Tog and Porter #1

At the same time I was trying Stitch Fix and Gwynnie Bee, I also signed up with Tog and Porter (T&P).  T&P is similar to Stitch Fix with 2 main differences: (1) you don't have to pay them any money unless you keep something they send you, and (2) in addition to filling out an online style profile, you also have a skype conversation with your personal style fairy.

I found the skype convo to be quite awkward.  My stylist looked all cute and professional sitting at her desk where I looked shlumpy and exhausted on my bed.  It didn't feel like I was chatting with a long lost friend.  It felt like I was wasting time.  I'm not sure I told her anything by skype that I couldn't have said by email or in some other online way.

Anyway, I again described my style as Boho.  She asked if that was a style that I wanted to keep.  When I said yes, she sounded somewhat disappointed.  I then told her that I love all colors - orange, pink, greens...  She squealed with excitement and said, "oh, this is going to be fun!" 

While my T&P style fairy was picking clothes for me, Stitch Fix box #1 came and was horrible, so I wrote an email to my T&P style fairy with comments about the pieces I got in the hopes that my comments would help her put together a better box.  She said that my comments were super helpful and she expressed excitement that she was going to be the one to turn this around for me!

I felt hopeful.

My T&P box came and it was horrible.  I was supposed to get 5 or more items, and I only got 4.  Strike #1.  I got:

• Khaki pants.  Boring color.  Not boho.  
• A grey t-shirt dress.  Boring.  Not work appropriate.  Not playground appropriate.  I don't have any other occasions.
• A black maxi skirt.  Boring.  And, I really don't need another black skirt in my closet.
• A blue sweater which looked like a bathrobe on me and which shed sneeze producing angora.  

I sent an email to my T&P style fairy which felt like a break up letter.  After a few days of not hearing from her, I followed up with another email because I didn't want to keep these clothes too long or I would be charged for them!  She said that we should have another skype convo where I could try on all the items in front of her and we could discuss each of them.  I told her that I wasn't interested in that.  She wanted to stay true to the integrity of the process and have a skype convo.  I again said no.

In the end, we didn't have a skype convo, I sent everything back, and I told her that I may try T&P again down the road.

Meanwhile, back in my closet, I really need some new clothes!  I resorted to my tried and true consignment stores around the bay area.