Trunk Club

After a very unsuccessful try of Stitch Fix, I turned to Trunk Club. This is run by Nordstrom. This went somewhat better, though I only kept one item. Instead of 5 items, Trunk Club sends up to 10. Both claim they look at your Pinterest board, but with Trunk Club you can send individual pins. I saw a brand on Nordstrom that interested me so I sent a few specific items for the stylist to see. Unlike Stitch Fix, there is no outfit suggestions brochure on how to use this with your existing wardrobe; but supposedly they make some effort to include coordinates that go together. 

The profile information for Trunk Club isn't as detailed. Instead you have a consultation by message or phone to let the company know details about your likes and dislikes. I'm not sure that worked any better than the algorithm on Stitch Fix. I sent the consultant a link to my blog about Stitch Fix, and she did read it so she knew I was going to be picky. However, the consultant is not the stylist you end up with. She just does the preliminary interview.

With Trunk Club, you are sent a preview of items selected by the stylist. You can nix them by "editing your trunk". However, you can only do that once, then the stylist adds items you can "see" in your trunk, but you can't make any changes. Stitch Fix's deal is that they want to surprise you so no preview.

It is called a trunk for a reason. Remember this holds twice what Stitch Fix's box held. Free shipping and free return shipping. Trunk Club uses UPS, Stitch Fix uses United States Postal Service.

I liked most of the items sent (not the shoes), but the main problem here was fit.

They have a note from the stylist, an itemized list with prices (which were also in the preview), return label and tape strips for return. Some people love the trunk box so much that they buy everything so they can keep the box. LOL. These are fairly costly wardrobe items (and my selections didn't include the high-end choices); I would not be spending $800-$1000 on my wardrobe just to keep a box. It is an easy way to try on brands not available locally, and one does select a price range, but the start prices are nowhere close to sales rack items I am used to buying.

The top item in the bag above is a shift dress that was added after my edit. It had an English label (and size). It fit better than I expected but the print was not flattering. 

The white pants fit at the waist better than any I have tried in the past 5 years, but the legs were too long (about 5 inches too long). I had read some of the reviews by customers who bought from the web, not through Trunk Club, and they commented on this aspect. Too bad.

Though my parting comments to the consultant were that I needed to avoid orange, yellow, and gold, one of the dresses was buttercup. Boy did I look sickly. The Gal Meets Glam brand that I had discovered on Nordstrom.com and sent to the stylist included two dresses. This one was too small. She sent a size smaller than what I listed on my profile. When I sent feedback before shipping things back, the stylist said she thought this brand ran large. However, on Nordstrom all of the comments and the suggested size advice was that it ran true to size. 

The second Gal Meets Glam dress was the floral print. I loved it, but again she sent a size smaller than what I had listed. Too tight.

Before selecting items, they ask if there is anything you might like to try in particular. Of course, I had already mentioned the white pants. I had seen while searching Pinterest lots of denim jackets. The one that was sent was way too small and kind of streaky. Returned.

The blouse I kept was more than I would normally pay. But since I was going to lose $25 for the styling fee if I didn't buy anything, I chose to keep it. I like the colors, fit, and the details like the pleats in the back. 

Still, it wasn't something that I probably would have bought if shopping in a store.

 My sweet husband took the Trunk to Staples along with a Zappos box to UPS back. I see the advantages to shopping this way or online. Lots of selection. Easy and free shipping. Access to new brands. But the fit is always a potential problem.

You would think I would be a good candidate for buying this way since my mother ordered our clothes from Spiegel and Montgomery Ward catalogs while I was growing up (into my 20s), but I think I have become more picky now that it is my own money being spent.

I have scheduled a trunk for September of fall/winter skirts and coordinating tops. I have been unsuccessful finding skirts I like in the stores.

BTW, I found a pair of white pants at Kohl's on sale. This wardrobe service experience has been interesting. After Trunk #2, I will probably stop. I am just not that big a spender on clothing, and while I want to look stylish, I don't find shopping even in my bedroom very much fun. 

I did go online and order a Gal Meets Glam dress directly from Nordstrom, but a different one than the stylist sent. It should arrive within a week. Maybe it will be the saving grace of my "adventure" into using wardrobe services.