pant 
Everyone could use a well fitted pair of black dress pants. If you’re looking for a great pair of dress pants, look no further. One neat feature you’ll want to check out is how you can transform these pants from regular length to crop, with use of a button within the inside of the lower pant leg, making them pretty versatile for year round wear. These pants are extremely slimming and look great on, however I opted not to keep them due to sizing. The zipper and buttons are right on the hip, which I found caused some difficulty for me. While I could get myself zipped and buttoned up, it wasn’t easy. These pants were my usual size, but I did notice later on the website they recommend sizing up. If the pants were a larger size I probably would have kept them, but alas back they went.  You’ll see a picture of me wearing them in the following item review below since I pair them with another item.

Price: $195

The Foster Pant – MM.LaFleur
The Foster Pant – MM.LaFleur

# 3 – The Didion 3.0 Top
Another black item! We’re now up to a total of 3 black pieces in my Bento Box. Now I know black is a popular color for all sorts of reasons, but I’m not the biggest fan. I like to add color to my wardrobe, and as a pale redhead I worry wearing all black will make me look washed out.

The Didion Top is pretty comfortable, but I did have some trouble getting into it at first. There’s an interesting lining inside, that can cause finding the openings for your head and arms to be a challenge. Eventually I made it through and popped out. I wasn’t overly excited by this top, but it did look nice. They call this the work place friendly t-shirt, but it doesn’t feel like a t-shirt. I ultimately passed on this top because I had a very similarly cut black top that I had gotten from Forever 21. You may laugh, but why spend over $100 on something that I have almost an exact copy of that I got for a tenth of the price! You can see I paired this top with the Foster Pant for an all black work friendly look.

Price: $110

The Didion 3.0 Top – MM.LaFleur
The Didion 3.0 Top and Foster Pant from MM.LaFleur

#4 – The Panel Scarf
I can’t say I expected a scarf in my Bento Box, but lo and behold, I received one. I’m not a fan of using styling services on accessories, especially ones I can only use one time of the year. I like my scarfs nice and cozy. The Panel Scarf, while it looked ok and was a nice professional color, wasn’t as soft as I would have liked. It felt a bit scratchy, and there’s nothing worse than a scratchy scarf in the winter.

Price: $90

The Panel Scarf – MM.LaFleur
The Panel Scarf – MM.LaFleur

# 5 – The Emily Dress
I was happy to finally pull out another dress from the Bento Box, and to see some color! I love blue, especially dark blues on skintones like mine so I was optimistic this could work. The cut of the dress reminds me of something a First Lady might wear, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but could look a little silly on someone my age who is still in their 20s. But, they say you can’t judge an item of clothing until you try it on. After I tried it on a couple of times, I felt this dress was fairly cute, very stylish, and made me look more mature. I could see pulling on this dress for a conference or presentation, and it doesn’t hurt to have some more professional pieces lying around so I bit the bullet and kept this one. Oh, and there are little baby pockets in this dress! Perfect for clipping on work badges 🙂

Price: $165

The Emily Dress – MM.LaFleur
The Emily Dress – MM.LaFleur

#6 – The Woolf 2.0 Jardigan
Next up is a cardigan that they call the Jardigan. The fabric is kind of funky, but I like it. It’s the lightest colored piece that I received in my box, and while it’s not exactly an exciting color, we all need neutrals in our wardrobe. This neutral is called “Taupe Pearl.” I like this piece because it’s very lightweight, while still being a more upscale feeling fabric, and it works with some of the dresses in the Bento Box that I received. I’m a fan of cardigans, especially for the office because I like to continue to wear some of my sleeveless tops throughout the year, and you can do that by throwing on a cute cardigan. This piece looks dressy and is a bit classier than a thin cotton cardigan that let’s be honest, get’s pretty wrinkly. I’ll definitely be using this piece in the upcoming months.

Price: $195

The Woolf 2.0 Jardigan – MM.LaFleur
The Woolf 2.0 Jardigan – MM.LaFleur
The Woolf 2.0 Jardigan – MM.LaFleur

#7 – The Aditi 2.0 Dress
We round out my first Bento Box with a sleeveless dress in Dark Pine. As a redhead, one of my favorite colors to wear is green, so I was excited to see a green option, although still once again another dark color. I actually received two Dark Pine Aditi dresses in my box, each a different size. My stylist wanted to provide two sizes in this option to see what my preferred fit was. I ultimately decided to get the smaller size, my usual size, but was torn between the two. If you go for your regular size, the dress will be more fitted and tighter, but not skin tight! I was originally going to go with the larger size because I, like a lot of women (no matter what size we are!), can be self conscious about tight things around my stomach area, but my boyfriend convinced me that I could pull off my usual size in this dress. I really enjoyed the structured elements of this dress and I feel a lot more mature and professional in it as well. I’m sure some people will be a little confused when I walk into the office dressed in it, since it’s fancier than my day to day style, but I look forward to wearing it to work, and maybe even date night!

Price: $195

The Aditi 2.0 Dress – MM.LaFleur
The Aditi 2.0 Dress – MM.LaFleur

Checking Out
After you’ve performed your own fashion show at home and decided what pieces, if any, that you’d like to keep, you have to head over to the MM.LaFleur website. The website provides small pictures of the items you tried on, and asks for you whether you’re keeping or returning an item. Each choice is accompanied by some further buttons for you to click to provide a bit of feedback on why you chose to keep or return an item. For the items you don’t like, there are further drop downs so you can get even more specific on what was wrong or why you weren’t in love.

After that, you mail back your items in the prepaid UPS bag provided in your box, and you’ll receive a confirmation of your order and ultimate cost once MM.LaFleur receives your box.

Final Review
I wished my first box was more colorful. I felt the colors were all on the dark and drab side. Nothing stood out as being overly exciting, and I think that could have been improved upon had there been more light colors or a pattern thrown into the mix.

The overall styles and cuts I were given were definitely more formal and business like than I’m used to wearing. I do work at a tech company after all, where fashion isn’t something that’s on everyone’s minds. However, I did like the ability to give more professional office friendly styles a try, exploring new cuts and silhouettes that I wouldn’t typically pick up in store or consider for myself.

One observation about the clothing from MM.LaFleur is how heavy the fabrics are. The items, for the most part, aren’t lightweight, but they are built and constructed well. You can tell they care about tailoring and showing off the best parts of your body. I’m not sure how comfortable some of the items would be in warmer weather, but I might see what they have to offer come Spring when I hope the fabrics are lighter and more breezy.

This is definitely a great service for those who work in high fashion or typical office jobs where the dress code is stricter and you’re expected to wear a certain type of wardrobe. If you don’t work in an environment like that, I still think it’s worth a try. You can always use a few dressier pieces in your wardrobe, but you have to be ready to invest a bit if you want do so.

My stylist also just emailed me, referencing some of my feedback, and suggesting when I should request another Bento Box. It’s a nice touch to hear back from your stylist after you’ve checked out and left feedback. I have a feeling when they reach out they are more likely to get repeat customers. It might just work on me.

Would I try another Bento Box? The ruling is still up in the air. I might give it another go in the Winter or come Spring time. I did notice you can buy clothes directly off their website, so I might try that instead so I can try more interesting colors and patterns when I’m ready for another wardrobe upgrade.

 

 

How does MM.LaFleur’s Bento Box service compare to Stitch Fix? I’ll be unwrapping both services for you in the upcoming weeks, sharing my observations and suggestions.

 

 

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Bring on the Fall fashion with Stitch Fix

 

Image Courtesy of Stitch Fix

Disclosure: This post contains Stitch Fix Affiliate links, and I may receive compensation.

This post is about a month late due to a bunch of work travel and work projects that kept me from having much down time, but fear not I’m here with another review and I’ve got a number of posts lined up for the coming weeks!

When I requested this Fix from Stitch Fix I requested some end of Summer pieces, hoping for some transition articles of clothing that I could wear into Fall. Thankfully, due to the crazy weather here in the North East this box and post is still relevant and I haven’t been able to wear everything yet! Let’s take a closer look.

#1 – Colette Chavez Pop Color Cuff Knit Top
The first item in my Summer to Fall box was this super cute knit top by Colette. I love shirts and jackets that have pops of colors on the sleeve. In fact, this isn’t my first Stitch Fix item that’s used cuffs or sleeves to give you a little something special. As someone from New England, and a lover of beaches, including Cape Cod, I have a love for everything nautical. This top gives you a nautical feel, but elevates it with the pop of pink on the cuffs. It’s simply perfect! You can dress this top up or down, depending on your mood. Looking for a date night outfit? Pair this with dark jeans and some heels. Want to go apple picking or walk around the beach? Pair this top with some distressed jeans or capris and throw on some flats and you’re ready to go.

Colette Chavez Pop Color Cuff Knit Top – Stitch Fix
Colette Chavez Pop Color Cuff Knit Top – Stitch Fix

#2 – 41Hawthorn Evander Dress
My closet is getting full with 41Hawthorn dresses, but I’m not complaining! I saw this dress on Pinterest and I fell in love with it at first sight. The colors and pattern scream Fall, and are super red head friendly if I must say so myself! Green is one of my favorite colors to wear. Fall is finally here, and you can’t go wrong with this dress. It’s extremely comfortable, lightweight and has a liner on the skirt part of the dress. Another great feature of this dress is that it’s travel friendly, something really important to me. I had a conference to attend in California and this baby survived just fine. You won’t worry about wrinkles with this beauty.

41Hawthorn Evander Dress – Stitch Fix
41Hawthorn Evander Dress – Stitch Fix

#3 – Renee C Laverna Embroidered Tunic
I’m a sucker for tunics. Tunics should be an essential piece in every woman’s wardrobe due to how flattering, forgiving, and comfortable they are. You can also pair tunics with leggings, which you can’t pass up in early Fall. This tunic by Renee C is bright, cheery, and fun. The only thing I would suggest you be cautious about is the neckline. The top is cut very low and isn’t super tight around the chest which can lead to some minor gapping, showing off your bra in certain angles. If you’re worried about showing too much, or want to wear this to work, throw on a camisole or tank top and you’ll be good to go!

Renee C Laverna Embroidered Tunic – Stitch Fix

 

Renee C Laverna Embroidered Tunic – Stitch Fix

#4 – Just Black Joey Skinny Jean
You can’t go wrong with a great pair of skinny jeans. My skinny jeans compromise of blues or blacks, so pulling out a pair of colored jeans was a bit out of my comfort zone, mostly because I never know how to style them. This blush pair is cute, and my Stylist mentioned they’re a great unique neutral for Fall. The fabric of these jeans isn’t typical jean material. The only way I can best explain the feel of these super soft pants is to compare them to jeggings. They feel and fit much more like leggings than regular skinny jeans. I’m a little unsure about the length on me, my legs are long, so I’m always self conscious of the length of pants, but I think I can pair these with booties and call it a day. My Stylist suggested pairing this pair with the Colette top I received above. I’m not sure about the color pairing, but you check it out for yourself below.

Just Black Joey Skinny Jean – Stitch Fix
Just Black Joey Skinny Jean – Stitch Fix

#5 – Kut from the Kloth Callie Denim Jacket
Everywhere I look I see women rocking denim jackets. I was starting to get a little envious of their cute style. Low and behold my Stylist surprised me with a Denim Jacket, it’s as if Jan was reading my mind (I didn’t ask for a jacket), and I couldn’t be happier. When I first pulled this jacket out of the box my mom and boyfriend were in the room and they were worried about the proportions of the jacket. Just holding out, not trying it on, you’ll find yourself surprised by the length of the sleeves compared to the body of the jacket. My mom’s terms were “those look like monkey arms.” Haha. Well, you can’t judge a piece of clothing without trying it on! After trying on the jacket, I was pleasantly surprised and excited to be able to pair this with a few of my Summer dresses I wanted to continue to wear into Fall. Due to my chest size, I wouldn’t be able to fully close or button this jacket without looking silly, but I think the style is to wear these types of jackets open for a casual chic look, and hey, I’m good with that! I’ve already gotten some great use out of this denim jacket and I highly recommend you request it in your next Fix!

Kut from the Kloth Callie Denim Jacket – Stitch Fix
Kut from the Kloth Callie Denim Jacket – Stitch Fix

Final Thoughts – Jan has done it again, another 5 out of 5 for me. I particularly love the denim jacket and 41Hawthorn dress. I’m looking forward to some more cool weather so I can pull on the Colette top and Just Black jeans. I love how this Fix provided some items in my comfort zone (nautical and tunic styles) but also expanded my style a bit with pops of color like the jeans. Stitch Fix continues to excite me and make me feel great.

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Men’s Summer Wardrobe – Stitch Fix Review

Photo Courtesy of Stitch Fix

Disclosure: This post contains Stitch Fix Affiliate links, and I may receive compensation.

What’s Stitch Fix: An amazing fashion company that provides you with your own personal stylist who picks out pieces based on your style profile, requests, budget and your figure!

A couple of weeks ago my boyfriend received his second Fix from Stitch Fix, focusing on pieces for Summer. The Fix consisted of one pair of pants, three tops, and one pair of shorts. Let’s take a closer look and see what Brian had to say about the items his stylist chose.

#1 – Mavi Edward Slim Leg Pant
First up was a classic khaki colored slim legged pant from Edward. I highly recommend this type of cut for men who are tall and skinny. The slim leg is more attractive and flattering for long legs. Brian’s go to pants are cargos, so this was a bit of a style upgrade. While cargos are functional and I don’t really mind them, all the pockets have a tendency to bulk up a guy, which is why switching it up with a slim pant is always an easy way to dress up an outfit effortlessly.

Brian’s thoughts: I am afraid of white pants. When I saw the style card and saw a pair of white pants I thought to myself “well, this isn’t going to work out well”. Luckily, they turned out to be a very pleasant shade of grey (which Katie calls khaki – clearly unfamiliar with the intricacies of men’s pants). They fit well and, since they’re not actually white I’m not as worried about staining them. They’ll be a good addition to my pants lineup when the weather cools down.

We paired these Mavi pants with a Polo from this Fix below, for a cool casual Summer look. Check out item 2 for a fit pick.

Mavi Edward Slim Leg Pant – Stitch Fix for Men

#2 –  Tailor Vintage Brett One Pocket Polo
You can’t go wrong with a good polo. Polos are a great staple for every guy’s wardrobe and can make you look more put together than just a t-shirt, plus it’s as easy to style and pair with other items. The light blue color of this polo is oh so dreamy and great for guys with blue eyes. Don’t mind the wrinkles in the photo, a little steaming of those bad boys and this shirt is ready to wear.

Brian’s thoughts: This polo was on the larger side for me, but with a washing or two I felt confident it would shrink down a bit. I wear polos a lot during the summer so this seemed like a smart addition to my closet.

Tailor Vintage Brett One Pocket Polo – Stitch Fix for Men

#3 – Hawker Rye Long Sleeve Button Down Shirt
I was a little surprised to see a long sleeved button down for a Summer Fix, considering how hot it is here in the New York/New Jersey area, but hey it’s always good to get a transition piece for seasons, and I’m sure this one will be a great new addition as the Summer comes to a close and Fall starts creeping in. This blue long sleeve is a nice bright color and looks great with khaki pants. We also paired this shirt with the Mavi pants to give a more dressy look. While the button down isn’t advertised as being a slim cut, it seems to be cut in a slim style, which is great for guys like Brian who are thin and long in the chest.

Brian’s thoughts: My knee-jerk reaction was that this shirt was not what I wanted with this fix. I was hoping for some summer clothes, and this shirt is more of a fall/winter/spring/anytime but summer shirt. That said, it’s a nice shirt. My last teal-like shirt expired a few years ago so I’ll hang this up and pull it out in a few months when the weather cools off since it fit well.

Hawker Rye Long Sleeve Button Down Shirt – Stitch Fix for Men
Hawker Rye Long Sleeve Button Down Shirt with Mavi Edward Slim Leg Pant

#4 – Howe Fade Away Button Down Shirt
For the guy who isn’t into shirts with prints or designs that are too bold, this Howe shirt is great since it uses faded coloring. This piece screams beach to me, which is perfect for a Summer vacation (which I have yet to take). The top also gives me a bit of a “hipster” vibe. It’s not so extreme that it’ll turn off regular guys who aren’t into dressing all fashionable or hip, which is great because it can work for a variety of men. You’ll see a fit pick in the next item review below.

Brian’s thoughts:  This shirt has been sitting in my closet for a few weeks, I’m still not sure what I think of it. “Bowling shirt” keeps coming to mind whenever I see it. I’ve seen people out and about wearing shirts like this in clearly non-bowling settings, but I don’t think I’m quite there yet. Maybe I’ll get there some day, or I’ll join a bowling league.

Hawker Rye Long Sleeve Button Down Shirt – Stitch Fix for Men

#5 – 7 Diamonds Weekender Chino Short
As mentioned above, Brian’s a cargo pants kind of guy, and that goes for his shorts as well. I was excited to see his stylist provided something a bit more dressy and classic. The nicest part about these Chino Shorts is that they can be easily dressed up and make the wearer look more stylish just by how the short is cut and fitted. You could wear these out to dinner while off on your beach vacation and still look nice.

Brian’s thoughts:  Who likes short-shorts? On men… well erm… not me.  These shorts are shorter than I usually wear but they weren’t uncomfortably short, striking a few inches above the knee instead of the usual knee-length short I wear.  I know shorter shorts exist, but these were a nice stepping stone to more fitted shorts than the cargo-variety I usually wear. They don’t provide the cargo assortment of pockets so I’ve noticed my keys can irritate my thighs if I don’t put them in just right; on the flip side I feel more fashionable than usual when I wear them. It feels like a good trade off during the hot summer days.

Hawker Rye Long Sleeve Button Down Shirt – Stitch Fix for Men
Hawker Rye Long Sleeve Button Down Shirt with 7 Diamonds Weekender Chino Short

Final Impressions: I felt the Fix was a pretty good success. I loved seeing Brian try some new pieces out of his comfort zone and see a bit more style come into his closet. Here’s hoping he joins me in requesting a Fall Fix so we can keep the fashion rolling.

Brian’s overall impressions: 3 / 5 items were suitable for summer which was exactly what I was looking for. The other 2 items were nice (I kept them), but will have to sit in my closet for a few weeks until it cools down. I was disappointed I didn’t get more summer clothes, a non-blue shirt or another pair of shorts would have been nice substitutes. Maybe if I request a summer fix a bit earlier in the season (like late spring) I’ll get a fuller selection of summer clothes.

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Sliding into Summer with Style – Stitch Fix Review

Photo courtesy of Stitch Fix

 

Disclosure: This post contains Stitch Fix Affiliate links, and I may receive compensation.

We’re finally in the midst of Summer and I don’t know about you, but it’s that time of year where I want to wear clothing that’s super comfortable, lightweight and effortless so that I can stay cool in the hot Summer sun. For my Summer fix I specifically requested Summer essentials, calling out the need for some lightweight pieces such as sleeveless dresses and short/sleeveless tops. A majority of my commute involves walking in the heat to capture a train into the city, so it’s important to me to have options that won’t leave me feeling hot and sticky.

This Fix I had a different stylist than usual, Jan. Jan is filling in for Kim who is usually my stylist since she’s on vacation. I was intrigued to see if a new stylist would be able to pinpoint my style and suggest some good pieces. In the end, I was pleasantly surprised! If you want to be pleasantly surprised by what Stitch Fix has to offer, don’t hesitate, sign up now! You’ll be hooked!

#1 – Q&A Kayleigh Faux Wrap Dress
The first dress I received in my fix was a faux polka dot wrap dress. This dress has a lot going on with it from frilliness to ruffles for days. I still haven’t made up my mind how much I like this piece, but it certainly has a flowy construction which is what I was looking for in a dress. If you’re a girly girl and love polka dots and ruffles, this is your dress! One thing I’d change is to add some extra length to the dress. While the dress is lined to help provide some modesty, the lining and dress are pretty short so I have to be careful when bending down. I think if you’re a bit shorter than me, this dress wouldn’t be a problem lengthwise. For comparison sake, I’m 5 foot 6. This would be a cute dress for brunching in.

Q&A Kayleigh Faux Wrap Dress
Q&A Kayleigh Faux Wrap Dress from Stitch Fix

#2 – Palacio Scoop Neck Tank
A staple in my wardrobe is the tank top. I love tank tops because they’re uber comfortable, can be layered with other tops and jackets, and can be casual or dressy. This Pixley Scoop Neck Tank is so fun, colorful, and perfect for Summer. The fabric of the two different sections is slightly different, giving you a subtle texture difference. The pink part can be a bit see through, but I don’t mind it as it’s not too obvious. You can style this tank so many different ways. It would look great with a dark pair of jeans and heels, worn under a cardigan, or just by itself with a pair of shorts. You can’t go wrong with this fun color combo and pattern. Scroll down to item number 3 to see this tank pair with my next item.

Pixley Palacio Scoop Neck Tank

 

#3 Liverpool Taylor Denim Short
In my last Spring fix I had requested a dark pair of shorts, but the pair I received didn’t hit the mark and got returned. While I didn’t request a pair for this Fix, Jan, who was filling in for my stylist Kim, decided to throw in a pair for me to try after reading my last review. On first appearances, I really liked the bright blue color and felt the cut of the shorts looked more modern and less like “mom jeans/shorts” which is what I called the last pair I received. The cuff on the shorts create the perfect length for rocking these at work, going out on the town, or just lounging around. I’m a booty short fan, but I realize that’s not always the best option for the office. I paired these shorts with the Pixley tank for a bright and fun Summer look.

Liverpool Taylor Denim Short
Pixley Palacio Scoop Neck Tank and Liverpool Taylor Denim Short from Stitch Fix

#4 Skies Are Blue Monisa Embroidered Blouse
Next up was a short sleeved top from Skies are Blue. I had seen this top on Pinterest and thought it was cute and would be a good top for when the weather is a little cooler or for when the office is a little too chilly for a sleeveless top. The fabric of this top is so comfortable and actually cool to the touch, always a plus for Summer clothing. If you enjoy a mix of colors and patterns this top is perfect. Style it with neutral colored pants for a casual office look, or pair with white jeans/capris for a day out on the town.

Skies Are Blue Monisa Embroidered Blouse
Skies Are Blue Monisa Embroidered Blouse from Stitch Fix

#5 – Collective Concepts Julie Shirt Dress
I’ve been eyeing shirt dresses for a while on Pinterest. This shirt dress from Collective Concepts is decked out in a beautiful floral pattern that gives off the perfect Summer vibe. The dress includes a tie waist, which is one of my favorite things because it helps accentuates your natural waist and can look fabulous on any type of body. I’m also a fan of the lining for the bottom half of the dress so you don’t have to worry about anything showing through. But perhaps the best feature of this dress is the pockets! If I had a say in the fashion world, I’d demand all dresses to have pockets. Dresses with pockets are absolute perfection. This past week I was talking to one of my friends about the need for dresses to have pockets, and I couldn’t agree more. As a woman I don’t always want to have to carry a purse or bag with me, so when I can throw on a dress with pockets I instantly get excited because I don’t have to worry about where to put my phone or my work badge. You’ll stay cool and chic in this cotton dress, and it’s bound to become one of my go to pieces this season.

Collective Concepts Julie Shirt Dress
Collective Concepts Julie Shirt Dress from Stitch Fix

Final Thoughts – It can be fun to see what different stylists suggest for you. I was a little nervous when I read my stylist note to see my regular stylist was away, but Jan did a wonderful job and I’d be lucky to have her on hand for Kim anytime 🙂 Thanks Jan and Kim! I’d say this fix was a 4 out of 5, since I’m still a little on the fence about the faux wrap dress, but I think I’ll be able to make it work for me, maybe by adding a jacket or tights. Until next time, happy Fixing!

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