Has boredom pushed you to the edge of insanity these past few months? Where you literally took everything out of your closet, threw it on the floor for a giant cleanout, then brought it all (or sent it all) in to your local True Fashionista consignment store? If you’re feverishly nodding your head in agreement, you are not alone.
With the virtual shutdown of the fashion industry, like everything else in order to contain spread of the coronavirus, many are using the time to freshen their wardrobes, resulting in a boom in the consignment and secondhand business industries. We couldn’t be happier to share the wealth (and the savings!) with our True Fashionistas customers.
Besides the savings, consigning is also sustainable, aka guilt-free. Think about how turning around a True Fashionista LBD that you wore to that fancy party where a whole bunch of pictures were taken and published (following the never be seen in it twice rule) makes total sense. You can save all the water and chemicals that go into the creation of high fashion pieces.
Gathering the facts from the watchdogs at TrustedClothes, a good 1,800 gallons of water goes into making just one pair of blue jeans. Think about the landfills, environmental wear and tear, loss of animal habitat, and the plundering of natural resources that goes into creating all clothing, not just your True Fashionista Tom Ford dresses. If we recycle clothes, that means we won’t be paying such an environmental price in the future.
Then, by consigning and spending those hard-earned dollars in a consignment outlet like True Fashionistas, you give clothing a longer lifespan. When people use clothes to the fullest extent, it could be a good guilt-free decade before clothing ends up in a trash heap, all good and properly worn out. You could also make some great money, plus having paid a small amount for your fresh look, so the benefits are a hundred times over.
Consigning creates a recycling community, says TrustedClothes, whose staff has spent over two decades as a watchdog for the garment industry, exposing unsafe working environments and well below-average pay. They also use their voice to promote those companies that are doing things right, encouraging renewable energy projects and shopping in the secondhand and consignment market with businesses like True Fashionistas.
Anthony Marino, President of ThredUP, a leading forecaster of fashion trends, agrees. “Finally, the youth of the world are more switched on than ever about the health of the planet,” he shares in their 2020 Resale Report, “With their words, deeds, and dollars, the younger generation is demonstrating a genuine desire to be part of the long-term solution to fashion waste. This should inspire much optimism in all of us. The consciousness of the next generation of consumers is a tailwind for businesses that deliver customer value in a sustainable way.”
Even the Wall Street Journal sees the future in consigning, “"Bargain hunting, environmental concerns and the sharing economy have erased the stigma of used goods at the same time technology has made thrift shopping more accessible, reliable and cool. Even Kim Kardashian West wears vintage designer duds."
True Fashionistas owner Jennifer Johnson has also seen a reflection of this forecast in the store, “We’ve had a huge uptick in the volume of clothing and home items that customers are bringing in to consign, given the large amount of nesting time they’ve had at home,” she says, adding, “Our customers’ safety, health and wellbeing are of utmost priority as they venture out once again, looking to downsize and refresh.” Not surprisingly, sales have been leaning more toward casual pieces and home items, while formal pieces have not sold as well.
Since reopening post-quarantine, the True Fashionistas brick and mortar store is being constantly sanitized for our customers’ safety, with particular attention being paid to sanitizing door handles, counters, keypads and pens. Whether you bring in goods to sell and explore the store for your next great designer find or shop with us online, you can enjoy the hottest new trends. Consign with True Fashionistas and get luxury looks at a fraction of the price!