Posts Tagged ‘The Gap’
reinventing the 3 Rs
What do you do with your tattered, death-by-stain, or not-so-in-style clothing that can just no longer afford the rental space in your closet? Have you ever thought your clothing could live a second life? Well here’s an idea, what if every garbage day we rolled not only our blue, black and green bins out to the curb, but also maybe a pink bin as well. I’m not saying it has to be pink, just an idea, but instead of throwing old garments in the trash how about recycling them?
Blame it on our materialistic generation who believes that bigger is better (meaning wardrobe size). Yes, I will include myself in the many who over indulge and over consume. Because of this, the average American throws away 54 pounds of clothing a year, for a total of 9 million tons of mostly still wearable, lightly used clothing. The best option for the clothes you cannot bear to keep are consignment shops, second-hand stores and charities. Maybe we could all become a little more crafty and take a tip from Preloved in reinventing and redesigning your wardrobe!
Recycling clothing is also becoming a trendy “green initiative” in the retail industry. The Gap recently launched a campaign allowing customers to bring in an old pair of jeans and receive 30% off a new pair. All 250,000 pairs of recycled jeans will be used for insulation in future projects. Outdoor apparel retailer, Patagonia, currently offer 70% of their product line being made from recyclable materials or can be recyclable. The company’s goal is to reach 100%, ensuring completely green merchandise.
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Next time you go to throw your used clothing in the trash, remember “reduce, reuse, recycle!”
when the going gets tough, the tough find new target markets
Recently my parents were cleaning out their basement and came across a photograph of myself and my current roommate circa 1994, standing in her living room, awkwardly holding hands. It must have been the first day of school, or some other significant occasion, as I know for a fact that in my household when the camera was out it was a special occasion. On this particular day, my mother had chosen to dress me in Hounds tooth tights with white socks over top, black Keds and a gigantic white sweater. If we are assuming that it is the first day of school we must remember that it is September. Winnipeg in September can reach +30 on any given day. I must say I look rather stylish, if not a little overheated.
Looking at this photo I wondered where my mom bought my clothes from. I remember being taken to the Bay to shop in the kids department, but beyond that I don’t remember shopping anywhere else. Flash forward fifteen years and there is a multitude of retailers that offer stylish and trendy kids clothing.
