YESTERDAY’S OUTFIT:
6397 Shorty Jeans
Petit Bateau t-shirt | I got mine secondhand via SLOWRE
James Perse cashmere cardigan | sold out
admonish customer leather tote
Robert Clergerie Alice slides | some black sizes on sale at Amazon
Reading
Patagonia’s circular Economy strategy – takeaway quote:
There should be no end of life of anything. Nothing should just sit in landfill.
AMEN. I strive for that when choosing what to buy.
As Kathryn posted yesterday in a comment, several designers are donating portions of their sales this weekend to Planned Parenthood and other such organizations; Rachel Comey is donating 50%, which is significant. And I appreciate what she says at the end:
The march, she believes, is “not a partisan situation at all. Of all the opportunities for things to stand up for, it’s just a really easy one.”
Everlane launched their 100% human collection a couple days ago, donating $5 to the ACLU for every piece purchased. Almost everything is sold out. I was going to buy a piece, because I like the sweatshirts, but then I thought: I don’t need another sweatshirt, I won’t wear it, I should just donate to the ACLU instead. And more than $5. So, done.
I’m conflicted about those kinds of sales tactics, which is generally what they are, let’s be honest. Yes, donating a portion of profits is a good thing, but it’s also a really great way to drive sales. Rachel Comey’s donating 50% is even better because that means she’s (probably) donating all of her profits and then some. Still, I think it’s probably better to just donate directly to the cause you believe in instead of feeding more consumerism. If you’re me, and have a slight too-much-stuff-problem it is anyway 😉 And I just feel better about making direct donations.
I listened to two great James Altucher podcasts: This one by Susan David is BRILLIANT – don’t let the title/description fool you, it’s not really about that, although it sort of is. She talks about her book Emotional Agility, and speaks really to how to shift, and be emotionally agile, learning how to adapt to life in a better way.
And this episode with Kamal Ravikant, who went on a pilgrimage, was great. Some tidbits I picked up while I was listening and working on this post:
Transformation comes from consistency
so much of our pain comes from resisting what’s happening
say yes, to life, to now.
Shopping
I got my Jungmaven hemp tee (the Baja woman’s style in 100% hemp) and I love how it feels; so much softer than linen. The fit is meh, I appreciate the open neckline, but it’s too long on me and bunches up around the waist, as usual. Just another reason I’ll always stick with James Perse for t-shirts. And the black isn’t BLACK black, which always irritates me, but it’s not a deal-breaker. I will definitely keep it, and wear it. I’m very interested to see how it washes, since that’s always a turning point for linen tees – they ALWAYS lose their shape and stretch out with wash/wear.
I also ordered a sports bra from Pansy (organic cotton/recycled spandex) which I was ridiculously excited to try, and it is WAY TOO SMALL. The sizing advice does say to size up, but since I’m an a cup (34-36″ around), according to Pansy’s site, I thought I’d be a small, so I sized up to a medium. But they don’t have specific size info for the sports bra, it’s just for their regular bra, which in hindsight, seems much stretchier. Anyway, I couldn’t even get it over my head to try on, it’s that small. SO DISAPPOINTED. And I can’t return it, so it’s going up on SLOWRE. Ugh.
I haven’t bought a new sports bra in 5 years – I just wear the ones I’ve had forever by C9 from Target. They’re fine, actually, and still wearable, but I do want to try and start replacing them with more sustainable options. Maybe I’ll try the Pansy bra in large, maybe not.
FYI, pretty much everything I order from Garmentory I order with credit I earn via my referral link (when you sign up, you get a $20 account credit and I do too) and I usually have to add $ on top of that. But I definitely use that money to order things I can review here – new designers, new materials, etc. so hopefully you don’t have to make as many mistakes as I do!
This last order really got me thinking about shopping online and shopping from independent designers & boutiques specifically. It’s frustrating. We want to support them, and buy from them, but it’s challenging with complicated return policies (or no returns) and high prices. But I always try and use my online shopping experiences to get ideas for SLOWRE – what I can do better, and what I might need to change. So I’m working on a two issues specifically: returns & shipping.
Returns : final sale SUCKS. I understand why designers & boutiques do it (I do it for SLOWRE – it’s hard enough to manage the accounting and finances without taking into consideration that items might be returned), especially for “lingerie,” but it’s really hard to think about spending $68 for nothing, especially if you don’t have an outlet to re-sell it. So, I’m trying to figure out a way to allow returns on SLOWRE for more items. Maybe for items over $50? The problem for me is that my margins are so minimal, and I have to pay out commission fees, that my window for accepting returns would be very small, and I can’t afford to be out the shipping costs either. But I’m going to try and make that work. Somehow.
Shipping : SHIPPING IS SO EXPENSIVE. And more and more independent boutiques are charging $10+ for shipping. Even theRealReal charges for shipping ($11.95!), which I gladly pay. I understand wanting free shipping – heck, I hesitate and often don’t buy unless I can get free shipping – or I’ll add a certain $ amount so I can earn free shipping – but I don’t see how it’s sustainable for smaller businesses. Yes, Nordstrom, etc., will always be able to provide free shipping because they can “eat” that cost easily; their margins are higher than smaller stores and designers, but smaller business? forget about it.
If you haven’t looked at Elizabeth Suzann’s “Money Talk” post, it’s a good look at what a typical piece costs to produce, what her operating costs are, and then how much profit she actually makes on an item (less than you might think). Operating costs are HUGE, and honestly, shipping is consistently a large part of that.
I think it’s important to know “how the sausage is made” if you will – I didn’t realize it truly until I started SLOWRE. It’s much more of a struggle than I thought it would be; actually trying to make money on a retail business and not just break even. It’s okay to run a business and not make a profit for a little while, I think, to build it up and earn more business, but unless you’re a venture-backed company, or have friends & family money to use, it’s not a sustainable business model. Amazon can do it, I cannot. Not for a whole lot longer anyway.
SLOWRE’s not going anywhere, I just have to figure out how to make it worth spending more time on, and it will have to start making money at some point. I love it, and do it because I enjoy it, and think it’s providing a useful service, I’m just going to have to make a few tweaks here and there to make it more sustainable as a business. I welcome feedback, and always try to take into consideration any ideas for improvement you guys have!
And lest you think SLOWRE is just a place for me to sell my own things, I’ve been so grateful to have accepted MORE THAN 250 items on consignment from readers & customers in the past year. That may not sound like a lot, but it’s HUGE to me, and I’m so excited about growing in 2017. So thank you so much, to everyone who’s supported the shop by either consigning or purchasing 🙂
Happy Friday! We’re off tomorrow to Atlanta for our nephew’s bris, and I’ll be back home on Tuesday. Quick Trip, and I’ll try to post while we’re gone.
I also found Jungmaven’s colors strange, maybe they should have more accurately swatches on their site or do a swatch kit like Jamie & The Jones. I figure a lot of the color/fit issues are limitations with hemp itself, because it’s not as forgiving stretch and construction wise as other fabrics and the coloration is probably from using more natural dyes. I didn’t find my shirt to be all that flattering either but I didn’t return it because it makes an amazing base layer in terms of keeping me warm and comfortable.
Well if the model is wearing a large in the Pansy sports bra, that takes 99% of us normal women out of the running! I proudly wear a 36E in bras {yes, naturally} and I would need two bras, one for each of the girls…..
Yeah I totally missed that detail when I ordered. My fault! But yeah I honestly don’t know who can wear most of their sizes. Do they even think about stuff like that? Or just design for their teeny tiny friends?
Random Thoughts in return…
Re: “There should be no end of life of anything. Nothing should just sit in landfill.” Admirable, for sure. To be strived for? Definitely. Possible? I’m not so sure. But good to TRY to put into action. One small change I made was to swap out all of my cheapo “limited life” leftover containers (you know, the clear plastic ones with the blue lids?) for glass Pyrex ones. So far, so good….other than my husband trying to fit one into the dishwasher and it broke. “Glass doesn’t bend, Hon!” 😉
I think I’d contact Pansy and let them know what your experience was with sizing. I’d explain that you’re a blogger who does reviews, and that their sizing, even WITH the recommended sizing up was WAY too small! They might want to do right by you, and send you a different size. I always think it’s worth trying when I run into problems that I encounter with smaller businesses. How do they fix it, otherwise?
Odd random thought: I’m so surprised that hemp is softer than linen….I thought hemp was like burlap! Haha!
Sadly, my perfect white linen James Perse dress doesn’t fit. I was so bummed! I don’t believe the measurements they gave me were accurate. I’m going to check, but there is no WAY that my hips are 54″!!! I’d say 42″ probably. It was loose in the top part and tight below the waist. It’s more straight cut than I thought it would be. But it is GORGEOUS! I will probably send it to you, the “world’s preeminent James Perse scholar.” 🙂
An inspiring moment yesterday on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”: The Avett Brothers performing “Give Me Love, Give Me Peace on Earth” (exactly what I needed yesterday!) https://youtu.be/dA5AcbzlJhs
The quote by Kamal Ravikant…heartbreakingly true. We want to control every aspect of life, and we just can’t. It doesn’t work that way. On a similar note, I met with a friend for lunch this week and we decided to try and form our own small group of book/wine/discussion/fun lovers. We’re starting off with Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Big Magic” and I can’t wait to dig in! The subtitle is “Creative Lining Beyond Fear”…exactly what I’m trying to seek in my life.
Thanks, Grechen, for always being here to inspire me and encourage striving for my best! <3
Lol! (Mental picture…)
I’m totally with you on making the donation directly to the organization rather than consuming more. Plus, it means I benefit from the tax deduction instead of the company (because we can’t forget they’re getting the tax benefit, which to me, it negates some of their altruism).
On shipping fees, I used to hate paying them until I started to think of it as the price I was willing to pay to try on clothing without leaving my house. Traffic in the DC area is so bad that going to the stores I’m interested in would require at least an hour of driving there and back. Given what I make hourly (plus the less obvious cost of stress), it’s far cheaper to pay for shipping. I obviously still prefer free shipping, and I do expect it from major retailers and for expensive clothing because I assume shipping costs are simply included in the cost of their products/built into their business model. I will never buy something online I can’t return. Did that once for a super marked down $10 Bikram leotard from a company that I was familiar with. Of course it was a defective product that was improperly labeled. I’m still annoyed about it.
On bras, consider merino wool: https://www.outsideonline.com/2054521/battle-wool-bras
Totally agree on direct donations. Only through companies if it fits in with your purchasing plans. And many thanks for the bra info. I had no idea!
I passed on the 100% human collection although I liked the wording and the concept behind it. None of the styles appealed to me. I agree that it is a sales tactic, generally, unless you are donating a significant amount (or all) of the proceeds, net of cost. That said, I didn’t really take a look at EL’s cost breakdown on those items.
Thanks for the podcast tips! Always looking for new ones to listen to. Btw, I love the shorty jeans. I didn’t open the package until the next morning and I literally cut off the tags immediately (while trying them on) and wore to work that day. I’m wearing them today too. I prefer a big pocket on a BF jean and lately Current Elliott has shrunk their pockets so their jeans don’t work on me as well as the original styles. So I’m glad to have found another option as I wanted a new BF without holes everywhere. Thanks for the fast ship too!
Free shipping s not free… the cost is reflected in the price. We all know the best practice is to buy local. Yet we are enticed by what is not.
Another thumbs up on direct donations….in most situations. Although, I like the way Rachel Comey did it.
For those of us living in the middle of nowhere, shopping local just isn’t an option. I can try to do it when I travel, but otherwise – if I want something interesting and unique, I have to order online. And thank goodness I can! I still end up passing on so many things that are final sale – but I never have a chance to try on in person so…
I’m still trying to come around to shipping rates. I understand that “free” isn’t free, but I think some rates are unfairly inflated (and here’s where I really feel sorry for those in Canada trying to buy from American stores/designers). I feel for your Slowre struggle to find that balance, Grechen!!
You’re my favorite blogger. You have values and you stick to them. You’re real and don’t pretend to have life perfectly figured out. I appreciate that. Thank you for saying what you did about businesses using all of the recent political issues as sales tactics. It couldn’t be more true. Media education is really what you are doing. Thank you.
We carry all the way up to XXL in Pansy Co. at Seven Sisters. I saw that I couldn’t fit into the xl myself and that smallish women were fitting the large. I asked Laura for another bigger size and she made it. That’s a lot more than I can say for most designers!