We caught up with the insightful and forward-thinking Melissa Woods a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Melissa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

The signs of climate change are apparent all around us, and thankfully because of this a lot of fashion consumers have begun changing their shopping habits and seeking out more ecofriendly clothing options. From garments made with biodegradable natural fibers (ex: linen, silk, cotton), to extending the life of clothing through shopping second-hand or vintage, building a sustainable closet is often a blend of buying investment pieces, mending, clothing swapping with friends, or buying carefully when buying something new.

When it comes to new garments, I noticed that brands like Everlane, Reformation and KOTN all tend to target a lighter, brighter aesthetic. As someone who prefers the edgier style of Helmut Lang, Ann Demeulemeester, Alexander McQueen or Yohji Yamamoto, I wondered if there might be space in the ecofriendly market for a more severe look.

Starting with this question, I developed Trued Apparel, an ecofriendly clothing brand geared towards a darker aesthetic. Trued pieces are created to be layerable and versatile to maximize their mileage for wearability; I use materials like the ultra-sustainable proprietary fiber Tencel, or deadstock fabrics that would otherwise contribute to fashion industry waste. The garments are sewn locally in Boston, and even our packaging is biodegradable (no poly bags, thank you!)

I try very hard to go the extra mile and act responsibly towards my community, present and future, but I know that none of this matters without an excellent product! So, while the materials I use are ecofriendly, I also make sure they’re soft, high-quality, and a delight to wear. My designs are meticulously curated (maybe 1 out of every 10 concepts make it to production) and go through several rounds of edits and fit tests before they’re finalized. The reward is seeing folks enjoying and styling my designs, and bringing their own taste and creativity into the picture. I really believe that a garment hasn’t fulfilled its purpose until it’s a part of someone’s life, and that the uniqueness that each person brings to the same design is what fashion’s ultimately all about.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Trued Apparel is a dark minimalist clothing line founded in 2020. As the founder, designer and marketer for my company, I rely on local production partners, photographers and friends to build this brand of elegant alt-fashion, combining everyday loungewear-level comfort with eye-catching, sophisticated silhouettes. Trued Apparel emphasizes sustainable fabrics and ethical production practices, minimizing material waste, and working for a better future for people and planet.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A product design lesson I’ve learned, especially regarding clothing design, is that the more complex, expensive or difficult-to-create designs have no correlation to sales. The cost to you as a producer of goods doesn’t necessarily translate to perceived value to the consumer. Sometimes the lowest-hanging fruit from your perspective as a business owner is the product that customers are most happy with, and get the most joy from.

I try to design through this lens, to be able to create products that are a win-win for both me and my customers. Particularly right now, when many people have been at home isolating in their loungewear for the last few pandemic years, comfort is king. So, I try to create bold designs that make a statement while also being what I like to call “pajamas in disguise”. I’ve been getting better at this over time — baby steps! — and while I haven’t achieved this for all of my designs yet, I’m moving very intentionally in that direction.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I have done social media and digital marketing professionally for many years, and based on my experience both working in larger companies and for myself on Trued Apparel, I am a huge believer in partnering with influencers. It takes time to curate influencers carefully to make sure they’re aligned with your brand and have followers that are a good match for you, but the conversion rates for this method are better than any other marketing I’ve encountered.

Personally, I think micro-influencers who don’t typically represent brands unless they’re genuinely fans of what you do are the best to work with because their followers trust them and will take their word seriously if they do feature a product. The last thing you want is someone with a huge reach that everyone knows just gets paid to post about bad products.     

Contact Info:

• Website: www.shoptrued.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trued.apparel/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trued.apparel