As someone who hates shopping, I jumped at the chance to have a plus size clothing subscription box that was curated by a stylist. Dia & Co and Stitch Fix are two of the most popular plus size options available, so I’m glad I had the opportunity to try them both out. Hopefully, this comparison will help you decide which one is right for you, too!
Dia & Co
Dia & Co was my first plus size clothing subscription box experience, and I was blown away. I felt like they really hit the mark in a number of ways, plus it was inexpensive to try. A personal stylist will send you a box of clothing for just a $20 styling fee. I spend more than that per week on coffee.
When you first sign up, you fill out a profile that includes things you like, dislike, preferred price range, and your sizing. All of this is supposed to help your stylist figure out what clothing pieces you’ll love and want to keep. Like most clothing subscription boxes, the $20 styling fee goes toward any item that you purchase from the subscription. If you choose to keep the entire Dia & Co box, you get 25% off the total.
You have five days to try on your clothing and decide what you want to keep. If you don’t like an item for a particular reason, you can explain why, and your stylist will remember it for the next Dia & Co box you get.
Pros of Dia & Co
My experience with Dia & Co was great. The clothing I received in the box fit my style perfectly and I saw that my profile was taken into account. I listed that I hated showing off my arms, so I didn’t get any sleeveless garments. I kept the entire box, but haven’t signed up for another yet because it’s a service you definitely have to budget for — even with the discount, my Dia & Co box was well over $200.
Dia & Co can be an excellent way to find clothing that you like if you hate shopping for yourself online or in a store. Even if the garments don’t fit, you may like the style and introduce yourself to a new company. I hadn’t heard of Eloquii, but after receiving a dress from them that I loved, I plan on browsing their site when I need a nice dress for an event.
Cons of Dia & Co
As I mentioned before, the service can be expensive — and there’s also the chance that nothing strikes your fancy, and you forfeit your $20 styling fee. It’s certainly not in my budget to drop nearly $300 on clothing on a regular basis, but this may not be a con for some. While you can get automatic monthly shipments if you want, you can also opt to simply request a box as needed if you can’t afford the monthly expense.
A con I experienced in my Dia & Co was that the quality of the items seemed hit or miss. I received a shirt that was valued at $49.50, but the stitching wasn’t fantastic. It was also pretty thin and would almost always require something to be worn under it.
Finally, you don’t have the chance to see what clothing you’re going to get in your Dia & Co box. Your stylist picks five items and sends them without you having the ability to pick and choose. This can be a pro or con depending on how you look at it. I liked being forced out of my comfort zone, but others may not feel the same way.
Stitch Fix Plus
I’ve read reviews about Stitch Fix on Earn Spend Live, so when I found out they started offering a plus size box, I was psyched to try it. I scheduled my Stitch Fix plus size box and had some pretty high hopes. Like Dia & Co, you pay a $20 styling fee for each box. You get five items per Fix that can include clothing, accessories, and shoes.
When you get the box, you have three days to try on the items and decide whether you want to keep them. The styling fee goes toward anything you purchase, and if you keep the whole thing, you get 25% off. If you send it all back, you forfeit your styling fee.
When you first sign up for Stitch Fix Plus, you answer some questions that work as your “style profile” – what you like, dislike, how much you want to spend, and your sizes. You also look through a few pictures and choose how you feel about the style, which I thought was a great way to determine what types of clothing you want in your Fix. After completing your style profile, your stylist goes over it and has plenty of information to find items you’ll absolutely love.
Pros of Stitch Fix Plus
There are some definite pros that are unique to Stitch Fix. The thing that stood out the most to me was that all the clothing was extremely high quality. Everything I received would last at least two years even though I can be pretty rough on clothing. The stitching and fabric on each garment were soft, well-done, and obviously worth the price.
Another huge pro for Stitch Fix Plus is the fact that you can get shoes. Honestly, that would be the reason I return to Stitch Fix because my shoe size is almost always sold out in stores. A good pair of shoes can make or break and outfit, so it’s good to know that you can get a complete outfit in a box.
Cons of Stitch Fix Plus
After reading a lot of reviews about Stitch Fix, I feel like this con was a one-off, but it’s a huge issue for me: I felt like my stylist didn’t read my style profile. I got a sleeveless top (after noting in my style profile that I don’t like to show off my arms), and both of my tops were far too short. I ended up sending all five of the items back because I either didn’t like them or had garments that were too similar. If this happens to you, it’s important to rate and review the items on your profile to avoid it happening again.
The three-day return time isn’t very long to decide whether you want to spend hundreds of dollars on the items you received. Stitch Fix does stress that you can contact them for extra time (which I did without hassle), but I’m not sure how many times you’re allowed to extend your time limit.
The only other con I can think of is that you lose your $20 if you send back all the items. It’s also somewhat expensive, but for high-quality clothes, the price is comparable. I expect to spend at least $30 to $40 on a top that will last at least two years, and Stitch Fix Plus delivers (literally).
The Verdict: Which Plus Size Clothing Subscription Box is Better?
It’s impossible to pick a winner in this case. I feel like both boxes have pros and cons that are comparable. I absolutely loved my Dia & Co box, but I’m also sure I’d love my Stitch Fix plus size box if I continued to communicate with my stylist in the future.
I notice two differences between Dia & Co and Stitch Fix that could influence which service to choose. The first is that my Dia & Co stylist listened to everything I said and found garments that specifically fit my style. However, Stitch Fix could send shoes with your subscription box — especially if you specifically request it. If you have a hard time finding shoes (like I do), this is huge. Since they’re very similar in price, it may be worth trying both like I did.
