In Which I Let a Stranger Select My Clothes

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to hear Margaret Wheeler, the Chief People & Culture Officer at Stitch Fix, give a talk about building a company culture. It was during an employee engagement conference; in the same conference similarly titled leaders from Hulu, Tesla, and Columbia Sportswear shared various insights into engaging employees in different ways and what makes their organization unique. Wheeler was my favorite presenter of the entire conference. She was fun to listen to and talking about an interesting challenge Stitch Fix has in that most of their employee base is made up of remote stylists. Engagement of in-office employees is a challenge; remote employees bring an entire level of complexity to the engagement conversation. Her session was about the use of pulse surveys in assessing company culture, which are quick, frequent surveys of employees to test the "health" of an organization (Get it? Health. Pulse. Ha.). Their organization deployed this type of survey and had a lot of success learning about their employees and what they needed. Questions ranged from very organization specific questions to more social/fun questions designed to paint a picture of the employee group as a whole.

One of the questions Wheeler* shared was this one: What is Stitch Fix doing for you to help you reach your goals?" The question stuck with me long after the conference. I wrote a blog for my then organization about the topic and would return to this question often over the last few years, particularly when I was struggling with something at work. The question wasn't necessarily about professional goals, although you could answer it that way. Wheeler went on to share that employees shared goals about travel, learning new skills, connecting with people from all over, and being bold enough to try something new. When I originally heard her talk, I was really focusing my writing and my work blog focused on how I felt my old company was helping me expand my writing skills and giving me opportunities to do more writing. I saw in Wheeler's question a reality for myself and my colleagues shared my opinion too. That certainly changed over time but I still keep coming back to this question over and over again. When I was in the middle of my recent job search, this question was part of my process for evaluating organizations. I was able to dismiss organizations if I felt like the role wouldn't be advantageous to me or my career. Obvious right? Not so much when you're in the job search hustle. 

As much as I enjoyed Wheeler and her thoughts about creating a strong organizational culture, I didn't run out and join Stitch Fix. Despite the fact that she is a super-fashionable woman and was wearing a gorgeous white dress, I didn't sign up. At the time, Stitch Fix was still limited in sizes so I wasn't sure that they would actually be able to find anything for me. I was doing alright on my own in the fashion department anyway; I didn't need a stranger to help me. I may not have ever received lessons in how to dress like a woman, but I was making fashion work for me. Which is the point. I love avant-garde fashion as much as the next person, but I'm never going to wear it. I want my clothes to make me feel good. As Ariell Johnson so bluntly put it, "Like all my clothes, when I put them on, I was not thinking of you." I feel like it's taken me for-freaking-ever to really embrace this philosophy, but embraced it I have.

The thing is, I really don't enjoy shopping. I like shopping when other people are looking for something. I will be your shoe sherpa forever but when it comes to shopping for myself, I don't enjoy it anymore. I can trace this change, because I used to enjoy shopping, to the rise of skinny jeans. Now, I have come to enjoy skinny jeans (more on this shortly) but their initial rise in popularity made it so hard for more fuller figured ladies (like myself) to find pants and jeans that looked good. Eventually, clothing designers got their shit together and figured out that skinny jeans are actually flattering for all body types and made versions that look good even if you have hips or larger calves. I own skinny jeans/pants in several colors and black and gray. I still love my boot cut jeans but I have given friends in skinny jeans.

Since I don't really enjoy shopping BUT I want to be fashionable in my own way, I decided that the time has come for me to join Stitch Fix. In the last few years, they've expanded their women's size range and added a fix for men. They're running a new line of commercials right now were incredibly convincing about how awesome I would feel getting my first "fix" (that's what they call each box) and how I would love everything in the box. So I signed up. When I say signed up, I don't mean a simple "enter my email and create a password" process. No, in addition to those steps, I also had to create a style profile for myself. This includes questions about fit, what I like and dislike in clothes and accessories, and a long list of sizing questions. I was also able to leave a note for my personal stylist about what I'm looking for in clothing.

I liked this part of the process. It feels personal and it's fun. I got to really focus on what I love about fashion and clothes. I talked a lot about whimsical patterns and loving stripes and how I really love bold colors but also wear a lot of black. I want to look professional but also like me so a little humor and fun injected into things. I'd been cautioned by friends and some of my new co-workers to be very specific and provide feedback on my fixes or else I'd be disappointed. If you're going to pay for something, you should be honest about what you want. So I was very thorough with this stage. I even created a Pinterest board for my stylist to look at (no idea if she does this). Never ever did I think I would create a Pinterest board for anything. I'm never going to have a wedding in a reclaimed barn so why would Pinterest be in my life?

And then I waited. I selected the quarterly fix option so I had to wait a few weeks between signing up and receiving my first fix. While I was waiting, my newest acquisitions from Modcloth arrived in the mail. Leave it to Modcloth to finally allow me to realize my dream of finding work appropriate dinosaur patterned clothing.

It's such a great shirt...subtle dinosaurs. One of my co-workers didn't realize the pattern was dinosaurs until she sat next to me in a meeting. I also love this picture and I never love pictures of me. I'm not saying it's solely the dinosaur shirt but I it deserves a little bit of the credit.

Finally, my fix arrived. Of course, Pumpkin claimed the box as hers (see above photo) so I had to wait until she got distracted by air to actually open it. It did, in fact, feel a like Christmas. I was excited and a little nervous about what I would find once I opened the box. Would this stranger hit the mark or be so off base that I'd end up disappointed? Would I love everything in the box so much that I'd spend money I really shouldn't on buying all the things?  I was cautiously optimistic that this fix was going to be fabulous.

And fabulous it was. First, let's discuss the lovely packaging that is a Stitch Fix box. Talk about a perfectly integrated brand. Everything goes together to invite me into the fashion club I now belong to. 

I "met' my stylist, Jami. According to the clothing guide included, she was "digging" a classic vibe for my first fix. She selected pieces that would be work appropriate and fun to wear more casually (exactly what I asked for). There were stripes and bold colors and a cute dress (lacking pockets but rocking sleeves). Jami seemed to get me.

Each fix includes five items that vary depending on my profile selections. Since I selected clothing and accessories, this fix included four clothing options and a necklace. The necklace was not my style but still nice. I put it aside and focused on the clothes. I wanted to keep all four items before I tried anything on. I liked everything. I didn't think I would but I did. I was hoping it would all fit...that would be the true test of whether Jami and I would continue on this fashion journey together or if I would run far, far away from future fixes.

I started with the one item that I truly hoped would fit me: a navy and striped three-quarter length sleeve top. I love stripes and think navy is one of the most underrated clothing colors in the world. It's also super soft and could be casual with jeans or a little dressier with a cute skirt and heels. I love this shirt. I decided the second I put it on that I would be keeping it. I should also note that none of the brands were familiar to me; that's another thing I like about Stitch Fix. I'm getting access to brands I wouldn't normally find or even know about.

Next up...the dress. I wanted to like this dress. Also in navy, it was a good length (just at the knee) and the addition of sleeves made me happy. However, it had an odd front panel that made me think of a nun's habit and it was a little big in the top. I don't have a full length mirror or a selfie stick so the picture isn't great but you get the idea. My feedback on this was "style is good, fit is off, panel is weird."

While they weren't styled together in the guide that came with my fix, I decided to try the last two items on together. Like the first shirt, I immediately liked both items and was hopeful they would fit.

Yes, that's a pair of fuchsia skinny jeans and a black lace top. I'm currently obsessed with these pants. I thought I loved my purple Elle skinny jeans but they have nothing on these. They fit perfectly. Pants never fit me perfectly. They're the right length and hit correctly at the waist. Turns out, this particular style is a Stitch Fix exclusive. I want to wear these pants every day. Did I mention they have real pockets? They do. It's so great. The top was nice but again, fit was an issue. It was a little big in the bust area so the drape was off.

Please excuse my cluttered sink.

All in all, my first fix was awesome. I kept two pieces and sent the rest back. After trying it all on and packaging up the rejects (although they were very nice rejects), I logged onto my account any provided Jami with feedback on each item. I hope she enjoys my enthusiasm for the fuchsia pants as much as I enjoy wearing them. In theory, Jami will use my feedback, her stylist knowledge, and seasonal trends to curate my next box. Since shipping my items back, I received a few emails from the company encouraging me to share my latest obsession (I would if I had a good photo of me in those pants) and how to transition summer items into fall. Now all that's left to do is obsessively add items to my Pinterest board while I await my November fix.

Pumpkin is a fan of the fuchsia pants too.

*Video is from a different conference on a similar topic. She's awesome.

The Pants Experiment, Part 2

I recently finished Marc Maron's book, Attempting Normal. In one essay he details his purchase of a pair of jeans from the ultra hip Levi's store in San Francisco. He's told by the sales guy (who has a handlebar mustache) that the only way to truly get the perfect fit for these jeans is to sit in a bathtub in the jeans and then wear them until they dry. The bathtub scene also makes an appearance in season one of Maron. Levi's even has a blog about this and it's apparently very common for people to sit in their bathtubs to get the perfect fit jeans. I guess I'm not the only one who will do anything for the right pair of pants.

I was thinking about this essay and episode as I awaited the arrival of my dress pant yoga pants from Betabrand. I've been searching for a pair of comfortable and stylish work pants forever and finally decided to buy a pair. Despite my excitement I hesitated to wear them immediately so I waited until today. I should not have waited to wear them; I may have found my new favorite pair of pants.

As I mentioned in my previous post, the dress pant yoga pants are made out of the same type of material that yoga pants are made out of but they're cut like dress pants. The design includes the sort of fake pockets that are common in women's pants, a decorative button, and functioning belt loops (if you're into belts; I am not). They're well made and machine washable. I prefer not to dry clean anything so this last bit was of the utmost importance.

After spending a portion of my morning cleaning my car off and possibly getting mild frostbite, I put on my new pants and made my way through the icy streets of Arlington to work. I was ready for comfort and fashion. The pants were warm enough; the weight is heavier than normal yoga pants but not heavy like some dress pants can be.I hemmed the pants about an inch and half which ended up being the ideal length since I was able to wear my boots and then switch to flats for the office. I felt ready to tackle my day.

What had concerned me at home was how much more form fitting the pants are but honestly, I didn't notice as much once I was at work. I'm sure it was because I was working so I didn't have time to think about it but I also know that I was probably putting too much emphasis on this in the first place. Crawling under conference room tables to set up to set up projector cables was a snap. I had the feeling that I was lounging sitting at my desk or in the conference room. Several of my co-workers knew about the pants and agreed that you really couldn't tell that they were yoga pants. One of my other co-workers was completely surprised when she overheard us talking about them. They just looked like dress pants to her. When I got back home, I didn't immediately change into lounge pants or regular yoga pants because I was just so darn comfortable. I consider this entire experiment a success.

The verdict: these are excellent pants. They're comfortable, not as obvious as I thought they'd be, and worth the investment. I would wear these pants everyday if that wasn't weird. I'm considering buying a second pair. I only have two "complaints" and they're not really a big deal:

1. The length - I wish they had a shorter option. I don't mind hemming pants but it's be awesome if I didn't have to.
2. Pockets - seriously, when is someone going to figure out how to make women's pants with pockets? These pants have no pockets which is a challenge but one that I got over. 

They're a great addition to my wardrobe and I'm excited to plan my next outfit. Comfort and fashion don't have to be separate ideas. There's no reason to sacrifice one for the other. That's really what I like most about these pants. And I didn't have to sit in a bathtub or wet jeans all day to make it happen.

The Pants Experiment, Part 1

I'm the type of person who decides what I'm going to wear the night before and has it all laid out, ready for the next morning. I firmly believe that we're all a little OCD. I'm definitely a morning person but I'm not particularly fond of making certain types of decisions before 7 am. Choosing an outfit is one of those types of decisions. Some people dream about going to school naked; I dream about wearing two different shoes and a pair of mom jeans.

When I worked at the university, I had to dress professionally everyday. I had a closet full of dress pants, suits, button-down shirts (that never quite looked good on me), and low heeled shoes that still gave me some height but didn't make me want to cut off my feet at the end of a long college fair. I dressed for the job that I had and I felt professional all the time. Admissions counselors set the impression for the universities they work for and I set a very good first impression. I found it easier to make decisions about what I would wear each day because there wasn't a lot of variety in my closet. I had a set rotation of dress pants/shirt combos that I ran through most weeks. In the summer, I'd throw in some skirts for a little variety. On dress down Fridays, I'd wear a university polo and less dressy black pants. It was awesome and easy.

Now I think about what I'm going to wear all of the time. My company has a casual dress policy; we can wear jeans and t-shirts and tennis shoes every day if that's what we want to do. I used to joke that I could wear pajamas to work and no one would say anything. There was a time when that was very true. Anyway, I find dressing for work to be challenging on two levels:

1. I have to come up with an "outfit" even when wearing jeans. Personal style matters when dressing casually at work.
2. It can be a struggle to feel professional when wearing jeans all the time.

When I began my journey to being the leading lady of my life, one of the areas I focused on was my personal style. I have since defined this style as "classic meets quirky librarian with a side of punk." I have a love of oddly patterned sweaters (pineapples! swans! neon bicyles!), brightly colored tights, skirts and dresses, Converse low tops, and platform heels (preferably wedge heels). What I don't love: pants that are never the right length (which would be all of them), trying on jeans, swimwear, and stiletto heels. I'm always on the lookout for a comfortable yet fashionable pair of work pants. In the last year or so, I've really tried to wear jeans only once per week; I feel more professional and adult when I dress less casually. The problem is that I'm on the short size (5'2) and I am plus size. These two things make pants shopping difficult. Short length is silly, regular needs to be hemmed, and long looks like I'm swimming in pants. Waistbands always do stupid things and can we all discuss pockets? Every size has its challenges. It's taken me 30 years to truly be confident and pleased with the way I look so I have no time for size shaming.

I've been on the work pants hunt for some time now and have found a few pairs that I like (both by the Gap, both not made anymore) but mostly I've been disappointed in my options. You can imagine my excitement when I came across Betabrand and their dress pant yoga pants. Betabrand is a San Francisco based clothing company that designs clothing for comfort and fashion. They make dress pant sweatpants for men so dress pant yoga pants are really not that far fetched. I first heard of Betabrand this past fall on Facebook. I was joking with several of my friends on Facebook about yoga pants and having "dressy" versions of them and what popped up? An ad for these pants. I didn't purchase them at the time because I thought they were expensive for pants but after my recent shopping experiences, I've come to realize that they're really not that expensive after all. Quality dress pants will run you anywhere from $60-$300 depending on where you shop. Yes, I can buy cheaper pants at Target but they're not going to last.

I decided last week that I would buy myself a pair of dress pant yoga pants. Sometimes you have to treat yo self and that's what I did. I ordered a pair of black boot-cut dress pant yoga pants. The pants arrived today. Here is what happened.

I stalked the concierge in my building because I had received an email notification that the pants had been delivered. I'm convinced that he hates me because I always have the notification before he puts the note on my mailbox. I took the pants up to my apartment and had to keep myself from opening the package in the elevator. Many thoughts raced through my head: Would they fit? Would they be too long or too short? Would people know they were really yoga pants? What would my first outfit be? What shoes would I wear? This is what I do with new, shiny things...I obsess.

The pants are black yoga pants. Cut like dress pants. Are they comfortable? Yes. Are they stretchy? Absolutely. Do they look like dress pants? Sort of. They're made of rayon, nylon, and spandex so they look (on me) like tight dress pants. Not tight in an obscene way but tight in a skinny jeans with a flair because they're boot-cut way. They're also about an inch too long for me even in my tallest heels. I can hem them (I usually hem my dress pants). As I write this I have actually forgotten that I'm wearing pants. I definitely don't feel like I do when I wear my regular dress pants or jeans. I feel comfortable.

My dilemma is this: can I pull this look off? I am not one to shy away from fashion; I own 1.5 pairs of skinny jeans so I can be daring. Is my hesitation to wear these to work tomorrow less the pants and more of that old self-doubt about how I look and what people think creeping back into my life? I don't like that this is what I'm thinking. Frankly, it's unacceptable and very un-leading lady of me.

The Pants Experiment, Part 2 - coming at you this weekend!


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