Nordstrom has closed the Trunk Club styling service indefinitely. If you are looking for something similar, check out our articles on Stitch Fix.
Most clothing subscription boxes are geared toward women. Some of them do have options for men, and children, but they’re more difficult to find and often lack variety or quality service. This doesn’t seem right. There are plenty of men who would benefit from a clothing subscription service because:
1. It reduces unnecessary shopping time
2. It can be very cost-effective
3. It’s an easy way to update a wardrobe
I’ve found 2 great clothing subscription options for the man in your life to give a go. One works through the large retail store Nordstrom (Trunk Club), and the other specifically focuses on curated clothing subscriptions for men only (Menlo Club). The main difference between Trunk Club and Menlo Club is that Trunk Club is a personal styling service whereas Menlo Club is a curated subscription service. Let’s dive into each to see which is the right fit for your man!
How Do They Work
One service has a monthly subscription fee and sends you a curated box of clothing, each building off of the previous. The other service is a personal styling service where you’re able to try on the clothing at home, and purchase what you would like to keep.
Trunk Club
Nordstrom just got even better! Trunk Club is a personal styling service through the large retailer Nordstrom. Trunk Club has options for men, women, and children, and doesn’t even require a subscription. It takes all of the work out of shopping so that you can purchase new clothing in ease because… who’s got time for that?
To get started with Trunk Club, the very first step is for your guy to complete his style questionnaire. I was very impressed at how comprehensive it is when I went through this with my husband, and it was honestly a lot of fun to do! He’ll then set a budget and preferred sizing, and can even upload photos of outfits that he likes and wants his Trunk Club stylist to recreate. When he’s finished, and pays the styling fee, he’ll get to choose if he wants his trunk immediately or if he wants to schedule it out. The more detailed your man is on their style questionnaire, the better!
Before the trunk ships, an email will be sent with a preview of what’s inside. There’ll be 10 items, and your man will have 2 days to accept or reject what’s coming his way. When the trunk does come, he’ll have 5 days to try everything on and keep what he wants. The cool thing is that the styling fee you paid to get a trunk from Trunk Club is put toward anything you decide to purchase and keep. Any rejected items can then be sent back to Trunk Club through mail (free shipping on all exchanges and returns), or you can even drop them off at your nearest Nordstrom store. If the try-on period is too tight, then a 3-day extension can be requested.
Five Four Menlo Club
Menlo Club, previously the Five Four Club, is a clothing subscription service for men that delivers curated clothing items monthly. To get started, your guy will take a brief style profile quiz and pay for his subscription. Once the subscription has started he’ll be sent a box of 2-3 curated items in the mail every month, or seasonally, depending on the membership type chosen. These items will build off of eachother so that he has a capsule wardrobe and even more outfits to choose from. Over a 12 month period, members will have received two designated months of footwear, two designated months of athleisure wear, and Five Four everyday wear the rest of the months. Hopefully that wasn’t too confusing… Lastly, Menlo Club does NOT offer any refunds or returns, but you can exchange sizes.
Pros/Cons
These services are so different in how they operate, that it can be hard to choose which one is your man’s best fit. I’ve compiled a list of pros/cons to help you narrow it down.
Trunk Club
The Pros:
- Nordstrom is affiliated so your Nordy club points and any Nordstrom gift cards go toward your Trunk Club purchases.
- No subscription is required! Just pay the styling fee whenever you want a Trunk.
- The $25 styling fee goes toward anything purchased.
- A good variety of Men’s clothing options are available.
The Cons:
- It can take a few times for you and your stylist to get into a groove.
- After you purchase something through Trunk Club, returns are not that simple to do.
Five Four Menlo Club
The Pros:
- Specifically for mens fashion.
- High quality items.
- Different membership types to choose from. (monthly vs seasonally)
- Free shipping on all orders.
- Access to member-only discounts and items.
The Cons:
- No refunds or returns.
- Can’t customize your box or pick your items.
How Much Do They Cost?
Both of these services are extremely cost effective and can be very affordable.
Trunk Club
You don’t need a subscription to get a trunk, but you will need to pay a stylist fee of $25 that can be credited toward anything your guy purchases. Other than that small stylist fee, you decide how much you pay by how often you order a Trunk and what you decide to keep. You can set a budget on Trunk Club to keep costs down, but clothing items can range from $50-$300.
*TIP: You can price match items from Nordstrom.com
Five Four Menlo Club
Your man will have the choice between a seasonal package that comes every 3 months, or a monthly package of clothing. The seasonal package is $60 for every 3 months, and monthly is $60/month. In the box he’ll receive 2-3 pieces of curated clothing from Menlo Club’s family of brands. A perk for joining Menlo Club is that you will get 25% off anything in their store and access to other members exclusive discounts, giveaways and previews.
What Do You Get?
Trunk Club carries a wider variety of brands, but that wider variety also includes quality of clothing. Menlo Club works with a few very specific brands that are quality.
Trunk Club
Trunk Club carries standard sizing in Mens clothing. Your man’s trunk will have 10 items of clothing in it for him to try on and decide if he’d like to purchase it at a discounted price. He’ll receive various brands that Nordstrom carries, and there are many different style and color options. It’s important that he’s very thorough on his style questionnaire so that his personal stylist can send him items that he might actually like.
Five Four Menlo Club
Over the course of a year your man will receive a capsule wardrobe where each piece of clothing he receives builds off of the previous box for a sustainable but ever changing wardrobe. Some of the brands he’ll receive are New Republic footwear, Grand AC Running Club athleisure wear, and Five Four menswear.
Sizing for each of these brands is as follows:
- New Republic shoe sizes: 7-15
- Grand AC Running Club: S – XXXL
- Five Four: Standard sizing S – XXXL with pants sizes 29-33 having a 32 inch inseam and waist sizes 34-44 with a 34 inch inseam.
Final Thoughts
I’m so glad we were finally able to review a couple of options for men’s clothing subscription boxes. I personally have a few guys in my life who would really enjoy using either of these services. Trunk Club is a great option for the man who wants to have more control over his wardrobe choices. He will be sent clothing styled for him by a personal stylist based on his style quiz, and he can purchase and keep whatever he decides he likes.
Menlo Club is a wonderful service for any man who wants to look stylish, but without any hassle. All they have to do is pay a monthly or seasonal membership fee, and Menlo Club takes care of the rest.
Overall I think Trunk Club comes out on top in terms of flexibility and more wardrobe options, but Menlo Club is a great pick too.
