I’ve been in a bit of a denim rut lately. I own several pairs that I have purchased over the years, but these days my rotation consists of just two pair. My very fitted skinny jeans (that have gotten a bit tighter lately – hence my foray back into the Whole 30) and my less fitted skinny jeans (that have become my casual weekend favorites). I wanted another pair, but I did not want to go through the ordeal of shopping in-store for new jeans and I didn’t want to pay a bunch of money up front to order several jeans online. I was in desperate need of a little extra variety, so I decided to try out a new service: Trunk Club.
You already know about my devotion to Stitch Fix. That is not going to change. But I didn’t want to “waste” a whole fix on just jeans when there are so many pretty blouses, dresses and shoes to be discovered.
My first Trunk Club experience did not disappoint! Just like Stitch Fix, I was matched with a personal stylist. I found out her name (Makenzie Scanlan) immediately.
I provided my size information and told Makenzie that I wanted a trunk filled with jeans. She was super-speedy about selecting some items for me ahead of time and she sent a preview of my trunk before it shipped. I was able to review a photo of each item, as well as the designer, style name and the price.
At this point, I could designate whether I wanted Makenzie to send her pre-selections to me or I could click the “don’t send” button. I also had the option of sending Makenzie and email or logging into Trunk Club and sending her a message about her selections.
As promised, she added a few more styles to my Trunk and even though some of them didn’t quite seem like my style, I happily accepted the assistance and let Makenzie ship a trunk filled with 11 pairs of jeans my way.
A Look at My First Trunk
When the box arrived at my door, it weighed 13 pounds! I was immediately thankful for the free shipping.
As you might expect, the presentation was top-notch. The jeans were bundled into smaller parcels in the box.
The jeans were carefully tied into smaller parcels and secured with ribbon. An envelope with return instructions, a pre-paid shipping label and even tape strips was also included in my trunk.
I spent the next hour or so trying on every single pair of jeans that arrived in my trunk. As expected, not every pair was a great fit, nor were they all exactly my style. But there were a few noteworthy pairs so I snapped some photos to show you the highlights from my trunk.
“Hotel” Distressed Skinny Jeans from BlankNYC
The first pair that I tried and really liked was a pair of BlankNYC jeans. The “Hotel” style of distressed skinny jeans had a subtle amount of distressing – enough to look interesting, but not so much that I look like my clothes are falling apart.
These jeans also happened to be a perfect fit. They were sort of a cross between my current go-to denim choices. They were fitted, but lightweight and stretch, with a little bit of extra room. They also happened to fit comfortably around my waist without stretching, sliding and sagging.
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They were the perfect jeans to wear on a casual Saturday with a basic pair of black Chucks and my new favorite socks.
I also paired these jeans with my Matte Black Tieks for a slightly more sophisticated look. As it turns out, the jeans can easily be dressed up or down with the right pair of shoes and a coordinating top.
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These “Hotel” skinny jeans from BlankNYC were definite keepers! I’ve already worn them at least a dozen times and the fit is absolutely perfect. They don’t slide or sag at all and always look great on.
“Diana” Stretch Skinny Jeans by Kut from the Kloth
The second pair that I reached for was the pair of “Diana” stretch skinny jeans by Kut from the Kloth. I know a lot of women really love this brand of denim so I was pretty confident I would also love them.
My confidence may have been slightly misplaced. It’s not that they were bad jeans. They fit well and were very comfortable. With my lack of curves, the jeans just sort of hung on me in all the wrong places and resembled a pair of proverbial “mom jeans”. There was just a little too much fabric around my legs for a style of jean that calls itself “skinny.”
The jeans may have been more roomy than my usual style, but that meant they were also school appropriate, so I decided to try styling them a bit more to see if I could persuade myself to purchase them, just because I could seriously use another pair of jeans that I can wear on the occasional jean day. I rolled up the cuffs and that honestly did help – a bit.
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Even though the jeans fit and would be great for school, I decided to send them back. I couldn’t justify spending $89 for jeans that I didn’t absolutely love. But they were comfortable and a great fit. I know they will fit someone else’s taste perfectly.
“Diana” Stretch Skinny Jeans (Again)
The third pair of note was another “Diana” style of skinny jeans from Kut from the Kloth. These were a darker wash. Admittedly, I wasn’t paying attention. I knew they were by the same designer but I didn’t realize this was the exact same style of jeans.
The darker wash must have made the extra fabric around my legs seem less obvious because I did prefer this pair slightly more than the jeans I had just tried on. I suppose they still looked like they were made for a mom, but this particular mom seems a little more stylish.
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These jeans were also returned, but they had my attention while I tried them on.
Flair Jeans Mode Medium from Treasure&Bond
Next up was a pair of Flair Jeans Mode Medium from Treasure&Bond. I love flair jeans and had specifically requested that Makenzie send a pair my way.
I was looking for a pair that I could wear with flat sandals this summer. These were not the jeans for that job – they were pretty long. I had to pull a pair of wedges out of my closet to try on with the jeans.
Nothing momish about these jeans! They fit perfectly and I was so tempted to keep them!
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As much as I loved these jeans, I returned them to Trunk Club. I already own a few pair of flair leg jeans in a similar style and it wasn’t practical to purchase another pair. I need jeans that I can wear on a daily basis with sandals, flats or tennis shoes and these jeans required more dressy attire and less casual shoes.
I tried to find an exact link to these jeans on Nordstrom but didn’t have any luck. Sorry!
The Rest of my Trunk…
There were several other pair of jeans included in my trunk that really didn’t suit my style. I’ll spare you the try-on photos, but here’s a look at some of the other pieces that Trunk Club sent my way:
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Give Trunk Club a Try
I must admit, I was quite impressed with the entire Trunk Club experience. I really wanted new jeans but the thought of dragging myself to a department store (where I was sure to find the most options and the best selection) sounded awful. It was so easy to sign up for Trunk Club, email with my stylist Makenzie, give feedback along the way and try all those jeans on in the comfort of my home. And it was so much better than a department store!
Trunk Club ships merchandise from Nordstrom, which is also pretty great. For one, if you saw any jeans in this post that you loved, you can live vicariously through my try-on experience and purchase the jeans you love instantly without having to request them. The quality of the clothes is also excellent because … Nordstrom.
Annnnd, if the clothes happen to be on sale at the time of your purchase, Trunk Club passes the discount along! Remember those “Hotel” skinny jeans from BlankNYC? They were listed as $88, but I was only charged $66 for those jeans because they happened to be on sale at the time. What a deal!
You don’t have to pay for the service of having a trunk created for you and you aren’t obligated to purchase anything through Trunk Club, but there is a new one-time fee that Trunk Club is beginning to charge for first-time sign ups. When you sign up to arrange your first trunk, your credit card will be charged $100 and the money will instantly be applied as credit to your Trunk Club account. Which means that you are investing $100 in your Trunk Club experience. The money doesn’t go away and it is yours to spend within Trunk Club. I know it sounds risky – believe me I get it! Since Trunk Club gets all of their merchandise from Nordstrom, you could always request a few specific items that you have been wanting anyway to be included in your trunk (like shoes, jewelry or handbags). That way, you’ll get something you would have purchased anyway. The $100 credit doesn’t expire and it is a one time fee. When you think about how the actual service is free and shipping is covered by Trunk Club, it’s not that bad of a deal.
Just in case you happen to dislike every item that Trunk Club sends your way, you can send it all back without having any money taken out of your initial $100 credit.
This post contains my referral link for Trunk Club (as well as a few affiliate links). If you purchase anything or sign up for Trunk Club through one of our links, it helps to support the blog and allows me to continue sharing blog posts of this type without Rob pulling in the reins on my clothing budget. :)
Thanks for this great review. I have been intrigued by Trunk Club, but didn’t quite “get” how it worked. (Admittedly, I haven’t done ANY research…) This sounds like a great addition to my Stitch Fix obsession. Not sure how the husband will feel about it, buuuuut…. ;)
Great post! I love reading about other people’s Trunk Club experiences since I just signed up for my first one :) I completely agree with the jeans that you chose. They look great on you. Annnnnnd I added them to the list of things to give a try ;)
The only thing I would note (solely so people don’t get frustrated with you if they go to sign up) is they now institute a $100 charge for receiving your first trunk. They are referring to it as a one time membership fee (I believe is what my stytlist told me). It’s only on your first trunk and they do place it in your account as a credit towards any future purchases, but thought I’d throw it out there as technically it’s no longer completely free to sign up :) I signed up for my first trunk about a week ago, so not sure exactly when the new fee went into place.
Have a great day!
Oh wow, that is so helpful to know about the $100 fee! Thank you for letting me know. I hope you love your first trunk!
Just a point of clarification: The term “Mom jeans” refers to an unflattering style, not actually to mothers wearing jeans! No woman wants an unflattering pair of jeans, moms included :) I assume that one day when you are a mother you won’t switch to wearing jeans with misplaced pockets that are baggy around your knees…
Agree with this! It’s a little sad to hear someone whose blog I love refer in a negative way towards how mothers dress when I am a momma and am a blog reader. May want to rethink that kind of attitude toward momma style-we really are want to look stylish, mothers or not.
Oh my goodness, I am so sorry to have offended! I know for a fact that many of our readers are moms will a really great sense of style. I didn’t mean to imply in any way that moms wear ugly jeans or have poor taste in clothes. Janet was correct that “mom jeans” are a general term for an unflattering style. I apologize for the poor wording. As for those pockets, I honestly never realized that they were uneven. It was just the extra roominess that didn’t fit my style. Kut from the Kloth is a very popular band and I know that some women are happy to wear jeans that aren’t so form-fitting. Mom or not, it fits their style perfectly. They just didn’t work for me. I’m so sorry for the slip of the tongue.
I was a little taken aback by your obviously not a mom comment . Being a mom or not doesn’t mean wearing unflattering clothing . As a first grade teacher I have looked to your blog several times for ideas and tips , both in the classroom and in fashion.
Hi Karen! I didn’t mean to imply that I am an more fashionable or stylish than a mom. I know plenty of moms that outstyle me every day of the week! I appreciate that you follow both blogs and I apologize for my poor word choice!
What I love about Trunk Club is that if I’m on the fence or I think a price point is too high, I can return items but add them to my Nordie’s wish list. That way if I have return-regret or if I just want to stalk them to see if they go on sale, I can. The 10 day return window vs SF 5 day is also a plus. While I like SF, I get frustrated when items are special to SF and I can’t find them anywhere else.
Just wanted to say thanks for always sharing so many great opportunities with us! I’m a mom, teacher, and shopper! I love to look put together, appropriate, and stylish! I always admire your style and your willingness to share it all with us! Please keep sharing!! ?
Hi Jessica and thank you! It’s always great to hear that our content is helpful to our readers. Your sweet comment means so much to me! ❤️
Maria,
I love your blogs, and always look forward to your SF reviews, and also your lifestyle ideas. It’s because of you that I found out about Whole 30, and my husband and I are currently doing our second Whole 30. I’ve lost 15.5 pounds, and my husband has lost 10 (since February)!
That being said, I was a little offended also by the “mom” jeans comments, also. I am a 50 year-old mother, second grade teacher, and though I’m a lot older than you, I haven’t given up on being stylish. My SF stylist has done a great job sending me stylish, but age appropriate clothing.
Hi Wendy, thanks so much for your kind words! I didn’t invent the phrase “mom jeans” and it certainly wasn’t intended to offend. I actually chose to blog and share photos of the denim styles that I knew would have the most appeal to my readers. That particular pair of jeans was created by a popular brand and carried at Nordstrom, so I know that people value the fit and the style. It just didn’t work for me. And while they looked unflatteringly similar to the “mom jeans” SNL skit on me, someone else with a different body type might look completely different while wearing them. I’m so, so glad that you have a closet full of clothes that fit your fashion-conscious sense of style. And I know you must have similar taste to me if you read the blog often. It really has more to do with fit and body type than the actual jeans. Thank you so much for reading the blog and for sharing your thoughts in a respectful way.
Maria this is a great post! And I’m a mom, who loves learning about style, who dresses somewhat well (Stitchfix saves me too!), who was not offended in any way about your mom jeans comment. I knew exactly what you meant. And it is certainly frustrating to me that in a long post with great information people will pick one sentence to rip apart.
Thanks for sharing your Trunk Club experience!
I totally agree! I love your style posts and was not at all offended by the mom jeans comment. Have people not seen the SNL skit?!? Keep sharing your clothing finds and experiences please!
That is the funniest SNL skit!!!!! I can’t believe all these comments of people that are offended by the term ‘mom jeans’. Go watch YouTube and you will understand that Maria was trying to be funny. And yes I am a mom!
This is a great post! I’ve filled out my profile on trunk club, but have been afraid to actually have one sent. I’m not sure why! Thanks for sharing your experience!
I just signed up for trunk club and talked to my stylist today! I am also looking for distressed jeans! :) thanks for the great review and I wanted to ask what camera you use? Very good pictures!
Hi Maria! I’ve been reading your blog for a while now and never miss one of your stitchfix reviews! I’m an avid stitchfix fan myself and I know you are too! I just signed up for my first trunk club! I had been leery bc I had heard the prices were notably higher than stitchfix. I decided to take the plunge though after I got a few bummer stitchfix shipments in a row. I’m not giving up on stitchfix! But maybe I need a break for a while? Also I am in the exact same rut with jeans! I figure because there’s more items I can get several pairs to try plus other stuff too! Anyway, knowing that you’re such devoted stitchfix fan, I wondered how you felt trunk club compared (especially the prices). Also do you plan to do both frequently, or one regularly and one only on occasion? Sorry for the lengthy comment, look forward to hearing your thoughts on both! (Maybe you should do a blog post comparing the two?)