Why You Can Trust CNET Stylogic vs. Stitch Fix: Which clothing subscription box is best for your budget?
Stylogic is the more financially friendly option, but there are some trade-offs.
- She received the Renau Writing Scholarship in 2016 from the University of Louisville's communication department.
Clothing box subscription services can help you spice up your closet while avoiding trying on clothes at the store. But choosing the right clothing box service for you might feel overwhelming, with dozens of options available to choose from -- particularly when you're looking for affordable clothes.
Stitch Fix is one of the most popular boxes available, with 3.1 million active clients, according to the company. But Stylogic offers a similar service with a few added perks. Here's how to decide which option might be better for you.
I've been a Stitch Fix user for about a year. I'm always excited when I get my box, which you can customize to come at whatever frequency fits your schedule or budget -- no membership fee or a monthly subscription required. My account is linked to one of my Pinterest boards, so my stylist can get more ideas about what styles I like, and she always leaves a thoughtful note in my box, which is a nice personalized touch. The items my stylist sends me almost always hit the mark, which can be rare when it comes to larger-sized clothing for women.
Stitch Fix offers a fairly wide range of women's sizes -- 00-24W in stylish dresses, pants, skirts and shirts.
In my last box, my stylist picked out an Erica Taylor green straight leg pant ($78), a Pinque navy blue cardigan ($46), a burnt-orange Market and Spruce top ($58), an off-white Lemon Tart blouse ($58) and a striped 41 Hawthorn knit top ($48). I had to exchange the Market and Spruce top for a bigger size, but Stitch Fix gets your replacement item to you within a couple days. The Lemon Tart blouse and the Erica Taylor pants were a little too summery for November in Kentucky, but with a good cardigan, I decided it would still be possible to make them work.
The total came to $288. If you buy everything in the box, you get a 25% discount (in this case $72), and the $20 styling fee also counts toward your total purchase, bringing my total plus tax to about $209. Thus, my only issue with Stitch Fix: The price isn't accessible for everyone. Yes, the pieces are designer and quality. But even at the lowest price setting, if you're used to shopping at Target (like me), putting $50 down for a single shirt can feel jarring.
Three of the items in my Stitch Fix box made a complete outfit. The others were easily integrated with other pieces in my wardrobe. Also, if I were to really love a sweater or pair of pants, Stitch Fix sometimes gives the option to order them in different colors or patterns in the app under the My Items tab. A Style Card, which comes as a physical copy in each box and a digital version in the app, shows you ways to pair the items to make outfits -- down to bags, shoes and jewelry.
Stitch Fix also has a direct buy option called Shop Your Looks. At the top of the app, click Shop between Fixes and Style. This lets you purchase individual items-- pants, shoes, accessories-- to match the piece you already have. These can be ordered without getting another Fix.
Stitch Fix has an app for iOS and Android that makes it easy to sign up, update your profile, check out and keep your stylist up-to-date on what you like and don't like. In addition to creating a style profile and extra style quizzes, Stitch Fix lets you link your Pinterest board to your profile so your stylist can get to know your fashion sense better. On the app dashboard, you can partake in daily Style Shuffles -- a swiping system similar to Tinder that asks if you'd wear an item or not, to better get to know your style. The app has also added an experimental Inspiration tab where you can save Stitch Fix outfits you like and leave notes for your stylist.
The Stylogic clothing subscription service felt similar to Stitch Fix, but a bit more accessible. The prices were lower, and the service offers a wider range of women's sizes, from 12-36. As with Stitch Fix, I filled out a style profile and linked my Pinterest style board for inspiration. But with Stylogic, it almost felt like the stylist pulled the pieces directly from my Pinterest style board. My box included five items -- a fox print sleeveless top ($35) and a twofer cardigan ($55) from Modcloth, a Le Mont St. Michel midi corduroy skirt ($66), Easy Spirit navy low-heels ($42), and a Stylogic cubic zirconia rose gold bracelet ($36).
The items were a classic style with a bit of flair -- close enough to what I like while stepping outside of my comfort zone a bit, and achieving an overall ensemble I wanted but would never have thought of putting together on my own.
Stylogic gives you seven days to try the items on, where Stitch Fix only gives you three. There is a $20 styling fee that applies toward whatever you keep -- if you don't keep anything, you pay only that fee. If you love your box and keep everything, you get a 20% discount. For my box, the total came to $234. After the $20 styling fee and the 20% Buy All discount ($47) was credited back, the total bill to keep everything was $167. That's $42 less than Stitch Fix for the same number of items.
I liked how fast Stylogic picked up on my style. I also liked that the box appeared to provide a full outfit, while other services tend to include pieces that may or may not go together.
My only real issue with Stylogic was that the cardigan and the skirt felt a bit fragile when I put them on. When I tried the skirt on, one of the buttonholes snagged and a button popped off. I was also cautious when crossing my arms in the cardigan, fearing it might tear as well. A larger size could probably remedy both of these issues, but it made me wonder what washing the items and several wears would do to the pieces. At the same time, these items are a little less expensive than their Stitch Fix counterparts.
The Stylogic site is easy to navigate (and update) when you set up your profile. It doesn't have the ease of a mobile app, but you can always pull it up on a mobile browser.
Takeaways
The most important thing to know about any clothing subscription service is that stylists can't read your mind. The more information you can provide them about what you like and what you don't like, the better your experience will likely be, whatever size you are. Ultimately, choosing a style service is about finding one that works best for your lifestyle, budget and closet. Don't be afraid to get all the information and shop around.
