Take the clothes off the line.
There have been a lot of ideas posted on this platform and other platforms about how to develop a second hand clothes economy.
This is for good reason. The fashion industry is said to be responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions – and in western society, at least causes about 270 kg of CO2 emissions per person.
There are a lot of 'on- line' second hand clothes sites: swap-up, depop and ebay to name a few ways of selling second hand clothes online.
But, for me, second hand clothes are really only viable if you can try them on or at least see them before purchase, as the risks of a sightly tattered or ill fitting garment are too big for me to waste my time shopping for them on-line.
Not to mention the CO2 I would generate in having a product shipped to me from overseas or across the country.
Plus Jeff Bezos is rich enough.
So I would support "Off The Line Clothes' - (this is not a promotion, it is an idea) - a platform for second hand clothes to be sold on consignment at any retail store that chooses to get involved. I would expect this would include a lot of shops owned by people who live in that community.
It would work like this:
1. Retail shops that have choose to have a rack of second hand clothes for sale on consignment could have a sign with a red dot out the front and the words Off The Line Clothes For Sale.
2. Anyone can drop their second hand (washed and ironed) clothes there to sell on consignment by arrangement with that retailer.
3. The person selling the second hand clothes makes a few dollars from them with a few dollars going to the retailer.
4. Retailers could be graded for integrity and quality of their collections for buyers and sellers through some kind of uber app, what might take a dollar per sale themselves, as well as promoting the venue on-line.
5. The retailer wins by making additional revenue to their normal business, whatever that might be, plus they gain additional foot traffic from second hand clothes coming into their store.
6. Everyone has more clothing options.
I am not claiming copyright over this idea. So good luck if you want to have a go at doing this in your community or or go ahead and develop and app and grow a global business.
Smiley face.
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