Hi folks!
Can you believe it’s been a YEAR since I started my journey with making my first ready to wear collection?
Wearing History Clothing was successfully funded thanks to your help on Kickstarter last fall. This enabled the first collection to be made. But the preparation and paperwork for it to begin started almost a year ago, which means those things are coming due for renewal again.
It’s really important to me to keep with all regulations with my home state of California, and all of my clothing is sewn locally here- helping my local economy, and supporting another family owned California business.
As I’m sure you’re well aware, clothing manufacturing in California, and the USA in general, is becoming a rarity. More and more of our clothing is getting made in other countries, and the longer that happens the more we lose work for the talented stitchers and makers who kept industry here in the states. As production keeps moving overseas, less and less people are entering the manufacturing workforce. The more that happens, the more we’re going to lose the skill required to keep making garments in the United States.
I strongly believe in American industry. And I strongly believe in making sure that things are produced according to all regulations of my home state.
It’s said that California is one of the hardest, if not THE hardest, state to start up an apparel business because of the stringent regulations in force here that impact everyone from the one person run company to the multimillion dollar corporations.
That’s the reason I’m writing is this.
I don’t want Wearing History Clothing to be a one time thing. Where I can (with balancing the pattern business and this) I’ve been working behind the scenes on making new designs and drafting new patterns. Some are unique to the clothing line, and some are re-worked versions of sewing pattern line for ready to wear.
I currently am waiting on a new dress which should start production soon. You may have seen it on my website a few months ago- it was there and gone as quick as a flash. There will be more of that dress, and I’ve also been working on a handful of new blouses in a few different fabrics.
BUT… and this is a big but… the one year mark from the beginning of when I began this journey means all my business needs for California are coming due. This includes a $750 annual fee for being an apparel business. Every person, whether they make the clothing themselves or have them made for them, is required in California to possess this certificate. (If you want to read more about it, you can here). $750 is A LOT of money for a fledgling business to pay at once. Plus, on top of that, I need to get new fabric ordered and pre-treated in order to make things for fall/winter. On the boards for things I’d like to have made is the Smooth Sailing pants in another fabric.
The response from the Kickstarter last year was overwhelming. And every dollar earned went into making that first collection happen. Since the Kickstarter, I have put everything made from the Wearing History Clothing back into the business. It’s just a little baby business, so it sucks everything back up, and then some. This includes new fabric (such as those I’m currently having dresses done in), another whole run of Smooth Sailing Trousers, and other fees associated with having a business.
But I don’t want to have to go down that road again and ask via crowd funding for what the business needs now. I want it to be self-sustained as much as possible. If I’m able to do another growth spurt (such as adding more sizes, etc) we may go down that road again, but not yet.
That’s why I’m clearing out some of the designs from the first collection.
Most of the garments are on sale- from 20%-50% off. Including the Maisie dress, which was our headliner from the first collection.
These are on sale on my WEBSITE ONLY. The clothing on Etsy will not be listed at the sale price, because I need the funds to go towards the requirements (Etsy takes out fees! And allowing for fees would mean less discount for you!).
Sorry to be long winded, but since you all helped back me in the first place, I wanted to let you know how things are going, and what I’d like to see happen.
Let’s keep USA made vintage clothing going!
All of the funds from the clearance will go back into the garments- firstly the business fees, and afterward (if we get that far!) more fabric and production costs for getting more garments made.
Please help me out by sharing the link to the sale, and if you’re able to support by purchasing garments, now’s a great chance to get something at a great price that you know was ethically made and designed in California.
Christine
June 28, 2015 at 9:26 am (9 years ago)Hello,
I have nearly always been interested in vintage things, even as a child. Now that I am old, by vintage standards!, I would like to dress in a 40’s style, but for my age. I am 51. Problem is that when a woman in previous eras turned 50, they, as my older friend stated it, “turned into old ladies”. Where can I see examples of middle-aged women dressed smartly, not too youthful, and not too matronly, in the earlier eras?