Disclaimer: I received a Mercury Mile box as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews! All opinions are my own.
Let me start by saying this: I just had a professional come out to design and install an organization system into my closet, and a big driver of this need was my obsession with buying running clothes. I used to have a full, separate dresser in a spare bedroom to house my running clothes because I had so much that they didn’t fit in a conventional closet or dresser. So, I had someone build a custom organization system to accommodate my addiction. There, I said it.
I hadn’t ever heard of Mercury Mile before I had the chance to try it for free as part of being a BibRave Pro. The idea seemed to be a match made in heaven for me between my love for running clothes and the fact that I also love Stitch Fix. Mercury Mile is similar to Stitch Fix in the sense that you go online, fill out a fit/style/function profile, and a personal stylist will hand-select items for you based on your profile. You receive a box in the mail with 4-6 items, a hand-written letter from your stylist, and a pre-paid return envelope so that you can easily ship back whatever you don’t want to keep. You do pay a $20 styling fee, but if you decide to keep an item, the $20 gets applied to the final cost of your items. If you don’t keep anything, you do end up losing the $20.
I got home from the first 100 degree run of the season to find my shipment on my front porch. This was a nice surprise, as the day I received it was the day I expected the box to ship. It was a really fast turn-around from when I ordered the box to when I received the shipment.
Upon opening it, I found a really nice, hand-written letter from my stylist and five clothing items. I also received two packets of Sweat X Sport laundry detergent, one of which I ended up using that day to re-wash a big load of running clothes that just didn’t pass the clean clothes smell test (contrary to popular belief, it gets hot in Minnesota in the summer – hence the smell test fail!)
So let’s take a peek at what came in my Mercury Mile box:
Janji Uganda Compass Singlet – Pink – $48
I contemplated hard on whether or not I was going to keep this tank top or not. I liked that it was really airy and light, as I did mention in my style profile that I get really hot on my runs (again, this is where Sweat X comes into play!). However, I ultimately didn’t love the cut enough to keep this top. I have a long torso, so I would have preferred the length to come down another inch or two. Also, it was a little loose below the arms, so I didn’t want the risk of chaffing.
Adidas How We Do 3/4 Tights – $70
I loved the idea of these capris, as they were actually long enough for my legs, which is hard to find in running capris. However, I am a pocket-junkie when it comes to bottoms, and these just didn’t cut it in the pocket department. Also, these were too big for me, so if I were to keep them I would have had to deal with the size exchange. I didn’t love them enough to do that, so I sent this entire outfit back.
Brooks Just Right Racer Bra – $40
I can never have too many sports bras, but my problem is finding sports bras that work with my long torso. I don’t know what kind of joke the torso gods were playing when they designed me, but due to the length of my décolleté, it is really hard to find bras without adjustable straps (ahem, sports bras) long enough to stretch over my shoulders and sit where it needs to sit to actually do its job. This one passed that test, so it was a keeper.
Body Glove Get Shorty Short – $44
These shorts were also a keeper. I mentioned in my profile that I like to race in spandex so that nothing can go wrong with your outfit and to reduce the risk of chafing. You can’t tell with the lighting in the picture, but these are deep purple in color, which I absolutely love. And most importantly, after wearing them on an 8 mile run, I can confidently say that they do not show crotch sweat. Let’s be honest, that is the number one question we all have when it comes to colored running shorts! I ended up keeping these super soft, comfortable shorts.
The last item I got, which I’m still slightly confused about, was this cream/white t-shirt. I tried it on because you can’t judge a book by its cover, but to no surprise, it was just a white t-shirt. It was baggy enough where maybe I would wear it to bed, but it was also somewhat sheer, so it really wouldn’t be a fit for that use either. At the end of the day, it was just a baggy, thin, white t-shirt that cost $23. I went ahead and returned this. Sometimes it is good to have an item or two that you don’t have to think too hard about whether or not you’re going to keep, right?
Overall, my Mercury Mile experience was really fun and I actually just signed up for my second box. If you like Stitch Fix, then I can guarantee you’ll love Mercury Mile. Seriously, though, who doesn’t love a surprise box of running clothes shipped right to their door?
If you would like to try Mercury Mile, I do have a discount you can use for $10 off your $20 styling fee. Just use “BibRave10” at checkout, and have fun with your first box!