It’s no secret that I adore Stitch Fix and have a whole closet filled with clothes that have been hand-picked over the years by my personal stylists. I’ve been asked several times by friends, acquaintances, and other bloggers about my relationship with Stitch Fix and whether I get all my clothes for free. If you read the blog regularly, I’m sure you’ve been curious about these things as well. Rob and I always strive to blog with honesty and integrity so now seems like the perfect time to shed a little light on my Stitch Fix addiction and how I pay for all of those clothes. Just prepare yourself for an answer that may be less glamorous than you’d expect.
This post contains affiliate links, including my Stitch Fix referral link. I receive a small commission each time someone makes a purchase or signs up for a Stitch Fix using my link, which helps to support the blog.
From Stitch Fix Credit …
When I first started blogging about Stitch Fix back in 2014, I shared all of my fixes on my teaching blog, Kinder Craze and included my referral link in every post. If you’re not familiar with the Stitch Fix referral program, here’s how it works: every Stitch Fix customer is given a personal referral link that they can share with friends and family (and blog readers). If someone signs up for Stitch Fix and schedules their first fix using your personal link, Stitch Fix awards the referring customer with a $25 credit.
For a long time, I was able to get many of my clothes for free just through the referral credits I had earned. It was a great little system, but felt a little messy for tax purposes. I even asked my accountant about whether or not I should report the Stitch Fix credit.
… To Stitch Fix Commission
Apparently I wasn’t the only one that was concerned about the strange gray area that a bank of Stitch Fix credit created when it comes to reporting income. At some point, Stitch Fix placed a maximum cap of $600 referral credit that an individual could earn. They also rolled out a more formal commission program. Anyone who earned $600 in Stitch Fix credit was invited to switch to the Stitch Fix Influencer program. The Influencer program still provides me with a personalized referral link, but instead of earning credit, influencers earn cash commission for each new referral. This way, there’s no messiness come tax season. Any income earned as an influencer is reported to the IRS and subject to income tax.
It’s also a more appropriate form of compensation for a blogger. Not everyone realizes it, but blogging is serious work. Rob and I dedicate many hours each week into the business of running a blog. The blog costs money to run and any income that Crazy Together generates helps to cover those costs and help compensate us for the investment of our time. The cash commission also allows me to pay a photographer to capture photos of my fixes, which saves me time and creates a more enjoyable scrolling experience for blog readers like you!
And just in case you’re wondering, I’m not getting rich from Stitch Fix. I promise.
How I Pay for My Stitch Fix Clothes
Any Stitch Fix credit that I had earned ran out long ago. Which means that every time I currently blog about a fix and what I chose to keep, those items are getting paid for out of my own pocket. For the exact same price as what anyone else pays, with the funds earmarked for new clothes in the monthly personal budget that Rob and I create together every month. I realize that’s probably not the answer you were anticipating, but it’s real life. And real life often isn’t very interesting.
Occasionally, I get an unexpected $25 credit in my Stitch Fix account from an old referral. In those cases, blog reader that created a Stitch Fix profile many moons ago but never actually scheduled a fix finally decided to take the plunge and schedule her very first fix. That’s always a fun surprise, but it only happens once every couple of months.
The Occasional Stitch Fix Perk
Sometimes blogging comes with the occasional perk, and the same is true of my relationship with Stitch Fix. They know I am a faithful, loyal customer who pays for their clothes out of my own pocket and has a very sincere love of the brand and the service they provide. And they are gracious enough to send a few perks my way, like the time I was invited to visit Stitch Fix HQ during their Tastemakers event. That trip was amazing in so many ways and it I was generously gifted with some free clothes (a fact which still completely blows me away).
Most often, though, the perks of my relationship with Stitch Fix are of the greatest benefit to you. Stitch Fix has generously sponsored many giveaways on Crazy Together, including the epic $1,000 Stitch Fix giveaway that took place over the holidays. Honestly, the very best perk of working so closely with Stitch Fix is sharing the excitement and chance to win free clothes with all of you.