Tastemaker: a person who decides or influences what is or will become fashionable.
When I got an invitation for the Stitch Fix Tastemakers Event, I was seriously floored. I don’t think I fit the exact statement above, so I was very surprised. I smacked my husbands arm in excitement. I was so surprised they asked me to come to this event and I immediately said yes! They’ve done this event for a few years now and I know a few bloggers who have gone in the past, so I felt incredibly honored when I was lucky enough to be part of this group this year!
Before I get started, if you’ve never heard about Stitch Fix, definitely click here to check out more about them! The quick version is that Stitch Fix is a personal styling service that tailors specifically to your needs, wants, and lifestyle! So you’re sent a box and you decide what you want to keep and/or what you want to send back. And then you can leave your feedback to make each box better and better. But for full details, definitely click here. They explain better than I do!
Here’s the run down about the Stitch Fix Tastemakers Event: 13 of us bloggers from all over met in San Francisco to tour the Stitch Fix offices, warehouse, and then studio, and really experience what Stitch Fix is all about. We also got to talk with some of the main people behind Stitch Fix, some social media partners, and then even got to experience what it’s like to design a piece for the Stitch Fix brand and play models for a few hours. It was really damn awesome. I just feel so damn lucky to have experienced all of this!
On the first day in San Francisco, I met women from all over. And women who all had different social media platforms. I usually only ever get to hang out or meet paleo food bloggers when I go to Paleo(fx) every year, so this was a totally different experience. I met a crafts blogger, a vlogger, a kindergartner teacher blogger, a food blogger, and even a woman who was on a reality show. So many different personalities, so many viewpoints, and so much excitement for all things women related! Here’s all the cool people I got to meet:
- Rosanna – glamdapper.com
- Africa – Africamiranda.com
- Monique – ambitiouskitchen.com
- April – aprilathena7.com
- Maria – crazytogether.com
- Jaime – creatingreallyawesomefunthings
.com - Andrea – howdoesshe.com
- Kyrzayda – kyrzayda.com
- Coco – millennielle.com
- Daniela – nanysklozet.com
- Kimberly – sensiblestylista.com
- Taralynn – simplytaralynn.com
After we met for the first time, we walked straight to the Stitch Fix office where we toured their facility, checked out some of their inspiration board areas, then quickly sat down to chat with some people from their team. We were able to ask any sort of questions we had, whether that was about their new men’s line or how they chose what trends they will adapt into their own line or even how they hire to create a diverse team.
For me, I’ve never been truly interested in Stitch Fix. Not because they aren’t a great company, just because I LOVE to shop. I love going to stores, I love spending hours online, and I love creating new outfits. I think it’s super fun. But that’s just me. And I totally understand that most people don’t love to do that…or have time. But what was so cool about Stitch Fix and made me so much more excited about them was really meeting their team. When I first pictured the people behind Stitch Fix, I immediately pictured The Devil Wear Prada type of place with extreme high fashion and perfect hair and high heels. I don’t know why, that’s just what I pictured. So when I walked into the offices and found men and women of every type, I was pleasantly surprised. There wasn’t just one trend or one hairstyle or one single kind of person there. It was so many different types of people all extremely excited about what they were doing with the company. Which you don’t often see.
After touring the offices, we headed back out to check out the warehouse where they pull the orders and package them right there. We were able to see the racks on racks on racks…on racks of clothing filling just one of their many warehouses, and then see how they package each one. We split off into groups and we all put a box together! I even found my exact scarf ready to go in a box!
After finding all the items for the box, they showed us how they fold each piece and wrap it in tissue paper with a sticker then send it down the line to have the mailing address added. Every package looks the same and is packaged just right, so then we took over and tried to do exactly what we were shown! We may have even packaged yours if you are a Stitch Fix member!
On our second day, we went straight to the Stitch Fix photo studio where they take all their photos and style all their outfits, either on models or the clothes by themselves! To start off, they gave us the coolest opportunity to pick a top that we want to see next season, to style it, pick out the colors and even name it! We got to style 2 shirts and one we named Rosé because of the rose color that we chose for it. So if you ever see that in your box next year, we created that one! Which was pretty difficult when 13 girls with all different kinds of style are choosing ONE top. But we made it work and it will go through production someday! So cool!
We also went through different stations of styling. The first one was how they lay out clothing flat to take photos for the style cards or social media. Which was surprisingly REALLY interesting. I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to take photos of a shirt that’s flat on the ground but it doesn’t look very good, unless you know what they hell you’re doing. So they taught us exactly that! Then we had another station about photography basics and another for Photoshop. Holy shart, photoshop is so over my head. I wish I understood it! But it was so cool to see what they can do to make sure all the style cards and all the photos look wonderful!
After learning all these knowledge bombs, they created a giant table in the studio for lunch! At every one of our lunches or dinners in San Francisco, we were able to chat with more creative people from the Stitch Fix team and learn more about them and the company. It was such an eye opening experience talking with every single person and learning how a company that started off at 30 people has grown so quickly in just 5 years! At this point, they have 3,000 stylist alone, and that doesn’t even include all the other people behind the scenes! What is even cooler is the CEO of the company still even styles boxes. How cool is that?!
After lunch, we popped some bubbly and got comfortable in the stylist chairs. I had already done my makeup for the day, so I asked the stylist to va-voom my hair and give me as much volume as possible! I wish I could take her everywhere because she was amazing! I obviously love doing hair and makeup (I did full blog posts about them for gosh sakes), but it was really fun to see some of the women who have kids and don’t have time to get as done up, get all dolled up and get the full attention!
Before we left for San Francisco, we were sent two pieces of clothing that will be big this season: a plaid shirt and cargo jacket. And we were asked to style them ourselves. When we showed up to the studio, we were also given a rack of clothes picked individually from a stylist to choose from, and even take home if we liked them! They had two photo areas set up so I was able to talk with one of the photographers right away.
And at each photo station, there was another stylist who would make sure everything looked just right. So she would roll the sleeves up a certain way, tighten the jacket, move the necklace, tie the shirt so it hung right. She was there to make sure you looked your best and that the outfit showed you off in the perfect way! And the best part about the photo shoot was everyone was so nice, telling you that you were doing great and looked awesome, so they made you feel comfortable and at ease right away, especially since none of us are models.
My first outfit I threw on was completely styled from me and brought from home! I’ve been loving everything striped and I love how striped and plaid work together! So I tied the plaid shirt that they gave us around my waist and threw on my favorite over the knee boots! Such an easy look for fall!
Shop This Look:
{ Dress | Plaid Shirt | Similar Boots | Similar Purse | Sunglasses }
The second look I brought from home included my favorite flare jeans, a bodysuit (you know my obsession), my favorite peep toe booties, and a choker! I brought this outfit for the cargo jacket they sent me and I slowly fell in love with this jacket! I’m even wearing it while I travel today!
Shop This Look:
{ Similar Jeans | Bodysuit | Booties | Purse | Choker | Jacket }
Shop This Look:
{ Completely Styled by Stitch Fix }
Shop This Look:
{ Dress & Shoes from Stitch Fix }
After getting to know the people behind Stitch Fix and understanding their mission and what they are trying to put out into the world, I will forever recommend them to friends. Whether my friends are mothers or single women or entrepreneurs or now even men (since now they have a men’s line!) – they could all benefit from Stitch Fix: a company who wants to empower others through fashion and through feeling their best. Stitch Fix wants to create a company that you are excited to be part of, that you are willing to work with and give your opinions and make each Stitch Fix box better and better. They want you to love what you’re wearing, to feel your best whether that’s at home or in the office or out with friends. They want you to know that whether you hate shopping or love it – they have something in their collection that you are going to love and keep forever. I went into this Stitch Fix Tastemakers event thinking it would be a cool experience, but I left feeling empowered from all these other women, both bloggers and people on the Stitch Fix team, knowing that if you put in the work, if you put in the passion, and if you put in the love to your company – it will thrive.
Disclaimer: I may be compensated through my affiliate links in this post, but all opinions are my own. This compensation helps keep this blog up and running!
I love Stitch Fix! And I’m not surprised at all that they asked you. I’m sure I’m not the only one pinning your Fashion Friday outfits to my board. A couple of months ago my stylist said that she had included two pieces inspired by one of your outfits that I pinned, mentioning you specifically by name and that she also loved your style!
whaaaaaaat?!?! that’s so crazy and so freaking awesome!!
I too signed up for Stitch Fix after reading this post. My first box arrived this week and I am in love with this company! For those of us who hate shopping it is a dream come true. Thanks for sharing!!