Trunk Club

Shopping for new clothing can be tedious and overwhelming, especially if you aren’t sure what you like. For many, the idea of working with a personal stylist who helps them put together outfits would be a relief.

Trunk Club is a Nordstrom-affiliated a personalized styling service for men and women. The company will send you a box of six to twelve hand-selected articles of clothing and accessories for you to try on, and you can return whatever doesn’t work for you.

What makes Trunk Club stand out from traditional online shopping is that you will work with a personal stylist to find clothing that suits your style. You can share as much input with your stylist as you like, and you can preview your trunk before it ships.

Should you trust Trunk Club to nail your style and build up your wardrobe, or is working with this company a waste of time and money? You can make that decision for yourself after you read our analysis.

How Does Trunk Club Work?

When you first make an account with Trunk Club, you’ll specify what kind of clothing you are most interested in and indicate whether or not you like a variety of curated styles.

You can share whether you are looking for formal or casual clothing and whether there are any colors, materials or prints you dislike wearing. After answering further questions about your preferred cuts and styles, you’ll share your preferred price point for specific items, ranging from $50–$200+.

Soon after you complete the signup process, Trunk Club will pair you with a stylist and work to create your first order. You will receive an email when your first trunk is ready to be viewed online, and you can approve or remove any item in it over the next 48 hours. You can leave specific feedback if, for instance, you want one piece in a different color or size.

Taking your preferences into account, your stylist will then update and ship your trunk.

Once it arrives, you will have five days to try anything on and determine what you want to keep. Anything you don’t desire can be shipped back to the company at no charge. You will be charged for anything you end up keeping, and your $25 styling fee will be credited towards these purchases.

Trunk Club only sends new orders when you request them, and there’s no obligation to sign up for a subscription. Just message your stylist when you are ready for a new shipment or set up a Trunk Schedule for regular deliveries.

Available Brands

Trunk Club claims to carry top-quality men’s and women’s apparel brands with everything from loungewear to business attire.

Men’s brands include:

• Paige, Bonobos
• Sol Angeles
• AG Jeans
• Vince
• And more

Women’s brands include:

• Treasure & Bond
• Madewell
• Theory
• J. Crew
• And more

Style Swipes

Besides speaking directly to your Personal Stylist through messages or phone calls, you can also hone in your aesthetic through Style Swipes.

Available on TrunkClub.com and the company’s iOS app, this interactive feature lets you thumb up or down on specific outfits to identify your unique style. All swipes are stored in the customer profile so your Stylist can look at them when assigning you outfits.

You can also add extra items to your trunk called Your Picks. These can include basic t-shirts, socks, shapewear, underwear, jewelry, ties, and other accessories. Your Picks items are sent in addition to the 10–12 items curated by your stylist, and they are subject to the same five-day trial period.

Pricing and Return Policy

Every Trunk Club delivery is charged a $25 styling fee, though it’s waived if you use a Nordstrom credit or debit card. This fee will be credited towards the cost of any items you keep, and it can’t be saved for future deliveries.

While prices vary for Trunk Club items, you can expect to pay $40–$300 per item. You can share your preferred price ranges when you create your online profile to keep things within your budget.

Returns aren’t accepted for any items after the five-day trial window has passed. You can contact customer service at service@trunkclub.com or at (800) 385-0100 for more information.

Analysis of Customer Reviews

Trunk Club earns mediocre reviews on Consumer Affairs and My Subscription Addiction, where it averages about three stars out of five on both platforms. Here are some of the comments that stood out to us.

Common Compliments:

• Nordstrom cardholders saved lots of money off the styling fee
• Great way to try out new styles
• Fun to interact with the stylist and get outfit tips

Common Complaints:

• Each item in the trunk fit differently, requiring lots of exchanges
• Clothing didn’t match the customer’s style
• Overpriced clothing that could be purchased more cheaply elsewhere
• Customer service difficulties
• Personal Stylists don’t always offer meaningful interactions
• 5-day deadline too quick to try on clothes and return them
• Customers frequently received accessories like shoes and sunglasses they weren’t interested in

Trunk Club vs. Stitch Fix and Gwynnie Bee

Trunk Club is just one available option for an online clothing curation service. Two other popular brands include Stitch Fix and Gwynnie Bee.

This chart indicates that each clothing company is going after a different demographic. Trunk Club favors high-end brands and gives you more opportunities to interact with your Personal Stylist. You can reject any item before it is shipped to you, and it’s possible to call your stylist on the phone to share more insight into your clothing preferences.

Stitch Fix is a slightly lower cost alternative that is tailored towards a more general audience. You’ll pay less per item, but you’ll also have less control over what kinds of items you receive—especially because you can’t preview them before they ship. However, unlike Trunk Club, you can’t waive the stylist fee if you use a specific credit card.

Gwynnie Bee works differently. This women’s clothing company operates on a rental model, which means you pay a flat rate per month for a set amount of clothing, and you can keep or exchange these items as often as you want. Each item you receive will be clean and in gently-used condition, and you can choose to purchase any item. You’ll continue to pay a monthly rental price for as long as you keep the items.

For this reason, Gwynnie Bee is great for those who like to change but their wardrobe without committing to owning lots of clothing. However, the monthly rental costs can add up after a while, and you can’t use them to purchase clothes like you can with the Stitch Fix and Trunk Club styling fee.

Key Takeaways:

If you’re trying to decide between these brands, keep in mind how they differ in what they offer. Trunk Club may be best suited for those who want a high-end overhaul on their wardrobe and lots of guidance and opportunities for input along the way.

Stitch Fix makes sense for those who want some fun new pieces that might not match what they would have picked out otherwise. And Gwynnie Bee, in contrast, is great for anyone with a fear of commitment who loves to change up their style.

The Botton Line

Trunk Club’s goal is to give you a personalized shopping experience with hand-picked high-end clothing curated to match your style. This clothing makes sense for anyone who loves Nordstrom but doesn’t enjoy browsing clothing racks in real stores.

It could also be a great way to give your wardrobe a style update, especially if you’re interested in trying new looks.

Customer reviews of Trunk Club show that a lot of users are less than impressed with the shopping experience. Many expected that their Trunks would be more personalized, so keep your expectations realistic for how well your Stylist will match your preferences.

Overall, we think Trunk Club makes a lot of sense if you’re committed to sharing lots of input and plan to purchase at least one item from every delivery.

Talk with your stylist, do lots of Style Swipes, and be sure to evaluate your order over the 48-hour time frame before it ships. This gives you the best chance of getting items that match your style so you can put your $25 credit towards them.