The Menlo Club is a men’s subscription clothing box that offers men’s apparel from a variety of self-owned brands such as Five Four, Grand AC, New Republic, and Oshenta.
It’s perfect for anyone that is looking for great clothing at a great price, but hates the hassle of having to go shopping (because who loves walking around crowded malls and waiting in long store lines?).
Overview
The Menlo Club is on the cutting edge of subscription box service as well. Most subscription box companies have monthly subscriptions or quarterly subscriptions, but very few have both.
Menlo Club is one of the elite few. Whether you’re looking to build out your wardrobe with fashionable clothing or simply looking to stay up with the latest seasonal trends, Menlo Club has the package option for you.
A monthly subscription contains anywhere between 2-4 items and costs $60 per month whereas a seasonal subscription will have the same amount of items and runs you $75 every 3 months.
The icing on the cake for Menlo Club is the brand’s tagline: “Focus on changing the world, we’ll make you look good doing it…”
MENLO CLUB REVIEW
Active Promotions
Monthly Package: Right now, if you sign-up for a monthly subscription using code “GENTLEMANWITHIN,” you’ll get your first monthly package for ONLY $30 ($30 Off)… PLUS a FREE pair of premium sunglasses! This means that for $30, you’ll get your first curated Menlo Club package + Premium Sunnies.
Seasonal Package: Right now, if you sign-up for a seasonal subscription using code “GENTLEMANWITHIN,” you’ll get your first seasonal package for ONLY $40 ($35 Off).
If you’re not sold yet, don’t worry. I’ve broken down the pros and cons of the Menlo Club to make your decision an even easier one:
Pros
- Makes Life Easy
- Let’s face it, as men we love getting new clothes and looking our best but shopping whether online or in-store requires a lot of decision making and browsing. Menlo Club packages are designed to complement each other so you don’t have to decide what you want to wear or how to match. The Menlo Club does the heavy lifting for you.
- Great Value
- The quality of the clothing exceeds the price point of the package. Additionally, throughout the year Menlo Club will include additional items and accessories like belts, socks and ties at no extra cost.
- No Returns Necessary
- Some of these other subscription box services send you 5-10 items and you keep what you want and send back what you don’t. The problem? Having to make special trips to the post office or UPS Store where you end up waiting in line for 15 minutes. Nobody likes that.
- The Jeans
- Finding the perfect pair of jeans is always a struggle. I was skeptical when I received my first pair of jeans from Menlo Club but after trying them on, quickly realized that these jeans aren’t like any other pair I’ve tried. I won’t be buying any other jeans anytime soon.
- Membership Perks
- As a Menlo Club member, you also receive special perks such as an automatic 25% off and free shipping on any items from the Menlo House
Cons
- Exchanges for Different Sizing Only
- This is kind of a bummer if you receive something that you aren’t particularly fond of. The good news is there is a style quiz required to get started and they do a great job of matching your style preference with the package you receive. Also, each month they put out content on their digital media channels showing you what each style preference could be receiving that month so you can always adjust your style before the shipping date if you follow along and see something that catches your eye.
- Top Sizes Run Big
- I normally wear a large for shirts but had to update my top size to a medium after receiving my first package. Wasn’t the biggest deal in the world, especially when I was able to return my first shirt for a smaller size, but definitely something to be aware of.
- Limited to Only Five Four Group Brands
- If you’re looking for a subscription box that offers a wide variety of retail brands then this isn’t for you. I enjoy the Five Four brands of Five Four, Grand AC, New Republic and Oshenta so this wasn’t a problem for me.
About the Packages
What’s really cool about the Menlo Club is that they help you expand your entire wardrobe. They make sure you’re looking fly from head to toe in all walks of life. To display this I think it’s best to talk about a few of my favorite packages:
April 2019
I really enjoyed the April package because it gave me everything I needed for late spring and summer. The April package consisted of a white polo with navy and columbia blue stripes, a brand new pair of all white New Republic canvas sneakers, and a stylish navy backpack.
This package was perfect for my travel to Chicago for a wedding. The backpack was exactly what I needed for the quick weekend trip and the new shoes and polo helped me look great for post wedding brunch on Sunday morning.
May 2019
Again the Menlo Club hit the nail on the head here. This month I received two pairs of no show socks (perfect for the shoes I just got), a pair of comfortable and well-designed khaki shorts, and my favorite item a dark blue short sleeve button down shirt that looked like denim. The button down shirt was my go to shirt for summer weekends. I paired it with navy blue chinos (from Five Four) and the white canvas shoes from the April package to have a great look for a friend’s birthday dinner and night out on the town in NYC.
July 2019
This package was the Grand Athletic Club (Grand AC) month. The package featured one of the best pairs of slides I’ve ever owned. These slides are very similar in style and feel to the popular Gucci slides I always see. Except you don’t have to spend $200+.
Also, in the package is one of the softest and most comfortable shorts and shirt combo. Additionally, they included a pretty slick black workout hat and a packet of Liquid I.V. This package was very versatile for me as the t-shirt was stylish enough to wear to work with jeans but also paired with the shorts and slides which has been amazing for chilling at my apartment or walking the dog.
September 2019
My package consisted of 3 pieces in total. The hero item was the New Republic Kurt Sneaker, which in my opinion is worth the price of a Menlo Club package all by itself. The popular sneaker goes for a highly competitive $89 which is perhaps the best value “minimalist” leather sneaker out there.
I’ve been wearing the white pair for the past two years now. There’s no denying it has a clean, stylish silhouette. What I don’t like is that they run a little too narrow for me. And so I’d imagine, those with wider feet might struggle with the Kurt sneaker. If it were a bit wider, especially in the middle of the shoe, I’d give it an A+.
I particularly like the rich microsuede lining. It’s super soft, comfortable and looks premium, and it also runs true to size. All in all, it’s a fantastic shoe, especially for the price. Sidenote, I’ll most likely be reviewing these Kurt sneakers in the future, so keep an eye out for that!
The September package also came with a pair of Five Four dark rinse denim which fits pretty well. As a slim fit, they are snug in the seat, thighs and taper down towards the ankle. Granted they are not as slim as some other brands, and not as slim as I prefer these days, but it’s still a modern fit that looks good.
And finally, the third item was an olive green, long sleeve t-shirt. I don’t really like the shirt. It’s big on my frame which isn’t much of a surprise since it’s a size small and most brands’ size small tend to run big on me. Also, I don’t like the line detail that runs along the front of the shirt, it’s just a weird detail that is kind of distracting.
Take the shirt out of the picture and I still think Menlo Club delivered a nice package. It’s especially good if you like their in-house brands like Five Four, New Republic, Oshenta, and Grand AC. Although I’m not in need of a subscription box service, there are millions of men who are and can greatly benefit from the thoughtfully curated monthly selects.
Managing Your Membership
When it comes to the management of your subscription, the Menlo Club makes it extremely easy. You simply need to log-in to the member’s area using the credentials you created at sign-up. From here, you can do everything you need to update size/style, shipping address, cancel, or pause your membership, and you can update your credit or debit card information as well.
Getting Started
Joining the Menlo Club is really easy. You complete a style quiz that lets you choose between 4 different style preferences (Casual, Forward, Classic or Mixed) and then you add your sizing and fit preference (Slim, Straight, Relaxed). I’m about 6’ tall and weigh between 180-185 lbs and the 33 size slim pants always fit me perfectly better than any other brand. I also go with a medium for my top size and that fits perfectly.
Conclusion
If you’re sold on Menlo Club, then you can use this link and code “GENTLEMANWITHIN” when you sign up to get $30 off your first month package (Brings the price from $60 to $30) PLUS a FREE Pair of Premium Sunglasses.
A note from the founder: This review is not sponsored, however; Menlo Club sent me a box to experience for myself. Gentleman Within holds all control over editorial content.
About Joe
Joe is a former NCAA football player who transitioned the work ethic and attention to detail learned on the gridiron to the world of digital marketing. He believes if you look good then you feel good which allows you to perform at your best. Joe currently leads the business development efforts at Today’s Business & Today’s Athletes. You can reach out to him on Instagram @joe_sanfilippo
Are you interested in trying out Menlo Club?
Let’s continue the discussion over in the Gentlemen Within Private Facebook Community.
Looking forward to seeing you in there.
LIKE WHAT YOU READ?
Get more posts like this plus style tips & advice delivered straight to your inbox.
Drop a Line!