Trunk Club Vs Stitch Fix: The Truth About Who’s Better in 2020

Want to compare Trunk Club vs Stitch Fix? I’ve used both services multiple times and have all the answers you are looking for when comparing Stitch Fix to Trunk Club.

Slowly over the last few years, I worked to add pieces to my (previously sad) wardrobe. I chose to invest in high-quality clothing and jewelry which will hopefully last a long time.

I’ve done this primarily through clothing box subscription services like Stitch Fix and Trunk Club (among a few others like Dia & Co, Natalie Attired, Thrift Pick, and Le Tote – check out my rundown Stitch Fix alternatives to see a full list).

You may be wondering why on earth I tried so many different services, right?

The answer?

Mostly because I have little idea what I like in terms of style.

By and large, I am a jeans and T-shirt type of gal, always have been, but I still wear a dress or skirt to church on Sundays and like to look nice for dates (should we go on them).

I don’t know which styles I really love on myself (especially as I’m 25lbs heavier than I’ve ever been thanks to my last pregnancy), so I wanted to see if different companies had a better selection of clothes that did resonate with me.

I also am a blogger and wanted to write up reviews on each service so I can better serve my audience who may be in a similar situation – looking for great clothes, not wanting to spend a fortune, and wanting a service which offers clothes they love.

You’re welcome. ??

Trunk Club Vs Stitch Fix

Stitch Fix is the company I tried first and have tried most frequently.

They were the very first clothing box service I had ever heard of. I had numerous friends in real life who used them and raved about them way back in like 2013.

I was too poor for a long time to even attempt to try out their clothes, but finally did, and totally weighed the questions of “Can I afford Stitch Fix prices?” and “Are Stitch Fix costs too high for frugal people?” along with all the other Stitch Fix pros and cons.

I even tried out Stitch Fix Maternity (two boxes), and asked them for some Stitch Fix nursing clothes after I had that baby.

Check out my other post that offers a pretty good breakdown of how Stitch Fix works for more details about their service (beyond what I’ll cover below).

Trunk Club is a recent experiment.

I felt I needed to see if better quality clothes were out there in clothing subscription boxes without costing a fortune and Trunk Club also offered some things that got me very excited to try them, like 12 items at one time versus only the 5 items Stitch Fix sends!!

As I stand in need of a entire new wardrobe to my heavier postpartum body that is not slimming down like it has before, receiving twelve items at once sounded amazing!

I’m giving in to the fact that I need clothes that I can wear to fit my body now, instead of feeling self-conscience about my outfits and hating everything in my closet.

Trunk Club seemed like a better option for someone like me who needs clothes NOW and not piecemeal items once a month. Plus, you can mix-and-match the pieces so much easier when they send so many at once.

But, that many items can be problematic too if you don’t need a whole new wardrobe, or have a bad habit of spending too much on clothes. ?

You can see my full Trunk Club review where I show off the two Trunk Club trunks I received at my doorstep and learn a whole lot more about their service if you are unfamiliar.

With all that said, let’s get into the nitty gritty. I’ll talk about the difference in the Trunk Club vs Stitch Fix battle of their overall services, styling, communication, costs, shipping, quality, and more.

Trunk Club vs Stitch Fix Review

I debated a lot as to the best way to approach this, but think breaking down each aspect of the Trunk Club vs Stitch fix services, and declaring a “winner” in each category is most helpful.

Trunk Club vs Stitch Fix Services and Styling

Both Trunk Club and Stitch Fix have you fill out detailed style and sizing profiles before they ship you any clothes. Both charge you a styling fee.

Stitch Fix charges you a $20 styling fee.

Trunk Club charges you a $25 styling fee.

Both allow you to apply those styling fees to any items kept in your box or trunk.

But, what exactly is that styling fee paying for? How well do they style you?

Like anyone who’s tried either service will tell you, it gets better the more boxes you get as the stylists better understand your style, preferences, likes, and dislikes (and you do too).

But, Trunk Club earns their styling fee more, in my opinion, because there’s a big difference between their styling services.

When you place an order at Trunk Club, you get assigned one specific stylist, unlike Stitch Fix who will assign you whatever stylist they want for every new box you order, unless you specifically ask for the one that styled you a previous time.

Trunk Club lets you communicate with your stylist in real time via a messaging app.

You can ask her anything, or ask for recommendations, or even submit pictures to her (like “Hey, can you pick out a few tops that would go great with this skirt I have in my closet?”). If you ever have problems with your order or with the service, she’s right there to answer you.

I should know, because I did have problems (some my own fault) with their service or wanted to take advantage of price matching, etc., and my stylist replied immediately (as long as it’s during normal business hours).

Stitch Fix doesn’t offer any of that.

Plus, Trunk Club allows you to preview your trunk before it ships to you!

I super love this feature as I would have vetoed many items from Stitch Fix ahead of time had I seen any of them ahead of time because there are just some items I knew wouldn’t fit me like I needed them to or were blatantly not my style.

Trunk Club gives you the first preview of your trunk and gives you 48 hours to review it, remove items you don’t want shipped to you, and leave feedback for your stylist on what to send instead.

I also felt like my stylist at Trunk Club listened to me way better than many of my stylists at Stitch Fix did… There were too many times I’d get a Fix and be like “This is NOT what I asked for at all!”

I have often felt that Stitch Fix often tries to push seasonal items too much, even if you don’t ask for them or specifically ask not to receive them. I say this because I live in warm Texas and kept telling them not to send me heavy warm items even though it was the fall/winter, and yet, that’s what I would receive.

Trunk Club deserves their $25 styling fee. They definitely win in the “personalizing styling service” part of these boxes.

Trunk Club vs Stitch Fix Try-On Periods & Returns

After you receive either box, you have the very fun job of trying on all the different clothes, shoes, jewelry and/or accessories sent to you. It’s always an exciting process!

But Trunk Club and Stitch Fix differ again on how long they give you to try on items and how to do the returns.

However, both Trunk Club and Stitch Fix never charge you shipping to receive a box or on any exchanges or returns, which is fabulous.

Trunk Club gives you five days to try everything on and make up your mind about what you want to keep.

Stitch Fix gives you three days to try everything on and make up your mind about what you want to keep.

Trunk Club sends in the box a pre-printed return sticker for you to slap on the SAME box/trunk that you received all the clothes in. This means you won’t have to keep this giant box in your house or fit it in your recycling bin and it’s less waste overall.

Plus, Trunk Club even allows you to schedule a complimentary pickup from UPS!! It’s amazing! I requested it both times because it is just so convenient.

You literally don’t even have to leave your house at all to use and enjoy using Trunk Club.

Stitch Fix requires you to log-in to your account in order to print out a return slip. They provide a pre-paid return envelope for you inside the box, but you need to drop it off yourself at the USPS or other drop-off location. You also are left with the Stitch Fix box to dispose of.

Trunk Club wins this category too. Longer try-on period and better shipping offerings.

Trunk Club Versus Stitch Fix Clothes

Perhaps the most important category, there are some big differences between Trunk Club clothes and Stitch Fix clothes (we’re not talking costs in this section just yet).

First, Trunk Club is run by Nordstrom, so practically everything you receive will also be available on Nordstrom.com. Stitch Fix on the other hand works with some brands for exclusive products that you cannot find anywhere online or in-store.

Whether those are a good or bad thing is subjective. Some will like the exclusivity – practically no one will have the same clothes as you! Some will like that they can find their clothes elsewhere on the internet or in-store (perhaps waiting for it to drop in price somewhere).

Again, because Trunk Club is Nordstrom, everything you receive will be a popular name brand. For example, I received Nike, Converse, Sam Edelman, Vince Camuto, Jessica Simpson, J. Crew clothing and shoes, all of which I had heard of before.

Stitch Fix works with 250+ established an up-and-coming labels and brands, most of which I had never heard of before, like Kut from the Kloth, 41 Hawthorn, Tinsel, Just USA, Leota, Renee C, Colette, Lux & Co, and American Able, among others.

I do know that they work with TOMS as they sent my son a pair of TOMS shoes (which he loves and wears every day and are holding up super well!).

If you are into labels, you’ll likely be drawn to Trunk Club over Stitch Fix.

If labels don’t matter, still consider this….

Every single item I received from Trunk Club was brand spanking new, in the sealed plastic wrap from the factory. Shoes had the sticks and wadded up paper in the shoes. These items were pristine new without a shadow of a doubt.

Many items I receive from Stitch Fix are wrinkled. They do not come in sealed plastic, but a neatly tied bundle. Their own Stitch Fix tags are added to most items you try on. I am not always 100% sure I am the first person to try these clothes on. I could be, but I’m not sure due to the sometimes overly wrinkly look.

When it comes to quality of the clothing items themselves, Trunk Club has my vote. Stitch Fix has sent me a few things that just weren’t the highest quality, piling during the first wear or after the first wash and fading in vibrancy quickly.

Some of my Stitch Fix items also have just small details about them, like seams that fall out, loose button holes, or other things that are a bit poorer in quality.

They usually aren’t terrible, but there is a little quality control issues I have with them.

Everything from Trunk Club is holding up pretty well as I wear and wash them. While trying them on, Trunk Club pieces generally felt better on.

I believe Trunk Club has a higher standard of quality in their clothes. They win this category again.

Trunk Club vs Stitch Fix Costs

Okay, it’s time. Let’s break down how Trunk Club compares to Stitch Fix when it comes to the expense.

Both services offer a wide range of costs. They both let you choose a price range that you are most comfortable in.

However, the low end still may be high to some, as the lowest price point for anything from Trunk Club is $50-$100, whereas Stitch Fix offers a “The cheaper, the better” option below their starting price point of $50-$100.

Both let you set different price points for different types of pieces. For example, you might be more willing to spend $150 on a pair of shoes or a new purse, but maybe not on tops.

Trunk Club’s styling fees are $25 versus Stitch Fix’s $20.

However, Stitch Fix occasionally runs promotions which waive styling fees (usually for first-time customers only) and they also offer exclusive customers a Style Pass, where members can pay a one-time charge of $49 and receive a year of free styling, which is applied as a credit on their account.

Trunk Club waives their $25 styling fee if you are a Nordstrom cardmember.

Both services charge you sales tax on top of the cost of the items you keep.

As far as price ranges, Trunk Club says that men’s and women’s ready-to-wear typically fall in the $40–$300 range. Outerwear, boots, and other seasonal essentials start at about $90. That said, they work with a lot of budgets, whether you’re a conservative spender or you’re looking to invest in designer pieces.

In my first Trunk, the prices ranged from $39-120, with an average price point of $73.41 per item. If I had kept everything in my box (12 items), it would have cost $880.95 plus tax!

Stitch Fix’s average price point for their women’s and men’s lines is $55 per item, but they carry a wide variety of prices.

Stitch Fix pieces I received ranged from $28-$109.

The average price per item drops considerably when you take advantage of Stitch Fix’s Buy 5 Get a 25% discount. It can make the average price per item in your box as low as $26.40 a piece up to $50 a piece, just depending on the items in the box (jewelry is typically under $30, for example).

Trunk Club does NOT have a “buy so many items and receive a discount” promotion. This came as a surprise to me while ordering my first Trunk. I had assumed there would be one, but there isn’t.

The only way to save on the retail price of the items you receive in your Trunk Club is by doing price-matching to Nordstrom.com. If you find a lower price on Nordstrom.com within 14 days of receiving your Trunk, your stylist will lower the cost for you.

I took advantage of their price matching and saved $15 or so on an awesome gray cardigan. Other items I received were marked down if they were already on sale at the time they shipped to me.

Both Trunk Club and Stitch Fix offer referral programs for their customers.

Trunk Club offers you a $50 credit when your friend spends $50.

Stitch Fix offers you a $25 credit for every friend that completes their first Stitch Fix order and then your friend will get a $25 credit too.

In the Trunk Club vs Stitch Fix cost battle, Stitch Fix wins. They are less expensive all around, especially if you keep all five items in your Fix. Plus, they reward both you and your friend if they sign up, with no minimum purchase amount required.

The Winner in the Trunk Club Vs Stitch Fix Battle

Trunk Club is in many ways superior to Stitch Fix.

Better styling and communication, Trunk preview, more items in a box, name brand and designer labels, better quality, longer try-on period, easier returns and exchanges, and a larger friend referral credit.

Stitch Fix wins in the exclusivity of brands and items and definitely in price points and savings.

However, I don’t plan to try Trunk Club for a while, mostly due to the high costs of every item they send. I also don’t have any more Trunk Club credit there, but I do have a decent amount of Stitch Fix credit (so…. free clothes vs not free clothes is an easy choice).

But, at this point, I’m getting close to the amount of clothes I want in my closet (I prefer to keep it pretty minimal) and don’t really want to receive 12 pieces in the mail. Really, what I need now are some better shoes to wear to church, but I don’t think I can stomach the high Nordstrom shoe prices, even though several of their shoes were so comfortable.

Both Trunk Club and Stitch Fix are fun and beneficial services to take advantage of.

If you want or need new clothes, hate shopping, don’t have the time to shop, are ready to invest in quality pieces over “just something to wear” then try out one or both services! I’m sure they will both delight you.

Try Trunk Club here.

Try Stitch Fix here.

Good luck and may you enjoy your clothes!

If you are interested in other personal styling clothing boxes, check out my other reviews:

• Best Kid Clothes Subscription Boxes
• Stitch Fix Kids Review
• Kidpik Review
• Baby by Kidbox Review
• Kidbox Review
• Maternity Subscription Boxes
• 6 of the Best Men’s Clothing Subscription Boxes