Best Online Clothing Stores for Women
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The idea of going to a physical store to buy clothes is being disrupted by online shopping. High-end fashion brands and large retailers are facing a global decline in their brick-and-mortar business and are moving online to compete with newer e-commerce sites.
While customers increasingly want to shop online from the comfort of home, they still want to have a personalized experience. Many e-commerce fashion sites offer curated clothing, shoes and accessories, online styling, social media influencers as marketers and access to personal shoppers. The online move is also allowing smaller labels and new or emerging designers and brands to attract global customers.
As for what's trending, more shoppers are considering the environmental impact of their purchasing power and prefer to buy from sustainable brands. Consumers also want fashion labels to be more socially responsible and offer more diversity, from model sizes to gender-neutral clothing. The fashion resale market has also quickly become a multibillion-dollar industry that isn't slowing down any time soon.
We came up with a list of the top 30 online clothing stores for women that all offer the comfort and ease of shopping from home, a range of prices for every budget, style diversity and a commitment to sustainable fashion. Check, check, check — and check!
30. Black Owned Everything
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Founded: 2020
Founders: Zerina Akers and Beyonce
Headquarters: New York, New York
Clothing specialties: Curated selection of luxury fashion and accessories from black-owned businesses
Annual sales: N/A
Bottom Line: Black Owned Everything
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Singer Beyonce and her personal stylist, designer Zerina Akers, founded Black Owned Everything in 2020, at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement in the U.S. They originally founded the site as an Instagram page to highlight black-owned companies and curate their products.
The page proved so popular that, in February 2021, Akers set up a retail website, selling clothing, accessories, home decor and beauty products. She wants the site to eventually become a “cultural hub … with immersive storytelling and activated experiences,” not just another online retail shopping place.
Website: Black Owned Everything
29. The Folklore
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Founded: 2020
Founders: Amira Rasool
Headquarters: New York, New York
Clothing specialties: African and diaspora higher-end designer fashion
Annual sales: N/A
Bottom Line: The Folklore
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The Folklore specializes in curated higher-end, contemporary “boundary-pushing” designer labels from African countries and diaspora designers living in the U.S. and the U.K. Many of the African brands stocked are not otherwise available to buy outside of their respective countries. Many lines have limited stock or are available only by special order. Some designs are unique pieces.
The Folklore gives new or relatively unknown designers a platform to highlight and market their brands. The site also offers personal shopper services, free shipping and returns within the U.S., and international express delivery.
Website: The Folklore
28. ReLove
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Founded: 2014
Founders: Delila Hailechristos
Headquarters: San Francisco, California
Clothing specialties: Vintage, designer & independent labels, gender neutral
Annual sales: N/A
Bottom Line: ReLove
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Relove is a resale boutique, with both a store in San Francisco and an online shop. They sell “vintage, independent labels, covetable designer clothes, shoes and accessories for all genders.” Owner Hailechristos emigrated from Ethiopia to the U.S. and wanted to set up a business using her considerable experience as a second-hand shopper.
A quick look through ReLove’s website shows they have a preference for natural fabrics, Japanese designers, minimalist designs, modern classics, leather jackets, standout pieces and vintage denim.
Website: ReLove
27. La Garconne
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Founded: 2005
Founders: Kris Kim
Headquarters: New York, New York
Clothing specialties: Minimal, understated, luxury clothing
Annual sales: $2.24 million
Bottom Line: La Garconne
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If you are a fan of more elegant, minimal ways of dressing, La Garconne offers a curated selection of both well-known and emerging designers. Their clothes are elegant and understated, often minimalist, in style. The color scheme features mostly black and neutral colors.
Founder Kris Kim describes the company’s clothes as being “feminine with a touch of masculine.” In 2014, La Garconne opened their first physical store in New York City; however, the brand remains mostly an online shopping site.
Website: La Garçonne
26. Dôen
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Founded: 2016
Founders: Margaret and Katherine Kleveland
Headquarters: Los Angeles, California
Clothing specialties: Bohemian-style dresses and tops, hand-knit sweaters
Annual sales: $15.1 million (estimated)
Bottom Line: Dôen
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Dôen was founded by two sisters who wanted to establish a female-owned and -managed fashion business. Their designs are inspired by vintage pieces and have a feminine, bohemian look. Ruffled blouses, hand-knit sweaters, print dresses and flowing tops form the core of their collection.
The website shows a range of models in different body types and sizes for each design. The company maintains an ethical supply chain and has a mission of only partnering with manufacturing companies that are at least 50 percent female-owned.
Website:Dôen
25. Garmentory
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Founded: 2014
Founders: Adele Tetango, Sunil Gowda
Headquarters: Seattle, Washington
Clothing specialties: New and emerging indie brands
Annual sales: $15 million
Bottom Line: Garmentory
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Garmentory is a marketplace for small independent designers and fashion boutiques around the world. The business was set up to support the #shopsmall movement by promoting small sellers. Garmentory targets the “young luxury” shopper with prices from $75 to $600 and helps boost sales for small companies that might otherwise be limited to their own region.
Customers appreciate having a different look and are more likely to support new brands that aren’t widely available. They also like the element of discovery in finding unusual styles or new brands.
Website: Garmentory
24. Union Los Angeles
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Founded: 1989
Founders: Eddie Cruz, Mary Ann Fusco, James Jebbia
Headquarters: Los Angeles, California
Clothing specialties: Streetwear from the U.K., Japan and U.S.
Annual sales: $21.70 million
Bottom Line: Union Los Angeles
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Union originally started as a store in Soho, in New York City, where it was a showcase for “the fashion side of New York City’s youth and counterculture.” Union NY was known for curating and selling the latest in street looks. A Union NY employee, Chris Gibbs, took the brand West, opening a store in Los Angeles, and launching his own in-store label in 2017.
The Union NY store closed in 2009, leaving Union Los Angeles to carry the counter-culture torch. Union stocks brand-new designers alongside established names in streetwear.
Website: Union
23. Wolf & Badger
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Founded: 2010
Founders: Henry & George Graham
Headquarters: London, England
Clothing specialties: Independent, ethical designers
Annual sales: $26.8 million
Bottom Line: Wolf & Badger
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Wolf & Badger started as a small shop in London's Notting Hill. The founders, the Graham brothers, wanted to give a platform to smaller, independent designers and fashion that meet exacting ethical and transparency standards in their supply chains and materials. They felt there was a high and growing global demand for such products.
Wolf & Badger works with more than 1,000 designers globally who make small-production runs and use long-lasting materials. In addition to their website, the company has retail stores in London and New York.
Website: Wolf & Badger
22. Journelle
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Founded: 2007
Founder: Claire Chambers
Headquarters: New York, New York
Clothing specialties: Lingerie
Annual revenue: $30 million
Bottom Line: Journelle
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Claire Chambers was working as a management consultant and saw a niche in the market for a line of luxury lingerie. She set up a business selling designs that women would love and that let them feel good about themselves. Journelle offers a curated mix of designers and styles, picked more to enhance its message of well-fitting, comfortable, affordable luxury.
In 2014, the company began making and selling its own label, after extensively surveying customers about what they wanted. Journelle has four physical stores, three in New York and one in Chicago.
Website:Journelle
21. Out Net
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Founded: 2009
Founders: Net-A-Porter
Headquarters: London, England
Clothing specialties: Discounted designer fashions
Annual sales: $30.2 million
Bottom Line: Out Net
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Outnet was started by the Net-A-Porter company to sell older and vintage designer fashion at a discount. The company was started to appeal to a younger consumer, with a lower budget, who couldn’t afford the full-priced designer fashions on Net-A-Porter.
The site offers more than 350 luxury brands, at discounts of up to 70 percent off the original retail prices. Outnet recently established its own in-house brand, Iris & Ink, which makes designer-inspired pieces at affordable prices.
Website: Outnet
20. Maison de Mode
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Founded: 2015
Founders: Amanda Hearst, Hassan Pierre, Carmen Busquets
Headquarters: New York, New York
Clothing specialties: Sustainable luxury fashion
Annual sales: $32.80 million
Bottom Line: Maison de Mode
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Maison de Mode was set up as a global platform to showcase and sell sustainable luxury brands, helping small ethical labels to thrive and have access to a worldwide market. The site offers more than 70 curated brands, each of which must pass exacting sustainability standards to be considered. Requirements include cruelty-free production, indigenous or female artisan-made, and female-led companies.
Maison de Mode offers numerous made-to-order or one-of-a-kind pieces for sale, to provide customers with exclusive designs. The company has pioneered a carbon-neutral dropshipping approach and also hosts an annual Sustainable Style Award.
Website: Maison de Mode
19. Nasty Gal
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Founded: 2008
Founder: Sophia Amoruso
Headquarters: Los Angeles, California
Clothing specialties: Youthful, vintage-inspired, contemporary
Annual sales: $49.9 million
Bottom Line: Nasty Gal
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The founder of Nasty Gal, Sophia Amoruso, started out selling vintage clothing on eBay, which she kept stockpiled in her small San Francisco apartment. When her eBay shop was suspended for violating trading rules, Amoruso set up her own company and website, Nasty Gal. She also began to design her own clothing inspired by vintage fashion.
Her site became one of the fastest-growing clothing e-retailers in the country; however, massive loans, lawsuits and mismanagement saw the company land in bankruptcy before being sold. The company is now owned by global fashion retailer, Boohoo, which is introducing more contemporary looks to the company to appeal to a wider market.
Website: Nasty Gal
18. Rent the Runway
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Founded: 2009
Founders: Jennifer Hyman, Jennifer Fleiss
Headquarters: New York, New York
Clothing specialties: Designer clothing
Annual sales: $100 million
Bottom Line: Rent the Runway
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Rent the Runway took the traditional model of renting formal clothes for special occasions and added designer clothing and mail service to the mix. They also expanded the model to offer work, casual and vintage clothing.
The company offers a subscription-based service, so customers can rotate clothes and change their wardrobes on a monthly basis for a set price. Customers have the option to purchase clothes as well as rent them, and they can even chat with online stylists or book a fashion consultation.
Website: Rent the Runway
17. W Concept
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Founded: 2006
Founders: N/A
Headquarters: Seoul, South Korea
Clothing specialties: Asian, Korean and small independent designers
Annual sales:$161.8 million
Bottom Line: W Concept
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W Concept is one of the top three e-commerce retailers in South Korea. The company was started to showcase smaller Asian labels and popular Korean designers. W Concept sells more than 2,000 smaller brands, mostly Korean, but increasingly independent brands from Europe and America. The site operates as a marketplace, connecting labels with customers, instead of holding stock.
W Concept also sells limited-run collaborations with well-known designers using their house brand, Front Row. The company has been using a “pop-up store” concept to market its fashion in the U.S. Customers can try on clothes and then purchase them online and have them shipped to their home address.
Website:W Concept
16. SSense
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Founded: 2003
Founders: Rami, Firas and Bassel Atallah
Headquarters: Montreal, Canada
Clothing specialties: Designer fashion, gender neutral, diverse
Annual sales: $167.1 million
Bottom Line: SSense
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SSense sells a curated selection of gender-neutral designer clothing from well-known international designers and indie labels, mixed with street and urban wear. Their target customer is mostly Gen Y and millennials.
SSense creates a lot of cultural content — interviews, features, articles — on their website, which is unusual for a fashion retailer. But they feel that their customers are passionate about music, art and culture, not just fashion, and that telling stories is a way to build loyalty. This cultural focus is now a big part of SSense’s brand.
Website: SSense
15. BooHoo
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Founded: 2006
Founders: Mahmud Kamani, Carol Kane
Headquarters: Manchester, England
Clothing specialties: Youthful designs, inclusive styles
Annual sales: $352.3 million
Bottom Line: BooHoo
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The successful global fashion chain, Boohoo grew from a family stall at a Manchester market. Boohoo sells only its own lower-priced designs and set up a fast-fashion manufacturing system that could get clothing from design to website in a few days. The brand is youthful and inclusive, with a Plus Size collection, and features models in a wide range of sizes and body types.
Boohoo has been buying high street brands, such as Karen Millen and Oasis, to target older buyers. The company operates a charity program and a global student ambassador program.
Website:Boohoo
14. Thredup
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Founded: 2009
Founder: James Reinhart
Headquarters: San Francisco, California
Clothing specialties: Pre-owned brand names, popular labels, designer
Annual sales: $380.6 million (2019)
Bottom Line: Thredup
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Thredup is the world’s largest fashion resale website, with more than 35,000 brands. Founder James Reinhart originally started the site to sell his old clothes. Thredup’s prices are comparable to a thrift store, and the site has regular sales and stock clearances. Customers can use Thredup’s free shipping to mail-in clothes and accessories for resale.
One of Thredup’s best features is a customized search that allows a customer to look for items in specific sizes, colors or patterns, and be notified when they’re in stock. The company is on a mission to stop fashion-industry carbon emissions.
Website: Thredup
13. COS
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Founded: 2007
Founders: H&M
Headquarters: London, England
Clothing specialties: Contemporary, classic, minimalist styles
Annual sales:$426 million
Bottom Line: COS
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COS is an acronym for “Collection of Style.” The brand is owned by parent company, H&M, but operates independently. COS was set up to counter the “fast fashion backlash” and to sell to customers who wanted more enduring, classic styles that wouldn’t go out of style.
The prices are higher than H&M’s, but the line uses natural textiles and muted colors. COS often collaborates with other designers and architects, and sells through a global chain of retail stores in addition to their website.
Website: COS
12. Madewell
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Founded: 2006
CEO: Mickey Drexler
Headquarters: Lynchburg, Virginia (J. Crew Headquarters)
Clothing specialties: Comfortable, casual, denim
Annual sales: $600 million
Bottom Line: Madewell
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Madewell started life as a Massachusetts workwear company before the brand was bought by parent company, J. Crew. Madewell has become very successful in a struggling retail market by targeting the growing numbers of Americans dressing more casually, especially with the increasing trend for remote working.
Denim accounts for almost a third of Madewell sales. Their other biggest sellers are dresses and tops in relaxed, comfortable styles, and a range of neutral colors, perfect for mixing and matching for a relaxed work wardrobe. Customers who donate old jeans receive a $20 discount on new ones, and the old jeans are recycled.
Website: Madewell
11. Revolve
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Founded: 2003
Founders: Michael Mente, Michael Karanikolas
Headquarters: Los Angeles, California
Clothing specialties: Young, urban, trendy, niche designers
Annual sales: $600 million
Bottom Line: Revolve
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Revolve is aimed at the millennial and Gen Z markets, and sells hip, trendy designs. To attract youthful digital consumers, the company spends much of its marketing budget on hiring Instagram influencers to promote its products.
The successful fashion company was started by two friends from the tech world, who used data science to build the e-commerce site. Relove stocks smaller, niche designers not available in major retailers, tracks brand performance and gives feedback to designers about best-selling styles. This ensures that in-demand styles are restocked and always available.
Website: Revolve
10. Shopbop
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Founded: 1999
Founders: Bob Lamey & Martha Graettinger
Headquarters: Madison, Wisconsin
Clothing specialties: Contemporary, curated designer brands
Annual sales: $700 million (estimated)
Bottom Line: Shopbop
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Shopbop has its origin as a bricks-and-mortar store called Bop, in the college town of Madison. The company moved online, became a denim-focussed online retailer and slowly added other lines.
These days, Shopbop is known for selling hand-picked selections of women’s designer clothing and accessories, which are mostly smaller, contemporary labels. The company added features such as free returns and free global shipping to grow its market. Shopbop has been owned by Amazon since 2006 but operates as a separate unit.
Website:Shopbop
9. Net-A-Porter
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Founded: 2000
Founders: Natalie Massenet
Headquarters: London, England
Clothing specialties: Luxury designer clothes and accessories
Annual sales:$996 million
Bottom Line: Net-A-Porter
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Net-A-Porter carries more than 800 of the top global luxury designer brands. The site was the first to bring luxury and e-commerce together. The revolutionary idea behind the company was to offer a curated, personal shopping experience by styling fashion and brands for customers on the website.
Massenet had worked in fashion but felt it could be intimidating to many women. She wanted to offer clients a customized approach to buying top designer labels. Net-A-Porter uses a mix of social media, a print magazine (Porter), special privileges, easy returns and a home shopping service to win and retain customers.
Website: Net-A-Porter
8. FarFetch
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Founded: 2007
Founders: Jose Neves
Headquarters: London, England
Clothing specialties: Designer and vintage clothing and accessories
Annual sales:$1 billion
Bottom Line: FarFetch
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Farfetch is a global marketplace for luxury fashion, stocking more than 700 labels from around the world. Using their global platform, the company is seeking to make luxury fashion sustainable, through circular design, using recycled materials, reselling fashion and setting a goal to be climate positive by 2030.
Farfetch has also developed an ethical and inclusive sourcing policy. Farfetch is the only global platform that sells pre-owned items alongside new ones. The site also offers express international shipping for a flat fee.
Website:Farfetch
7. The Real Real
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Founded: 2011
Founders: Julie Wainwright
Headquarters: San Francisco, California
Clothing specialties: Pre-owned luxury fashion and accessories
Annual sales: $1 billion (2019)
Bottom Line: The Real Real
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Julie Wainwright started The Real Real, a luxury consignment and resale business, out of her home, working at her kitchen table and personally visiting consignors to collect items. The model behind the company is to extend the life of luxury goods through reselling, and also to make high-end fashion more circular.
For the customer, this means that owning top-quality, high-end designer clothing, shoes and accessories is more affordable and accessible. In addition to the e-commerce site, the company now has eight U.S. retail stores and 13 consignment offices.
Website: The Real Real
6. Etsy
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Founded: 2005
Founders: Rob Kalin, Chris McGuire, Haim Schoppik
Headquarters: Brooklyn, New York
Clothing specialties: Bohemian, vintage, one of a kind, wedding and handmade fashions
Annual revenue: $1.38 billion
Bottom Line: Etsy
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Etsy is a global marketplace for independent creators and artisans with a focus on handmade and vintage items, art and craft supplies. Customers and sellers often form loyal relationships through the site and engage in repeat business. Many artists, including sewers and knitwear designers, make unique pieces or take custom orders to fit a style to a customer’s measurements.
Vintage fashion is a popular section on Etsy. A number of makers sell repurposed older pieces for a one-of-a-kind look. One useful Etsy feature allows a customer to shop for vintage styles by specific decades.
Website: Etsy
5. Anthropologie
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Founded: 1992
Founders: Dick Hayne
Headquarters: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Clothing specialties: Boho chic, relaxed, classy, sporty
Annual sales: $1.47 billion
Bottom Line: Anthropologie
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Anthropologie was set up as a lifestyle brand for women ages 30 to 45 who wanted creative, classy, softer styles. The idea behind the brand was to target women as they “grew out of” younger labels owned by the same parent company, URBN, such as Urban Outfitters or Free People, but still wanted a creative, adventurous look.
Anthropologie’s customer profile is a well-educated, well-traveled woman. Many of the clothes are influenced by traditional designs and motifs from other cultures (one of the founders was actually an Anthropology major in college).
Website:Anthropologie
4. Poshmark
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Founded: 2011
Founders: Manish Chandra,Tracy Sun, Chetan Pungailya, Gautam Golwala
Headquarters: Redwood City, California
Clothing specialties: New and pre-owned clothing, shoes and accessories
Annual sales: $2 billion
Bottom Line: Poshmark
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Poshmark is a leading reselling marketplace that matches private buyers and sellers and charges fees. The founders wanted to create a website where people could buy new or used clothing at a discount or establish a small e-commerce business of their own.
Poshmark promotes a social atmosphere between buyers and sellers, even hosting virtual selling events known as “Posh Parties” and protects transactions on the site. The company also offers an app that walks new sellers through the selling process. One of Poshmark’s goals is to help make fashion more circular.
Website: Poshmark
3. ASOS
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Founded: 2000
Founders: Nick Robertson
Headquarters: London, England
Clothing specialties: Gender-neutral clothing, 30+ sizes, body-positive designs
Annual sales: $4.58 billion
Bottom Line: ASOS
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ASOS has positioned itself as an ethical fast-fashion house that offers affordable, gender-neutral, youthful designs. The company maintains an ethical supply chain for making their own branded products and all suppliers must meet their quality standards. ASOS uses over 200 models on the website, in a wide range of body types and sizes, to represent a widely diverse market.
The company also offers an annual fashion discovery competition, where they fund and mentor winners and stock the ranges on their website for two years. ASOS company has a charitable foundation that provides training to disadvantaged youth.
Website: ASOS
2. Zara
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Founded: 1975
Founders: Amancio Ortega & Rosalia Mera
Headquarters: Arteixo, Spain
Clothing specialties: Low-priced versions of high-end fashion
Annual sales:$23.7 billion
Bottom Line: Zara
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Zara started in Galicia, Spain, as a small family business. The company wanted to attract a broad range of customers by offering designs for everyone. Amancio Ortego created a new, faster design process that could have trendy styles and items customers wanted in-store within weeks. This strategy also ensures that customers would visit stores regularly and creates a loyal client base.
In fact, Zara is the company credited with starting the “fast fashion” concept. Zara has committed to using only sustainable fabrics by 2025 and ethically monitoring their supply chains.
Website: Zara
1. H&M (Hennes & Mauritz)
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Founded: 1998 (2013 USA)
Founders: Erling Persson
Headquarters: Stockholm, Sweden
Clothing specialties: Inexpensive, trendy, limited-edition designer collaborations
Annual Sales: $24.3 billion
Bottom Line: H&M (Hennes & Mauritz)
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From the first Hennes store in Sweden, H&M has grown to become a global fast-fashion brand, in every major world market. The founder, Erling Persson, had a vision for stylish fashion that was affordable. H&M is known for their trendy styles, low prices and collaborations with leading designers.
In recent years, H&M has begun to address the high environmental impact of fashion by establishing textile recycling programs, monitoring supply chains, creating recycled textile clothing lines and selling second-hand clothing on their website. H&M also sponsors the Global Change Award for circular fashion innovation.
Website:H&M