My First Dia&Co. Box Reveal
Dressing a postpartum body is hard, especially the second time around, and doubly so when you never quite figured out how to dress yourself after the first baby. I’ve been stuck in a huge clothes rut. HUGE. Frustrated with going into my closet and seeing dozens of clothes that just don’t fit me anymore (not to mention that half of them aren’t breastfeeding friendly at all), I purged everything and basically started fresh. Sort of. I kept the essentials (nursing tanks, other tanks, dresses that I could nurse in, and a few of my maternity pants) and I’ve been wearing the same boring outfits ever since. That’s where my first Dia&Co. box comes into play.
It seems like every blogger I know is on the Stich Fix craze, and while I wanted to join them, I didn’t quite fit their size guide. Dia & Co., on the other hand, is for sizes 10 and up, which is definitely more my style. The premise is simple: fill out their online style sheet with your preferences, and then you get to talk to an actual stylist on the phone.
I talked to my stylist during nap time, and she was extremely patient while I chatted her ear off about my current fashion rut. The best part is that I never once felt judged, especially when I admitted that I wear the same maternity yoga pants and/or maxi skirt basically every day and that they’re usually paired with a solid tank. I told her (basically begged her) to give me some prints and add some excitement back into my wardrobe…slowly; I didn’t want to jump off the deep end with anything too crazy. I also told her that I don’t fit into a single pair of my non-maternity pants/jeans, and I preferred not to have any in my box, because I didn’t want to feel depressed if they didn’t fit. She listened to me and asked questions about what I liked and disliked (favorite colors {mint and coral}, animal print {no}, nursing friendly {please}, etc.).
You pay a $20 style fee, but then that 20 bucks goes towards whatever you decide to keep. Honestly, I was a little nervous that I wouldn’t like anything or that they’d get my style totally wrong, or worse—that nothing would fit and I’d look like a total loser. Needless to say, but I’ve been pretty anxious/excited about getting my box in the mail.
Spoiler alert: my stylist nailed it, and I was really touched that I got a personalized note and that it mentioned parts of our conversation!
Since I have five days to decide what I want to keep and what needs to go back, I thought you could help me. Here are the five items I got in the box.
Item 1: V. Fraas Multicolor Striped Kimono, $45
This is SO much fun! I’ve actually always wanted a kimono, but never knew where to find them or how to wear it. Granted, I’m testing it here by just wearing leggings, but I think I could actually make this work. Even though it’s a million degrees outside, I prefer to be slightly covered up when I’m outside, especially if I’m going to breastfeed Maddie in public. Since I don’t use a cover, I often use whatever I’m wearing to cover me up, so this would work perfect. Verdict: probably keeping
Item 2: Worthington Royal Blue Top, $40
I really want to like this one. I don’t own many blue things, and it turns out blue works with my complexion—who knew?! I also like that it’s sheer, but the two issues I have with it are the sleeves and the shape. The sleeve length is actually okay, but I found myself constantly messing with it, because it didn’t stay up or down, and since there’s a button in place, it just kept getting stuck on my arm. It would annoy me, so I probably wouldn’t wear it as often. Then there was the shaping issue—it didn’t really do much for my figure, which is a bummer since I liked the color and material so much. Verdict: sending back
Item 3: Charter Club Printed Wrap Dress, $69.50
I loved everything about this…except for the print. It reminded me of something I wore in middle school; I’m just not a huge fan of that particular pattern. I so wish it had almost any other print, because the material was super soft, I loved the length, adored the shape it gave me, I especially loved that I could easily breastfeed in it, and that it’d be nice and cool for the summer. Verdict: sending back
Item 4: Liz Claiborne Geometric Print Maxi Skirt, $45
I looooove maxi skirts and firmly believe every postpartum woman needs at least one in their wardrobe. I like that I can wear it all day and be comfortable, and that they keep me cool in this dreaded heat. As for this skirt, I like that it’s black and white, but takes things up a notch with the fun geometric print. I can also wear it with a variety of tank tops, and in the fall I can just throw a cardigan on top or a jean jacket. Like, like, like! Verdict: probably keeping
Item 5: Modamix Mint Square Cutout Tank Top, $69
As soon as I opened my box I had high hopes for this top. I love the color and I really liked that the cutouts made the solid-hued tank a little more unique and funky. But then I put it on and I literally made a sad face. It just doesn’t do anything for me. The bottom piece of material clung to me in all the wrong places; I like the length, but it just hangs there and makes me look like a sack of mint potatoes. Verdict: (sadly) sending back
Ah, this was so much fun! I’m already getting excited for my next box. Hopefully the next time I do a reveal I can have my husband take my pictures—or at the very least, I’ll clean the mirror first and try to find a pair of jeans that zip up.
I’d love to hear what you think of the items above. What would you keep if you were in my shoes? (Ha! Ironic since I’m shoeless in the pictures.) If you want to try out Dia & Co, click here, fill out their form, and don’t forget to mention my name in the referral section!
I loved every piece!! It is a bummer the two shirts did not work as they were such lovely colors on you, but really you looked great in them all in my opinion!
Thank you! My husband thought they looked good, too! (Although his first reaction for the dark blue one is that he thought it looked like I had shoulder pads since it was a little on the flowy/boxy shape.) I’m at least happy to know that I should start looking for those colors to wear.
So, I 100 % agree on what you’re keeping – the skirt is adorable and so versatile, and I love the kimono! I haven’t seen too many striped ones – mostly floral one.
I am so sad you don’t like the blue one though – I actually think it’s really flattering on you! I know what you mean about the buttons though. You’re building a wardrobe again and should only be keeping things you LOVE. Yay new clothes that fit well!
Thank you so much for telling me (well, blogging about) this company! It was so nice to not have to wrangle two kids to go “shopping.” I was so torn on the blue shirt. Sometimes I liked how it fit and how it looked on me, but then I didn’t at the same time. And since I am rebuilding my wardrobe, I need to be 100% on everything new I put into it!
The kimono looks amazing on you! Perfect for postpartum and breast feeding!!
Thanks! I’m so excited about the kimono for breastfeeding, especially since it’s so lightweight!
I LOVE the Kimono! It looks great on you and definitely will liven up your new wardrobe!!! The blue shirt I was not a fan of, definitely agree to send that back! The teal tank is absolutely cute!!!! Sad it didn’t fit right! The maxi skirt is definitely a must!
I’m still bummed about the teal shirt, too! Now I just need to figure out when/where to wear the kimono 🙂
I love that you were able to find a subscription fashion box that works for you, your body, and your style!
Love that kimono! You must keep that. I also like the maxi skirt and the tank. The other 2 were just ok. They weren’t horrible, but I didn’t love them. This is fun though! I’ve never tried stitch fix because I’m not teeny, I’m not big, but I’m bigger than everyone I’ve seen who uses it. I’ve gained weight and it’s all in my midsection and it’s not as easy to dress myself as it was 30 lbs ago. I just figured nothing would work from them, so I never even tried. Why waste the money? I also live in yoga pants, but I work from home and don’t venture out as much as I would otherwise.
I hear ya on not wanting to waste money—that was my biggest holdup to trying this, so I’m really happy it worked out! I live in a small town, but I’ve been wanting something more fun to wear when I do go out (to my MOPS group, for example). The women don’t get super dressed up there, but I want to feel pretty! Plus, I’ll hopefully go out on a date again sometime in the next few months, so I’m hoping to wear something fun on them! You should totally try it out!
I totally agree about dressing a postpartum body, so hard and so discouraging! But, I love the kimono on you! And all the colors really do look gorgeous on you Jessica!
Postpartum bodies are so weird and hard to get used to! Thanks for the nice words 🙂
If it’s any consolation, I did not just have a small human fall out of me recently, but we have practically the same summer wardrobe. I rotate my ribbed tank tops and scoop neck tees with a rotation of shorts and skirts. And in the last few days, I’ve stopped wearing a bra with the ribbed tank tops. Technically my boobs need one, but my strapless bra is dirty, and I don’t feel like washing it. Plus my tanks are thick enough to hide nipples and tight enough to keep them in place-ish.
Enough about me! I love what you got, but I agree with your assessment. The kimono is ADORABLE. I love those colors! And I think it totally works with the yoga pants. Summers in the South are all about COMFORT. Add in a toddler and a nursing baby, and you shouldn’t think about much beyond comfort.
If you love the Liz Claiborne skirt, check out JC Penney. They carry a great selection of Liz clothing for all sizes!
Love that Kimono Top ..i want one. The Teal had so much potential ugh. Im sad for you on that teal top it’s so pretty. Sucks about the fit. I would want to hoard it just because it’s so pretty even though I’d never wear it out because of fit lol.
The kimono is super super cute!
Love the turquoise tank and the maxi skirt! So pretty!