How Does Trunk Club Work?
Trunk Club is a personal styling service for men and women. Here’s how it works: Sign up here and we’ll pair you with a stylist who will learn about your clothing needs, then hand-select pieces to send to you in a Trunk. Receive a preview email of your items to approve.
Limited store hours and unavailable merchandise can make shopping in a store (or online) overwhelming and inconvenient. Moreover, sometimes you may not know what you want, nor do the sales or online chat representatives who are supposed to be there to help you. This creates a real issue for shoppers all the time, but it also creates an opportunity for innovative companies like Trunk Club to offer real solutions.
Trunk Club’s purpose is to solve these very issues. As an innovative online fashion shopping service, Trunk Club assists you with finding the ensembles you need by pairing you with a personal stylist who recommends and handpicks premium clothing, including designer, clothes for you. You get to try on the clothes and return what you don’t need or love. It’s a convenient way to solve a time-consuming issue. Here’s how it works.
Trunk Club can be used in two ways: In-person at a Trunk Club store, which is referred to as a Clubhouse, or at home by mailed package, which is referred to as a trunk.
At the Clubhouse
The clubhouse option is simple. Find a location near you and arrive for a personal fitting with a stylist who helps you find the right clothes to meet your style, size, fit and budget preferences—all while you take advantage of the complimentary bar drink. You can also schedule an appointment by calling a Clubhouse location of your preference or emailing the company. Additionally, there are also Clubhouses with custom clothing services for men where you get measured by a stylist and discuss what you want to be made. You’ll get acquainted with your stylist, discuss your style, sip on a complimentary drink, try on options, select fabrics and decide on the construction details to accommodate your ensemble whether it be for the weekend or work.
At Home
1. Select the type of clothing you need.
The initial step of using Trunk Club requires you to select which type of clothing you need. Trunk Club members can shop for either women’s or men’s ensembles.
2. Take a Personal Style Quiz
Once you click on the type of clothing you need based on gender, then you are prompted to take a style quiz. This quiz will inquire about the type of clothing you need based on the occasion. For example, men’s clothing provides the option of business formal, where you get suits and ties; business casual, where you can expect chinos and button-up tops; or casual ensembles, in which there is no specific dress code indicated. You also have the option to skip this step if you prefer to just dive into signing up for your membership.
If you decide to continue with the quiz, you will be asked what you prefer to wear on the weekend. For instance, the men’s weekend options include:
- Classic casual (dark denim and crew necks)
- Athletic clothing (pullovers and joggers)
- Trendy casual clothing (hoodies and v-necks)
You also have the opportunity to skip picking your weekend clothing and moving on to the select your fit preferences for your shirt. Trunk Club keeps this simple by only giving you two choices to pick: slim or classic. You can also select “I don’t know” if you cannot make up your mind between the two options. You will then be able to select your pants fit from choices of slim, straight and relaxed; which stores you like to shop, such as Express or Neiman Marcus; and provide your pants, waist and shoe sizes. You’ll also be given the chance to give your height, weight and age so that Trunk Club can help you find the right type of clothing for you.
3. Sign Up to Meet Your Stylist
After taking the style quiz, you can create a profile and sign up to become a Trunk Club member so that you can meet your stylist. You’ll have to give some basic contact information, such as your ZIP code, phone number, email address and name, along with creating a password for your account.
4. Approve Your Stylist’s Personalized Selections for You
Before receiving your trunk, you will get an emailed list so that you can pre-approve the trunk selections. Sign off on the items you want to initiate the mailing process. Your trunk will arrive within five days.
5. Try and Buy (or Return)
Once you receive your items in the mail, you should try them on and see if you like the fit and style. Whatever you want, just keep and pay for it. If you don’t want some or all of the pieces, return the items back to Trunk Club.
Final Thoughts
As of 2017, the price of Trunk Club products range from $100 to $300. If you choose to receive your trunk at home, you can expect a $25 cost for trying on the clothes that come in the trunk, which also acts as a credit toward the items you choose to purchase. You also enjoy the benefit of free return shipping for the items you don’t need. When you make a purchase at the Clubhouse, you get the instant gratification of the clothes you want because you can buy them right away. However, men’s custom clothing can range from $190 for shirts to $1,200 for topcoats.
While the custom price options can be priced higher than ready-to-wear options, they come with the benefit of a quick-fitting time of one to two hours and production time of 6 to 8 weeks to have a unique, customized wardrobe.