Trunk Club Review: My Honest Thoughts After 5 Trunks

Have you heard of Trunk Club? It‘s a clothing subscription box that pairs you with a Nordstrom personal stylist to receive hand-picked outfits delivered to your door. As someone who loves clothes but hates mall shopping, I was intrigued by the convenience and personalization of Trunk Club.

I‘ve now received 5 trunks over the course of a year, so I‘m ready to give you my honest, in-depth review of the service. I‘ll cover how Trunk Club works, the pros and cons, customer reviews, cost, and my own experience. By the end, you‘ll have all the info you need to decide if Trunk Club is worth trying for yourself.

How Does Trunk Club Work?

First, let‘s go over the basics of how Trunk Club works. Here are the steps:

  1. Fill out a style quiz: You‘ll answer questions about your sizes, style, budget, and what types of clothes you‘re looking for. This helps match you with a personal stylist.

  2. Preview your trunk: Based on your quiz responses, your stylist will curate 10-15 clothing and accessory items and send you a digital preview. You can remove items you don‘t like and give your stylist feedback before the trunk ships.

  3. Try on at home: Once you approve your trunk, it‘ll be shipped to your door within 4-6 business days. You have 5 days to try everything on and decide what to keep or return.

  4. Check out online: Log in to your account to purchase the items you want to keep and check out. Returns are free with a prepaid shipping label.

  5. Give feedback: After checkout, make sure to leave a note for your stylist about what you liked or didn‘t like about your trunk and any other feedback. This helps your stylist make even better picks for your next trunk.

One thing I like about Trunk Club is there‘s no required subscription. You can order a trunk anytime you want, or set up a trunk delivery schedule that works for you (monthly, seasonally, etc.). There‘s a $25 styling fee per trunk, but it‘s waived if you‘re a Nordstrom credit cardholder. The $25 also gets applied as credit towards anything you keep from the trunk.

My Trunk Club Experience

I first signed up for Trunk Club last summer when I was looking to refresh my wardrobe but dreaded the thought of driving to the mall and browsing racks for hours. I loved the idea of sharing my style and fit preferences with an expert, then receiving a personalized trunk to try on at home.

Here‘s what I got in my first Trunk Club box:

[Embed unboxing video or photos]

I requested casual summer clothes for work and weekends. My stylist picked out a great variety of items in my size medium, including:

  • 3 blouses
  • 2 pairs of shorts
  • 1 lightweight cardigan
  • 2 work dresses
  • 1 pair of sandals
  • 2 pieces of jewelry

The brands were ones I recognized and liked from Nordstrom, like Madewell, Free People, Vince Camuto, and Topshop. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and variety. The styling fee made me selective, but I ended up keeping a floral blouse, denim shorts, and the sandals.

Over the next year, I continued scheduling trunks every 2-3 months. I found my stylist really listened to my feedback and each trunk got better and better. She helped me branch out from my typical style but still kept the looks true to my personality.

Some example outfits I‘ve received:

[Embed photos of Trunk Club outfits with pricing]

My Trunk Club stylists have become an integral part of my wardrobe journey. I love the convenience and element of surprise. It‘s so fun to open up a trunk and discover new pieces I wouldn‘t have chosen for myself but end up loving.

Trunk Club Alternatives

Of course, Trunk Club isn‘t the only clothing subscription box out there. The biggest one you‘ve probably heard of is Stitch Fix. I‘ve tried Stitch Fix myself and found some key differences from Trunk Club:

  • Stitch Fix stylists choose from a wider variety of brands, while Trunk Club features Nordstrom inventory
  • Stitch Fix‘s average prices are a bit lower than Trunk Club
  • Stitch Fix charges a $20 styling fee per box vs. Trunk Club‘s $25
  • Stitch Fix doesn‘t let you preview your items before the box ships like Trunk Club does

There are also more niche services like Wantable (fitness and loungewear), Menlo Club (men‘s fashion), and Dailylook (limited edition, trendy pieces).

Compared to these, I think Trunk Club delivers on high-quality pieces and a truly personalized styling experience. It really comes down to your budget, brand preferences, and what special features matter most to you.

Customer Reviews

But don‘t just take my word for it. Let‘s look at what other Trunk Club customers are saying:

"I love my Trunk Club stylist! She has helped me define my style and build a wardrobe of pieces that are versatile and make me feel confident. The quality is great and I like getting pushed a bit out of my comfort zone." – Kelly S.

"Trunk Club has been hit or miss for me. One trunk is amazing, the next is way off. I wish the preview feature let you actually swap items. With the styling fee, I can only justify keeping a couple things per trunk." – Chris L.

"I never thought I‘d be someone to use a personal stylist, but Trunk Club makes it so easy and affordable. I get so many compliments on my TC pieces. The only drawback is my stylist sometimes picks items a bit out of my budget." – Melissa R.

Based on my research, Trunk Club has an average rating of 3.8/5 stars from 1,000+ customer reviews across sites like Trustpilot, Consumer Affairs and My Subscription Addiction.

Key positives:

  • Saves time and effort shopping
  • High-quality, name-brand pieces
  • Personalization and trying new styles
  • Flexible, no required subscription

Key negatives:

  • Pricier items compared to other services
  • Inconsistency between stylists
  • Sticking to a budget

Here‘s a helpful customer review video:

[Embed Trunk Club review video from YouTube]

Trunk Club by the Numbers

To give you a bigger picture look at Trunk Club, here are some interesting statistics:

  • Founded in 2009 by Joanna Van Vleck in Chicago
  • Acquired by Nordstrom for $350 million in 2014
  • Styled over 1 million customers to date
  • 1.2 million registered users as of 2019
  • 250+ stylists across the U.S.
  • Partners with 100+ clothing brands
  • Carries women‘s sizes 00-24W, men‘s sizes XS-3XL
  • Average trunk price: $150-$300
  • Average # of items per trunk: 10-15

The clothing box subscription market has exploded in recent years. A 2020 survey found that 20% of respondents have tried a clothing subscription box, up from just 8% in 2018. However, Trunk Club doesn‘t publicly release financials.

FAQs

Still have questions about Trunk Club? I‘ll answer some frequently asked ones:

Q: How much does Trunk Club cost?
A: There‘s a $25 styling fee per trunk, which is waived if you use a Nordstrom credit card. This $25 is credited towards any items you keep from the trunk. There‘s no required subscription. On average, items cost $50-$300.

Q: Can you return Trunk Club items?
A: Yes, returns are free. Each trunk comes with a prepaid shipping label. You can try on items at home and send back anything you don‘t want within the 5-day try-on period.

Q: Are Trunk Club stylists good?
A: In my experience, yes. Trunk Club stylists go through extensive training and have access to your style quiz, feedback and sizing info. However, some customers report their stylists don‘t listen to feedback or budgets – it can depend on who you‘re matched with. Don‘t hesitate to request a new stylist if needed.

Q: What brands does Trunk Club send?
A: Trunk Club has access to Nordstrom‘s inventory, so you‘ll see a mix of popular mall brands like Madewell, Theory, Nike, Vince, Rebecca Minkoff, AG Jeans, etc. Many trunks include Nordstrom‘s in-house brands like Halogen, Zella and BP.

Q: How often do you get a Trunk Club box?
A: It‘s up to you! You can request a one-time trunk whenever you want, or set up recurring trunks at a cadence you choose: monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, for certain seasons, etc.

The Verdict

So, is Trunk Club right for you? Here‘s my take:

Trunk club is best for you if:

  • You like Nordstrom brands and don‘t mind a limited selection
  • You want the ease of an online personal stylist and trying clothes at home
  • Your clothing budget is around $200+ per piece on average
  • You want to treat yourself to new looks a few times a year

I recommend trying Trunk Club at least once if you:

  • Struggle with finding clothes you feel confident in
  • Want to define your signature style
  • Dislike shopping in stores or don‘t have time to shop
  • Need outfit help for a special occasion

On the other hand, Trunk Club might not be for you if:

  • You‘re on a tight budget
  • You only like very specific brands
  • You need a wide range of plus, petite, tall or maternity sizes
  • You already have a go-to stylist or are very particular about clothing

Ultimately, I‘ve had a positive experience with Trunk Club and recommend it to my friends often. It‘s a simple, personalized way to evolve your style and treat yourself to new pieces. If you‘ve been curious about trying an online stylist, I say go for it – you‘ve got nothing to lose with free shipping and returns.

The biggest drawbacks are the styling fee and that you don‘t have total control over what specific pieces are sent. But I‘ve found the more I communicate my likes, dislikes and budget to my stylist, the better my trunks become. It‘s all about finding that stylist who really gets you and building the relationship.

A clothing subscription box isn‘t going to completely replace your entire shopping routine. But it can be a smart way to supplement your wardrobe with quality pieces and get an expert opinion.

For me, I‘ll definitely continue using Trunk Club, especially at the start of a new season or when I need to dress for an event. It‘s also a great gift idea (you can gift a trunk or credit).

If you‘re ready to try a Trunk Club stylist for yourself, here‘s what I recommend:

  • Use my link for $50 off your first trunk
  • Be extremely specific in your style quiz and share a Pinterest board if you have one
  • Give your stylist a realistic budget and lots of notes
  • Preview your trunk ASAP in case you need to cancel
  • Try everything on, even if you don‘t think you‘ll like it
  • Provide detailed feedback so your next trunk is even better

Happy Trunk Club-ing! Feel free to leave a comment with your own experience or any questions.

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