For men who don't like to shop, the idea of a subscription clothing service sounds ideal: Fill out an online questionnaire, get a box of clothes in the mail, try them on at home, keep what you want, return what you don't―all without setting foot in a store.Several of these services exist, each with its own approach, ranging from one item every month to a full wardrobe delivered seasonally, to any number of items delivered as needed. We tried three services. None charged a separate membership fee. Customers pay retail price for the clothes and the sites makes their profit that way.To get started with Trunk Club, my husband―who hates to shop―and I signed up online and filled out a questionnaire asking everything from his age to his occupation, his sizes, how he dresses at work and at home and his preferred stores and brands. It also asks for customers to pick one of four overall styles: formal "Park Avenue," trendy "Modern Man," classic "Heritage Style," and athletic "Work Hard, Play Hard."
We were then assigned a stylist whose phone number, email, and photo were included.Another round of detailed questions followed including preferred colors and fit. The site even asked whether my husband likes to wear his button-down shirts tucked in or out.Next, we were asked to check off the items we needed. We asked for everything except shoes and jackets.The next day, we received a detailed email from Ali Ryan, our stylist, asking to discuss our preferences over the phone to make sure that she had gotten everything right. (Scheduling issues led us to do this via email.)
We then got an email with more targeted questions about what we did and didn't want included in the trunk. Ms. Ryan also sent us a range of price points for the different categories and we requested that she choose on the lower end. The prices in this category ranged as wide as $250 (for example, sweaters from $150 to $400).The "trunk"―a sturdy cardboard box with a flip-back top and plastic handle―arrived a couple of weeks after our order. It contained a neatly stacked pile of clothes and accessories along with a handwritten note from Ms. Ryan and a packing list with individual prices. Nowhere did we see a grand total for the clothes, so we tallied it up ourselves. The 12 items totaled $1,374, ranging from $10 for a pair of patterned socks by PACT Apparel to $178 for a pair of AG Hero jeans.Trunk Club offers members free returns within 10 days of the shipment's arrival. We went over the time limit but we were told by Ms. Ryan that as long as we kept her up-to-date, it would be fine to delay it.We liked the selections and the personalized service. The pattern of one button-down wasn't what we would have chosen, and a "vintage washed polo" by Lacoste seemed overpriced at $88. When we Googled it, we found the same one on a different site on sale for $52.99.