Although my comfy basics have done tremendous work getting me through 2020, I am SO ready for a bit more color, a bit more pattern, and an attempt at reviving the playful side of my style.
Nordstrom Trunk Club: An Easy & Fun Try Before You Buy Situation
I decided I needed a different eye, though, to nudge me toward new pieces, new styles and new brands…so when Nordstrom reached out to see if any of us at TME would be interested in trying their Trunk Club, I knew this was the perfect opportunity to easily energize my wardrobe.
There are so many things I love about the concept of Trunk Club (primarily…it’s FUN!), but this was my first time actually trying it, so I have some tips for other first-timers, as well as ideas for how I’ll shop next time. Let’s start with the aspects of Trunk Club that I LOVE…
What I Love About Trunk Club
Love: Trunk Club Is No Commitment
I love that Trunk Club is NOT a subscription service, and there’s no on-going commitment whatsoever. I’m the worst at signing up for services, and then forgetting I signed up, and forgetting to cancel (ugh!), so I knew I absolutely did not want a subscription service. I’ll likely order a box every once in a while when I feel I need help getting out of a style rut or I have an upcoming event/vacation. If you want, however, you could also set up regularly scheduled deliveries.
I didn’t have to pay the $25 styling fee because it’s waived if you’re a Nordstrom cardholder (woohoo!). If you aren’t a cardholder, your $25 fee is applied toward anything you decide to keep. Also, love that there’s no money commitment — only the pieces you decide to keep are charged to your card. This is a perfect way to try-before-you-buy and not have to deal with waiting on your returns to be credited. Plus, free shipping and free returns.
Love: Trunk Club Features Nordstrom Brands & Sizing
The big selling point for me with Trunk Club is that they use Nordstrom brands. Although I wanted to try something new, I didn’t want a box of brands I’d never heard of. Trunk Club also has a nice range of sizes (Women: 00-28W, (XXS-4X), Petite, Plus, and Maternity). Also thinking this might be great for my tall husband who hates to shop (Men: XS-4XL, Waists 28-58” and Inseams 28-36′).
Love: Ordering From Trunk Club Is An Easy & Fun Process
The Trunk Club process is easy and fun! Here are the steps:
- Download the Trunk Club app.
- Answer an easy questionnaire about your style preferences, budget, and what you’re looking for. If you want, you can also upload a photo of a “look” you like or a piece you’re having a hard time styling, and you can write notes directly to your stylist as well. The app also has a fun style swipe feature where you (if you want) can indicate to your stylist pieces you like/dislike to give them an even better idea of your style.
- Receive a preview of your Trunk, which consists of 8-12 pieces, your stylist’s comments on why they selected each piece for you, and their suggestions for how to style each piece.
- Give your stylist feedback and decline any pieces you don’t want. They make replacements, and your Trunk is on its way!
Love: My Trunk Arrives….So.Much.Fun!
I told my stylist my wardrobe was pretty set with “the basics”, but I was looking to get out of my rut of jeans and neutral-colored sweaters. I also wanted to add in some pieces with color, pattern, and more playfulness overall.
What Happened When My Trunk Club Arrived
Trunk Club totally delivered. The Trunk was filled with pieces I would not have tried on my own (red jeans, a patterned jacket, bold playful tops, and several additional pieces that were on super-sale that my stylist threw in for me to try). Just what I wanted…a push to try something a bit different.
Some Pieces Worked…
I fell in love with this polka dot top from Sanctuary. I almost skipped it when I saw it on my list from the stylist, but so glad I didn’t. Looked way better in person.
I also liked this little green top. Cute and fun, and the bold color made me happy every time I tried it on. Thinking it would be a fun piece to wear under cardigans/jackets now, but that would transition well to spring with lighter denim and skirts. And a perfect Zoom top for sure.
I was SO surprised by this jacket. This was another piece that I almost passed on when I saw it in my list because it looked too structured for me. Even though I still don’t know if this exact jacket is for me, I now know that I totally want to incorporate a black and white patterned coat into my wardrobe. I’ve found myself reaching for it several times to just add a bit of life to whatever winter basics I’m wearing.
And these red jeans by Trave? They’re a little too snug (realizing my denim size has gone up this winter) but SO fun to try out, and if I end up exchanging them for the size up, I’m going to request a Trunk of pieces to style with them specifically.
Some Pieces Didn’t Work…
I liked the idea of a fun white top that’s easy to style with a lot of pieces, but the sleeves on this Vero Modo one were a little too much for me.
And these Marc Fisher boots were super cute, but I don’t really need another shoe like this. They weren’t quite comfortable enough for my picky feet. Now I can give that feedback, though, to my stylist and my next box will take my previous “nos” into consideration.
Love: Trunk Club Has An Easy Return Process
Once you receive your Trunk, you have five days to try everything on (you can request more time with a quick click on the app if you need it, but I kind of like the five-day turnaround to motivate me to make decisions). You only pay for what you decide to keep and put everything else back in the Trunk.
Trunk Club (through the app — super easy) coordinates picking it up at your house or you can drop it off at your nearest Nordstrom or Fedex. My local Walgreens has Fedex, so I’ll be walking it over there this afternoon. On the app, there’s an easy feature to select why you’re keeping certain pieces and returning others to give your stylist even more info to help you with future Trunks.
Love: SO Many Fun Ways I Would Use Trunk Club
- If I’m feeling in a style rut
- If I just want to do a fun shopping experience (that’s coronavirus-life-friendly and try-before-you buy)
- If I don’t have time (or motivation) to shop and need new pieces or full outfits
- If I’m planning a trip and want an easy capsule wardrobe
- If I’m starting a new job and need a different type of work wardrobe
- If I have one piece that I love, but am having a difficult time styling (maybe those red jeans)
- If I change sizes and want a starter capsule wardrobe
- If I can convince my husband to try it — he hates shopping and is difficult with sizing (tall)
Tips For How To Use Trunk Club
Tip: Request Full Outfits
I put a heavy emphasis on requesting individual fun pieces to incorporate into my basics, but next time, I would let them do what folks rave Trunk Club does best and have them send me complete outfits. Even if I didn’t think I was going to keep certain pieces, it would have been helpful to get more ideas on how to style the pieces.
Tip: Select Your True Budget & Preferences
Most of the tops they sent me were in the $50 and under range. Next time I would increase my budget. It was fun to see what they offered in that range (and they threw in a few extras that were on super=sale like the Chelsea28 turtleneck above), but I personally would prefer to keep just one or two higher-end tops (maybe in silk or another natural material) and the questionnaire on the app allows you to easily specify this exact preference (will do that next time).
Tip: Use The Trunk Club App On Your Phone
Initially, I used my computer and Trunk Club’s website. I realized later, though, that the phone app is easier and more fun to use. I actually missed a couple of ways of giving my stylist feedback on the desktop version, so I would highly recommend using the phone app for the whole process. They really do a fantastic job with the app of making everything easy, intuitive and fun. I especially love the swipe style feature.
Tip: Take Full Advantage Of Your Personal Stylist
Next time, I plan on having more back and forth with my stylist. The app provides plenty of opportunities for taking full advantage of your personal stylist (so use it!) Make sure you communicate your personal style and what you’re looking for. I’m also excited that as the stylist sees what works for me and what I return (that didn’t work), they’ll incorporate those preferences in to my future Trunks.
What a fun, fun process! I’m so excited to do another go-around. Hope this post helped any of you who have been thinking of giving Trunk Club a try.
Huge thank you to Nordstrom and ShopStyle for sponsoring this post and encouraging me to try your service. You absolutely got me to try some pieces that I would have never picked up on my own, and I can’t wait to see what you send me next time!
-Linzi
Oh hey, Pinners…
I don’t dislike the idea of Nordstrom’s Trunk, but I’ve had such bad luck lately with their mail- in returns. Three times in a row, once USPS has handed off return boxes to whatever third party delivery company that gets it to Nordstrom, my returns have been lost. Nordstrom has been nice and refunded my account but it’s such a pain to make multiple calls, wait the requisite 18 business days ( sometimes much longer), etc…
I don’t think I’m up for Trunk Club.
Oh, Rebecca…that sounds so frustrating! I haven’t had any return issues with Nordstrom (thank goodness because I do a LOT of ordering and returning and exchanging), but I can imagine how disappointing that much have been. If you really wanted to try Trunk Club, I’ll tell you…the returns were actually seamless since I didn’t have to pay anything upfront and wasn’t constantly checking to see if everything had been credited. Once I dropped the box off at Walgreens (FedEx), I got a notice from Trunk Club that they saw the trunk was on the way to them. It was actually kind of comforting knowing that they were going to follow the tracking, and I didn’t need to worry about it once it was dropped off. But totally get it,Rebecca…sounds like you’ve had a rough go of mail-in returns. Another option if you really wanted to try it is you could drop the trunk off at your local Nordstrom if you live near one. Hope that helps. Thanks for the comment.
It was probably 4 or 5 years ago now but my very tall husband had great success with Trunk Club.
Oh yay! So good to hear! I may just “surprise” him with it…whether he likes the idea of not. Ha! It’s so frustrating trying to shop for him.
Love this round up – a perfect blend of style ideas and thought-processes without an emphasis on buying exact things. More like this please!
Thanks, Kate, for the comment.
I LOVED Trunk Club when I had a dedicated stylist and used it all the time, both in-person and by mail. I saw a HUGE drop-off in personalization when they closed their in-person, fired their individual stylists and went with a whoever-answers-your-email method, so that each box, or even each request in a box, are responded to by different people. The last few boxes I ordered had nothing that fit me or was my style, despite my attempts to give feedback through the app, so it has been several months since I even logged on. Have they gotten any better?
Hmmm…this is my first time trying the service, so I was pretty excited about doing the whole process. I am obviously not able to compare it to how they operated previously, though. My plan is to order another box mid-February for some spring pieces, so I’ll try and post again about any treasures they send me and how the process goes on round 2.