So hereโs the deal. In a recording of a company meeting provided to Jezebel (presumably by a ModCloth employee), ModCloth CEO Matthew Kaness announced that Jet.com has acquired the clothing retailer. This news wasnโt set to be released publicly until Friday, but the internet is buzzing.
It seems innocuous at first, a bit strange because Jet.com is like the Amazon for household goods, butย then I learned that Jet.com happens to be owned byโฆWalmart.
*klunk*
Thatโs the sound of my heart sinking.
ModCloth.
โฆthe gamechanger in independent fashion for women of all sizes, body diversity, and who just days ago launched a new campaign called #StyleForAll featuring Tess Holliday.
ย
Is
Now
Owned
By
Walmart
โฆwho, in 2014 got in trouble for featuring a collection of what their website called โfat girl costumes.โ
And thatโs not the worst of it. You probably know where Iโm going.
Modcloth, the company that described as โinclusive, woman-positive, and feministโ by Cosmopolitan, is now owned by a corporate giant that has been rightfully criticized forย paying families (or the lack thereof)ย a living wage. ย A company who was sued in 2011 by 1.5 million, yes MILLION, ย for gender discrimination.
Note: though it was the one of the biggest class action lawsuits of its time, they lost because the women in the case did not have enough in common to constitute a class action, but according to Democracy Now! the great RBG (Ruth Bader Ginsburg)ย wrote that the โplaintiffsโ evidence, including class membersโ tales of their own experiences, suggests that gender bias suffused Walmartโs company culture.โ
Soย Iโm just speculating here, but Iย wonder howย much theyโll care about helping designers maintain their intellectual property or producing the clothesย ethically.
Hereโs what the CEO, Matthew Kaness, had to say about it (as reported in Jezebel):
โWhen I think about the quality of people Iโve met at Jet and their ambitions and how it aligns with ours,โ Kaness began. โAnd when when I think about their parent company Walmart, who has the resourcesโbut also has when youโve spent time researching it and understanding it, theyโve spent a lot of time working on corporate responsibility and environmental initiatives and opportunities for their employees and their careers. I think thereโs a lot of overlap culturally with what theyโre about and what weโre about. I think over time this is going to become an incredible marriage.โ
Sorry Matthew.ย No.ย (sidenote: this is the first time I learned the company was run by a dude. So sadly, Iโm less surprised.)
I do wonder what the co-founder, Susan Gregg Koger, was thinking.ย
But I canโt help but to think that they could have done better.
Ugh. We still have so far to go ladies.
Iโm pretty new to the plus size fashion world. Until I learned to love my body, I didnโt feel like fashion was a world I fit into. And as a girl who has yo-yoed from a 10 to an 18 over the last 10 years there was one place I always new I could go AND express myself, the way I love to.
Iโve often described my style as Joan Holloway meets Snow White. And thereโs no brand who helped me ownย that better than ModCloth.
I have pretty much lived in their stuff. As you can seeโฆ
The reviews not only told me if I would like the outfit, they allowed me to check in with other ladies of similar sizes and specifically, cup sizes, to know if something would fit me or not.
But unfortunately, all relationships have expiration dates. And our love affair has come to an end.
ModCloth. Iโm breaking up with you.
So this is a call to action.
For all you independent ModCloth designers and to all of you other designers waiting in the wingsโฆ donโt let this be the only place you grow your business and brand.
Start a new website, launch a new etsy store, and let us know where we can find you!
We will celebrate you. Lift you up. And, always promote the shit out of you.
And for you shoppers of quirky indie fashion!?ย You can still fight back with your pocketbook.
Here are a few alternative designers and online shops to check out:
I love their customizable styles. You can pick your neckline, sleeve length, skirt length, and more. Super fun. In fact, here I am wearing an eShakti dress!
With a mix of Vintage inspired designs and actual vintage, they seem to be the best replacement so far. I met one of their models, Pinup Gigi Marie, on a Slink Jeans shoot and LOVE their Instagram account! Plus they have a rewards system, so thatโs rad.
I just found them on etsy and they look like a promising substitution!
Until now, ModCloth literally had the only jeans I loved. But thank god for Slink Jeans. In fact I got to be in one of their campaigns just last week!
Iโve hung out with the owner, Jessica Hinkle, here in LA a bunch. Sheโs a doll and sells the clothing both online and off at The Plus Bus Boutique.
Jess also recommendsย ReDress, Witch Worldwide, Copper Union, Candy Strike, Chubby Cartwheels, and Ready to Stare.
ย
Do you know more? Let us know in the comments! We want to support them!
Noooooooooooooo รฐยยยฉ
Iโm so bummed out! I ALMOST bought the Groupon deal (which makes so much more sense now) and didnโt. And Iโm glad I didnโt.
Maybe this will save me moneyโฆ
This will not save you money. Everything will be made cheaper and lower quality. Itโs the same thing that happened on one of Lane Bryantโs buy outs. It went waaaaaay downhill for a few years.
It might save you a few dollarsโฆ but is it really worth it???
No, I mean Iโll stop spending money at ModCloth. Thatโll save me money!
Sorry, should have clarified.
Amanda Deschamps oh, gotcha! I thought the same thing!
Ah! Iโll be honest I love Torrid. And there was a plus size legging test this blog did and Torrid won. So if youโre looking for a good place, they have everything from relaxed / sort of grungy, all the way to super classy.
I loved ModCloth for their retro stuff. Torrid is good, but ModCloth was actually usually a better deal. I got things on sale all the time. And their selection is great. My wardrobe is bursting anyways. Sigh
I hear you. I love Torridโs in-store experience. And sizes 10-30 is a great selection. Their swim wear is good and lasts multiple seasons. I still hit LB for bras & underwear.
I knew exactly what you meant. I probably wonโt be shopping there anymore รฐยยย
This sucks. Is this going to mean cheaper quality clothing?
we do not know, but it has us feeling some kind of way!
Modcloth was already on the โI may have to return this if the fabric feels grossโ bubble. Iโm not optimistic about the quality improving.
But still, do you want to give your money to Wal-Mart?
Goodbye Modcloth, sniff sniff, it was wonderful while it lasted.
riiiight. This is what Natalie was talking about and dropped a few other alternatives for them!
Smh!! Sad indeed!
This will not save you money. Everything will be made cheaper and lower quality. Itโs the same thing that happened on one of Lane Bryantโs buy outs. It went waaaaaay downhill for a few years.
While I am not a huge fan of Walmart, I am a lover of Jet.com. I can understand the frustration a lot of people might have with this but there are a ton of companyโs out there under the same major umbrella with completely different structure, company standards, and outright policies. I say donโt stress until it gets โrealโโฆ many of the issues people have with Walmart isnโt just a Walmart issue, itโs an issue across the board in the retail and service sector where low-paid, hourly work is common.
true!
Iโm not a Walmart fan, but I know that they emply a diverse workforce that includes some of the most vulnerable in our community including young teens, minorities and the disabledโฆ.I canโt be mad at that.
Some of us just prefer not to give our money to Walmart.
Yes, but they pay exploitative wages, screw employees out of overtime, and generally are a stain on society. I can be mad at that.
Good for you. I hope all the money that you donโt give them is diverted to a โmore worthyโ billion dollar for-profit business.
JeKaren Taylor, have you seen The High Cost of Low Prices? Walmart has particularly egregious practices.
Exactly. I call the Walmart boycott an โoutrage of convenienceโ. Their business practices are no different than Target or most other major retailers yet middle class women can feel better about themselves by declaring war on Walmart as they walk through Targetโs (or insert other retailer here) doors.
Walmart was and still is a community killer. Anyone who thinks they arenโt so bad need to watch the documentary:
https://youtu.be/RXmnBbUjsPs
Walmart was and still is a community killer. Anyone who thinks they arenโt so bad need to watch the documentary:
https://youtu.be/RXmnBbUjsPs
I can only go by personal experience, but when the Walmart neighborhood market open across the street in my community all of a sudden a lot of unemployed people were employed and getting paychecks. They donโt care if you are tattooed, pierced, disabled, in a wheelchair or a scooter, they will hire you. All of a sudden the Brokedown old empty Cineplex that drug dealers and homeless people occupied was turned into a Walmart neighborhood market where we could buy groceries, and get our prescriptions filled. Now that building is well lit well-maintained landscaped and beautiful. People can say whatever they want about giant box stores, but the fact is, they employ people. And they build up neighborhoods. All of a sudden a lot of the teenagers they had nothing to do but lawyer and hang out and listen to music and buy drugs on the corner are working. The disabled kid is working. The older gentleman has a job now. I worked for many years for target. I was a single mom with two young daughters. I needed the retail job because I need to have flexible hours that I could go pick up and drop off my daughters at school. And administrative job does not allow that, only a retail job can let you do that. I was paid basic minimum wage, and I knew that when I accepted the job. People arenโt always victims. There is always a need to place people in 2 categories, victims & victimizer.
Itโs not always that cut and dry. Most of these people are happy they have jobs and are able to have flexible schedules. We arenโt all victims.
Iโm so sad.
Nooo! I just totally fell in love after buying from them for years. So sad!
Jet.com might keep things like they are. Why worry so much until you find out?
Because some of us have no desire to give our money to Walmart. Principles and all.
Adelaida Mendoza
Noooo!
I was JUST abt to buy my wedding rehearsal dress from them.
Which one is it? You can try to find the actual brand and purchase it from them.
What a great suggestion!
you still canโฆ the deal isnโt even closed yet. Theyโre still ModCloth.
Well goodbye, I wonโt do anything in conjunction with that trashy Walmart.
Crap. I have a credit there, guess Iโd better use it asap.
Frances Garces ugh
Nooooo wth
Right! Who passed this as a good business move?!?
Time to start my own lol
wow that sucks
Does anyone here buy from the home store Wayfair? They too are owned by Walmart :-/
Wow, I didnโt know that (or that Walmart owned Jet.com) until now.
Our household has nothing to do with Walmart, so I wonโt be hitting these 2 sites either. Their loss.
People are so quick to jump on the Hate Walmart wagon they arenโt even paying attention.
Nope.
What!? Dammit! I just bought a piece of furniture through them.
Yeah, it isnโt well known. If you visit Walmartโs website you can see ways to shop Wayfair
Wayfair is owned by the CSN company (which also owns Dwell Studios and Joss and Main). They are unaffiliated with Walmart.
It is good to be wrong sometimes. Jen, looks like you are clear
aww that is too bad โฆ im glad i got my stuff before they sold out ,, it is hard enough to find good places to get clothes as it is โฆ fare thee well modcloth
DAMN IT I GET LIKE EVERYTHING FROM THEM
Ughhhhhhh modcloth is where I get all my cute clothes so I donโt have to go to Walmart and get crappy clothes.
Briana Townsend รฐยยย
Nooooo! รฐยยยข
I know Iโm really bummed. The quality is deff gonna go down.
Yah.. Iโm done with ModCloth..I have a feeling that their clothes are going to stay expensive but cheaper in quality.
As someone who is plus size and shops at clothing companies with more ethical supply chains (which are difficult to find if youโre not smaller than a large) this buy out really makes me sad. I got to visit their brick and mortar store in december and had a fantastic time and I hope that magic doesnโt go awayโฆbut it probably will :/
Can you share some of the more ethical places you like to shop? I am actually taking a year off from buying clothes in an attempt to reduce my use of sweatshop goods, but Iโd like to know some good spots to look at when it is time to refresh my wardrobe in 2018.
Iโve been loving shopping on Poshmark lately. Even though theyโre second hand goods you can get stuff thatโs still new with tags. For new goods I like Lularoe too. But here are a few Iโve found so far that Iโve kept bookmarked. I doubt theyโre perfect, but theyโre definitely better than most: Industry of All Nations, Beth Ditto, Smart Glamour, Eileen Fisher, Marketplace India, Gaia Conceptions.
Great suggestions!! thanks!!
I rarely shop in physical stores anymore but thatโs probably good for my wallet lol
Thanks! I rarely shop in physical stores, either.
Yvette Bakanal Lillian
I hate that weโre throwing them under the bus already when the deal hasnโt even closed yet. :/ WTF. Itโs still ModCloth. It will probably still be run as ModCloth, like ModCloth.
Iโm saying. When I see a drop in quality Iโll take my business elsewhere. I dislike Walmart as much as the next person, but ModCloth didnโt turn into an ugly gray box just because they were bought by one.
Sometimes people just need to have something to be mad at, without knowing The Who, what, when and howโs of the whole thing.
Itโs silly, but these days it seems to be more and more common. Iโll continue to shop Modcloth. If prices go up or quality goes down, Iโll move on. More than likely, everything will stay the same.
I am so upset! Ugh!! They will ruin modcloth ๐
its always about the money
Exactly what I was going to say.
Glad I got my vow renewal dress in time from themโฆ..how sad
Iโm so bummed. I wonโt be shopping there anymore!
Welp, if I had any intention of buying , I wonโt now.
Why is it always about the money?
Omg i buy everything from them. Goodbye modcloth!
Shawna Cruz
Noooooo
Quality will.go right downโฆ
Thanks for posting.
I loved ModCloth! Couldnโt always buy from there, especially given that Iโm a designer and prefer to make my own dresses, but they had real quality to their clothes. Hopefully they maintain that same level. I did like how the writer is encouraging buyers to buy from designers directly. There are so many talented ppl out there, Iโve seen so much just in Etsy alone. You may even spent the same amount of money (or a little more) as in ModCloth but the best part would be that itโs done specifically for you. Itโs time to #supportsmallbusinesses #supportyourlocaldesigner
Deep sighโฆthis is just greatโฆ.so long and thanks for all the fish. Ugh screw their CEO for being a corporate sellout.
RIP Modcloth. รฐยยยข
ร ยy4
Boo!
Sally Burke
รฐยยยข
Well hopefully it will improve the plus size section at Walmart because as of right now I walk right past it.
i cant believe , one of the best stores i know was sold ! :'(
awwww. Bummer!
No!!!!!
What? Another small company bites the dust.
Walmart is like the borg.
This does not make me happy, but I canโt say Iโm surprised. Iโve had issues with ModCloth from the beginning. They existed online for several years before they finally included plus sizes on their site. Because they sold items from several different plus size designers, the sizes were always very hit-or-miss. A size 3X from one designer might be completely different than a 3X from another designer, so you never knew what you were going to get. Would the item fit me well, or would it be too small or too large on me? Would it be a well-made garment, or a cheap piece of crap? I ordered many garments from them that were returned for sizing and fit issues, or for being very cheaply made and not worth the $40+ Iโd paid for it (plus shipping). As of now, I have 4 ModCloth items in my closet. Only 4, and my closet is pretty damn packed with plenty of other plus size clothing.
Then ModCloth decided to make everything โmore inclusiveโ and removed the plus size link from their site. And because ModClothโs sizing is so hit-or-miss, when I wanted to search for plus sizes, Iโd have to search ALL plus sizes, which meant I couldnโt do a filtered search for my standard size to make things easier. This meant I had to look through ALL items on their site, straight AND plus size. Which only created more frustration since I might see a damn cute sweater that I really wanted to add to my wardrobeโฆ only to discover itโs not available in plus sizes.
Once ModCloth added plus sizes to their site, they did a good job of *appearing* very inclusive with their marketing ideas. I love their ad campaigns, especially the ones with non-model fans wearing the clothing. And I love the fact that they include pics of ModCloth shoppers wearing the items on their site. Iโve usually found this helpful in figuring out their hit-or-miss sizing. If I can see the garment on someone elseโs body on their website, it gives me a better idea of how the garment might fit on mine. However, putting a good face on it still doesnโt make them a go-to clothing retailer for me for the reasons listed above. And now that theyโve sold to Walmart, itโs just one more reason for me to not continue shopping there. Even though I love most of their clothes, I never did much shopping at ModCloth to begin with. They just donโt fit me.
This sucks as ModCloth was one of the few places that shipped overseas for a reasonable price or free, carried a nice size range, and had a great return policy.
I used to be an avid ModCloth shopper but lately their prices have been going up and up (even though they were always expensive) and most of their clothes, unless indie designer, are still super cheap quality with wonky sizing. Also their recent line up has been a little disappointing. I figured something was up business-wise but wouldnโt have imagined this. Sad news.
Whhhhyyyyyy?!
Dayanera Railey did you know?
Susan M. Morris
Yes, Pittsburgh papers have been full of this. Itโs of course a great opportunity for the owners and stakeholders, not so much for employees. I wonโt be buying from them any longer since Iโve been boycotting Walmart for years.
Yup, thought you might feel that way. All good things must come to an endโฆ
Itโs truly a shame because the Modcloth house label has been a consistently high quality go-to. That surely wonโt continue.
Anyone who thinks Walmart isnโt so bad needs to watch this documentary. While itโs true theyโve had to succumb to some pressure to improve their environmental policies because of the massive size of their trucking fleet and property ownership, they are and always will be community killers. I understand that people shop there because they often have no other options. Thatโs because they made sure small businesses failed, especially in vulnerable smaller towns where any local resistance could be easily crushed. Please do not give them a dime, if you can help it.
https://youtu.be/RXmnBbUjsPs
https://youtu.be/RXmnBbUjsPs
Ughh, this majorly sucks!! Thank you so much for writing this article and for including some really great links for other sites to shop at!!
WellโฆHell. I havenโt shopped in a Wal Mart since the documentary came out which had to be 15 years ago. This will not change any of that for me. I live in Austin where Modcloth has an actual brick and mortar. I wonder how that will change? Oh well. Makes no difference. Time to move on.
ModCloth will remain independent with regard to how they run their services, so things arenโt expected to change with regard to quality. It just means that they will have more stability in the long run to ensure that they can continue, and that they can maintain their quality, good prices, and, of course, their employees.
Welp, there goes my wedding dress, Justin Acton .
I thought Walmart would be a good thingโฆ itโs everywhere
Walmart is a really terrible company, Court.
Itโs good as far as getting their name out there, but itโs just not a company that a lot of people want affiliation with or want to support.
Gotchaโฆ
Bummerโฆ
Emily Wilson Nichole Denmanรฐยยยฎรฐยยยรฐยยยฉ
Not sure how much more bad news I can take
No! I like them!
Nooooooooooooooooooo
Chicstar.com has great plus size clothes. I love their retro style dresses!
I swear too many people have a price nowadays, pathetic
Justin Pangilinan