7 Tips for Starting a Fashion Upcycling Business
So much has happened since 2020 started, that all the dates and years are starting to blend. I cannot remember for the life of me if I sold upcycled clothes in late 2020 or early 2021! Maybe I blocked it out, because I had a disastrous go of it. Upcycling fashion is a very lucrative business! That being said, there are a lot of challenges along the way to make enough money to actually make it worthwhile. If you like to have multiple hustles or are looking for a part time hobby to supplement your income, upcycling fashion might be just the thing for you!
I sold clothes for a few months when I was dabbling with the sales avenue, and made about $500. As both a creator and consumer of upcycled clothing, I know other women also struggle with some of the same things I went through. It’s challenging because when you make goods to sell, and for some reason especially clothing, customers start to get super demanding on how they want the clothes to be.
A lot of women came to me for custom orders or asked me to add sleeves or change the clothes in some way. And that was what ruined my clothing business! I am a devout perfectionist when I sell items, which is funny because in my day to day life I am actually pretty messy and ignore fine details a lot. But when I sell goods that I have made I want them to come out perfect, and to make my customers happy! So when women wanted customized clothes it sent my inner perfectionist into a tizzy. I literally became so obsessive about finishing orders quickly and just right that I had a total melt down.
Upcycling clothes is so much fun! And it doesn’t take all that much overhead to get started. So as a little side hustle to bring in a little extra cash, it might be just the thing for you. Here are a few pointers and tips, from someone who has been down that road before. I want you to have success and avoid the pitfalls that I experienced.
One thing to consider is if you have a lot of old clothing to upcycle at the start. When I sold clothes I started out by upcycling my own wardrobe, and then started buying thrifted clothes after I had gotten through a lot of my own pieces. You will need a bunch of clothes….more than it might seem at first. For example, my t shirt square dresses took four or five t shirts to make just one dress! If you want to use only thrifted clothes in your makes you need to have an abundance of items to choose from.
Get a clothing rack to hold your thrifted and upcycled items. You can find them at Bed Bath and Beyond for $20-$30, so not too expensive. This is a huge step and it helps, because you can use the rack for photos and also to keep the upcycles nice instead of storing them in bags or boxes. I also got a full sized mannequin, which was both fun and kinda creepy, lol! It was unnecessary though, and the mannequin weighed like 80 lbs and it was impossible to put pants or certain tops or dresses on it. A dress form is also a great option for photos! If you look on Etsy, there are even ways to create your own life size dress form. Amazon even has little hanger half mannequins that would do the trick in a pinch for great photos.
If you actually want custom work and can handle the stress that comes along with it, you will have incredible success. But if you are like me and custom work makes you want to run for the hills, you need to have strict policies about it and stick to it. Self care is absolutely crucial when you are sewing as a business, because it is a lot of work. You know yourself better than anyone else. People pleasers will have a tough time with this step, because you want all your customers to be thrilled with what they buy. But if you cannot handle the stress of taking custom orders then just don’t do it.
Pricing is really tricky with upcycled clothes. I underpriced mine, at about $20-$30 per item. Some shops overprice, and then wonder why nobody wants to buy their clothing. $90 for an item that only took you twenty minutes to make is just way too steep, and people can easily tell by looking at the item that it was a simple project. So if you want to charge a lot for your upcycles, know that you will have to go above and beyond over the top with those pieces. If you have a lower price point like I did, stuff will sell for sure! I enjoyed pricing my clothes affordably, because I wanted anyone to be able to afford a piece if they wanted something. I know now though that I could have made a lot more money had I charged a bit more.
Use the internet to get ideas. I have a few books on upcycling, which came in handy. But my most popular pieces were all things I designed myself. The internet is an excellent place to start and learn some new techniques, and it doesn’t cost a thing. A lot of authors claim rights over their ideas, which becomes tricky.
If you create a design that is unique or popular, create lots of items based on that look. Also, choosing something to focus on is something I see a lot of shops do with great success. Some seamstresses focus on only one or two items, like coats or skirts. If you stick to a few basic looks, it will help you build your brand.
Etsy is a great place to sell upcycled clothes, but there are a lot of other options today as well! People sell on Facebook, and I’m even starting to see people selling on Instagram. Or look local in your city or state and see if you can get some of your upcycles into some local shops. I sold on Etsy and also had a customer ordering a lot of pieces directly from me. It will take some time to start making money, but it would be worth it to try a few different avenues and see what works best for you and your makes.
Upcycling fashion as a side hustle can be a lot of work, but it is also a fun way to make some extra cash! I hope these tips get your own creative biz vibes going!
