Sometimes too small, sometimes too big, not to mention the off-putting color, the search for the ideal jeans in a thrift store sometimes turns out to be fruitless. From there was born the idea of the online thrift store Ysorus. Buying unique pieces from wholesalers, the Toulouse start-up was created in November 2020 by its equally unique employee, Lucas Clavières.
This native of Toulouse takes care of ironing and finely measuring the pieces himself in order to put used jeans back into circulation and make it easier to hunt for good opportunities. “Today, I have about 150 different jeans online, only Levi’s,” explains the young 26-year-old entrepreneur. I plan to increase my maximum capacity to 375 by the end of March and to diversify into brands to be able to better meet demand. “Count on average 45 euros for jeans, or even more depending on the rarity.
In case of defect, the return as well as the exchange are free and it is possible to be alerted as soon as the right size is available. But the concept does not only have a practical aim since, its creator assures us, it is also part of an ecological approach.
Prioritizing the circular economy
While the textile industry is one of the most polluting, more than half of the clothes produced in the world end up in landfills or incinerators, according to a study by the consulting firm McKinsey.
For the former Parisian data-scientist, the revalorization of resources is essential in his project. “Before, I worked for a subcontracting firm on the Champs-Élysées. I was tired of working for CAC40 clients who did nothing for ecology, so I left my job to move back to Toulouse and give meaning to my life. I started to take an interest in thrift stores to have more responsible personal consumption. »
If his stocks are currently with his parents in Auzielle, south-east of the Pink City, the young man intends to develop his activity by giving a second life to more clothes. “Soon, I plan to make bespoke denim jackets from pieces sent to me by wholesalers that have a stain or a defect,” he says. Eventually, the Toulousain also dreams of seeing “Ysorus relay boxes” in the streets of his hometown to encourage people to circulate their clothes. In the meantime, it is always possible to sort through your closets to donate your old clothes or make up with them.