Tag: Dia & Co

Another box, another new stylist!   Here’s the note from Cami,

Hi Melissa, I hope you are doing wonderful today!   I’m so sorry that the last box wasn’t all you hoped for.   Thanks for your feedback and Pinterest board.   They help tremendously!   Ok so don’t poison me for sending you the same intercoastal print as what you got in your last box!   🙂   I just know you liked the print, just not in bell sleeve form so I had to have you try it in skirt form!   Pair this skirt with the button down peplum top, tights and tall boots for a chic kinda casual/dressy look.   You can also wear this skirt with the twist top for a chic feel.   Both of these tops will pair perfectly with the camo jeans for a trendy but lightly edgy outfit.   You can also add this vest for an added touch of flair and warmth.   I can’t wait to hear what you think!   With Joy, Cami.

Well, it’s another mostly miss of a box, unfortunately.   I did have a lot of fun digging through my closet to pair with the items in the box, but ultimately, this is again too far over the line into business casual or workplace wear.   I work at home in my yoga pants and hoodies most of the time – I need less business casual and more “things I can throw on when going to the grocery store so it’s not always jeans and a t-shirt.”   At this point, I’m not sure if any of these subscription services are at all geared towards delivering what I’m looking for since I keep getting miss after miss.   Anyway, on to the contents of the box this month!

Item:  Ryan Wythe Lenora 3/4 Sleeve Button Down Peplum Shirt
Cost:  $55
Item:  Marybelle Intracoastal Skirt
Cost:  $65
Paired With:  Boots, skinny jeans, crop jacket (all mine)
So, Cami suggested that I pair the skirt and peplum top together which.. Oof, that’s a big old nope on my shape.   I think the peplum top is too big to begin with (even though I changed my top size down one size after last month), and since my waistline is so high, the peplum covers nearly half the skirt.   So, on to photo 2, I paired the top with a red belt to bring in my waistline, and added skinny jeans with the   boots.   It’s a little better, but the peplum cut just does my hips (already the widest part of my body) no favors.   If I had a larger bust to balance out the peplum, I think it would work better, but.. Yeah, that’s not in the cards for me.   It’s also white, which, I mean, this is me, we’re just asking for a pasta sauce spill or something incredibly awful to ruin that shirt forever after the first time I wear it.   As for the skirt, it looked way better paired with a crop jacket to show off my waistline, and the cut is actually super cute, but.. it’s pink.   *sigh*   I have my profile set to avoid pink, yet there it is.   The colors on the checkout sheet say, “Red and White,” but I’ll be damned if that isn’t fuchsia with pink stars.   It’s also, again, too dressy, so even if I did get it in black instead, I probably still wouldn’t have kept it.   Both of these go back.

Item:  Morgan & Walker Gowanus Camo Print Jeans with Double Zipper Detail
Cost:  $75
Paired With:  Jacket, t-shirt, boots (all mine)
I know I went over my dislike of camo with Stitch Fix before.   I just.. It’s not me.   It’s not something I feel comfortable wearing.   I’m not a hunter and I’m not in the military, and.. EHH.   The fit was really odd, and you can’t tell it from the photo, but the ankles were REALLY loose – like, suddenly bootcut loose which was weird since they’re skinny jeans.   The waistband was also really loose and had a bad gap in the back.   So, between the print and fit, the jeans go back.

Item:  Ralph Lauren Winnipeg Quilted Vest with Faux Leather Accent
Cost:  $129
Paired With:  Jeans, shoes, top (all mine)
Eeechhh no.   I think the look on my face says it all.   It was too big around the middle and even too big across my hips (again, despite adjusting my size down a notch in my profile), and WAYY too long.   It’s also more preppy soccer mom than hippy grungeling, and was just such a huge stylistic miss here.   I also need to confess that I never saw the point of puffer vests like this – they keep the warmest parts of your body warm, but it’s my arms and hands that end up cold, so I basically need the reverse of this?   They just never made sense to me.

Item:  Kiyonna Knit Jersey Twist Top
Cost:  $58
Paired With:  Jeans, Shoes (all mine)
I’d always wanted to try this exact top from Kiyonna without commitment, so I was actually sort of pleased to see this show up in the box this month.   Again, it’s probably over the line into business casual or “date night” instead of plain old casual.   But, it fits nice and looks great on – I just worry that the cut is a little too “maternity” and that instead of making me look thin by disguising my middle, the extra fabric below the waistline makes me look like I have more bulk in the middle than I do.   I’m still on the fence about this, but if I do keep anything, this will be the only item.   I really hate the idea of wasting my $20 styling fee.   *sigh*

The box merchandise total came to $382.   Unfortunately, the only thing I’m thinking about keeping is the Kiyonna top, and after deducting the prepaid styling fee, it would only cost me an additional $38 to keep that top.   It *is* a nice piece to add to my wardrobe, but something that nice, I might get to wear maybe 10 times a year at most, and I just don’t have a need for dressy stuff like that.   I sort of wanted more casual, fun printed tops (nicer than a t-shirt, but not as nice as something you’d wear to an office job).   Jeans are great, and colored denim would be fun!   Crops, capris, destructed denim, etc.   Maxi dresses, cotton blend dresses I can throw a jacket or cardigan over.   I mean, I feel like there are options here, and all these boxes keep missing the target.   I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong or if I’m not setting my profile up the right way.. Well, one more box until I give up on these altogether.   Maybe it’s just not going to work for me at all anymore which is a bummer because I love the idea of someone else picking out clothes for me, but I can’t seem to land a stylist that gets me, and getting assigned a new one after a bad box means that no one has a chance to learn and adapt to make it work.

In case you’re thinking about signing up and want to use my referral link, here it is!

Well, I decided to give Dia & Co a try after Stitch Fix left me hanging yet again.   I won’t be posting that Stitch Fix delivery to the blog, but I did put it up on Instagram if you want to take a look.   It was a complete miss and I sent everything back, so it was a waste of $20 and I was incredibly disappointed.   Anyway!   Going through the process signing up for Dia & Co, I noticed that they asked a bunch more questions about fit and color/print preferences, so I’m hopeful that this will go better!   They also cater exclusively to plus sizes, so I have to imagine that they have a better sense of how plus size clothes work.   Simply adding a set number of inches to a straight size doesn’t make clothes fit a plus sized gal the right way, and I know Dia has a few brands on their list that I already love, so I feel like I might trust them more to get fit right.   First boxes tend to be a little bit of a gamble while the stylists get a feel for your personal style and fit, but the great thing about Dia & Co is that they let you upload pictures to show off how things from your box fit.   This is BRILLIANT for getting a better customization as time goes on.   My stylist, Rachael, sent along a note:

Welcome to the Dia & Co family!   We’re really excited to start this journey with you and build a wardrobe you’ll love to wear every day.   These Celebrity Pink skinny jeans have a three button closure which will bring a bit of retro style into all of your looks!   You can wear them out to dinner with the gorgeous Marybelle blouse and a pair of ankle boots for a fun and fabulous look.   As it starts to warm up, the Kut From The Kloth shorts will be a great piece to incorporate into your wardrobe, so wear them with the East Adeline tee and a pair of canvas shoes.   The City Chic dress will look stunning paired with t-strap heels and statement earrings.   Don’t forget to send us your feedback – we want to know what you like, what you don’t and and what styles you’re willing to try.   And most importantly, we want you to have fun with this!   xo, Rachael

Item:  City Chic Lyra Dress
Cost:  $89
Paired With:  Shoes and Shrug (mine)
City Chic is a brand I REALLY love and their clothes always tend to fit me well.   I think I made a slight judgement error when putting in my sizes online since I kind of run between two sizes depending on the manufacturer, so this came in a size too big.   City Chic also tends to be a bit generous with sizing, so usually I go a size down with them.   The color is GOREGOUS and the material is a Polyester/Elastane blend, so it has a little bit of stretch.   As Rachael suggested, I grabbed my favorite pair of t-strap heels, but I don’t really have statement earrings since I have all those curls that end up getting tangled around dangly earrings.   I was SO torn over this dress because it really is lovely and in the right size it would be a dream (Dia & Co offers free size exchanges), but I just don’t have enough occasion to wear really nice dresses like this.   I think if it had been done in a more casual cotton blend, I might have kept it.   I noticed there was a polka dot version available as well, and that might have been a better match.

Item:  Celebrity Pink Vanderbilt Skinny Three Button High Rise Jeans
Cost:  $65
Paired With:  Top (this box), boots (mine)
Item:  Marybelle Bella Woven Blouse
Cost:  $69
Paired With: Jeans (this box), boots (mine)
Let’s start with the jeans!   They were the right length, but the high rise just didn’t work with my short torso.   They came within about 4 inches of my bra band line and since I carry most of my weight around my bottom, they kind of looked like mom jeans.   I’m not quite brave enough to post the photo of them with a shirt tucked into the jeans, so let’s just say it wasn’t flattering.   But, the length was spot on!
The top.   Oh man, I adore the star print – it’s so cute and unique and exactly what I want to see.   Unfortunately, bell sleeves?   Ehhhhh.   I did love the crochet detail at the sleeves and near the hem, but ruffly/frilly sort of things just aren’t very me.   If the same print was on a more plain t-shirt or v-neck top?   DEFINITELY would’ve kept it.   I also find that I push up sleeves a lot if I’m too warm, so sleeves I can’t push up are probably not going to be a winner with me.   Rachael suggested ankle boots, but my favorite pair of black boots worked well enough.   I don’t even own a pair of ankle boots really?   Or at least, I couldn’t think of another boot pair of shoes I own that would work here.. I tend to go for calf-height boots usually.

Item:  Kut From The Kloth Mason Walking Short
Cost:  $69
Paired With:  Navy top and shoes on left (mine) and top on right (this box)
Item:  East Adeline Malia Short Sleeve Ruffle Peplum Tee
Cost:  $55
Paired With:  Shorts (this box), shoes (mine)
In the photo on the left, the red shorts are from Kut From The Kloth, a brand I already know and love.   At first my mind went, Shorts?!   It’s going to blizzard the snot out of us tomorrow, are you daft?   But then I put them on and between the inseam length, the soft denim, the color, and relaxed fit, I had to keep them.   Granted, I may not be able to actually wear them until May or June, but it’s a staple sort of piece that doesn’t go out of style.   Plus, as you can see by the top I picked from my own closet, I have lots and lots of navy colored tops I can pair with it this summer.   We also have a trip to the boat in the Netherlands coming up in June, so these will DEFINITELY be coming along.   Rachael suggested canvas shoes, and I have these super cute pair of sailor themed mary janes that were kind of begging to be included here.   Just don’t mind my blindingly pale legs – it’s been winter for a long time, dude.
For the right photo, I paired the two pieces from the box as suggested by the stylist, and eeekk that top.   Again with the ruffles not being my style, but also that the ruffles add so much width and bulk to my shape, and putting a ruffle at the biggest point of my body (hiii my hips) is probably not a great idea.   Peplums and I just don’t get along.

So, final thoughts.   I did only keep one piece, the shorts, but hopefully the feedback on the returns will be taken into consideration for next time.   I ended up going back into my profile and changing my size one lower on tops and dresses to help get a better fit right out of the box.   I am kind of between the two sizes depending on how tops fit – if the fit is more fitted close to the body, I go to the higher size, but if the fit is looser/free, I end up going with the lower size.   I’m not sure if ruffles and frilly bits are just a thing for fashion this year, but I’m not into it at all, so getting two tops with ruffles was a miss.   My profile is set to edgy/casual/retro and both tops felt more Bohemian I think?   But again, first boxes with clothing boxes are a chance for the stylist to get a feel for the client’s preferences, so they don’t always wow right off the bat.   Dia & Co also does some neat collaborations with big name designers, so I’m excited to see who they work with in the future!   Anyway, I’m looking forward to my next box and hope that they review the feedback and really nail it next time.   In case you’re thinking about signing up and want to use my referral link, here it is!