From the beginning of the mindful closet blog, I very rarely did sponsored or gifted content. Initially, it was a minimalism thing (interesting to look back at that blog post as I was multiple sizes smaller). As it became more common elsewhere, product recommendations from influencers started to turn me off. It felt unlikely that they really loved every item they promoted, and I've always wondered how much the fact that the item was free affected their opinion. I truly believe that everyone has to find out what works for them and can't be given rules from an external source, so just because something worked for an influencer didn't mean it would work for anyone else. I've seen client's closets with items they were influenced to buy but never wore because they didn't really actually work for them. I also hate having too much stuff, and it seems like it would pile up after a while.
Recently, the company Universal Standard reached out to ask about partnering. They offered to gift me up to $200 worth of clothes each month and a 10% commission on items that sold through my affiliate link in return for posting on social media. I decided to agree to partner for a couple of reasons.
Most importantly, I really believe in the way that Universal Standard is trying to do business in the fashion industry. They are trying to do something about the numerous reasons why the fashion industry doesn't work for the average woman with a changing body. The founders and leaders of the company are women. Their clothes are size-inclusive and they carry sizes from 00-40. They photograph their clothes on models of all sizes so that you can see how it might fit your body. They have a program called Fit Liberty on some of their core items and if your size changes within a year of purchasing an item, they will replace it with another size for free.
The second reason is that I am genuinely curious about trying the items so that I know more about them and can recommend them for clients to try.
There are a few other companies I'm being approached by, and for Universal Standard and any other brands, here are a few self-made rules that you can hold me to:
I will always disclose which items were given to me and how much I will make through affiliate links.
I will be totally honest with my thoughts about the item, even if they're negative.
I'm going to be very intentional about what I add, making sure that it is something I need and will use.
So! Here's my review of the first gifted item from Universal Standard - spoiler alert, it didn't work for me. 😬
If you'd like to check out Universal Standard's clothes and want me to get a commission if you purchase something, use this link.