You guys know that I’m an enormous Trunk Club fan. In case you missed it, I tried the service out last summer for the first time and offered up a thorough overview of my experience in this post. Now that we’ve moved back to NYC, I wanted to try out the other piece of the Trunk Club pie—the Trunk Club “Clubhouses” that they have in several major cities including Charleston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York and Washington D.C. With lots of holiday parties and events on the docket, I thought it was the perfect time to get a little help rounding out my holiday wardrobe.

Setting up a Clubhouse visit is actually very similar to the process of ordering a trunk. If you’re new to Trunk Club, you sign up online, fill out a quick style questionnaire and indicate that you’d like to try on your trunk at the local clubhouse instead of having it sent to your home. Trunk Club then connects you with a local stylist who calls to chat with you about your style and learn more about what you’re looking for. Once you and your stylist connect on the phone, they will email you an itemized preview of everything they’re ordering for you so you can provide feedback to the stylist before everything is sent. I talk in much more detail about this process and what a game-changer the preview is in my previous post about Trunk Club, so check it out here for the nitty-gritty. The only thing that’s left to do is to set up a Clubhouse appointment with your stylist to try everything on in person.

I set up an appointment to meet with my stylist Kelsey at the gorgeous NYC Clubhouse (ever-so-casually located at the Villard Mansions in Manhattan) and the experience was amazing. When you first walk in, you’re greeted in a beautiful bar and lounge area where you can relax, order a drink or glass of wine on the house, and take in the beautiful ambiance. (I’m telling you, this place is straight out of Architectural Digest.) Your stylist then brings you to one of many “fitting lounges,” and, let’s just say, this place makes even the nicest department store fitting rooms look like prison cells at Alcatraz. Each fitting lounge is filled with cozy couches and gorgeous decor—each one more beautifully decorated than the next. Honestly, it’s worth an appointment just for the interior design inspiration!

The stylist will have a rack waiting for you in your fitting lounge along with personally-selected bags, shoes, and accessories—all the things you discussed on the phone and previewed and then some! With changing curtains tastefully tucked into the corners of each room, you can try things on and leisurely review all of the pieces with your stylist, ready to listen to your concerns and offer suggestions. While you can certainly come alone, they encourage clients to bring a friend because it’s honestly such a fun experience in a beautiful, relaxed environment (*ahem* did I mention the drinks were on the house?). Many of the fitting lounges have two changing areas, so you and a friend can even set up a double appointment where you can each try on your selections in a fitting lounge together!

Now, I’m all about the convenience of having the trunk sent to your home where you can try things on at your own pace with pieces already in your closet. However, a lot of people combine clubhouse visits and mailed at-home trunks for the optimal Trunk Club experience.  Initially, having the in-person experience at a Clubhouse allows you to connect face-to-face with your stylist, giving them the best understanding of what styles look good on you, and what types of clothing and accessories you gravitate towards the most. After visiting the clubhouse once or twice, the trunks sent directly to your home will likely get even better. Personally, I loved hearing my stylist’s opinion on how she thought each piece could be worn, and what styles she thought I should try out. Even for someone like me who lives and breathes fashion every day, it was so helpful to hear someone else’s opinion and get a fresh take on new styles and trends. I think we’re all guilty of getting into style ruts from time to time!

When meeting with my stylist Kelsey in the NYC Clubhouse, she said they also do house calls so they can do a closet review with their clients to get a thorough understanding of what they already have and what they might need. Between this and a Clubhouse visit from time to time, your stylist will develop a super strong ability to suggest things that will be right up your alley.

As you can see from the photos, Kelsey picked out some amazing pieces for me. In addition to a full rack of amazing holiday-ready dresses, blazers, tops and skirts, she also included beautiful coats, vests, shoes, handbags, jewelry and even the cutest convertible mittens. When I think of styling services, for some reason I always just think about the clothes themselves.  But with Trunk Club, you can have an entire trunk sent with just accessory suggestions for an upcoming event, or a collection of shoes and bags for your next trip. Not only can you get styling help on literally any area of your closet, but you can also indicate your preferred price range. Whether you’re looking for investment pieces from designer collections or more affordable selections from brands like Topshop or Madewell, they’ll tailor your trunk to both your style and your budget. And at the end of the day, it isn’t a subscription, you don’t pay anything for these completely personalized styling services, and you’re not required to purchase anything from a Clubhouse appointment or a mailed trunk.  All upside, my friends.

Thanks to Trunk Club for partnering on this post!