Let me start by saying, I hate trying on clothes. What I once loved doing when I was a teenager now feels like a cumbersome task. I’m sure part of it’s because I don’t like the bright lighting in dressing room, which basically draws attention to all my body insecurities (hello, flabby arms) or the pressure to buy everything the sales associate is pulling for me. I just have a hard time saying “no,” but I’m working on it.
I like shopping online but you never really know how something will look and feel until you try it on. Which led me to signing up for a subscription to Trunk Club. The thought of being able to try on clothes in my own home without having to commit financially sounded like a breath of fresh air.
If you’re not familiar, Trunk Club is an online subscription service that is designed to help people find clothes that fit their lifestyle and budget. Subscribers fill out a detailed style profile which a stylist references as they handpick clothes, shoes and accessories for you. There is a $25 styling fee that is credited toward whatever you decide to keep. If you’re a Nordstrom cardholder the fee is waived.
Being eager to try something new, I thought the sign-up process was quick and seamless. It was fun to fill out my style profile and I felt like my stylist asked all the right questions (what I was looking for right now, colors I do/don’t like wearing, etc.). A few days later, I receive a notification to preview my trunk and submit any initial feedback… basically, if I saw an item I wasn’t loving I could nix it and the stylist could replace it with another item. Once the trunk is finalized, it’s shipped off and then the fun part comes!
Items I decided to Keep:
I had five days once the trunk arrived to try on everything and decide what I wanted to keep and return. Out of the 10 items that were sent to me, I kept three.
I knew these navy ankle pants would be a work wardrobe staple this spring and they fit perfectly. The price point was reasonable too. In turn, I realized the Topshop red blouse would pair really well with the ankle pants and would be a cute for weekend outings as well. The price point was a little steep but believing in the cost-per-wear theory I figured it would be worth it. Lastly, I ended up splurging on these Vince Camuto olive green pants. Honestly, I didn’t have high hopes when I previewed my trunk prior to it being shipped but once I tried them on I realized how comfortable they were and how chic they looked. The lace-up cuff definitely has a trendy feel to the pant but I can’t wait to style these.
Items I retuned:
There were three additional blouses my stylist sent me that I thought would be great wardrobe additions when I tried them on in person, I was left thinking, “meh.” This ruffle sleeve top basically drowned my upper half and it was $89. Way too pricey for such a trendy top. I also received a pretty red sleeveless asymmetrical blouse but again, expensive and didn’t look flattering on me (especially since I’m self conscious about my not so toned arms). I was on the fence about this cute pink sheer blouse for $68 but ultimately it just didn’t seem worth it since I would clearly need to wear a camisole underneath.
In the shoe department, my stylist sent me a pair of mules and a pair of sandals. Both price points were reasonable in my book (they retail for a little over $100) but I wasn’t really in love with either pair. Plus, my feet always fall out when I try to walk in mules.
My stylist sent me this ultra cool trench coat for only $79 but after thinking it over I realized this wasn’t a must-have for me and it was a little too big.
The only bottoms I returned (and part of the reason I signed up for Trunk Club) was because I needed help finding cute skirts for work. My stylist sent me this beautiful cobalt blue jersey skirt. I was impressed with the price point ($55) but again, I wasn’t in love with it. It was a beautiful color, but then my mind started roam elsewhere wondering how I could repurpose this and what I could wear it with. It just seemed too cumbersome to deal with.
Overall, I was really happy with my first Trunk Club experience. The return process was seamless. I scheduled a pickup via UPS but you can also return it to any Nordstrom store. I came away with a few items that I would’ve normally overlooked in the store. My only gripe was how expensive most of the items were. I’m hopeful the next time around (I signed up for a quarterly subscription so my next box will come in June) will have more affordable pieces. The service allows customers to give feedback on every item in the trunk and the stylist encourages as much feedback as possible so they can find exactly what you’re looking for.
This post is not sponsored. This Trunk Club review is just me sharing my honest thoughts and experience about the subscription service. Was this Trunk Club review helpful?
