Celebrating Earth Day Before There was an Earth Day!
Since the turn of the century, my family has believed in sustainability and “going green”. Way before it was a thing, we were doing it. My great-great grandfather Simon was a tailor in the late 1800’s. He could not believe the amount of beautiful garments that were often abandoned at his lower east side shop in NYC. He did not have the heart to toss them in the trash and instead believed that someone would love to have these pieces in their closet. He decided to open “Cast off Clothing and Furs” and started the consignment dynasty we all love and adore today.
His son, my great grandfather, Aaron, followed in his father’s footsteps when he moved uptown and opened "The Ritz Fur Shop” on 57th street. It was here that Aaron coined the term “Everyone can look like a million without spending a million” recognizing that not only was consignment a resourceful way to deal with treasures that were abandoned by their owners, but luxury should be attainable for all! My grandfather, Michael, fully believed that all treasures could and should find a home--not just furs. So he opened Michael’s Consignment Shop in 1954. When he opened Michael’s, he had no idea how much foresight he had. Consignment makes sense for everyone involved, but most importantly, consignment is crucial for our big beautiful planet.
Today, going green is much more of a focus. We recycle our cans and bottles. We separate our paper from our compost and our garbage. We’ve learned to recycle and reuse many different kinds of products and textiles turning jeans into insulation and upcycling items by giving them a new purpose. Every step of the way, consignment has been a part of the sustainability model. And we are super proud to know that we have led the way! We love knowing our store helps to keep tons of clothing out of the landfills! Can you believe that one study showed that as of September 2016, Americans threw out about 12.8 million tons of textiles annually?!? - that’s so much wasted fashion!
So while you’re spring cleaning your closet this month, don’t throw out those barely worn Louboutins, think about consigning them instead! Consigning is a great way to go green while making green. Here at Michael’s, you can even sell your things and have your accounts made out to a charity of your choice so that once they sell, we issue the check directly to your charity. Amazing, right? Check out this link for some great eco-friendly environmental charities.
Consigning is doing good for our planet, but also doing good for your wallet! Consignors and shoppers are doing their part to encourage sustainability by refusing to let quality designer clothes go to waste. By simply shopping and consigning at Michael’s you can celebrate Earth Day Every Day!
Together we can all shop, recycle, and repeat to keep our beautiful Mother Earth healthy and stylish!
