Despite the e-commerce boom, most people still opt to buy their clothes on the high street. It's simply easier to choose if you can try things on first.

This is a scenario that Stitch Fix is hoping to change. For a small fee, the team will take your personal preferences and choose five items that match—before delivering them to your door. Anything that you don't like can then be returned free of charge.

So, how exactly does Stitch Fix work, and is it any good? Let's take a look.

What Is Stitch Fix?

Photo of clothes on a clothing rack

Stitch Fix is a personal styling service. The company has been around since 2011 and now has over four million users.

The service is available in both the US and the UK, and serves both men and women. You can sign up on a recurring basis, or you can opt to use them as a one-off.

How Does Stitch Fix Work?

Stitch Fix is an easy-to-use service. It provides personalized recommendations based on a combination of human input and artificial intelligence (AI).

Below, you'll find the steps on how to use the service.

1. Sign Up

After you sign up, you will be asked to fill out a form. This will include your size, your budget, and a few personal preferences.

You'll also be shown a few items and asked to rate them. This will help Stitch Fix provide items that you actually like.

2. Place Your First Order

To make your first order, you simply pay $20 ( or £10 in the UK) and select a delivery date. If you opt to keep anything that you receive, the same amount will be deducted from your bill.

Before anything is sent to you, you will be shown a list of personalized recommendations. You will then have 30 hours to choose anything you like. This part is entirely optional. If you don't choose anything, Stitch Fix will select five items for you.

3. Decide What You Like

Once you receive the items, you will have seven days to decide whether or not you like them. After you've decided, you can log into your account and pay for anything that you want to actually purchase.

If you don't like anything, you will still be charged the service fee. You will also get an extra 25% off if you decide to keep all five items.

While deciding what you keep, you will also be asked to provide feedback. This should ensure that the accuracy of your recommendations gets higher the longer you use the service.

4. Return What You Don't Want

If you want to return the clothes you ordered from Stitch Fix, the process is relatively straightforward.

The box that your products arrive in has a return shipping label already attached. Therefore, returning items is just a matter of closing up the box and dropping it at the post office or at certain retailers.

Is There a Wide Selection of Clothes on Stitch Fix?

Photo of clothes together

The value of a service such as this one obviously depends on whether or not you actually like the items that it picks for you. According to their website, Stitch Fix works with over 1,000 brands.

They also have a wide range of categories, including shoes and accessories. This means that if you're the type of person who hates shopping for clothes, Stitch Fix can potentially replace the entire process.

Is Stitch Fix Expensive?

The price of Stitch Fix depends on your shopping habits. The copmany charges a $20 (or £10) service fee upfront. But this cost is deducted from your bill provided you keep at least one of the items that they send you.

Stitch Fix allows you to create a preferred budget for your clothes. If you set a limit per item, most of the items that you receive will cost roughly that amount.

The prices on Stitch Fix are competitive, but that doesn't necessarily mean cheapest. Traditional shopping allows you to hunt for discounts at different stores. Stitch Fix is basically the opposite of this, with everything being sold at full retail price.

If you normally practice comparison shopping, it's therefore easy to spend more than you otherwise would. However, the price is worth it if you get exactly what you want.

Who Should Use Stitch Fix?

Stitch Fix is very different from regular online shopping. Here are a few reasons that you might want to try it.

  • You want access to a personal shopper. The service fee is very reasonable even before it's been subtracted from your bill.
  • You want to save time. Stitch Fix is useful for busy people who don't have time to stay on top of fashion trends. Once your preferences are understood, ordering new clothes takes minutes.
  • You hate picking clothes. Not everybody enjoys the process of matching outfits. Stitch Fix not only prevents people from having to shop; each pack also has instructions for matching individual items.

Who Should Not Use Stitch Fix?

Stitch Fix is unlikely to appeal if you want either of the following:

  • You want to save money. Stitch Fix prevents comparison shopping. Unless you get a discount for buying all five items in a pack, you will probably spend more than you need to.
  • You want control. Stitch Fix is convenient, but it's unsuitable if you are picky about what you wear. It's designed to provide fewer choices, not more. If you don't like anything they send you, you still have to pay the service fee.

Are Customers Happy With the Service?

Stitch Fix is an interesting idea, but many customers have had problems with their orders. The company currently has a poor rating on Trustpilot, with an average score of 2.2 out of 5.

The biggest area of complaint is customer service. Many users argue that the items that they receive don't match the preferences they originally provided.

Some users have also complained about the overall quality of the clothes. This is particularly problematic given that if you don't like anything, you are still charged.

Is Stitch Fix Worth It?

Stitch Fix is an interesting idea. It may also be a useful service for anyone who wants a hassle-free way to keep their wardrobe updated.

Unfortunately, the customer reviews for the company highlight a number of potential problems. This means that there may be limits to what you can expect from such an affordable personal shopper.

Before you make a final decision, it's worth reading the reviews and making your own decision based on these.