Style: Building a Business Trip Capsule Wardrobe with Stitch Fix (#7)

As most of you know, my "day job" is teaching eighth grade English. Last month, I got an early-morning phone call from my school division's director of secondary curriculum. Once I recovered from the confusion of being woken up by someone who wasn't a member of my immediate family, I processed what she was offering: an opportunity to travel to an educational conference for the network our school is preparing to join - in Orlando, Florida! I would have been crazy to say no, and I soon as I completed my conference registration, I set up a Stitch Fix request. 

Curious about Stitch Fix? 

When you sign up for Stitch Fix's personal styling service, you pay a $20 styling fee and fill out a profile with your detailed size, style, and price preferences. Whether your closet leans toward classic, glam, preppy, or bohemian pieces, or you're looking to add more of a particular style to your wardrobe, the Style Profile is the place to give your personal stylist insights on what you're looking for. When your Fix arrives, the $20 styling fee is applied toward the cost of any items you decide to keep from your shipment. If you decide to keep everything, you'll receive a 25% discount! If not, simply send anything you don't keep back to Stitch Fix in a prepaid Priority Mail envelope. I definitely recommend giving this service a chance if you're trying to find your personal style, simplify your life, or get on board with new trends. One of my favorite things about Stitch Fix is that unlike many subscription services, you can schedule as many or as few Fixes as often as you want - there's no obligation to keep paying the styling fee every single month! 

Business Trip Capsule Wardrobe

In my note to my stylist, Heather, I explained that I needed to step up my business wardrobe game for this national conference. I wanted to stick to a palette of mostly neutrals, navy, and green, and also wanted to try a blazer. I set to work filling my style Pinterest board with inspiration. Two resources that ended up being incredibly helpful to me as I decided what to pin (and later, what to pack) were the 5 Levels of Business Attire infographic from Business Insider (I decided to follow the "+1 rule" and wear "executive casual" pieces on my trip) and this spring business trip packing guide from Anne of In Residence.

When my Fix arrived, I was so excited that I forgot to snap a picture of the unboxing! This Fix ended up reminding me a lot of my fifth fix from this spring - the styles, colors, and patterns were absolutely perfect and just my style, but there were some fit issues that kept it from being a 5/5 (That's Stitch Fix speak for "I kept it all"). Stylist Heather had really put together a capsule wardrobe of pieces that could mixed and matched to create several different outfits throughout my business trip.

Stylist Heather's sweet note reflected that, as usual, she had read my note and paid attention to my Pinterest board. She is so kind and good at her job!

#1: 41Hawthorn Lucida Colorblock Knit Dress

This was the first piece I tried on and I knew it would be true love - I'd pinned several sheath dresses and usually wear my favorites to work at least once a week when the weather is warm. I loved the modest cut and easy knit fabric of this dress - like a thick, high-quality t-shirt. It zips up the back, but I didn't have any problem slipping it over my head. I like wearing navy as a neutral and the pop of teal matches the accent on my glasses. This dress was definitely a keeper, and I think it's one of my all-time favorite Stitch Fix pieces!

#2: 41Hawthorn Teegan Draped Blazer

I haven't worn blazers much since college - it's hard to find one for a petite body that doesn't make me feel like a box! I pinned several blazers that were made of softer fabrics. I wasn't sure how a draped blazer would look on me, so I paired it with the Lucida dress for a business look. I loved that the draped style kept the blazer from looking too formal or stuffy, and the fun polka dot detail on the three-quarter sleeves. Consider me a blazer convert!

This was Mr. Q's favorite piece in this Fix - he predicts that I will wear this blazer more with casual outfits this fall than I will to work, and he's probably right. The Stitch Fix style card shows it styled with a sheath dress and with jeans to show what a versatile piece it is. Though the price was a little higher than I'd typically pay for a jacket, Mr. Q pointed out that I'm unlikely to find something so cool looking in our small town. It's nice to be married to a guy who believes in #treatyoself, so I decided to keep the blazer, too.

#3: Papermoon Bastille Tulip Sleeve Blouse

I was really glad that stylist Heather sent this blouse my way. I'd pinned several floral short-sleeve blouses and not only is this print totally adorable, it fit right into the color scheme I'd given Heather in my note. I was a little worried that the blouse gave me linebacker shoulders, but after seeing the photos I decided it was a keeper as well. Like the Teegan blazer, it's a piece that can be dressed up or down. I typically don't keep Stitch Fix pieces unless they can go from the classroom to the weekend, and the Bastille blouse fits the bill.

#4: Margaret M Deandra Textured A-line Skirt

I tried on the Bastille blouse with the Margaret M Deandra skirt, which is made with the same fabric as Margaret M's insanely popular Emers pants. The skirt I received was a very pretty black and navy jacquard pattern. The fabric is stretchy and very comfortable. What kept this skirt from being a keeper for me is my personal modesty factor - since I work with thirteen year old boys, I try not wear above-the-knee skirts to work, and I couldn't see myself wearing such a formal-feeling fabric on the weekends. For reference, I am 5'1".

Then I got photobombed by my neighbors' cat.

#5: Crescent Croatia Lace Bib Blouse

Papermoon/Crescent is my favorite brand that Stitch Fix carries (they're also really sweet to me on Instagram!), and I'd pinned a LOT of emerald-green blouses, so I had high hopes for the Croatia. The color was beautiful, as was the lace detailing on the chest. However, this was a case of a piece looking better on the hanger than on my body - the bib detail ended too high on my chest and the flowy style kind of gave me maternity vibes. I tried pairing it with skinny jeans and it wasn't much of an improvement.

Here's a side profile shot so you can see how the hem is lower in the back. See how much the front of the shirt drapes away from my actual body? Along with the Deandra skirt, the Croatia blouse ended up being sent back to Stitch Fix. 

Overall Impression of this Fix:

I loved the pieces I kept and the inspiration I got from the capsule wardrobe stylist Heather put together for me. I felt prepared to take on the world - at least the world of project-based learning - at my conference, and I'm looking forward to signing up for a back-to-school Fix soon.

Please excuse the kitty booty. Do you ever have to travel for work? What are your go-to business trip essentials?

Linking Up With:
     Share Your Fix at Crazy Together                      Let It Shine at Still Being Molly    
    Beauty by Miss L                      Style Sessions at Style Elixir                   The Mix  
Mix it Mondays with Fizz and Frosting   Hello Monday at Sincerely Jenna Marie
Confident Twosday at I Do DeClaire   Fresh Fashion Forum    Good HUES-Day
Style Me Wednesday at Shopping My Closet                 Thursday Fashion Files

Weekend Wear with Posh Classy Mom                            Elegantly Fashionable 

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. I signed up for Stitch Fix and purchase each of my Fixes myself. My opinions on this blog are always honest. This post does contain referral links - for each new sign-up I will receive a credit towards my next Stitch Fix.