Mark Angelou, a river conservationist, documented his journey about the devastating impact the fast fashion industry has had on our water resources. He discovered that it takes about 2,700 liters of water to produce one cotton shirt. The fast fashion industry has been polluting our waters by dumping toxic chemicals and non-biodegradable materials into the rivers.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, I learned to change my habitual ways of obsessively making purchases from fast fashion brands and started to become more eco-conscious and eco-friendly by making changes in my fashion habits such as thrifting. Buying second-handed pieces inspired me to salvage the fast-fashion clothing in the back of my closet. In my pursuit of helping the environment, I knew that the best way to reduce the negative impact was to not toss away my unwanted clothes as they will continue to grow a landfill and make their way to the ocean, causing more pollution. A friend of mine who is passionate about sustainability recently recommended that I recycle my clothes by selling them on Depop, an e-commerce marketplace, where I’m not only making income by selling my used items, but I’m also contributing to saving the environment.
If you’re the type of person who disposes of their clothes, why not make some money through selling while contributing to a greater environmental cause? When you’re shopping online, consumers tend to buy clothes based on their appearance. Every company with an online store showcases pictures that are of great quality.
Here are some tips on how you should properly sell your clothes to attract consumers, specifically using the Depop app that aims towards Millennials and Gen-Z consumers.
Find an area with good lighting
You want to find an area with lighting that’s bright to ensure that your product photo is clear. I like to take pictures in a room next to a window on a sunny day. You can also take pictures outdoors when the weather is nice. If the weather is gloomy, I don’t recommend taking pictures on that day since the lighting is not bright enough.
Have a clean background
You want to ensure that the background isn’t messy as it can distract the buyers from the item and give them the wrong idea that the item you’re selling is “dirty.” Find a room that has nice wallpaper or you can even get creative and use a bedsheet or your favorite tablecloth as a background. I like to take pictures in front of a white wall so the attention goes directly to the item I want to sell. A simple or bold background makes the buyer see what it is that you are trying to sell.
Change your camera settings
Before you start taking pictures, make sure that it is in a square frame. Then, put your phone into self-timer mode. The formatting of most selling apps is the square format so if you use the standard photo frame, the whole photo might not show in your post. While taking pictures, make sure the photos are not blurry and the product is visible.
Pose differently to display your product
Use dynamic, confident poses. Models can strike any kind of pose or work with any kind of angle that flatters a piece of clothing. You can experiment with different poses, but make sure you don’t cover up too much of the product you’re selling. After all, the buyer wants to see the details. You want to ensure the item is centered in the shot. For me, I like to style my item imaginatively to inspire potential buyers to style the clothing they’re purchasing from the seller.
Be as descriptive as possible when listing your item
After you are done with taking pictures, it’s time to post them on Depop! Write a description with the information about the item, brand, condition, size, color, and style. Be as descriptive as you can! The info part is self-explanatory, which includes the category the clothing you’re selling belongs to and the price of the item you’re planning to sell at. For the shipping option, you may allow the buyer to pay extra for shipping or you can give them free shipping in which you have to pay for, based on your preference.
Time to ship out!
Yay! Someone bought your item! Once you sell an item, message the buyer and thank them for purchasing. Include when you will be shipping the item to them. Put the item into a package. It could be a nice package or a reusable box you may have lying around in your house. An optional gratitude gift you can do is put a thank you card or some stickers into the package along with the item. Some sellers do this so that the buyers are more motivated to return to your shop and leave a good review. Depop uses UPS for shipping purposes, so print out the shipping label and paste it on the package and you’re ready to go!
Starting your shop may feel like a big task, but I believe that it’s the start of being an entrepreneur and a step closer to a more eco-friendly lifestyle. Start looking into your closet, find clothes you don’t wear anymore, and sell away! It’s a great way to make money and become more sustainable. I’m selling my clothes at affordable prices and they need a new loving home so check out my depop account!
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