Styling services and other fashion subscription boxes have taken off lately as a way to avoid the traditional mall dressing room experience. As the world continues to go in and out of lockdown, these services are even more relevant than before. Trunk Club is a styling service owned by Nordstrom, and they are known for their quality clothing and personalized styling suggestions. Trunk Club may not be everyone, though. If you’re looking for something at a different price point, or with different clothing selections, take a look at these alternatives.
Wantable and Trendsend are two other styling services that do a great job of matching you to clothes you’ll love, and at a similar price point to Trunk Club. Dia & Co is a styling service designed by and for plus size women, and they have a great selection of clothing. Stitch Fix is the budget choice here, and you can count on it to introduce you to new style options.
What are the Best Trunk Club Alternatives?
Trendsend
Trendsend is a subscription service from Evereve, a clothing retailer aimed at busy moms. You don’t have to be a mom to enjoy their clothes, though. They have a wide selection of bold and trendy items from plenty of recognizable brands. There’s a $20 styling fee for each box.
Trendsend uses human stylists, and their quality styling sets them apart from other services. Their stylists use the stock in Evereve’s physical stores to assemble your box. Having an actual person interpret your style preferences leads to more accurate results than algorithm-heavy styling services.
They carry quality brands, including Sanctuary, Kut from the Kloth, 7 for all Mankind, Paige, and plenty more. Trendsend carries lots of fun, trendy pieces that are comfortable enough for hectic parenting life.
Pros:
- Trendy clothes and brands
- Theme boxes
- Great styling
Don’t expect simple styles and neutral colors just because this service is aimed at moms. There’s plenty of color and lots of fun, unusual styles available here. You can opt for more classic items, of course, but I think that the bold styles you can find at Trendsend help set it apart from other styling services.
Trendsend offers monthly themed boxes. There are astrological options: for example, it’s currently Scorpio season, so they have a box full of dramatic looks in red and dark shades to go with the sign’s trademark “mysterious magnetism.” They also have a holiday box, designed to offer glitzy, festive vibes that are comfortable and suited to staying in.
When I tried Trendsend, I didn’t feel that the style quiz let me express my style very well. I left a comment for my stylist explaining that I’m looking for pieces with a vintage feel, and that I love menswear-inspired looks. She delivered on both counts, and I was surprised at how well the items fit into my personal style. I can be hard to style, but my stylist paid attention to my comments.
Cons:
- Higher clothing prices
- Limited selection
Trendsend’s pieces tend to be on the pricey side. Their pieces start at $60, so expect to pay $60 for t-shirts and the most basic pieces. Jeans are generally $100 and up. They carry quality brands, but this price range might be out of budget for a lot of shoppers.
Each Trendsend box is curated at a single Evereve location. That means your stylist is working with a somewhat limited selection. It’s a smaller selection compared to the hundreds of brands available to online styling services.
Wantable
This styling service offers Style and Active boxes for women, and Active boxes for men. Their styling fee is $20 per box, and each box includes 7 items. They offer both clothes and accessories, and you can let them know whether or not to include accessories in your boxes.
Pros:
- Unique style quiz
- Decent pricing range
Wantable’s unique style quiz lets you rate items instead of saying you like or dislike them. For example, you can rate plaid as something you Love, Like, or Dislike. You’ll never get something you Dislike in your box, but the others are all fair game.
Wantable’s items start at $50 and max out around $100. The price range gives you a clear idea of what to expect from the service, pricing-wise.
Cons:
- Stylists may need some time to learn your style
- No box previews, even after shipping
Wantable doesn’t always hit the mark when it comes to styling boxes. It might take a box or two with feedback for your stylist to start sending clothes that match your interests.
Wantable doesn’t let you preview your box at all, not even after it ships. You’ll just have to wait until you can open the box yourself.
Where to sign up: Wantable
Stitch Fix
Stitch Fix is one of the most popular online styling services available, and they style men, women and children. They carry sizes from 0 to 24 for women, and they also carry petite and maternity sizes. Their styling fee is $20 per box.
Most of their clothes are at a medium price point, averaging $55 per piece. They do carry a few high end brands, but they seem to focus more on everyday pieces for work and weekend wear. They have some in-house brands that offer wearable but trendy items. The quality isn’t always the best, so keep an eye out for cheap fabrics or other signs of low quality.
Pros:
- Lower item prices
- Offer feedback on each item
According to Stitch Fix, their items average $55 per piece. They have some of the most affordable items out of the services on this list.
To improve future Fixes, you can add feedback to each item ranking the fit and style. Your stylist will learn from your comments, and it might lead to better picks in the future.
Cons:
- Quality is inconsistent
- Mediocre styling
If you’re looking for high-quality clothing that will hold up for years, Stitch Fix may not be the place to look. Their clothing quality isn’t always great, though they do carry reliable brands and quality pieces.
Your stylist may not hit the mark the first time, but dedicated subscribers say that the service gets better with time. Not everyone is willing to give subscriptions a second chance, though.
Where to sign up: Stitch Fix
Dia & Co
This service caters to women’s sizes 14 to 32. Dia & Co carries a huge selection of stylish clothes designed specifically for plus size women. Their clothing includes trendy or bold options that may be hard to find elsewhere.
The service carries plenty of brands, ranging from well-known options like FILA to their own in-house brands like Molly and Isadora.
Pros:
- Lots of style options
- Choose up to 3 items yourself
- Large activewear selection
Dia & Co has gathered a lot of different brands offering plus sizes in one place, and their stylists can help match you with clothes that fit your unique style. They have styles splanning eye-catching glam to classic chic.
Unlike most styling services, Dia & Co lets you browse their online store and add up to 3 items to your box before your stylist ever gets involved. This option is great if you have a strong sense of style already. If you’d rather let your stylist choose everything, you can skip this step.
Dia & Co has a large selection of activewear for plus sizes, and they even offer an Active Box that focuses on workout clothes and athleisure.
Cons:
- Short amount of try-on time
- Not all sizes available
You get 5 days to try on 5 items, which isn’t a huge amount of time. If you really need more time, you can request an extension from customer service, but it’s not a very convenient option.
Dia & Co tends to sell out of certain sizes quickly, and they don’t restock often. If you’re browsing their store, try filtering by size.
Final Thoughts
All of these services focus on styling customers and let you try items before you commit to buying them. They all have their strengths, and some boxes are more suited to certain styles.
StitchFix is the best alternative to Trunk Club, and it hits at a similar concept: great styling that keeps customers in mind. Their service is best if you prefer trendy clothes that stand out, but they also have more neutral items.
Clothing subscription and styling services aren’t known for being low-budget. It’s hard for mid-range clothing to compete with fast fashion pieces under $20. That being said, Stitch Fix is the most affordable option here. Items start at $25 and there are significant discounts available. Their styling can be inconsistent, but this popular service is worth a try.
