Well, technically, not my FIRST foray. I HAVE worn clothing before…just not very fashionable. If it’s not jeans and a tee shirt, I feel fidgety. So, to step out of my comfort zone a bit I decided to see what having a personal stylist is all about.

My first trunk arrived!

Fashion Profile

First I went online to Trunk Club for Women and filled out my fashion profile. I told my secrets to the questionnaire – like what my bra size is (though their options didn’t go up as high as mine – if you’re not a DDD or smaller, they don’t have your size), what my favorite color is, what kind of jeans I like the most, what I do for a living, and which celebrity is my style icon. I don’t really have a style icon; I do my own thing and it’s usually about comfort but neatness. I don’t go for the sloppy look and I don’t do leggings as pants because as we all know “Leggin’s ain’t britches”.

I was assigned a stylist named David who emailed me a questionnaire of his own and then promptly called me to discuss my style, my job, my needs, my family, etc. He was very thorough and I enjoyed our conversation immensely. David is personable and funny and seemed to really get me. He said he would put together a few outfits and then I would get to see them online before they shipped. I had the option to say no to anything but he suggested I trust him and at least try them on. I agreed that I would try to trust him and what he sees for me.

I answered all of the questions he sent me and then waited a couple of days for my email showing what David had for me. The outfits he picked out weren’t exactly what I would have picked out for myself. For instance, a silk blouse might not be a great idea with two messy kids around. I said no thank you to the pair of shoes he had picked out because I already had a pair almost exactly like the ones he had chosen. Same with a pair of black skinny jeans. He updated the trunk and added something different in the place of the two items I didn’t want.

I waited about three weeks to get my box. Not very patiently, I might add. Pins and needles, constant checking of my email and account to see if there was any news about my shipment. Finally, the day came when I got confirmation that my trunk was on its way. It arrived the very next day and I rushed home at lunch to see everything.

Inside my trunk was an envelope with a few things (see the last gallery). David had written me a nice note of encouragement.

Naked in the Kitchen

The second pair of “pants” and I use that term loosely, were gray leggings with a seam down the front. I liked the fit, but the length was too long. And, again, I don’t wear leggings as pants. It’s fine for those of you who want to – there’s no judgment here. I just don’t like them on ME. Rock ’em if ya got ’em. I digress. As the leggings were too long, and cost over $200 I decided to send those back as well.

5 Tops – Not 1 Keeper

Since I was done trying on all of the bottoms, I put my jeans back on and turned to all of the tops. I had a total of 5 tops in my trunk. The first one I tried on was a sleeveless turtleneck sweater with an open back. I liked it a lot until Joel said: “It’s weird and I don’t like that color”. Back in the box it goes, because who needs their husband to think they look weird? Thanks, hun! That sweater was just over $100.

The second top I got was a short-sleeved silk blouse and I loved it, except for the taupe-y color. It’s not one of my favorite colors and it washed me out. I loved the fit of the top, with its elastic bottom and pleats down the front. Super cute. Not very affordable.

The third top was the very expensive, very executive wear silk blouse. I didn’t even try it on because there were too many buttons on the front and the color was too dark. I don’t like wearing so much black, and just about everything in my trunk this time was black or grey. Again, with small kids who have sticky peanut-butter and jelly fingers, I’m thinking a blouse that cost $228 is out of my price range.

The fourth top I really liked. It was jersey knit and a light pink. It had a cute detail on the back but it just didn’t fit me right.

The fifth top was a sleeveless top I could see myself wearing for a night out with a cute pair of skinny jeans and booties. It was black and had lace cutouts on the front and back of it. Even Joel “oohed” when I pulled it out of the trunk. It didn’t lay right across my chest, thankfully. I say thankfully because it was $350. For a shirt with no sleeves. That’s almost what I spent on my wedding dress…

In all the World These Vests Are Best – or not

There were two vests, which I had told my stylist I was really wanting to try. However, one was made entirely of rabbit fur. I am not vegan; I have eaten deer, squirrel, rabbit, gator tail, goat, etc. I just couldn’t even think of wearing something that was made from dead bunnies. I can’t imagine telling my daughter I was wearing dead bunnies. It was the absolute softest thing I’ve ever touched besides my newborn babies, though. At $238 (and the fact that it was deceased bunnies) I couldn’t keep it.

The second vest reminded me of something an older lady would wear. It was not at all for a spry 39-year-old mom. Back in the trunk it went.

Suede is Not for Snow

I had one pair of leather booties that were too expensive to keep and I don’t spend a lot of money on my trendy shoes because they don’t stay in style long enough to do so. These booties were absolutely adorable but suede (hello snow!) and almost $400. <record scratch> yes, I said $400.

The second pair of shoes would have been cute had they been all black or all brown but they were a funky shade of dark blue and had a white band around the bottom. Cute with ankle jeans or rolled jeans, I’m sure. They pinched my heels in an odd way like they were made for someone with skinny heels (btw, my feet are the skinniest thing on me!). They were over $200. Sent back.

Least Expensive Item

Finally, I got a super cute and very soft scarf. It was all grays and whites and at $38 the least expensive thing in my trunk. However, I had hoped for something a bit brighter and more colorful. I sent it back.

What have I learned from this experience? Personal stylists are fun and I think could work for me once David gets to know me a bit better. But I will continue to shop on my own – usually from the comfort of my couch. I like to try things on in my home, so that aspect of the personal stylist service is nice. And having 10 days to return everything I don’t like is nice. I’ll try it again to see what David comes up with and I’ll keep you posted. I did try out StitchFix as well, and my package should be here this week. I’ll write more about that when it happens.

Final Thoughts

If you’re into spending thousands of dollars on a few outfits, this service might be your thing. For me, I still like a bargain. It’s neat to see what someone else would pick out for me, though. It’s made me want to go to Macy’s and find some good deals on silk or like silk blouses.

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