What you dress can convey a lot about you, whether you like it or not. When it comes to employees, vendors, investors, and individuals at networking events, your image as an entrepreneur is a reflection of your brand. I’ve always had an interest in the fashion industry, and I started in wholesale garments before launching my first business in the payments processing industry.
In my area of business, I help a lot of fashion companies process their online payments, and through those contacts, I’ve seen a lot of interesting developments in the sector. The innovations range from developing algorithms to better understand our sizing needs and fashion preferences to implement the concept of collaborative consumerism (maximising the inactivity of the possessions in our lives — in this case, clothing that is seldom worn).
Also, as a bootstrapped entrepreneur, I know that it’s not always possible to afford the newest styles, best fits, or most prestigious labels for one’s wardrobe. I’ve put together a list of some of my favorite brands that are making it easier and cheaper for you (man, woman, or child) to look your best no matter the occasion, even if you’re on a shoestring.
Le Tote
Brett and Rakesh, the company’s co-founders, said they noticed the women in their lives shopped frequently but were still dissatisfied with the clothes they had. They’d observe them trading outfits with their pals and think of how a nationwide shared wardrobe could let women do that on a greater scale and with more options.
They concluded that “people worry less about accessibility than ownership.” According to us, “Our clients care about feeling good on a budget and aren’t interested in owning an excessive amount of stuff.” They also mentioned that most people only use 20% of their closets regularly and that 80% of their closets are less than twice a year.
Stitch Fix
Want to update your wardrobe or add some new pieces to your current collection but simply lack the time or motivation to go shopping? Go to StitchFix’s website, complete a style survey, and a personal stylist will create a box of things for you based on your preferences, needs, and budget. For $20 a month, you can have a “fix” sent to your door, which will include five carefully selected articles of apparel or accessories. You can keep what you wish after deducting the regular charge. Or, you may return it altogether.
Menguin
Rental suits and tuxedos are available for the men. Menguin’s secret algorithm ensures that you’ll receive the appropriate size garment, and if you’re not satisfied with your suit, tux, shoes, belt, or cuff links, the company will rush-deliver a replacement in time for your big night out. Bogdan Constantin, one of the company’s founders, explained that they were motivated to create the service after suffering “incredibly awful experiences’ of renting suits for weddings they were in.
Rent the Runway
The social events industry is booming. Most of us can’t afford to buy a new dress for every single one of these occasions. However, with Rent the Runway, you can rent luxury dresses, gowns, and accessories online and have them delivered to your door, usually in two sizes so you can be guaranteed a good fit. You may now look like a billion bucks while only spending around $80.
Fifth and Main
How much do you despise having to straighten your clothes, sweating in your shirt, and going to the dry cleaning, dudes? Mizzen and Main solved that problem with their ingenious effort. “I wanted to bring creativity to conventional menswear and address an issue that confronts all men,” says company founder Kevin Lavelle of their fantastic dress shirts. Men will love the quality of our dress shirts since they are comfortable, easy to care for, and durable. These features have only ever been seen in casual wear, such as polos and gym clothes, and never in formal wear. It was high time that this common staple for men had such cutting-edge performance qualities.
2Maven
The act of trying on clothing is a source of great discomfort for men. That’s been solved, thanks to 2Maven. Chrissy Liu, the company’s founder, explained: “After college, I went into corporate finance because of my more conventional upbringing. After working in the industry for a while, I decided to pursue an MBA so that I could merge my interest in fashion with my background in business. While in college, I became aware of a massive market niche centred around the fact that most guys do not enjoy shopping. The fashion tech sector, where innovative new startups are shaking things up, also piqued my interest. Our mission is to simplify the process of acquiring desirable menswear for busy modern men. We get acquainted with them, do their shopping, and make a personal delivery. They can avoid going to malls and Internet shopping forever.
ThredUp
Have you ever visited a thrift or resale store and been drawn in by the low pricing but put off by the time and effort required to sort through the merchandise? ThredUp allows you to shop for gently used clothing without leaving your house. They include items for women, children, and infants, making them the biggest online consignment and resale retailer. Here’s your chance to not only stock up on wardrobe essentials but also do some spring cleaning by selling some of your old clothes at the same time.
Rocksbox
Rocksbox is a jewellery subscription service that sends you three new items every month for only $19, perfect for accessorising your new wardrobe. Consider Pandora like Netflix for jewellery.
Twice
Twice is a website where you can buy gently used clothing at up to 90% off the original price. Here’s another chance to get new stuff and sell your old stuff. You can receive free delivery on orders over $49 and have 30 days to return your purchase. You can sign up on this site to be notified as soon as your preferred brands of women’s, and men’s, shoes, and purses are restocked.
FreeClothes
Free clothing. co was founded by two dudes who couldn’t find any T-shirts they loved that also felt amazing. Casual graphic tees may be purchased here, and you can also sign up for their $25/month “tee tubes” subscription service to receive a new shirt every month.
“I honestly got into fashion by accident amid my search for the ideal T-shirt,” co-founder Tim Trad stated. My now-business partner and I routinely came across t-shirts that either fit and felt great but had the ugliest graphics ever, or the raddest-looking t-shirts imaginable, but were simply too ugly to wear. With so many anecdotes to share, we set out to create a product that would be comfortable to wear while still looking good and being well-made. I aimed to provide customers with an interesting and unique shopping experience, even if they were just buying a T-shirt. I believe that we have accomplished this and that we are committed to continuing to do so as we expand.
Fabletics
Instead of just looking well during the day, why not also look good when working out? Fabletics is a fitness clothing subscription service that creates custom outfits for you each month depending on your preferences in terms of training, colour, fit, and coverage.
BaubleBar
For the price of costume jewellery, you can have jewellery that seems like it was made with a lot of time and effort, which is my favourite little secret. You should never discount the ability of jewellery to alter the mood of an ensemble.
