I hate to admit it, though anyone who sees me regularly knows it, but since menopause, I've put on more than a couple of pounds, and shape of my body has changed. I hate shopping for clothes and I'm still trying to dress the body I used to have rather than the one I do have. I stumble onto things I like, but I'm finding that I'm buying the same thing over and over again and I really want something different.
About Dia & Co.
A few months ago I happened onto a blog post about Dia & Co., a subscription box/styling service for women who wear sizes 14-30. I decided to give it a try. You pay a $20/box "styling fee" that is applied to a purchase if you make one. They pick out five pieces for you, based, allegedly, on a profile you completed and what they have learned about you from your feedback about other boxes. You try the pieces in the privacy of your own home and with other things you own. If you decide to buy something, the $20 is credited toward your purchase; if not it is "gone with the wind", but they do supply a return mailer.
My Profile
The first part of the process is to complete a profile so the sylist (or more likely a computer) can get to know you. It asks for sizes and for your prefered style, such as "classic" or "trendy". It asks for colors to avoid and areas of your body you are willing to show off. It asks how much you typically spend per piece (I said $50, the lowest offered choice) and what types of various garments you like. It also gives you a freeform place to say what you want to say.
I did not say no to any color, but my freeform response said
I work in a law office and want work-appropriate clothes, but the office isn't real formal either. I have recently gained weight and just don't know how to handle this new body. My wardrobe has turned into a lot of black, white and red so I'm looking for color and something to give me a little variety.
What I Got This Month
A Black Dress
I got a black dress that cost $109.00 even though I said I wanted to spend $50 and said I wanted to get away from all the red, white and black in my wardrobe. I said I wanted clothes appropriate for work (because if I'm going to pay more money than I have to for clothes, they will be clothes I get wear out of and that means work clothes). It is October, and yes, this is Louisiana, but still, a sleeveless dress? You can see from the picture below that the front actually looked better than the top picture makes it seem but the dress itself was too big, the armholes drooped. I'm sure part of the reason for the high price was the lace at the bottom, but the rest of the dress was very plain.
Do you think I shold have kept it? I didn't.
A Black Wrap Top and a Red Skirt
I loved the color of the skirt. My daughter says that I go shopping for clothes and come home with yet another red sweater, so why should I not love a red skirt (other than the fact that I specifically said that I wanted to branch out from all that black and red). I also think that all that fabric over my hips just makes them look broader. The skirt was $89.90 The top was like a tube with two strips of cloth hanging down in the back. I guess I put it on correctly but you could still see my bra strap if I moved wrong, putting it in the "not for work" category. The top was $59.90.
I didn't keep these either. Good choice or mistake?
Leggings or Pants?
I don't wear leggings and I put on them on the "don't send" list on my profile. I've always been bottom heavy and it hasn't gotten better. The last thing I want is a skin-tight garment clinging to every bump and bulge from the waist on down. The next picture is of the leg of a pair of "pants". Are they pants or leggings? Why in the worls would someone who doesn't want leggings want these? Why would someone who said she wanted to spend $50 per piece pay $79 for these?
Navy and Black Shirt
You know how sometimes you just cop an attitude? That may be the problem with this shirt. It is a little big and it was "only" $49.00 and it is navy, not black (though it is a dark navy and looked black at first). Still, it was a lighweight shirt, and I'm looking for warmer stuff now, and at $49.00 it should fit.
What I Got Last Time
This was my second box from Dia & Co. I wrote about my first box on my financial planning blog. I bought a dress from that box, and it was a dress I would never have tried on at the mall, much less purchased. It fits me well, looks good on me, and it is appropriate for work, so even though it cost more than I'd usually pay for a dress, I was happy with it.
My Verdict
I'm going to try one more box; unless it is a lot better than this one, I'm done. I still want the push to try something new, within the confines of clothes appropriate for work. Hopefully the next box will be better.
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