Give Your Pre-Loved Clothes A New Home Via Looop

We all have dreams, and if you gave us a chance, we all wish that our wardrobes looked like Marie Kondo’s, but of course, that wouldn’t be possible if we don’t take the first step. Just like you (or any typical woman), every time I walked into my wardrobe, I couldn’t find anything to wear that sparked joy. However, when it came to giving up outfits that were still in good condition, I must say that it’s been tough.

It could take me up to a few days to sort them out and all I could do was give away three pieces on average as I’d always find excuses as to why I needed to hold on to the rest. It wasn’t until those pieces had completely become unusable that I’d get rid of them, which by then would have been a complete waste of fabric, time and energy, because deep down I knew that if I had let go of them earlier, someone else might have been able to make good use of the pieces until their lifespan rightfully ended.

Are you contributing to the throwaway culture in Malaysia?

Believe it or not, according to an article published by New Straits Times last year, Malaysians dumped a total of 195,399 tonnes of textile waste in 2018, with households being the largest contributors. What’s more alarming is that this statistic was obtained before the pandemic hit. Still remember how many of us were impulse buying to fill up that void in our lives when we were stuck at home? As much as we hate to admit it, we all have a huge role to play to bring these figures down.

Step 1: Acknowledge the situation

If you’ve got a job in the city, it isn’t unfair to say that to some extent, you’d feel the need to have updated wardrobes as you think that you can’t show up in the same outfits over and over again. However, what do you do with pieces that have been untouched for a long time but are still in good condition? Of course, not everyone is born with the mindset of a fashion stylist where we can creatively mix and match outfits and show up looking like a star in ’em! As the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Keeping this quote in mind, I went through all the items that I had in my wardrobe. Clearly, there were many pieces that I kept telling myself I could wear to a particular event, but I had a checklist that I reviewed every six months. If I didn’t touch the pieces for more than a year, it was a clear sign that I was never going to use them and so, I’ll put them in a pile to be given away.

So... what’s next?

Opened barely three months ago, Looop is one of the places where you can give your much-loved outfits a second chance. Founded by three friends – Bay Doucet, Adani Bakthiar and Emma Khoo, the Looop boutique is located in a bustling commercial area of Taman Tun Dr Ismail, where many cafes count as its neighbours and the cool kids hang out.

In a nutshell, the process of giving your clothes a second chance at life is made easy and not tedious at all here (cos we understand that not all of us have the patience and time to do this on Carousell or Instagram by ourselves). While the boutique is open for anyone to walk in and purchase second-hand outfits, you’ll need to book a slot in advance if you’d like to sell your clothes and/or accessories at Looop. Every week’s slots are released on Looop’s website at 1.30pm every Monday – and mind you, they’re always snapped up within seconds (NGL, we’ve been through this process for a few weeks in a row)! With every successful appointment made, you can send a maximum of 20 pieces over (PS They need to be items without any major defects and that are washed beforehand).

Everything else you need to know about Looop

The great thing about Looop is that not only will you get paid for your items that are sold, but your pre-loved clothes will be treated with respect too. Every piece that’s sent here is well analysed by the Looop team (hence why the booking slots are needed so that they have enough time to QC the pieces), after which you’ll be given a receipt confirming what you’ve sent over that have been handpicked by Looop to be in store for eight weeks.

Within a week, you can expect an email stating how much your items have been priced, and every time an item from the batch you’ve sent in is sold, you’ll get a notification too. From the selling price of each item, Looop takes a 60 per cent cut while the remaining 40 per cent goes to you. Out of the eight weeks that your items will be on the racks, they’ll be sold at 20 per cent off after five weeks and half price after seven weeks. Once the eight-week cycle is over, you’ll get an email on the time frame for you to collect your unsold outfits (payments will be banked into your account directly). However, if you don’t collect ’em, then the items will automatically become the property of Looop and either be left on the racks (with the profits going straight to them) or be donated to a recycling centre.

My personal experience at Looop

Personally, I didn’t have any complaints about the entire process. Although booking a slot is hard, I found out that the Looop team is doing this to give everyone equal opportunity (say if you get a slot this week, you can only get another one after your eight weeks are up). The boutique was homey, peaceful and welcoming as I went on a Wednesday afternoon when most people were at work. The best part about Looop is that not only is it big on inclusivity, but I also came across branded and designer items (including a bag from Aldo, Coach and Michael Kors, a Rizman Ruzaini top and a pouch from Ted Baker) that are on sale at affordable prices. Rest assured, the outfits on the racks range from casual everyday wear to formal outfits and evening gowns, beachwear and traditional clothing in various sizes. On top of that, there are also hats, bags and pouches, shoes and accessories that you can pick from to complete your look(s). Even better? Looop has got a selection of menswear too!

For every item of yours that will be in store, you can write a message on a card stating why the piece means a lot to you and why you’d want it to find a new home, if you wish to. Last but not least, there are ample fitting rooms for you to try the outfits before purchasing them. Ultimately, the whole concept is a #win in our books, and we loved how genuinely helpful and accommodating the Looop team was when dealing with their customers (first-timers and us included!).

Looop is located at 20-A Lorong Rahim Kajai 14, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 KL. It's open from Wednesday to Friday (2–9pm) and on Saturday and Sunday (12–7pm). Stay updated on Looop’s upcoming events here and find out more here.

Featured image: @baydoucet & Yang Mei Ling
‍Design: Zariel Zahann