I have used the online service, Rent the Runway, which is similar. It's mostly for special occasion clothes when you don't want to go out and buy a dress for one event.
Abbey Abbott I also use Rent the Runway. I get to make a statement, but feel good about wearing it only once. (Though there have been a few times that I never wanted to send the dress back lol)
"Less to own, but more to use" - That's so well thought! :) I struggle with buying clothes that are different styles than I normally wear and it happens that I really dislike the clothes that aren't similar but I already washed them so no chance of returning it. A fashion library would be awesome! I'm quite small (158cm) but quite curved so a lot of stuff doesn't fit me right at the hips and breast area about I only know that after wearing it for some time. That concept would be great to just try different styles of clothes. I hope that this concept goes worldwide! :)
Great idea!!! Also love the comments that we can start libraries for all sorts of things that we don't use or need to use on a daily bases. I really hope this idea will be picked up everywhere in the world so we can start to consume less and share more.
I'm a public librarian and have been watching closely as libraries around me have been expiramenting with items that go beyond our typical books/movies/magazines model. We now offer snowshoes (we're based in Maine), and we're thinking about offering cake pans next. I know of larger libraries that offer things like tools, fishing polls, and backpacks filled with items for hiking. The idea is the average person might use these items a couple times a season, but en masse, the community could really benefit from them. The idea of a clothing library really fascinates me! I wonder at some of the practical issues that come with lending out clothes (am I right to assume that the borrower is responsible for washing/dry cleaning? how are repairs handled? What about if one of those rare/vintage items need to be outright replaced). But it's safe to say that if one of these set up shop in my city, I would certainly check it out! Very curious what the membership fee is!
If you would like to reach out to a library that already loans cake pans, try the community library in North Liberty, Iowa! They have a huge collection and have been loaning pans for years. It's a great service to the community and is very popular!
I love the idea of borrowing tools, seasonal items etc. there are so many things that be used communally. I've also seen sharing groups where people lend stuff like that. With the Lena library most clothes they want brought back clean but fragile/delicate items they take care of the cleaning. They apparently also let you have 3 "accidents" a year - small holes, small stains, undone seams, etc. that they will repair. Bad damages I think you have to pay a fee for.
That's such a cool idea. My library has a seed catalogue and basic gardening tools that they lend out. I love the idea of expanding into kitchen items. Do these expansions from public libraries usually start with the librarians, or does it help to have an invested community asking for it?
They usually start from the librarians/library board, but keeping an active dialogue with patrons and understanding what they're looking for is a HUGE part of my job. There's nothing wrong with letting the staff know you're interested. And seed libraries are such a cool concept. The library a town over has one going on and I believe it's going quite well.
This would be so great for special events! I hope it takes off as a concept, it seems so simple and practical. I imagine it'd also be great for people who need clothes for job interviews, etc.
That concept is so cool! I would totally use it for special occasions.. for example, last year I got a super cute summer dress by Acne Studios second hand for a wedding. The wedding was in early July but on that day it was around 11°C! Way too cold for that dress, I still have the dress but I haven't worn it yet, since I am usually not so into wearing dresses... I want to wear it this summer definitely but if I would just have borrowed it, it would be a lot cheaper and also I wouldn't feel guilty if I haven't worn the dress, since I would just bring it back to the library!
This is such a great idea! I hope it does take off around the world because I reckon a lot of clothing waste could be stopped with this kind of system.
wow, what a cool idea. if I had one of these in my area, I would be able to add some zip to my basic minimalist wardrobe of 35 pieces...also love the idea of being able to try on a piece and wear it for a week before it became my "big" purchase for the season. thanks for the inspiring videos!
I recently learned about groups where people will share things like that and tools, household things, etc. Buy Nothing Project has a list of them around the world: buynothingproject.org/find-a-group/ :)
Thank you SO much for sharing this. This actually made a lot of snippets of ideas I have had in the past come together in a really astonishing and vibrant way. I'm spending my morning sketching out a rough business model.
I very much like the idea of this type of library. I would consider it for a special event. I like my small capsule wardrobe for everyday as I avoid decision fatigue so I don't think I'd use it for my everyday life. Good job Erin on the edit of this interview. It made for an enjoyable watch.
What a cool concept and place! I just told my husband and he also agrees that is really good. And I would say for an special ocasion sounds PERFECT, because sometimes you don´t want to buy a new dress or a new suit, and renting them it can be very expensive too, I rather prefer to support a place like this. I love it!
I really love this concept. It's so nice to see different types of share libraries popping up, such as a tool lending library in upstate New York. These new ways of sharing and reusing is exciting.
I would love this in New Jersey! Thanks for this video. it would be interesting to see more in interview style videos with more people doing positive things in the fashion world.
Glad you enjoyed it! I really love making them :) I'd love to do more they just unfortunately take a lot of time and money to get to places so I can't do them very often.
I found two fashion libraries here in my city (São Paulo, Brazil), but I’ve faced the same problem: sizing. I’m a 42/44 (European size) and I don’t know why but they don’t really have many pieces that I can wear. Still I love the fact that they exist and I keep visiting them to check how they’re working on having a more wide range.
Fascinating idea! I would love to see more people concerned with the fashion industry in the US. I think if quality control could be effectively managed, this is a great idea! :)
I love this idea! There are a lot of up and coming designers in South Africa and especially Cape Town at the moment. This would be a great way to showcase their work as well. Hopefully this idea will spread around the world soon :)
It's so great for designers! She also told me that some new/small designers use it to "test" designs- they can get feedback if lots of people have fit issues, if the materials wear out quickly, etc.
Hopefully that will help to reduce waste. Instead of producing a hundred items that don't fit/wear out quickly, the designers can produce five or ten on which they can improve. Your videos are so informative and inspirational!
The idea of a clothing library is simply brilliant, but I have to ask, what about washing the clothes? I assume that people have to wash their clothes before returning them. Now, where I come from (Macedonia), people are VERY reserved about buying second-hand just because they think that the clothes are icky and dirty because someone previously wore them and owned them, so this kind of concept would be completely preposterous in my environment. But let's just say it does work out, that would mean that the clothes would go through the washing process more frequently than normal, meaning more microfibers down the drain, more wearing and tearing of the material and shortening the lifespan of the clothes. Doesn't this go against the whole idea of trying to preserve the clothes you're wearing and create less demand for the fast-fashion industry? I would just like to know if they've found a solution for the upkeep of the items. Btw, the jumpsuit/coat combo fit you perfectly :) Have a good one :)
That's a good point. I know for items that require special care - dry clean only, delicates, etc. they take care of the cleaning so they can make sure to do it properly and use eco-friendly cleaners/methods. Also on the care labels they encourage low temperatures. It would be interesting to know (unfortunately I didn't ask) how long garments tend to last there before becoming worn out. A lot of the clothing seemed to be good quality though, so I imagine they last a while. I think the microfibre issue could be addressed with the library concept by lending out a washing bag like the Guppy Friend along with synthetic items to not only catch the fibres but help preserve the pieces.
hi, I have been watching your videos for two or three years now and I find the new formats very interesting. However in contrast to them the segments that you film at home are quite. The colors are overexposed and in comparison to other youtubers you talk long between cuts. It shows your commitment of course and is a refreshing sign that you are good at talking, but it is boring after a few seconds. I am someone who watches documentaries too but that is just not what I expect from a youtube video and whenever your home comes on my mind just turns off automatically.
