OFF THE CUFF
David Welles recounts how TRUNK CLUB turned him into a fashion fanatic
‘Clothes make the man.” There’s something about this proverb that creates anxiety for most men. Surely it was written by some well-dressed, successful man, not your typical “get-up-and-go” guy.
I identified as the latter until my first college girlfriend identified my lack of dressing skills. On mandatory shopping trips, she’d say, “Wear this with these shoes, this with that and never with this.” She was amazing; I finally felt like I knew how to dress confidently.
Then we broke up. So I wore the same ensembles until suddenly my sense of style was stale and outdated again.
The problem is, I hate shopping. First off, I hate when salespeople ask if I need any help — though my immediate response of, “No thanks, I’m fine,” isn’t honest. What halfway decent-looking guy ever wants to admit they need help? Second, I hate trying things on, and never do it. What if someone saw me in a ridiculous get-up? So over the years, I’ve adopted the philosophy, “I’ll just return it if it doesn’t fit.” Which brings me to my third issue: I hate running errands, so the piles of ill-fitting clothing have continued to grow in my closet, eventually getting donated when they’ve collected enough dust or I’ve moved.
Nearly 20 years after that initial shopping trip, I finally found the solution: Trunk Club. Michael Barkin, the director of sales, is a close friend that I regularly play golf with. He has a unique sense of style: flashy, flamboyant, crisp. Think LeBron James, not Deion Sanders. Michael is “clothing confident;” I’ve never seen him in the same thing twice. During one of our recent golfing excursions, he invited me to check out Trunk Club, explaining that it carries the same clothes I’d get at high-end department stores without a fee or the hassle.
One fateful morning, I walked into Trunk Club’s loft space and was immediately enamored with the more than 40 (now close to 80) energetic, attractive stylists working furiously on their laptops and phones. These were the stylists that helped customers dress better — and they were mirror images of my first college girlfriend (only older and more experienced)! I sat down on a leather couch, comfortably drinking a beer, while Michael brought me more than 30 pieces of clothing, including sweaters, buttondowns, shirts, jeans and pants.
At first, I was drawn to the safe and familiar items. Michael — who’s blunt — encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and try something new. So I trusted him and took several items home to try them on my own time. I was amazed at the options he’d selected for me; they were all different, unique and comfortable. In the safety of my own home, I relinquished the need to shop for months.
Shortly thereafter, I was invited on a last-minute trip to Italy — the European mecca of fashion. I reached out to Michael, who explained I didn’t have to come in — he could just send me a trunk to try out.
Wait. This was too good to be true. I didn’t even have to leave my home or office to shop?
Two hours later, a private messenger delivered a box filled with anything I might need and instructions on how to pair the items. I closed my office door and began experimenting with the combinations Michael suggested. After choosing what I wanted to keep, I noticed a return-shipping label with which to send back the other clothes to Trunk Club — free of charge and no questions asked.
So here I am, a guy who hates to leave his surroundings, doesn’t like salespeople and despises trying on clothes. Now, I accomplish shopping on my own time with my long-awaited privacy. And thanks to this experience, I have unexpectedly become a clothes fanatic.