Anti Black Friday? POV of a sustainable dancewear brand

This will be our 5th Black Friday as a small sustainable dancewear brand. It is always one of the biggest challenges for brands wanting to avoid promoting mindless consumption that feels at odds with our ethical values.

Over the last few years, we've thought long and hard about how to participate in Black Friday sensibly. The environmental impact of Black Friday is staggering.  The fashion industry's carbon footprint during Black Friday is estimated to be around 70% higher than the rest of the year. We know that retail events and sales like Black Friday and Cyber Monday can seem to make the leotards and tights you buy seem more affordable.But it is driven by an intense wave of needless over consumption. 

This year, and last year, we're participating in our own way and on our own terms and instead we decided to open up the 'Anniversary Archive Sale'.

No rush, no landfill.. just the same great quality, responsibly-made leotards and year-round sustainable after-care, briefly available at a reduced price. This our way of saying thanks for all your support throughout the year and getting us to this key milestone of being in business for 4 years. 

Why?

This year, Black Friday is looking a little scarier than usual for this small independent ballet brand... as well as other small businesses and our customers too. 

Each year, there is increasing pressure for tiny independent brands (also known as micro businesses) to keep up with expectations and offer some mega deals pre-Christmas and ballet leotards, convertible ballet tights and men's dancewear. So we will be offering you the opportunity to get some special offers.

This is how it works in the dancewear industry:

Founder, Helen Banks worked in the fashion and sportswear industries for many years before Imperfect Pointes. Helen studied sustainable fashion during her time at the University of Cambridge Centre for Sustainable Leadership 

Helen wants it to be known that, even when offering HUGE discounts on their dancewear, big brands will absolutely still be making a profit. 

For a lot of small business - if we offered those discounts, it’s likely at best we’ll just break even, meaning we don’t make a loss, but neither is there any profit left in the price. So effectively working for nothing. 

Sometimes, it may seem you’re paying more for a leotard or tights from Imperfect Pointes... You probably are! That’s because it costs more when things are made ethically in the UK and garment workers get paid properly - that’s just a fact! You’ve all seen what goes on in fast fashion giants like Boohoo (when Helen worked) and Shein. Fast dancewear is just the same ! That ballet leotard that has 50% off is bad for garment workers & bad for the planet.

As we start our 5th year of sustainable dancewear, we want to thank you all for sticking with us and supporting change for good in the dancewear industry 💚🙏🏽😊

This year we are promoting our Anniversary Archive sale throughout the next week, to encourage you to choose independent and ethical dancewear brands. It’s a choice - so choose brands made with love and purpose💞.

We are using Black Friday to allow us to make our stunning pieces more accessible whilst maintaining our ethical & environmental standards (the workers making your leotards are paid a proper UK wage).

We take this short term hit on our own profit because we know that once you've owned, danced and felt amazing in an Imperfect Pointes piece, you understand why our ballet leotards and tights are worth the investment. Just checkout the 5 star reviews. 

We want you to shop with us all week in a slower more considered way, rather than in a panic about what to buy. We don't want you to buy things you don't want or need. In fact - it's expensive for us when you do this (think of the costs of return postage, packaging, cleaning and restocking items and so on)! 

As always, please check our size guide for help selecting the right size for you. Want style advice? Email hello@imperfectpointes.com and Helen or Charlie on customer service can advise on the right style for your shape.