Thredup divides fans with launch of own clothing line

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Oct 31, 2018

Venturing out from its typical thrifting and upcycling model, Thredup has launched its own clothing line.

The new collection, called Remade, includes t-shirts, a cardigan, wrap dresses, and blouses in sizes XS through 3X, ranging in price from $20 to $50. In the comments section of its Instagram announcement, Thredup said the items are all new and made in partnership with socially responsible factories, mills and manufacturers. 

However, some aspects of the line, from its possibly misleading name to the company's use of the hashtags #secondhandfirst and #reuserecycle when announcing the collection's launch on Instagram, have already sparked some conflict.

Although the company said their intention with the clothing line is to create items that will endure throughout the seasons and "last through multiple re-sale cycles" on Instagram,  a number of customers expressed reactions ranging from confusion to skepticism in light of the company's previous messaging on decreasing the amount of clothes that end up in landfills. 

"Okay, so it is new clothing?" asked @factory45co. "I have to be honest, the marketing on this feels very greenwashed. It’d be helpful to know where your factories and mills are and what types of fabrics you’re using."

"Is this new clothing? I thought we were trying to get away from that?" said another user. 

Thredup acknowledged the reactions of both pleased and disgruntled fans, replying that the line is meant to provide an affordable entryway into circular fashion and will improve in the future. 

"We've selected a manufacturer who's willing to work with us to evolve the line and make it more sustainable over time, without sacrificing the accessible price points we view as vital to lowering the barrier to entry into the circular economy," the company said in a comment. "For example, for several pieces in our next line we’re sourcing existing textiles versus creating anything net new, in addition to exploring using recycled fabrics." 

The collection is available now on Thredup's e-commerce site.