Levi’s Secondhand
Levi’s Secondhand
Time to break out our Canadian tuxedos and come together to celebrate the original denim gods, Levi’s! This 147 year old company has managed to once again revolutionize the retail fashion scene by becoming one of the largest companies to promote circular fashion through a buy-back program. So let’s all just take a second to say “Thank you, Levis” for refusing to remain in the past and instead grow with the times and the needs of both the fashion world and the actual world.
If you haven’t heard about it by now, Levi Strauss recently announced that they would be featuring secondhand goods on their website to promote sustainable practices by their consumers. This came in the form of an Instagram post Monday followed by a series of posts discussing the importance of circular fashion. For those new to the sustainable fashion game, circular fashion or a circular supply chain, is when a company expands the lifespan of their clothing by increasing quality, offering repair options and buy back programs for items to either be recycled or re-sold after their lifespan with the given consumer is over. Levi’s in particular has been moving towards a completely circular supply chain over the past few years by maintaining the historical quality of their denim, offering tailors to repair broken garments or patches for holes, switching to greener manufacturing practices, recycling deadstock and now finally offering a buy back program.
As if their sustainable practices weren’t enough, Levi’s has also historically been an advocate for blue collar workers, social justice and political change. Levi’s was founded by an immigrant during the height of the California gold rush. Founder Levi Strauss, created the original 501s as a sturdy 100% cotton denim, named “waist overalls” for miners and workers in 1873. Over the years Levi’s grew in popularity from dude ranchers to hippies and greasers. Their popularity was based on their capacity to last as well as their constant ability to stay updated with current trends. They have grown with society being one of the first major companies to donate to LGBTQI+ causes, starting a foundation that has donated $7.3 million to support next generation civil rights activists and being a constant advocate for “Rock the Vote”.
So, what does this new addition to the Levi’s store mean to you? Through this buy-back program, consumers are able to sell their Levi’s back to the company in exchange for a gift card to purchase brand new or other well-loved jeans. This means when you’re done with your favorite jeans, you get paid to give them back to the company and hopefully give them a new lease on life. Unique vintage styles that would leave second-hand shoppers praying to the thrift store gods to find, are now easily accessible and fun to sift through. Eco-conscious shoppers now have multiple options when shopping at Levis: secondhand, hemp jeans, jackets and pants made out of recycled denim, water bottles and polyester and finally, you will never be left wearing the same denim jacket as everyone else at the party. We don’t know about you, but this all seems like a win to us.
For more information on Levi’s second-hand and environmental initiatives, you can check out their website: OR check out their instagram for videos on current issues, sustainable practices, and what you can do as a consumer to help!
