Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Camille Lee. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Camille thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s something crazy unexpected that’s happened to you or your business
The WearEmOut Tees brand was never supposed to be an online brand. In fact, the original business plan excluded selling online due to the unique nature of our graphic tees. Because every single t-shirt is different in some way, the plan was for us to sell at in-person opportunities/events/exhibitions/markets/etc. only. After all, selling online for our business would require measuring, styling, and photographing every single shirt from several angles all while trying to capture the true fabric colors to reflect clearly on any device.
It would have been a big undertaking for any single person, so in-person events was definitely the only way to go!
Or so I thought.
That was of course until, March of 2020.
When all in-person events were shut down starting in the spring of 2020, there was no way for the business to turn but towards an online presence.
But, what kind of business model included displaying every item in stock on their website? Well, I bet one retail giant comes to mind – but let’s turn towards sustainable businesses making it work.
So, that’s what we did. We researched. We found other amazing, sustainable companies out there making it work and we followed their models. It was a complete 180 from the business plan, but when the world pivoted – we had to pivot also. And honestly, I think it was for the better! We still attend in-person shows, but our main presence is online at WearEmOutTees.com.
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
My studies in school had nothing to do with entrepreneurship. As a matter of fact, my understanding of what it takes to run a business was enough for me to determine with confidence that it was something I never wanted to do.
Gahhh, life is so funny.
Overall aspects of business always interested me. I have a good understanding of its principals. I was able to use some of that knowledge to answer a question I had when I was out shopping at the local thrift stores, “What happens to the clothes that are not sold? I know that stores can’t hold the same inventory forever.” And once I started finding the answer to that question, it was clear that something needed to change – and I was willing and able to change at least a small part of it.
The WearEmOutTees team rescues blank t-shirts in solid condition from local thrift shops in order to extend their lifecycle. With those blanks, we add original graphics and therefore every t-shirt is unique and one-of-a-kind.
What sets us apart is that we are a t-shirt brand stocked solely with pre-loved tees donning original graphics. We run only smaller batches and once a print is gone, it’s gone forever. Our business model is rooted in keeping the circularity in fashion, t-shirts specifically.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
The biggest lesson I learned over time is that in general, when you make an online purchase from retailers, it doesn’t go back into their inventory to later be purchased by someone else. So, when you’re shopping online and are debating one color or another, one style or another, or one fit over another and decide to buy them both to take advantage of the retailer’s free returns policy; the item you decide not to keep goes in a different direction.
Most retailers don’t have the logistical infrastructure in place to accept the number of returns that are sent. It’s because of this, that a large percentage of clothes and goods overall get sent to the nation’s landfills.
I remember exactly where I was when I learned that. It changed the way I shopped online forever.
That’s one of the parts they don’t want you to know. There is so much waste in fashion.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
Ever since my fourth grade home economics class, I wanted to learn how to sew. I thought that being able to sew your own clothes was the biggest flex of all time. It was enjoyable and challenging and at the end, you had a tangible item to wear and enjoy. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that that was FAR from the reality of modern day garment workers.
Fast fashion companies use garment workers to produce their clothes at record-breaking speeds at the cost of safety and basic human needs. In addition, workers are paid pennies to the dollar – if they are paid at all.
Over a bit more time, I stumbled on information about the Rana Plaza tragedy in 2013. Well, that was it. Again, the way I shopped changed. The safety and general well-being of humankind should not be put beneath the desire to have newly produced clothing.
Have you ever wondered who made your clothes?
Contact Info:
- Website: www.WearEmOutTees.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wearemouttees/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wearemouttees
Image Credits
@SolEstePhotography