Circular and sustainable shopping
this is a sponsored post in collaboration with NinYes
Spring is around the corner, I can have coffee in the sun and butterflies flutter outside the window. This is a time when many feel the need to change. We want to get a haircut or buy new clothes… And after a few dark, cold months I pack my winter clothes away and bring out the spring and summer wardrobe. As you might know, I buy most of my clothes second hand or from higher quality, sustainable brands. And even though I’ve invested a lot of time into a sustainable wardrobe, and I get a sense of new as I bring them back out after winter, that does not mean that I don’t want new things every once in a while.
But is there a way to keep renewing your wardrobe in a sustainable way? What do we do with what we already have? As I go through my wardrobe I notice that I have a few items that I am not using, but they are in very good condition. My style has changed and so they just hang in the closet, they carry a higher value on the second hand market and I feel that makes them harder to sell, so I have just kept them. I also feel it’s a bit of a hassle to photograph and sell myself.
But there is actually a new option for circular and sustainable shopping, that I was so happy to discover, and that I get to share it with you as well! Ninyes is a new, Finnish company that works with circular, sustainable second hand shopping. They sell used clothes and are very selective in what brands they carry, and check the quality of the items handed in as well. They have just opened up to the Swedish market so I decided to sell a few of my clothes through them.
How it works
First, read the info on their website under recycle / re.wear. What brands do they accept? If you have clothes that fit their criteria, you fill out the re.wear form. Then you pack your clothes in a bag or a box you have handy, and send them to Ninyes. It’s important to include a paper slip with your name, e-mail address and the title “Ninyes re-wear” in your package. In Sweden you will receive a Bring prepaid packing slip in an email. Leave your package at a Bring service point. All the info is on their website. After about 1-2 weeks, when they have received your items and gone over them, you will receive an email with a proposed gift card value. After accepting it, you will get your gift card.
Then your items will photographed, uploaded and sold through their website!
Suddenly it felt so easy to make space in my wardrobe. I didn’t have to photograph anything or decide on a price myself, and I was able to get something new in a circular, sustainable way. It feels good knowing what I sent will be sold eventually, and in a store that understands and appreciates the brand value, and that the customers buying through Ninyes do as well.
It truly couldn’t be easier!
Those of you that are based in Sweden get free shipping when you send items* in or place an
order from Ninyes, using the code Freeshippingnow. Valid until April 30th.
*when sending items, using the Rewear form there’s a space labeled CODE where you put it in
A topic that I think we still need to talk more about is that making sustainable choices when it comes to consumerism is often a very privileged thing to be able to do. Buying from sustainable brands, or investing in higher quality, is more expensive and not something everyone can afford – even if they want to. Ninyes has made it more possible for people to actually acquire clothes from sustainable or higher quality brands at a more affordable price range. By buying clothes through them you are supporting circular consumption, but you are also helping yourself since what you buy will likely last a lot longer due to the quality. And if you get tired of it before that, you can always trade it in through their services!
I have been buying clothes second hand and online for years now, but most other stores carry a bit too much, and of varying quality or brands that mass produce fast fashion to begin with. I have found that it takes too much time to go through and find good pieces. Because even though I buy second hand, I want to invest in clothes made with good quality in terms of the materials used and how well they are sewn. I don’t want to have to throw something out because it won’t last, and as I’ve previously written about, I care about what I wear close to my body. Since Ninyes has such a well curated inventory, there’s a lot less to choose from and everything that is there is quality checked and from brands I know I can trust.
What I traded in and got instead
I sent two plaid shirts from Patagonia, and a long shirt from Dedicated. After getting a voucher with the value of them in the store, I started browsing. It was really hard to choose what to get. I tried to take into account what I needed and what fit my current style, so I went for muted colors and a calmer feeling. I am slowly reworking my wardrobe to be more capsule-esque, phasing out strong colors and loads of patterns. Most items I own now are in earthy tones or black so that they work better together with one another. After much browsing I ended up replacing them with is a kimono from a Finnish designer brand, a henley shirt and a basic black t-shirt dress. All from brands I had never even heard about before. I am very pleased with the items and their quality, and it was fun to discover new brands as well.
Besides Finland and Sweden they have also opened the store up to the Danish market, which means that the selection of clothes will grow and soon it will be a wonderfully circular system of great quality clothes to peruse from – all second hand! There’s such a good mix on the site, from nice everyday clothes, to some outdoor clothes and knitted beanies to a lot of nice clothes for children. If you live in, or visit Helsinki, they also have a physical store. I can’t wait to go there next time I’m in town!
I truly believe this is the future of shopping. There are so many good items of clothing that have already been produced, more of them need to be in circulation instead of us getting bombarded with new things. It is also so important for us to know what to do with what we already have. We can’t always keep it all.
Do you buy or sell a lot of clothes second hand currently? I’d love to hear your thoughts on the topic, and if you sell or buy using Ninyes I would like to hear how you thought it worked and see what you got! Leave a comment or reach out to me on Instagram.
