Chicago may not be the first place that comes to mind when you’re thinking of fashion, but the run(a)way success of curated clothing startup
Here's what they do, and what sets them apart from each other:
Type: Curated box service
Building on the Trunk Club business model, Mac & Mia delivers hand-curated boxes of children’s clothing based on a user-created style profile. The company has been around since 2014, and will take back any clothing you (or your kid) don’t particularly care for.
Type: E-commerce
Launched in 2012, Seesaw Society sells clothes for kids between 1 and 8 that are designed and handmade in Chicago. Seesaw’s founders (who are both mothers) describe the clothes as “playful” and they are meant to “capture the simple, everyday whimsy of childhood.”
Type: Curated boxes (subscriptions available)
Another startup in the “Trunk Club for kids” vein, Runchkins differentiates itself by guaranteeing to buy back clothes as children grow out of them. The company’s long term goals include establishing an additional tier to its subscription service, selling gently used clothes at a 50 percent discount. The company also sends customers a list of included items prior to shipment, giving them an opportunity to opt out of specific items before the box even leaves the facility.
Type: E-commerce
BucketFeet works with artists from across the world, who design and submit custom footwear. The company has its own line of shoes for children, with a range of patterns and designs to choose from. Conveniently, BucketFeet sort of specializes in slip-ons (though they do have laced models for kids old enough to start practicing).
Type: Multi-store catalog
After arriving on the scene in late 2015, kids’ fashion e-commerce site KidStylin has built up a steady customer base. The site curates children’s clothing from 150 stores all over the web, and lets shoppers put together and show off outfits they’ve created. The site also lets users create sale alerts for items, notifying them when the price drops.
Type: E-commerce
Though probably best known for their apparel for grown-up sized children, Chicago’s Threadless also has extensive collections of artist-designed clothes for infants, toddlers and schoolchildren alike. New designs are submitted online and put to a vote, with artists receiving a 20 percent cut of the profits on their designs.
Images via listed companies.
Got a tip for us? Shoot us an email or follow us on Twitter@BuiltInChicago.
