Want to upgrade your man’s style this summer? Whether you’re staying home and working, heading to a beachside resort, or enjoying a summer night out for drinks, you want your man to look good! And I’m sure they also want to look good and feel good about what they’re wearing. But let’s face it. There are SO many more clothing options and services for women than there are for men. And in this day and age, in-store clothing shopping is becoming a thing of the past because it takes so much time! So if you’re wanting to get something for your man to help him elevate his wardrobe, but don’t have the time or energy to be his personal stylist, consider a clothing subscription box. We’re talking about 2 today: Trendy Butler and Nordstrom’s Trunk Club.
The difference between Trunk Club and trendy Butler is that one requires a monthly subscription, and the other one has a style fee for whenever you want to get a Trunk.
How Do They Work?
I want to note right off the bat that Nordstrom’s Trunk Club is no longer a subscription service. In fact, its doors have completely closed as of May 2022. The reason I’m comparing these two subscriptions is because Trunk Club has always been a great standard in the men’s clothing subscription box arena. I want to see how Trendy Butler compares.
Let’s check it out!
Trunk Club
As I just said, sadly Trunk Club is no longer servicing in the clothing subscription box industry. A quick background though for comparison’s sake…
Trunk Club began as a men’s clothing service subscription box. Nordstrom purchased Trunk Club in 2014, and they closed doors in 2022.
How Trunk Club worked was that you would fill out a style quiz so that the stylist who was assigned to you could curate a custom Trunk. Once they picked out 10-12 items, you would be sent a “preview” of your Trunk in your email for you to approve or reject any items. Then, once your Trunk made it to your doorstep, you’d have 5 days to try on your clothing, keep and purchase anything you wanted, and then send the rest back!
If you liked an item of clothing but it was the wrong size, or you didn’t like the color, you could exchange it for free. Trunk Club also offered free shipping and convenient returns.
Trendy Butler
Trendy Butler is another men’s clothing subscription box (but this one is still in business). The mission of Trendy Butler is to help men build their wardrobe so that they can look good and feel good in what they’re wearing.
How Trendy Butler works is you create a style profile by answering comprehensive questions on your sizing, style preferences, lifestyle, etc. With this information, Trendy Butler used its algorithm, with the help of personal stylists, to pick out clothing that they think is exactly what you’re looking for to elevate your wardrobe. You won’t know what comes in your box, it’s a surprise! TIP: you can add to the “MyStyle” section of your profile to fine tune your box even more. Shipping and exchanges are free.
With a Trendy Butler subscription, you also have access to Trendy Butler’s SHOP. Here you can get even more clothing to build your wardrobe at a discounted price.
Pros/Cons
Trunk Club
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Styling fee credited toward anything you purchase. | No discounts on clothing. Nordstroms price was the Trunk Club price. |
| Free shipping and returns. | STOPPED services. |
| Curated to your personal style and sizing. | |
| No subscription necessary to receive a Trunk. |
Honestly? Trunk Club was a great clothing subscription box for men, so its biggest con is that it was discontinued. Because of its affiliation with Nordstrom, returns and purchases were easy. We also thought it was a huge pro that your style fee was credited toward anything you purchased from your Trunk.
Trendy Butler
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Focused on men’s fashion. | More pricey than other subscription boxes. |
|
Easily pause or cancel your account. | You don’t know what you’re going to get, and can’t return items. |
| Free shipping and exchanges. | |
| Up to date on fashion trends. | |
| Each box builds on your wardrobe. |
Although more expensive than what Trunk Club was, Trendy Butler has a lot going for it. We love how it’s focused on helping you build a good wardrobe instead of having fast fashion. We also like that shipping and exchanges are free. And how cool is it that it uses an algorithm to determine what you’d like based on your style quiz?
How Much Do These Subscriptions Cost?
Trunk Club was a cheaper upfront, but you would buy any clothing you kept at retail price. Trendy Butler has a more pricey monthly subscription fee, but you get quality clothing at a hugely discounted price.
Trunk Club
When Trunk Club was in operation, you would pay a $25 styling fee to receive a Trunk. No subscription necessary. Whatever you decided to keep and purchase would have this $25 credited to it. The only way you would lose your $25 is if you kept none of the items in your Trunk.
Free shipping and returns.
Trendy Butler
A subscription with Trendy Butler is $65 a month. With this amount you get free shipping and exchanges, and you’ll also get 2-3 quality pieces of clothing to upgrade your wardrobe. Each box has $150 worth of clothing for just $65 a month. That’s a pretty good deal!
What Do You Get In Your Box?
Clothing! Duh…. But in all seriousness- let’s check out what you get, the different brands and sizing available.
Trunk Club
Your Trunk Club would have 10-12 items of clothing in it, curated specifically for you based on your style quiz. Anything that is sold at Nordstrom was fair game to be in your box. We’re talking brands like: Citizens of Humanity, L.L. Bean, Madewell, Calvin Klein, and more! Sizing was standard.
Trendy Butler
Every month you’ll receive a box that has 2 clothing items in it. That doesn’t sound like much, does it? But these clothing items come from quality brands such as: American Vintage, Passport, Superdry, Threads 4 Thought, Zanerobe, etc. The items you get obviously wont be a complete wardrobe, but that do help you upgrade and build your wardrobe with each month of clothing.
Sizing is standard:
S – XXL for tops, 29 – 44” for waist, and 30 – 36” for inseam.
Final Thoughts
Trendy Butler is the men’s clothing subscription service we like better… why?
Well, at the risk of being too obvious, Trunk Club is no longer a competitor. But more than that, we love that Trendy Butler sends you quality pieces of clothing from great companies at a fraction of the cost it would be to purchase those items at retail value. We also like that they take the work out of upgrading your man’s wardrobe and do everything for you! All the man in your life will have to do is sit back, wait for their box, and look good in their upgraded wardrobe.
