What is Consignment and How it Will Change the Way You Shop
At its core, consignment is the business of selling clothing on behalf of a customer and taking a portion of the profit. The business accepts items for sale and agrees to pay the seller a percentage of the proceeds if and when the goods do sell. But the way we see it, consignment is more like a very well organized clothing swap with the most fashionable people you know (or follow on Instagram). It’s a way to make the pieces you’ve grown tired of turn into new favourites - without having to break out the sewing machine or get creative with scissors.
“At Trove, we see consignment as a way to have great style without breaking the bank or spending days at the mall.”
The pieces that come through our door are carefully inspected for quality and condition. Pieces with more desirable brand names tend to sell better and have a higher return for our consignors. We can’t keep brands like Madewell and Lululemon on our shelves! We take specific pieces from brands like H&M and Zara, but they don’t typically see a great return, which means less money to spend on ‘new’ items. This has changed the way our consignors shop. A great approach is to invest in quality pieces to enjoy and consign them when they no longer serve you.
A good minimalist closet sees 75% of clothing owned worn on a regular basis and finding many different ways to style a single piece. By taking inventory of your closet on a regular basis, you know which pieces are being worn and which ones continue to get pushed to the back. Clearing those preloved items not only makes space in your closet, it helps you earn some extra spending money in the process. You now have space (and cash) to add seasonal and trendy pieces to complement the staples you already own, keeping your style feeling fresh.
Trove accepts new items in time for the changing seasons, so now is a great time to take inventory of your closet. As you unpack your fall and winter items to re-introduce them back into your closet, take the time to think about each item’s place in your wardrobe. As you take it out of storage, do you feel excited to wear it again and can picture how you’ll style it or are you just going through the motions? Do this as you get ready to store your summer pieces as well. Which items haven’t been touched since you took them out of storage at the beginning of the summer? Any pieces that you’re not excited to wear, put to the side. After a few days take a look at those items and if, in the wise-words of Marie Kondo, none of them ‘spark joy’ shoot us an email and let us do the legwork of selling those items and help top-up your budget for this season's wardrobe!
Next time you are shopping for new clothing, think about how it will serve you now and how it will serve you later when you choose to consign. Shopping intentionally for quality clothing is good practice for building a wardrobe of pieces that will last and works against the environmental impact of fast fashion (more on that here).
We are now accepting Fall items at Trove, why not try your hand at consigning or come in and see what we have in store. Some specific pieces that do well in the fall include: chelsea boots, leather jackets, denim jackets, and hats. We also love anything cashmere and vests.
Takeaways:
Shop intentionally for quality pieces that you love. Better name brands = better quality (usually) and higher return on consignment.
Keep a minimalist closet but have fun with a few trendy pieces seasonally.
Take inventory of your closet on a regular basis. Know what you have and what you wear and find a new home for the rest.
Consigning your clothes keeps your closet fresh.
