For Days: The Zero Waste Company Revolutionising the Fashion Cycle

Kristy Caylor, founder of For Days, places emphasis on waste minimisation with her zero-waste concept, designed for a modern world.
Credit: Vogue
Zero-waste fashion involves designing in such a way that no material waste is created throughout the manufacturing process. As a philosophy, it pushes designers to utilise more sophisticated sustainability approaches and practices. Closed-loop fashion brand, For Days, is leading the pack, utilising clever waste-minimisation techniques in addition to a SWAP system. For Days‘ mission statement reads:
“Closed-loop Fashion is Here.
Love new clothes but hate waste? Us too. We built a system that gives you the best of both worlds. Buy a product from us. Wear. Tear. Stain. Stretch. And when you are ready, Swap. You will Earn closet cash to spend on your next purchase. We will make sure your For Days clothing stays out of the landfills. Zero waste. Zero worries.”
For Days’ ground-breaking closed-loop technology ensures that everything is recycled and reused, and nothing is sent to landfill. Customers can use the company’s SWAP programme to return products they no longer use. They may also send in old items from other companies, such as single socks or old t-shirts – and For Days will repurpose the materials.

Too Good To Be True?

Credit: Vogue

Kristy Caylor, founder of For Days, asked herself in 2018,

“What if we could have everything we want without creating waste?”

Source: Vogue

Although it  may seem too good to be true, if anybody can address fashion’s waste problem, it’s Caylor – who helped create the ethical, artisan-driven label Maiyet in 2011; a forerunner in luxury that effortlessly combines world-class design with a revolutionary social philosophy.

To imply that Caylor was ahead of her time is an understatement; in the last two years, sustainable fashion discourse has erupted, with companies varying from Everlane to Tom Ford partaking in the conversation.

Genuine Circularity

Credit: For Days

For Days is a one-of-a-kind company based on genuine circularity. The brand and online vendor sells organic cotton essentials like T-shirts, tank tops, sweatshirts, and lounge trousers which can be returned to Caylor‘s crew to be recycled into something new. When possible, For Days even re-uses its packaging.

“It’s this idea that items can float in and out of your life whenever you need them, and you know they’ll be taken care of.”

Source: Vogue

Trialling the zero-waste concept originally required a For Days membership. It provided three, six, or ten T-shirts that customers could mail back (and exchange for fresh ones) at pre-determined intervals. Considering that consumers buy approximately 2 billion t-shirts annually, these initiative types can create waves in the world of sustainable style.

Growing Awareness

For Days‘ range has grown in sync with rising customer awareness and increasing concern over climate change in recent years. Caylor phased off the subscription model about a year ago; the experience then became more like a regular e-commerce site, with users deciding whether to return their items. Caylor’s ultimate goal, however, isn’t a semi-traditional e-commerce experience. She plans to collaborate with firms, designers, and additional retailers in future.
Her ultimate objective is to make For Days a “destination for closed-loop commerce.”

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