Non-Distressed Denim Trunk Club
 Review + Try-On

Do you ever find yourself in serious need for new jeans, but completely overwhelmed by the process? I’m right there with you. So many brands, so many styles, some fit true to size, some are too tight, others run large. And then there’s the act of finally trying them on – crowding into a small department store dressing room with bad lighting and practically tripping over myself as I try to free my legs from a pair of skinny jeans and hoping that I don’t go spilling out of the dressing room door. Throw in the inconveniences with a baby in tow and there’s no way I’ll ever be motivated enough to finally go jean shopping. Which is why I am so thankful for the convenience of Trunk Club. I recently arranged for an all-denim Trunk Club shipment and 10 hand-picked pairs of jeans came right to my door. I tried them all on, took lots of photos, and I’m sharing my honest thoughts for anyone else in the market for a new pair of jeans (or anyone that’s curious about Trunk Club!)

This post contains affiliate links, including my Trunk Club referral link. I receive a small commission each time someone makes a purchase through one of my links, which helps to support the blog. If you use my link to sign up for Trunk Club, I earn Trunk Club credit (and you’ll receive a personal link to share with your friends for credit, too!) I hope you enjoy today’s post.

A Little About Trunk Club

You hear me talk about Stitch Fix all the time, but Trunk Club may be a new service to you. Before I give you the lowdown of all the jeans I tried on, here’s everything you need to know about Trunk Club in a nutshell:

What is Trunk Club? Trunk Club is an online styling service that’s an extension of the Nordstrom brand. All of the clothes and accessories available through Trunk Club can also be found at Nordstrom stores and online at Nordstrom.com.

What Makes Trunk Club Special? As a Nordstrom company, Trunk Club offers some unique perks over other clothing services. You’ll be matched with a personal stylist who you can talk to in real time either via instant message or phone call. It’s a great way to personally convey your exact needs and what you are hoping to see in your trunk. Trunk Club also offers a chance for customers to preview their trunk before it is shipped out. When you preview your trunk, you can have unwanted items removed or cancel the trunk altogether if you’re just not feeling it. It’s also a great opportunity for you to contact your stylist and let her know exactly what you like and dislike about the items she included in your preview. After you preview your Trunk and confirm shipment, your stylist will also add a few “surprise” items that are hand-picked for you. And if you’re a loyal Nordstrom customer, the perks just keep getting better. You can use your Nordstrom card to earn rewards on Trunk Club purchases.

How Much Does Trunk Club Cost? When you schedule a Trunk, you will be charged a $25 styling fee, which is automatically deducted from the cost of any items you purchase from your Trunk. The price of the items inside your Trunk vary from $40 to $300+, depending on the type of item and the designer. If you’re like me and you don’t have room in your budget for premium brands, let your stylist know. (I frequently need to remind my stylist of this – especially when a Trunk preview is sent my way.) Shipping and returns are always free. Unlike a traditional online shopping experience, you don’t have to pay up front for the items in your trunk and wait for a refund of any unwanted items. That $25 styling fee for a box of 10 high-quality clothing items isn’t too bad at all!

Is Trunk Club a subscription service? Much like Stitch Fix, Trunk Club can be automated to send a new Trunk your way each month or season, but you don’t have to “subscribe” to the service. I sometimes go months without a Trunk and just log in to schedule a Trunk when I need it.

Can I request specific items from my Trunk Club Stylist? You can request any type of outerwear, clothing, shoe or accessory that you would like to see in a Trunk. You can even request a Trunk to fit a certain theme, such as a vacation Trunk or a business-wear Trunk. (I once received a Trunk that only contained athletic shoes! )Sometimes, if I spot something cute on the Nordstrom website, I’ll send my stylist a link and request that item in my Trunk as well. A stylist will always accommodate your request as much as she is able. A themed Trunk is easy to create, but my stylist isn’t always able to send the exact item that I request from Nordstrom.com.

How do I get Started with Trunk Club? It’s easy to get started on Trunk Club. Just click over to TrunkClub.com and begin answering a few simple questions about your personal style and measurements. The website will guide you through the rest!

 

Trunk Club Non-Distressed Denim Review

Lately I’ve been in a bit of a denim rut. I only rotate between a couple pair of jeans and one of those pairs is distressed so I can’t wear them to school on our monthly jean days. Desperate for an additional pair of jeans that’s not distressed, I requested that my stylist send an all-denim Trunk my way. I did this once a few years back and have since learned to give my stylist a little extra guidance about the kind of jeans I like. I knew I didn’t want my jeans to be distressed, and I also indicated that I wanted casual jeans that would pair well with flat sandals or tennis shoes. The result was a Trunk filled with 10 hole-free pair of jeans for me to try on.

If you’re in the market for a new pair of jeans, this post is for you! I’m sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly (yeah, there was one really bad pair) from my latest Trunk of non-distressed denim. The beauty of Trunk Club is that it’s a Nordstrom company, so if you see anything you like, I am able to share shopping links directly to those items at Nordstrom.com so you can easily add them to your online shopping bag. I styled all of the jeans in my Trunk the exact same way – with a feminine gray fleece top and my gray Keds. That way it’s easy to compare the various styles and my shoe/top choices don’t serve as a distraction. Here we go with my non-distressed denim Trunk Club try on!

 

1. J.Crew Toothpick Jeans

First up was a pair of J.Crew Toothpick Jeans in a size 27 Vista Wash. (Have I mentioned how much I love that I can get J.Crew clothing from Trunk Club?) I was so excited to try these jeans on and my first impression once I had them on was “wow, are these ever tight!” Technically they did fit in my size, and the jeans had great stretch, but I felt too sucked-in wearing them to be comfortable and they definitely would not be comfortable to wear why I crawl and roll around chasing after an eight month old baby.

The Toothpick Jeans weren’t for me, which was ok because they were at the higher end of my price range for denim.

J. Crew Toothpick Jeans
Price: $115
Fit: runs small
great stretch, but very tight

 

2. Marilyn Stretch Straight Leg Jeans

Next up were the Marilyn Stretch Straight Leg Jeans from NYDJ. These jeans were not right for me at all. This particular pair was too tight around the waist. My stylist sent a size 2 and a size 4 would have been a better fit. I couldn’t quite zip these jeans all the way. I don’t currently own any straight leg jeans and after trying these on, I now know why. This style just wasn’t flattering to the bottom portion of my legs. The straight legs felt too baggy between my knees and ankles and I felt like the style aged me by about 15 years. Just because I’m a new mom, I don’t think I need to throw my sense of style (or my figure) out the window.

NYJD Marilyn Stretch Straight Leg Jeans
Price: $109
Fit: true to size
comfortable, but unflattering

 

3. The Bond Stretch Skinny Jeans from BlankNYC

I was so excited to try on the pair of Bond Stretch Skinny Jeans from BlankNYC after falling in love with another pair of BlankNYC jeans from my first trunk. I was so sad when they stopped carrying that particular style at Nordstrom because they were so soft and they always looked great. I have raved about those jeans over and over again. Unlike my previous pair of BlankNYC jeans, this pair was not distressed. That was pretty much the only difference. Just like my first pair, these Bond Stretch Skinny Jeans from BlankNYC were very soft, very stretchy, and very comfy. The fit was true to size and I could not say enough good things. The only thing better than the fit was the price! I love it when I find a great pair of comfy jeans for under $90. This pair of Bond Stretch Skinny Jeans from BlankNYC was a definite keeper!

BlankNYC The Bond Stretch Skinny Jeans
Price: $88
Fit: true to size
soft, stretchy, comfortable, and a perfect fit!

 

4. Ab-solution Itty Bitty Bootcut Jeans

I’ll be the first to admit that I tend to shy away from bootcut jeans and pants. But sometimes when I’m busy around the house and wearing a t-shirt, I want to wear something a little less confining than my usual skinny jeans. I also love the idea of wearing a relaxed denim style with a cute t-shirt when I leave the house (or on days at school that all the teachers and students dress in jeans and spirit wear) but I haven’t found a pair that I like in a long, long time. So I crossed my fingers and tried on the Ab-solution Itty Bitty Bootcut Jeans from Wit & Wisdom. These jeans were a great fit and were crazy comfortable. They had amazing stretch and lots of give around the waist. Best of all, they didn’t sag! These were just the jeans that I have been looking for! They are perfect for home and absolutely appropriate for me to wear when I teach kindergarten. The length was just shy of touching the floor while I wore tennis shoes and I think they will look laid back cool with my black Converse shoes or a pair of flat sandals when the weather warms up. With a price tag of only $78, the Ab-solution Itty Bitty Bootcut Jeans were definitely a keeper!

Wit & Wisdom Ab-solution Itty Bitty Bootcut Jeans
Price: $78
Fit: true to size
comfortable, casual, great stretch, didn’t sag

 

 

5. KUT from the Kloth Donna Skinny Jeans

I quickly learned from this trunk that not all Kut from the Kloth jeans are created equal. In this case, however, the Donna Skinny Jeans were fabulous. This was a great fitting, soft, and comfortable pair of jeans. Unfortunately, this was a pair of ankle jeans and they just looked so short on me. I think I would be more open to considering a pair of ankle jeans in the summer, but right now I’m just sitting in my heated Michigan house waiting desperately for warm weather to arrive. I decided to pass on the Kut from the Kloth Donna Skinny Ankle Jeans because I am just not ready to wear ankle length anything.

Kut from the Kloth Donna Skinny Ankle Jeans
Price: $89
Fit: true to size
great fit, soft, comfortable, but SHORT!

 

6. KUT from the Kloth Diana Skinny Jeans

The previous pair of Kut from the Kloth jeans was great (even though the ankle style was slightly short for my preference) but I was not such a fan of the Kut from the Kloth Diana Skinny Jeans that arrived in my trunk. This particular pair did fit and was stretchy, but the cut was slightly baggy and a little more “mom” style than I’m ready to sign up for quite yet. They might deserve to be called “tailored fit” but skinny was a generous use of the term given the amount of fabric I had to spare around my legs. I was also less than thrilled with the actual fabric of these jeans – which was heavy and felt a little scratchy.

Kut from the Kloth Diana Skinny Jeans
Price: $89
Fit: true to size
fit ok, but extra fabric around the legs and felt scratchy

 

7. KUT from the Kloth Catherine Boyfriend Jeans

My stylist also included a third pair of Kut from the Kloth jeans in my non-distressed denim trunk. I didn’t care for the Catherine Boyfriend Jeans style at all. They were way too boxy, the denim fabric wasn’t very soft and I was unsure about the wide cuff.

Kut from the Kloth Catherine Skinny Jeans
Price: $89
Fit: true to size around waist
very, very boxy

 

8. Distressed Stretch Boyfriend Jeans from Caslon

At this point, the jeans I tried on pretty much went from bad to worse. I tried on the a pair of Distressed Stretch Boyfriend Jeans from Caslon and it was so, so bad. The jeans were huge on me and very unflattering. Unlike the boxy Catherine jeans from Kut from the Kloth, these didn’t even fit properly around the waist. They were just big all around and had another wide cuff that I really didn’t care for. It took every ounce of self-confidence that I possessed to let Erika Christine snap a few photos and document the fit of these jeans, but here you are.

Distressed Stretch Boyfriend Jeans from Caslon
Price: $79
Fit: runs large
very baggy and unflattering

 

9. Skinny Ankle Jeans Wit & Wisdom

After trying on two not-at-all-my-style pair of jeans, I was feeling a little desperate for some good news. I reached for a pair of Skinny Ankle Jeans from Wit & Wisdom and was pleasantly surprised by their great fit! These were, comfortable, stretchy and looked great on. Best of all, they were ON SALE! That’s my favorite thing about Trunk Club – if you receive an item in your Trunk that is on sale at Nordstrom, Trunk Club passes the savings on to you! This particular pair of jeans already had a fantastic price of $64, but they were 40% off!

I think these were on sale to try and clear the inventory because I looked online and this exact style isn’t available at Nordstrom anymore. I did a little digging and found a very similar pair by the same brand. If this pair looked like a perfect addition to your wardrobe, check out the Ab-Solution Ankle Skimmer by Wit & Wisdom. 

Skinny Ankle Jeans from Wit & Wisdom – similar here
Price: $64
Fit: true to size
great fit, very comfortable!

 

10. Alina Ankle Stretch Skinny Jeans from NYDJ

After trying on nine pair of jeans, I was getting pretty tired! There was just one pair left to try on – the Alina Ankle Stretch Skinny Jeans from NYDJ. This pair had excellent stretch, was soft, and very comfortable. They weren’t as tailored as I usually like my jeans to be and I definitely felt like a mom that traded a little style for extra comfort while I was wearing them, but they weren’t too momish. I was tempted to keep this pair just for the comfort but ultimately decided to send them back.

NYDJ Alina Ankle Stretch Skinny Jeans
Price: $109
Fit: true to size
not as stylish, but comfortable and easy to wear

 

All-Denim Trunk Club: A Quick Recap

And there you have it – a selection of ten non-distressed jeans. It always feels like so much work to try on jeans. I like to wear them with a pair of jeans to get an accurate picture of how they will look when I create a complete outfit and it’s exhausting to go back and forth between jeans and shoes. At least Trunk Club allows me to try things on at my own pace in the comfort of my home (with a beverage in hand if necessary!)

Here is a quick glance at all the jeans that came my way. Click on any image to see the product listing on Nordstrom.com.

So what did you think? Would you have kept something different from this all-denim Trunk Club shipment? Have you ever used Trunk Club? Are you curious to see future Trunks? Any suggestions for my next Trunk? I always love to hear your thoughts so leave a comment below and we can chat!