A Site to See: Bow & Drape Lets You Customize Your Own Chic Clothing and Accessories
Around here, we’re endlessly fascinated by the wide world of online shopping, and it seems that every week brings with it a brand-new e-commerce site to be obsessed with. Since keeping track of ‘em all can be a feat of epic proportion, we’ve decided to feature “A Site To See” each week, highlighting a cool retail website you’ll definitely want to bookmark. This week: a site called Bow & Drape that is just the latest to forego the fast fashion trend.
Why You Should Bookmark It: For a while now, we’ve noticed and discussed the fact that the fast fashion trend is on its way out. Whether it’s sites like eBay setting their focus on stylish, curated collections of high-quality wares, or a number of e-commerce sites–like StyleSaint, The Dreslyn, and Zady–who’ve invested in truly high-quality garments and fabrics without necessarily elevating the price point. And now, there’s another to add to the list: Bow & Drape, a year-old shopping site that follows the trendy “no-inventory” model, meaning clothing and accessories are only made when (and how) you order them.
“We are offering people the choice to have a deeper connection with the things that they purchase,” Christina Batch-Lee, the site’s marketing director, tells StyleCaster. “We are only producing the items that the customer purchases. Because she’s had a hand in creating the garment, we hope that it’s something she’ll really love for a long time. We offer a lot of items that are ready to shop, ready to go as they are, but you can always customize.”
“We hope that we are not contributing to the ‘good enough for now’ mentality, but really trying to work with people so that they can create something they truly love and won’t want to simply toss or recycle for the next season,” she continues. “And we make things that are such great quality that they really can be an investment piece. We try really hard to keep our prices affordable, but we are really offering great value at those prices.”
How It Works: The site has 30 silhouettes to choose from, in closet staples: dresses, tops, scarves, pants, skirts, and more. You choose what you want—we’re particularly fond of the metal Galaxy belt, which comes with a 3D-printed belt buckle (created in partnership with Shapeways)—and customize as you see fit, to the tune of more than 30,000 possible custom creations.
“We work with manufacturers right here in New York’s Garment District, and we produce your finished garment in about two weeks,” Batch-Lee explains. “We want to be very convenient, but you are actually getting a tailored custom-made piece sent to you.”
Bonus Features: One of the coolest features on the site is the Home Fit Kit, which offers you (for free!) the chance to take home a dress, a top, a skirt, or really any article of clothing so you can try it on for size and see what works best for you.
“We give you everything you’d need to make a good fit decision,” Batch-Lee explains. “Here in our office, we have a whole rack of black garments in all sizes, so you can get an idea of what that would be like in their true size. Along with the garment samples, we send a lookbook of fabric swatches, so you can see all the fabrics that are available for the season. Then you just complete your order online and choose any other details for that garment you want to buy. And if it didn’t work out with that style, you can always try a different style.”
StyleCaster Special: If you head to shop Bow & Drape now through the end of November, you’ll receive a 20% discount by entering the code “STYLECASTER20.”
Check It Out: Bowanddrape.com
