Tag: Trunk Club

Now that I’ve officially broken up with Stitch Fix, I think it is time for us to return to my new love… Trunk Club.

In case you are just joining us, you can check out my first crack at Trunk Club here (Trunk Club: Part One) and then mosey on through to see my follow up box here (Trunk Club: Part Two).

Here’s a super short overview of Trunk Club:

• You get an actual stylist to talk to by phone or email to discuss your current style, needs, the beautiful weather, etc.
• There is NO styling fee. You only pay for items you keep and shipping is free both ways.
• Your Trunk includes up to 15 items – clothes, shoes, accessories, and handbags.
• You get 10 days to decide what you want and after that time they do accept returns (with tags still on).

Okay… all caught up?

My Trunk Club posts have been quite popular and I was pleasantly surprised to find out from my stylist, Alicia, that I had some referral credits in my account. {thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!} She suggested that it might be a fun time to treat myself, so I decided to let her go wild on Trunk #3.

Actually, I did try for Trunk 2.5… but it was full of a bunch of lace dresses and I hated them all. I can’t wear lace at work and I’m not really a lace person anyways… so I let my fingers do the talking and I denied the entire Trunk. No biggie though, I sent my notes through to Alicia (basically my email said “NO LACE. NEVER LACE!”) and she sent me a new Trunk to review a few hours later.

Want to see what I got?

Sources: (1) Painted Chevron Sheer Coverup, (2) BLANKNYC Cutoff Denim Shorts, (3) rag & bone/JEAN ‘The Cutoff’ Denim Shorts in Freeport, (4) rag & bone/JEAN Destroyed Cutoff Denim Shorts in Gunner, (5) Topshop ‘Ashley’ Denim Cutoff shorts, (6) Eliza J Floral Print Faille Ball Skirt, (7) Eliza J Seamed Crepe Sheath Dress, (8) Maggy London Print Sateen Fit & Flare Dress, (9) Eliza J Print Chiffon Halter Maxi dress, (10) Diane von Furstenberg ‘Bali’ Embroidered Wrap Dress, (11) Kate Spade New York ‘cape drive – lynnie’ drawstring tote,  (12) Rebecca Minkoff ‘Mansfield’ Leather Tote, (13) and (14) Ugg Maysie Espadrille Sandal, (15) Ugg Hilarie Wedge Sandal.

If you are thinking that this Trunk looks like a doozy, you wouldn’t be wrong. I even snapped this picture showing how comically large the Trunk was next to my outgoing Stitch Fix box:

A photo posted by pocketfulofjoules (@pocketfulofjoules) on May 10, 2016 at 4:42pm PDT

I had mentioned before how my stylist sends me an email with different outfit ideas for each Trunk’s contents. However, now that I own items from previous Trunks I realized that she even includes them when she creates her outfit suggestions. How cool is that?!

Now, before we get into the pretty pictures, please believe me when I say they weren’t all winners. Three different pairs of jean shorts wouldn’t pull up over my thighs, much less button around my waist. There were also fit issues with dresses 7, 8, and 9… which is why I didn’t take any photos of them on. However, there were some really fantastic items too. Here are a few of my favorite pairings based on my stylist’s suggestions:

Outfit 1: 6 + 14 + Top from Trunk #2

I swear I’m wearing those cute UGG sandals under this amazing ball skirt… even if you can’t see them. I wish I had a lifestyle or event that called for this skirt, because it is absolutely beautiful. The fabric is quite substantial and it even has pockets. The problem is that in real life I don’t actually have anywhere to wear this. Oh, and I tripped like 4 times just walking down the stairs and out the front door to take this picture. It’s so beautiful though and now that I’m looking at the picture again I wish I would have kept it for those fancy Home Depot trips…

Outfit 2: 2 + 12 + 14 + Top from Trunk #2

This one of the exact outfits suggested by my stylist and I think it’s pretty clear that she gets me and loves me. I bought this top from my last Trunk and I’m still (in May?!) waiting for the weather to get warm so I can wear it all the time. I really needed a new pair of jean shorts and this pair fit best out of all the ones in the Trunk. They are just the amount of stretchy, but not too thick or thin. I also like that they are a little distressed, but don’t look like I ran over them with a lawnmower. These UGG sandals are the style that I’ve seen all over the blogosphere with ladies saying that they are so super comfortable… so I decided to try them for myself. They are right; these are insanely comfy and easy to wear all day long.

Now let’s talk about that purse. I asked Alicia to send me over a couple purse options and she sent this Rebecca Minkoff bag for me to try. Let me start by saying that I am NOT a $345 purse kinda girl, but I was actually seriously considering it because I would have been able to use those referral credits {thank you again}. I went back and forth and back again and finally I decided that as much as I loved the purse for its amazingly soft leather and classic design, I’m just not at a point in my life that I can have a fussy bag that I need to be careful with. I’m still at the point where I have matchbox cars, two kindles and three kinds of snacks rolling around in there. So, for now… I passed. I do need a new purse though, so I may ask her to try again and keep the price under $150.

Outfit 3: 10 + 13

When you get the opportunity to try on a Diane von Furstenberg dress, you DO IT. Even though it is $468 and you typically spend less than $100 on dresses. Sure, I could have used up a bunch of referral credits to make the dress more affordable, but still is it possible that I can be the kind of lady who runs around in a DVF dress like no big thang? The answer was ALMOST yes. Almost. Instead, I decided that as much as I love the dress and as much as it fits like it was made for me, I should pass in favor of items I’d actually get more wear out of.

Outfit 4: 1 + 2 + 13

How adorable is this combo?! I asked Alicia for a cute swimsuit cover up option, since I spend a bunch of time in Ocean City chasing my kid around. She sent over this pretty kimono-type gauzy thing and I love it! I paired it with one of my favorite Modcloth swimsuits (Beach Blanket Bingo in Red), the jean shorts and the UGG sandals.

So, what did I buy?

Here are the winners:

I love each item that I got and I think I will get a ton of wear out of them all over the summer. I just recently “retired” some super-worn sandals, so now was a great time to bring in two new pairs that I can use for everyday workdays. I’ve already tested them out and successfully got through a 12 hour day on my feet! Part of me already misses the purse and DVF dress, but there is always next time.

Are you going to try Trunk Club?
Really there is nothing to lose at all since there are no styling fees AND no minimum purchase. If you’ve been thinking about refreshing your wardrobe, this can be a great way to try some new looks out for free! If you do decide to try them out, I’d really appreciate it if you use my special referral link it will cost you nothing and earns me a small amount to go towards items in my next Trunk.

Also, if you decide to have a Trunk sent to you, please shoot me an email and tell me about your experience. I may use your thoughts (good and bad) in a future post. Speaking of other experiences, one of my friends recently decided to try them and the stylist told her that the majority of items would be in the $100 – 300 range, so she [very understandably] had sticker shock and cancelled her Trunk. While I do find Trunk Club items a bit pricier — especially if you are used to hunting for deals on the clearance racks — most of the items I’ve purchased have been under $100. Just to let you know what to expect!

If you have questions about Trunk Club, please leave me a comment and I’ll try to answer them for you! Do you think I made the right choices on what to buy from this Trunk? If you had credits burning a hole in your pocket, would you have splurged with the dress or purse?

 

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored by Trunk Club, I pay for any clothing I purchase with my own hard-earned money. If you enjoyed my review and decide to try Trunk Club for yourself, the biggest compliment you can give me is by using my referral link. Thank you to anyone who chooses to click through and support my shopping addiction! This post contains ShopStyle affiliate links. This means that clicking on a link may help me earn a small commission at no cost to you.

As promised, here is the second part of my Trunk Club experience. If you missed part one or just need a refresher on the whole Trunk Club thing, you can find Trunk Club: Part One here.

Super short version:

• You get an actual stylist to talk to by phone or email to discuss your current style, needs, the beautiful weather, etc.
• It’s totally FREE with NO STYLIST FEE. You only pay for items you keep and shipping is free both ways.
• Your Trunk includes 15 items – clothes, shoes, accessories, and handbags.
• You get 10 days to decide what you want and after that time they do accept returns (with tags still on).

Okay… all caught up?

When we left off, I had decided to buy just one item from my first Trunk (the gorgeous flowered skirt) and was excited to see what my stylist would send in my ‘follow up’ box. The idea behind having a follow up box immediately shipped out after your first one goes back is that your stylist can tweak any sizing issues, get to other items she couldn’t fit in, and address any issues or ‘near misses’ you had from your initial Trunk.

Just as she did for my first Trunk, Alicia sent me over a preview of 22 items she was considering and I slashed my choices down to just 11. She then picked a few more items to get to that magic number of 15 and sent it out for me to try.

Here’s what I received in my second trunk:

Sources: (1) Splendid Deep V Half Sleeve Tee in black, (2) Free People ‘Pearls’ V-Neck Tee in blue, (3) Treasure&Bond One Pocket Burnout Tee in charcoal, (4) Halogen Side Slit Long Scoop Neck Tee in Purple, (5) Paige Denim ‘Lynnea’ Stripe V-Neck Pocket Tee, (6) Free People ‘Long Beach’ Tank, (7 & 8) Caslon One-Button Knit Blazer in tan and navy, (9) Madewell Cotton Jean Jacket Pinter Wash, (10) Stem Space Dye Knit Pencil Skirt, (11) NIC ZOE Summer Fling Linen Blend Skirt, (12) Halogen Ponte Knit Skater Skirt, (13) BB Dakota Renley Lace Fit & Flare Dress, (14) Felicity & Coco Back Cutout Fit & Flare Dress, (15) Vince ‘Mason’ Relaxed Rolled Jeans Hyperion Ave.

{PS If you are interested in seeing the prices of any item, just click on the name under Sources. The reason I didn’t include prices is that unlike Stitch Fix, it is quite possible that items could go on sale. By clicking through, you get the most current price. I had some questions on that last time and just wanted to be clear on why I did it this way. It’s not because I make a ton of money when I have click-through links… to be honest, after months and months I still haven’t made enough to have a $100 check cut for me.}

Once again, my stylist sent me an email with lots of outfit idea for how to pair the items. Here are a few of my favorite pairings based on her suggestions:

Outfit #1: 2 + 8 + 11

I think Alicia is totally going in the right direction, but the only part of this outfit that is really calling to me is the insanely soft v-neck tee. The white skirt is flattering and a really perfect length, but both the color and the fact that it is linen just make it impractical for my life. The blazer is such a pretty color and also quite soft – like a sweatshirt – but it seems a little too boxy on my figure. That tee though… so good. In order to see a casual look, I tried the tee with my own jeans (the ones in the Trunk were too small) and my new taupe booties (you can find them here).

Outfit #2: 1 + 9 + 10

I totally feel like Rizzo in this outfit and had to stop myself from doing the hand jive during these pictures. If my tummy were a bit flatter, I would buy this pencil skirt in an instant. It is such a soft and stretchy material that I can see being comfortable all day long. However, for me to feel confident I had to put on some supersonic shapewear, and that’s really only an ‘in emergency situations’ kind of thing for me. This tee shirt is PERFECT though. The v-neck in the front is low but not too low, the sleeves are elbow-length which look great and also cover my tattoo for work and the fit is spot on. As for the jean jacket, I do like it but it is quite similar to one that I already own.

Outfit #3: 1 + Skirt from my last Trunk

Here is the skirt I bought from my last Trunk, paired with the tee from the previous outfit. I love it. Love, love, love it. And unlike the pencil skirt, I can breathe and eat in this outfit.

Outfit #4: 3 + jeans, 5 + jeans

Alicia was totally on a roll when she was picking out tees for me and I love both of these! The gray tee is one of the softest fabrics I’ve ever touched, extra drapy and has a fun distressed look that can toughen up an otherwise boring outfit. The striped tee is a linen-mix that makes it seem a little extra special.

I wish I could also show you the two dresses in the Trunk, but the green one is super short and the floral version is gorgeous…but I cannot figure out how to close the back myself without help (and my husband wasn’t home when I did pictures). Both of them would have been fantastic on someone more petite or a lady who has fantastic legs that she wants to show off for a night on the town! Same goes for that black skater skirt… it needed like a foot of extra length for me to be able to wear it without showing off my goodies.

Final Thoughts
Another really wonderful trunk and Alicia hit my style on the head. If the skirt length was longer on the black skirt and two dresses, I’d really have a conundrum on deciding which to buy. However, as it is here are my four finalists:

What do you think I should buy?

Are you going to try Trunk Club?
Really there is nothing to lose at all since there are no styling fees AND no minimum purchase. If you’ve been thinking about refreshing your wardrobe for spring, this can be a great way to try some new looks out for free! If you do decide to try them out, I’d really appreciate it if you use my special referral link it will cost you nothing and earns me a small amount to go towards items in my next Trunk.

Also, if you DO decide to have a Trunk sent to you, please shoot me an email and tell me about your experience. I may use your thoughts (good and bad) in a follow up post.

If you have questions about Trunk Club, please leave me a comment and I’ll try to answer them for you! Also, let me know your thoughts on what you think I should buy from my Trunk!

 

{Psssst… if you like my clothing box company reviews, here is a handy-dandy list of the ones I’ve tried: Stitch Fix, Trendsend, The Ms. Collection, DailyLook Elite and Wantable’s Fitness Edit}

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored by Trunk Club, I pay for any clothing I purchase with my own hard-earned money. If you enjoyed my review and decide to try Trunk Club for yourself, the biggest compliment you can give me is by using my referral link. Thank you to anyone who chooses to click through and support my shopping addiction! This post contains ShopStyle affiliate links. This means that clicking on a link may help me earn a small commission at no cost to you.

 

Well, it’s a good thing I didn’t get that ‘Stitch Fix 4 LIFE’ tattoo I was considering, because I have a new loovah that goes by the name of Trunk Club.

That’s right, I’m seriously considering kicking Stitch Fix to the curb, and I already told them by adding ‘unless I’m blown away, this will be my last Fix for awhile’ to my March note. Stitch Fix, you’ve been WARNED!

Why?
Because Trunk Club is amazingly awesome.

What is Trunk Club?
Trunk Club is like the big sister of Stitch Fix… a little more savvy and much more grown up. Like other subscriptions, you go online and complete a style survey. However, then you get connected with a stylist who will work with you over the phone or by email to find the best clothes for your size, style and preferences. They have a relationship with Nordstrom, so you are actually familiar with the brands and quality of the clothing they sell.

Other differences:

• There is no stylist fee. It’s totally free to try and you only pay for the items you keep. Shipping is free both ways.
• You work with a stylist and build a relationship with her. You can talk to her on the phone or email her anytime you want.
• Your Trunk includes around 15 items and can include clothes, shoes, accessories and handbags.
• You can take your time deciding what you want because you have 10 days to try everything on.
• It’s not a subscription and you order a Trunk whenever you want one.
• From what I hear, Trunk Club carries up to a size 18. (I’m going to double-check this with my stylist)

I signed up and within 24 hours my new stylist, Alicia, reached out to me. We emailed back and forth a few times so that she could understand my exact needs (she would have called so we could speak on the phone, but email tends to work better for me) and she sent me an initial trunk online to review.

That’s right, I had a chance to preview each item she was thinking of sending and veto the ones I didn’t like. Even better, she asked that when I removed items that I let her know WHY I removed them so that she could better chose future items.

WOW.

It was super easy to go on and reject items:

I was super honest with my reasoning on why I made each rejection – from ‘sorry that is way out of my price range’ to ‘I have something similar’ and ‘I really dislike the sleeves on that.’ Once I was done, she finalized everything on her end, added a couple more things and sent me my Trunk.

LOOK at this thing!

A photo posted by pocketfulofjoules (@pocketfulofjoules) on Feb 29, 2016 at 11:55am PST

It is HUGE. Like, mega huge. I tried to get Ollie to stand next to it so you could see the size, but the thought that I might want to put him IN the box so he hid under the bed.

I had 15 items in my initial trunk. I say ‘initial trunk’ because the plan is for me to try on all the items and then send back everything I don’t want. Even if that is every single thing. Alicia will then take my feedback into consideration and immediately send me out a new trunk once UPS picks up the one I have. That way she can tweak any sizing issues and get to other items that she couldn’t fit in the first trunk without me waiting a month to try again. Pretty cool, right?

Here’s what I received in my first trunk:

Sources: (1) Caslon White Scoop Neck Cotton Tee, (2) Splendid Scoop Neck Top, (3) Caslon Linen Blend Utility Jacket, (4) Love, Fire Distressed Denim Jacket, (5) Eliza J Pleated Faille Midi Skirt in Blush, (6) Eliza J Pleated Faille Midi Skirt in Black, (7) Eliza J Floral Print Faille Midi Skirt, (8) Felicity & Coco Sleeveless Fit & Flare Dress, (9) Tahari Jacquard Fit & Flare Dress, (10) Eliza J Jersey Floral Faille Fit & Flare Dress, (11) Citizens of Humanity ‘Arielle’ Mid Rise Slim Jeans, (12) Madewell ‘Flea Market’ Flare Jeans, (13) Madewell Slim Boy Jeans, (14) Ivanka Trump ‘Camille’ Studded Gladiator Sandal, (15) Dolce Vita ‘Kara’ Perforated Bootie.

Within an hour of my Trunk arriving, I had an email from my stylist with her suggestions on how to pair the items. Here are a few of my favorite pairings based on her suggestions:

Outfit #1: 4 + 10 + 14

This dress is fantastic and I really like the solid top and floral skirt. I am not a fan of the pink belt though and would totally switch it out with a brown one immediately. I actually like the look of the destroyed jean jacket a lot more than I thought I would, but I’m still not sure if it’s an item that I need for my closet. These shoes are great, but they are similar to a pair I already own and a little pricey for sandals.

Outfit #2: 4 + 7 + 2 + 15

Now this skirt is like a more versatile version of the dress from the last outfit – I could totally wear it work with a cardigan or throw on a tank top for a perfect vacation look. This skirt is actually my favorite item from the entire box! It is the exact same skirt as the blush and black versions (items 5 and 6) but the flowers make it perfect for me. I was considering buying the black version too, but would prefer something a little less structured for day-to-day outfits (it has a crinoline layer underneath for stiffness). Oh yes, and POCKETS! {swoon}

The tee is a really nice, slouchy gray shirt with some bunching in the middle to give it that flowy shape (you can tell better when it’s untucked for outfit #3). It’s the perfect softness, color and I love the little cap sleeves. It’s a little expensive though for a tee… I wish it were like half the price and then I’d snap it up.

Now let’s talk about the booties – I’ve really been needing a pair of taupe booties and asked my stylist to include some in this Trunk. These booties are great. Actually, they are better than great…the perforated leather and cute back buckle gives them interest and the color is really flattering with my skin tone. Before I pull the trigger on them I want to compare them to another pair I’ve been drooling over online. Luckily I have 10 days to think about my Trunk, which will give me time to compare the two pairs of booties side-by-side.

Outfit #3: 3 + 2 + 13 + 15

I really like how my stylist remixed a couple of the pieces that we’ve already tried into this new, casual outfit. When I saw the preview, I fell in love with the jacket… but on me it doesn’t fit quite right because the arms are extra baggy (which I fixed by rolling the sleeves). In my notes I’m going to ask my stylist to send me something similar to try out.

I really like the color, distressing and fit of these jeans. However, there are two things I don’t like – they are a little stiff/scratchy, and more importantly they don’t really fit my butt well. Since I do like the overall look of them, I’m going to ask my stylist to send me a similar pair with more stretch. Ahhh, those booties. They are just so stinking cute…

Outfit #4: 9 + 4 + 14

I really wish this dress were a softer jersey-type fabric. As it is, it’s kind of stiff and reminds me a lot of a dress I already own. However, it looks really cute with the distressed jacket and studded sandals. It’s quite obvious that my stylist did her homework and she totally understands my style!

Final Thoughts:
I really, really loved my trunk and if I had the means (and the closet space) I’d buy most of it. However, I don’t really NEED a ton of pieces so I’ve narrowed it down to just the items I love.

Here are the finalists:

What do you think I should buy?

So there you go, my very first Trunk Club experience! As you can see, I called this post “Trunk Club: Part One” because I intend to add a second breakdown once my follow up box arrives (Update: it arrived and you can check it out here!) I’m also thinking about doing a Part Three to show you how I can remix the items I bought with other stuff I already own.

What do you think, are you going to try Trunk Club?
Really there is nothing to lose at all since there are no styling fees AND no minimum purchase. If you’ve been thinking about refreshing your wardrobe for spring, this can be a great way to try some new looks out for free! If you do decide to try them out, I’d really appreciate it if you use my special referral link it will cost you nothing and earns me a small amount to go towards items in my next Trunk.

Also, if you DO decide to have a Trunk sent to you, please shoot me an email and tell me about your experience. I may use your thoughts (good and bad) in a follow up post.

If you have questions about Trunk Club, please leave me a comment and I’ll try to answer them for you! Also, let me know your thoughts on what I should buy!

Update: I received my follow up Trunk and it’s awesome! You can see the post with a ton of pictures here!

 

{Psssst… if you like my clothing box company reviews, here is a handy-dandy list of the ones I’ve tried: Stitch Fix, Trendsend, The Ms. Collection, DailyLook Elite and Wantable’s Fitness Edit}

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored by Trunk Club, I pay for any clothing I purchase with my own hard-earned money. If you enjoyed my review and decide to try Trunk Club for yourself, the biggest compliment you can give me is by using my referral link. Thank you to anyone who chooses to click through and support my shopping addiction! This post contains ShopStyle affiliate links. This means that clicking on a link may help me earn a small commission at no cost to you.