Nadine West vs Stitch Fix : Which Will You Love More?

Botton Line Up Front: But even without these factors in mind, Stitch Fix is the clear winner. Stitch Fix’s A-plus rating reveals far fewer complaints and problematic issues as compared to Nadine West, whose complaint history gives us a pause to recommending the service for anyone.

I Prefer StitchFix Personally

It's pretty simple. StitchFix has an AMAZING styling system that quite literally leads the market. Couple that with an amazing selection of brands and StitchFix truly makes it easy to look good without really trying! Keep Everything in Your Fix & Get 25% Off!

Get Started
We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

The main differences between Nadine West and Stitch Fix include:

  • Delivery options. Nadine West offers monthly delivery Stitch Fix doesn’t require monthly deliveries but offers a variety of automatic delivery plans.
  • Cost. Nadine West cost an average of ten to thirty dollars per piece; Stitch Fix prices range from twenty-five to five hundred dollars but you can set a budget per box.
  • Variety. Nadine West boxes come with accessories; Stitch Fix is clothing only but offers more sizes.
  • Ratings and complaints. As we’ll see, there’s a distinct contrast between the two companies.Nadine West

Nadine West and Stitch Fix make for a difficult comparison. Both are popular clothing subscription services, allowing you to try on clothes in the convenience of your own home. But which offers you the best deal, service, and options? In our review, we’ll discuss what makes a clothing subscription service of high or low value, how to read between the marketing lines, and, of course, how Nadine West and Stitch Fix compare.

How have subscription boxes evolved?

Subscription services, of course, are nothing new, but e-commerce led subscription boxes–from meal kits like Home Chef to sock boxes to even gaming themed subscriptions–have really taken off within the last five to ten years.

Consider the beauty box industry: one of the first companies to offer makeup and skin care products sent to your door is Birchbox, which opened for business in 2010. Glossybox entered the market a year later, EM Cosmetics, launched by former First Lady Michelle Obama, and the now popular Ipsy.

Today, there are many options for beauty boxes, including budget-friendly ones offering mostly drugstore commercial products, like Target’s beauty box. A number of publications and makeup brands such as Allure and Sephora now also offer to compete for beauty boxes–each with slightly different niches and pros and cons.

It’s not so different when it comes to clothing subscription boxes, either. Stitch Fix was among the earlier clothing subscription boxes; it was launched in 2011, a year after Birchbox’s launch began to create waves in the beauty industry. Nadine West came a few years later in 2013, just as the field of options and alternatives was becoming packed.

That isn’t to say the only way that subscription boxes have changed is mere quantity, either. Many, in order to stay competitive, have increasingly offered more services to their customers, such as personalized stylists, retail purchase discounts, and ways to give feedback so you’re more likely to get clothes that work for you.

Companies have also become more size inclusive, with many now offering plus sizes, petite sizes, and a handful tall sizes for women six feet tall or taller.

Do I need a clothing subscription?

Nadine West vs Stitch Fix : Do I need clothing subscription?

You may be on the fence about signing up for a subscription service at all, and that’s perfectly fine. In fact, it shows that you’re likely thinking critically about your purchase, something that’s very important when trying to find the best subscription boxes possible.

If you’re not sure whether or not a clothing subscription service makes sense for you, consider the following questions:

Do you need a style change and don’t know where to start

Whether it’s a new career, a new move, or just needing some change in your life, changing your wardrobe can help you feel more confident and prepared, but it can also be overwhelming. No matter your budget, it can be hard to know what styles to go for, where to find clothes, and just what to try on. A fashion subscription service takes some of the guesswork out of it for you, not only by organizing your preferences in a central location but also potentially helping you find clothing you might have otherwise passed by and can at least lead to new style ideas and give you a sense of direction.

Does a subscription service make sense for my budget?

This is actually a tricky question, because, contrary to what might be popular belief, you may not actually end up spending more–it just depends. Some services allow to rent clothing for a monthly fee, which may be less, depending on what your normal shopping habits are, or more than you’d normally spend on clothing, Others work by sending you clothes to try on and give you a short window of time to either buy individual pieces or send it back free. On one hand, you have control over how much you buy, though for others it may be an incentive to buy more. Consider your shopping personality and habits before you sign up.

Do I dread shopping trips–or not have time for them?

Another factor to consider is the shopping experience. If you dread going through rack after rack or the less than flattering light of dressing rooms, being able to try clothes on at home might be appealing. Shopping in store can also take a lot of time of out a busy schedule, leading you to either dread it or simply never get to do it. With a subscription service, you’ll only have an average of three to seven items to sort through at any time, making selecting clothes far less overwhelming and easier to do on your own time.

Do you like the idea of internet shopping… but not the reality?

Shopping online is convenient, offers virtually limitless options in terms of sizes and styles and may even help you find a good deal–all rather attractive when compared to additional store shopping. But buying clothes online, as anyone will tell you, can be risky. Just as you might like something on a rack or shelf but not like it on you, you might see something online and find it’s not for you. While most companies would allow returns, the very nature of how subscription boxes works expect returns, meaning you may go through less hassle.

Do you like the idea of someone making recommendations, or would you rather pick it all out yourself?

If you like complete control over what you try on, a subscription service may not be the best way to go–through keeping in mind different subscription services offer different levels of control as to how much you can suggest or even select items. If, on the other hand, you’ve longed for a personal stylist but think you can’t afford one, a subscription service might be a good idea.

Can you see yourself making returns in a timely manner?

This question is actually quite important. One of the agreements, when you sign up for a subscription service, is that you’re able and willing to ship back clothes in a timely manner. For fashion boxes that send you new clothes, you’ll get as much as a week or as little as three days to try them on and decide if you want to purchase or send them back. For rental based services (many of which also allow you to buy items if you wish, and charge a monthly fee), you have a bit more time but it’s still important you can ship the clothes back. Free shipping and dry cleaning is normally offered, but you still have to be organized.

After you’ve asked yourself those questions–and if you determined that a clothing subscription box makes sense for your personal preferences and your lifestyle–then let’s take a look at a comparison between Nadine West and Stitch Fix.

stitch fix

How long have they had in business? Of the two, Stitch Fix has been around longer, though not by much–Stitch Fix started in 2011, while Nadine West took off in 2013. Keep in mind that clothing subscription boxes, in general, haven’t been around much in the form they are now before 2011. Both are established enough for us to get an idea of what kind of service they offer.

How does the service work? Stitch Fix and Nadine West actually both have a very similar general service plan. For both, you’ll be asked to fill out a style profile, along with other pertinent information, such as your size. From there, you’ll be sent a box of items you have a limited number of days to try on and purchase or send back for free.

Is there a monthly fee involved? For both Stitch Fix and Nadine West there are no monthly fees; the only costs to you are whatever items you decide to purchase and, in the case of Stitch Fix, a twenty dollar styling fee, although that may be applied as a credit towards anything you purchase. Nadine West automatically charges about ten dollars per box, but that too can be used as credit towards any purchase.

How many items do I get in a box? Nadine West will send four to six items per box, while you’ll get around five items to try at any one time.

What sizes of clothes do they carry?

  • Nadine West carries generic sizes small through 3X, but they do mention that their most popular options are medium and XL, which may indicate more limited selections in other sizes. Nadine West is also is women’s clothing and accessories only.
  • Stitch Fix carries a women’s, men’s, and kid’s line; there is also Stitch Fix Plus for additional sizes. They also now even carry a maternity line. Overall, Stitch Fix seems to offer more in terms of selection and variety in both smaller and larger sizes.

How much does the clothing cost? This question is a little tricky because it depends on a number of factors.

  • Nadine West gives an estimate of ten to thirty dollars on average per item, but you need to keep in mind that the price of accessories is also going into the average and likely making it appear perhaps artificially low.
  • Stitch Fix, on the other hand, provides a general range, which starts at twenty-five dollars and goes up to five hundred. While it does appear that Stitch Fix is generally a bit more expensive, you get more control over what your items cost by setting a budget preference.

Are there any discounts for buying items? Yes. Stitch Fix offers a twenty-five percent discount but it’s only applied if you purchase all five items in a box.

What form of payment do they accept? Nadine West accepts all major credit cards, but not prepaid cards. Stitch Fix accepts all major credit cards, as well as Paypal and Apple Pay. They do not accept gift cards, checks or cash.

How often will I receive boxes? That depends on you.

  • With Stitch Fix, you’ll be given the option for automatic delivery, where you can choose to receive shipments every two to three weeks, every month, every other month or every three months. You can even opt to just order whenever you want and have no committed schedule.
  • With Nadine West, you’ll receive it every month, with fewer options to be flexible. You do have the option to skip or cancel months.

Is there a way to update style preferences? Yes.

  • Nadine West allows you to update your style preferences or change any other information you need to by logging into your style profile. They also ask for monthly feedback, so your stylists get an idea of what kind of objects you like or dislike.
  • Stitch Fix allows you to leave requests for individual pieces of clothing. You can make requests by either logging into your profile or accessing the Stitch Fix app. You can also give your stylist guidelines as to what you’d like to receive more or less of.

Do they both only offer clothes to try on? No. While Stitch Fix is solely a clothing subscription service, with Nadine West, you’ll get a mix of clothes and accessories, including earrings, necklaces and bracelets. Nadine West is more based upon sending you a complete, coordinated outfit, while Stitch Fix sends you a variety of clothing items.

What do customers have to say? One of the best things about a company that’s been in operation for at least five years is that there’s been ample time for customers to have their say. While individual customer reviews should be taken with a grain of salt, average reviews and a trend of praise or complaints helps give you an idea as to how well the company is delivering. Always look for external reviews and make sure you understand an overall reason for the ratings.

  • Nadine West is not BBB accredited and holds an unofficial F rating. While it’s not accredited, the F rating still holds some clout. Ratings on Better Business Bureau are essentially based upon customer complaints; whether they have or have not been resolved also plays a factor. Currently, Nadine West 138 complaints that were closed in the last three years, and 125 in the last year. Customer reviews, which are not a determining factor, are more optimistic: strangely, Nadine West earned a just shy of three out of five stars based upon reviews–but there were only about thirty reviews. Outside of BBB, it is difficult to locate any external reviews for Nadine West, which is another bad sign.
  • Stitch Fix is also not BBB accredited but holds an unofficial A-plus rating. It’s not terribly surprising that neither companies are BBB accredited, as this is the case with many e-commerce only businesses. However, the A-plus rating indicates that, as compared with Nadine West, Stitch Fix has far less proportional disputes. In total, Stitch Fix had fifty-two complaints closed within the last three years, and just nine this past year. Considering Stitch Fix is so large it’s now expanding to the UK, that’s a stark contrast, although not perfect, with Nadine West. Customers did give it a slightly lower rating than Nadine West, but there are also ample external reviews that rate Stitch Fix at an average of three out of five stars, including sites like TrustPilot and Consumer Affairs, based upon a few hundred reviews.

Of the two, which do we recommend more?

Nadine West vs Stitch Fix

When comparing Nadine West and Stitch Fix, both have similar business models, but there are some key differences. For one, while Nadine West has accessories, Stitch Fix carries lines of men’s, kid’s, maternity, petite, and plus size clothing. Stitch Fix also does not require a monthly shipment.

Botton Line: But even without these factors in mind, Stitch Fix is the clear winner. Stitch Fix’s A-plus rating reveals far fewer complaints and problematic issues as compared to Nadine West, whose complaint history gives us a pause to recommending the service for anyone.

I Prefer StitchFix Personally

It's pretty simple. StitchFix has an AMAZING styling system that quite literally leads the market. Couple that with an amazing selection of brands and StitchFix truly makes it easy to look good without really trying! Keep Everything in Your Fix & Get 25% Off!

Get Started
We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

Further Reading on Style Boxes

5 Comments

  1. Stitch Fix is not strictly clothing. They do send shoes as well as I have received a pair in one of my orders. When creating your style profile, they ask about bags and jewelry as well, so I do believe that is something else they offer.

  2. I just got a shipment from Nadine West and I was completely disappointed. There was only one item in the package that I liked, two didn’t fit at all, and the prices are ridiculous for seller labeled clothing. Every it’s in the bag was Sheila Rose and two were made from the same material and pattern. I’m sending it all back, eating the $9.95, and canceling it. It’s not worth me keeping any of the items even with the $9.95 credit toward the price. They are not well made at all. The “dressy” jogging pants to go with the floral tank top I liked were crazy.

  3. Please be careful of Nadine West!! Have used both Stitch Fix and Nadine West and have never had a problem with Stitch Fix. I typically keep a piece or two per box they send. So far I am out almost $500 because of Nadine West and have kept zero of their merchandise. They refuse to refund me. They will scam you out of money – most likely when you go to cancel your subscription. Please do your research, especially the Better Business Bureau (BBB) before signing up and giving them your CC info. I wish I had.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *