What We Don’t Want
December 11, 2020
2020 alumnus Gretchen Messner launched her business, What We Don’t Want, at the beginning of the summer.
“I started my account because of two things: my interest in fashion and my interest in sustainability. I think quarantine really did a lot to me. While I was doing nothing, I got really into clothes and fashion. It gave me a lot of joy. When things started to open back up again, I began thrifting a lot more. I also used that time to learn a lot more about sustainability and how good thrifting is for the environment. New clothes use so many resources and factories [that] pollute the Earth. The combination of those two things inspired me to start my account,” Messner said.
Messner operates her business on Instagram @whatwedontwant. It focuses on reselling thrifted items and creating custom “bundles” for customers. The “bundles” are packages of clothes Messner will put together at the customer’s request, similar to companies like Stitch Fix or Trunk Club. Depending on the size of the bundle, the customer will receive shirts, pants, jewelry and accessories tailored to their liking.
“I’ll go thrifting three to four times a week, and I look through everything. And I mean everything. I’ll go through the men’s section, women’s section, shoes, jewelry, accessories, everything. I try to pick out things that I think would sell well or pair with a bundle. Right now, the weather is getting colder meaning that more people are requesting sweaters and coats. Graphic tees and Y2K fashion is also really popular. If you went somewhere like Urban Outfitters, you could easily spend $50 on a singular shirt. With my bundles, you are getting a lot of product, so I feel that everything is very reasonably priced,” Messner said.
Messner plans to grow her business by placing ads on Instagram in the future.
“My current giveaway has given me a lot traction and more people have seen and followed my account. I’m majoring in exercise physiology at Saint Francis, so it is definitely a conflict of what I want to pursue,” Messner said.
Although Messner’s plans for college are different than the business she has now, she has learned some valuable life and business lessons from starting her business.
“You have to be really patient. You have to be willing to put in the time and effort to get where you want to be. I’ve learned to have fun with it and I really enjoy it. The whole thing is a learning experience for me,” Messner said.
