Ladies, Meet the Redbox of the Clothing World
The recently unveiled fashion website Garment Exchange makes finding a temporary outfit fix as simple as swiping through photos on your phone.
“I don’t know what my options are for temporary clothing.”
Startup mastermind Kaleigh Wiese couldn’t shake the thought. She was, however, able to create a solution for her predicament. Garment Exchange is a peer-to-peer clothing-rental service that lets women pick and choose clothing from other women’s wardrobes. It’s a lot like Redbox, except that instead of renting a movie, you’re renting an outfit—or renting out an outfit. It’s a win-win situation, as the woman borrowing the clothes saves money by not having to purchase the outfit, and the woman lending the clothes makes a return on investment by renting out an outfit.
Closets can range from vintage finds to designer gems, allowing women to have a unique experience and find pieces of clothing that best fit their needs. Whether it’s a college-aged girl looking for a formal dress, a woman lacking adequate shopping centers nearby or someone wanting a statement designer piece that is typically out of her price range, any woman with a passion for fashion can get involved.
And that passion is exactly why Wiese was inspired to create the service.
Since participants earn 80 percent of each sale, they are able to have a side source of income. For some, that means fun money to be spent with girlfriends on the weekends. For others, it’s a way to make money from style blogging or pursuing a new business venture.
Wiese is quick to credit the essentiality of women wanting to pursue their own passions. After all, that’s what motivates her and what got her to start Garment Exchange.
“My passion with [the website] is for women to make side money while working their heartstring hustle, the main thing they are passionate about,” Wiese says.
All women have to do to take part in the website is register and create a profile, including their size range. From there, users can upload garments to rent to other users. Garment descriptions include size, fit and photos, so potential renters can see how the item fits on a body. Renters can browse closets with similar size ranges and rent items in four-day increments. Garment Exchange will provide two-way packaging for each garment an owner posts, as well as insurance, taking care of the entire process so closet owners don’t have to stress.
This isn’t Wiese’s first rodeo when it comes to small businesses. After college, she created The Modern Creative, which provided branding services for small businesses and creatives, as well as Méldeen, a premier stationer. Méldeen is still alive and well today, working with wedding planners and creatives internationally, producing one-of-a-kind invitations for events that can cost as much as $25,000.
“I never wanted to work a 9-to-5 job,” Wiese confesses, “which is why I’m self-employed. I couldn’t imagine myself being in a store every day.”
This strong desire for self-employment, combined with an innate love for fashion, has contributed to the initial success of Garment Exchange. With the help of 37 beta users and feedback from 300 women throughout the U.S., Wiese has been able to create a brand that is already receiving positive feedback.
“No one was stepping forward to share their clothing,” she says. “When I figured out that no one [in the startup industry] was doing that, I knew I just needed to take one step at a time and see how people responded to it.”
With successful home- and car-sharing services like Airbnb and Uber already in existence, it’s about time a feasible and affordable clothing-exchange website existed.
What Kaleigh Wiese Will Have in Her Wardrobe This Spring
“Bell bottoms in denim, a trouser pant, a cheap choker necklace and bell sleeves.”
Women Who Inspire Kaleigh Wiese
“Sophia Amoruso, founder of Nasty Gal and author of #girlboss, as well as Diane Von Furstenberg because of her wonderful career and authenticity.”
Blues on the Green Fashion
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