January Trunk Club Review
I always feel so uninspired with my wardrobe in January. My holiday sweaters have been packed away, and it is still too early to break out my spring favorites. Winter in NY can get quite depressing this time of year, so I decided that this month I would resurrect my Trunk Club subscription to bring some new life into my wardrobe.
What is Trunk Club?
Trunk Club is a personal styling service for men and women. Similar to StitchFix, subscribers fill out a detailed style questionnaire, and are paired with a stylist that curates a collection of items based on your preferences and requests.
Prior to receiving your Trunk Club box, you have 48 hours to preview your trunk before it is shipped to you. During that time you can request to have items switched out to better suit your needs. Once you approve your trunk, it is shipped to you and you have five days to try on the clothing, shoes, and accessories. You decide what you want to keep, and mail the rest back with the provided pre-paid shipping label.
There is a $25 styling fee, similar to StitchFix. However, this styling fee is waived if you are a Nordstrom card holder. Trunk Club is a Nordstrom company, meaning you can earn Nordstrom Notes with every Trunk Club purchase. By no means am I suggesting that you sign up for a Nordstrom Card, unless that is the right decision for you. I am a Nordstrom cardholder, so I do not pay the styling fee. No worries though, that $25 styling fee gets credited toward whatever you decide to keep from your trunk.
Full disclosure here, the cost of these items is moderate to high. You can set a price range, but many of the brands at Nordstrom don’t fall within a low price range. So why use this, you ask? Well, I love this service for sustainable items in my closet, such as jeans, shoes, handbags, jewelry, dresses, and coats. I typically do not purchase many tops from my trunk, but will spend up on items that I know are going to last me several seasons. It can get pricey, but the quality is much better than StitchFix, in my opinion!
January Trunk Club Review
Before we get started I am SO SORRY about the very poor photo quality. It has been raining/snowing/gloomy in Upstate, NY for what feels like weeks. If I wait for the sun to come out to take photos, I might be waiting until April. I will provide links to all in stock products so that you can see the true color of the items.
Blondo Elvina Waterproof Booties ($149.95)
I have always heard that Blondo boots are great, but I never believed the hype until these boots came into my life. Ladies, they are legit. First, I love that they are waterproof (see my Winter Shoe Essentials for more on that topic). Second, the inner lining in these feels like you are walking on a soft cloud. They are the most comfortable booties I have ever owned. My stylist sent me a size 7.5 which is a half size larger than my regular size. I found this to work great because they do have a pointed toe.
VERDICT: KEEP
Madewell ‘Whisper’ Cotton Crewneck Tee ($19.50)
Madewell tees are great. They are relatively affordable, and hold up well in the wash. My sylist sent me an XS, and while this fit, I might have even sized up one for a more relaxed fit. I would have purchased this if I didn’t already own one that is similar. If you need to stock up on basics, I highly recommend this one!
VERDICT: RETURN
UGG Clementine Cotton Sweatpants ($88)
When I saw these in my trunk preview, I knew I was going to love them. Let’s be honest, I can dress up all I want, but my true fashion loves are in the loungewear category. Sadly, these joggers were huge on me. My stylist sent me a size small, which is my true size, but these run very large. You can exchange items for another size, but when I checked they had already sold out.
VERDICT: RETURN 🙁
Madewell Stanza Ruffle Hem Top ($69.50)
This top is so cute! I love the peplum and the ruffle hem sleeve. The color was gorgeous, and it also comes in white, which I think would be perfect for spring. My stylist sent me an XS, and the fit was great. I decided not to keep it because I was already over my budget with some other items that I wanted to keep from my trunk.
VERDICT: RETURN
DL1961 Florance Instasculpt Skinny Jean ($178)
Looking at the price tag during my trunk preview, I was having some sticker shock, but I decided to keep these in my trunk regardless. Basically, I wanted to try out some fancy jeans for myself. I can truly say, quality jeans are worth the price. These are soft, stretchy, and are true to size. They were about 3 inches too long on me (I am 5’2”) so I had to cuff them quite a bit, but that really isn’t anything new for me.
VERDICT: RETURN
Madewell Colorfleck Ribbed Turtleneck Sweater ($89.99)
Like I said previously, I have to really LOVE a top in order to spend a lot of money on it. I did like the idea of this sweater, and it was actually part of a current Nordstrom sale (Trunk Club does honor Nordstrom sale prices). Unfortunately, it was a little too small (wearing an XS). I wanted it to be longer in the back so that I could wear it with leggings, or front tuck it into jeans. I did talk myself out of exchanging it because spring is around the corner and I won’t get as much use out of this item
VERDICT: RETURN
AG The Farrah High Waisted Skinny Jean ($178)
I am still debating on these. Similar to the DL1961, they are expensive, but oh man, are they good. These jeans felt like butter on my legs. I apparently have never owned a good quality pair of jeans in my lifetime, because this was like an out of body experience wearing these. I wear dark jeans almost every day, so I think they would be worth every penny, but I just don’t know if I can spare those pennies right now.
VERDICT: I DON’T KNOW, HELP ME.
Nordstrom Cubic Zirconia Necklace ($39) and Earrings ($46)
These two are the reason that I did not keep the aforementioned ruffle top. For this trunk, I requested some dainty, classic jewelry that I can wear every day. I am pretty picky about jewelry, and I don’t really wear a lot of it. Typically, I prefer more classic pieces over trendy, statement items, and these fit that description well. Also, I forgot to take an close up photo of the necklace, but you can see it here.
VERDICT: KEEP BOTH
Estella Bartlett Copperfield Faux Leather Drawstring Bag ($89)
This bucket bag was super cute. It is a dark navy with gold hardware. I really would have loved this more if it was black. They currently have a white one, that would be great for spring. I felt that the leather was super soft, and they price was fair for the quality!
VERDICT: RETURN
Chelsea28 Pintuck Detail Split Sleeve Blouse ($69)
This is a great work top! My issue with tops like this is that the arms are never long enough, but with the extra fabric from the split sleeve detail, this fit great. I did love it, but decided to keep it because I wasn’t sure how much I would wear it.
VERDICT: RETURN
So I ended up keeping 3-4 out of the 11 items that were sent to me. I think that was a pretty good trunk. The problem with these higher end brands is that I can’t spend a lot at one time. I do think it’s worth trying on some items that I know I cannot buy now, because when they go on sale I will have a better idea of the size, color, fit, etc.
If you want to try Trunk Club, you can sign up here. Let me know what you got in your trunk! Tag me on instagram, or leave me a comment so I can see!
Some links in this post are affiliate links, and I do receive a small commission when items are purchased through my links. As usual, I love and appreciate all of your support throughout this journey.
xo, Kristen
