Thrift with Crys: Staying Trendy Sans the Eco Guilt

We are a generation of shoppers and digital natives! Shopping's never been so exciting until this combination happened. We started taking advantage of technology and using its capabilities for our amusement and benefit. Because of easier transactions and convenience, shopping online became a hobby for some and a noticeable interest of many.

It's fascinating, although it doesn't come foolproof. Because of the surge of different shops launching online, the environment took the hit. Brands started mass producing because of high demand and harming the planet more than ever.

Fashion brands got a lot of attention too, but smaller, eco-conscious brands came to the rescue. Crystal Cali is one who knows the importance of sustainability in the fashion industry. By being aware of her environmental footprint, her slow-fashion brand came into the picture, bringing light to fun, trendy pieces sans the guilt of online selling and purchasing.

Know more about Crys and her initiatives on sustainability in her own words:

"Hi Everyone! My name is Crystal Cali and I am a small business owner from NY. I have a full time job but I dedicate my free time to my business. My business consists of selling tie dye on etsy as well as saving clothes from a landfill and selling them on poshmark, mercari, and depop."

"The reason I started my brand is to spread the word about sustainability and to share my creativity. To show how you can go to a thrift store to keep up with current trends instead of supporting fast fashion brands. I started my business when I was in college studying to be an occupational therapy assistant, it has helped me financially while being full time in school. I also use my tie dye business as my creative outlet, I love how each piece comes out unique and not alike to others.

My vision is to impact others about sustainability and having an open mind about where they are buying their clothes. Though I am still learning myself, sustainability has become very important to me. I understand that it can be hard not to buy something because it looks cute and trendy but the goal is to invest in sustainable pieces that they will love and wear more than once."

"I have learned that having your own business isn’t always easy and that you’re always learning. In the beginning, it’s more of a trial and error method until you discover what works for you, what sells, and who is your audience.

My advice to those who want to start your own business is to do your research! I think that is one of the most important things to do before diving into a starting business. You want to know how much you’ll be spending financially, who is your audience, and try your best not to compare yourself to others. The success will come – be consistent, and have patience."

"My inspiration are my customers. I absolutely love hearing reviews from each customer whether it’s from Poshmark or each tie dye piece I create. My customers are a big part of why I continue what I do because if it puts a smile on their face when they receive their package, it puts a bigger smile on mine.

The year I started school was the year I discovered thrifting, learning more about fast fashion and the effects it has on our environment. I realized I needed to make a change and understand my impact as a small business owner. I started to research and do my part by not supporting fast fashion brands myself and only support small businesses or more sustainable brands. I also wanted to ensure my customers I am doing my part when it comes to sustainability."

"To decrease my environmental footprint, I use less plastic when wrapping each package. I like to use brown recycled paper and a ribbon when wrapping each item.

Since I am a firm believer in sustainability, I know how important it is to decrease my environmental footprint with each package I send out. I am slowly switching to mailers that are more sustainable to lower my impact. I absolutely love noissue’s compostable and recyclable mailers, the quality is amazing and the purpose behind each mailer is great for the environment. Once I found noissue, I have not purchased from another polymailer company since!"

"I came across noissue because many other reseller or small business owners have spoke about their sustainability, and I instantly became intrigued. noissue reached out to me to sample their compostable mailers and I fell in love!"

Crys Fun Fact:

"If my brand were an animal, it would be a unicorn, because my brand represents creativity and positivity!"

Find more of Crys here:

Instagram: @sincerelycryss
Poshmark: @_cryscloset
Etsy: @tiedyewithcrys