With The Great Resignation becoming a household term through and following the pandemic, we see that the trend isn’t going anywhere, with 50 per cent of Canadian employees planning to look for a new job in the first half of 2023. While it’s exhilarating to pursue a completely different career path, many don’t consider this: what happens to your old work wardrobe? Whether switching out in-office attire to work-from-home loungewear, or completely evolving a new career style, platforms like Poshmark Canada allow new job-seekers to buy and sell preloved work-wear to a network of over 5 million Canadians. Plus, it’s a great way to earn extra income while transitioning from job to job. Chris Mitchell is a full-time Poshmark seller from Cameron, Ontario. As a father, he turned to the platform to sell his professional clothes when he was laid off from his job during the pandemic. Aside from earning income from white-collar clothes he no longer needed, Chris decided to go full-time as a Poshmark seller in March 2022. Since then, he’s been able to make as much money as he did in his previous job while spending more time with his family. We chatted with Chris to get his top tips for selling your wardrobe after a career change. —Vita Daily
Hi Chris! Please tell us a bit about yourself to start.
Hi! I’m Chris Mitchell, a full-time clothing reseller with a background in cultural journalism, content marketing and education. When I’m not selling luxury and vintage treasures on Poshmark, I play tennis, do crossfit, explore my new city of Kawartha Lakes, and hang out with my wife and our 5-year-old son.
What first spurred you to sell your work/professional clothes on Poshmark?
My family moved from downtown Toronto to Kawartha Lakes in 2021 when my wife got a job as general manager of The Grove Theatre in Fenelon Falls. My extensive collection of business attire was kind of useless in cottage country, so I swapped dress shirts for plaid flannels and figured I’d sell my office clothes online. Once I saw the income potential in reselling, I started sourcing gently used higher-end men’s/women’s clothing to list on Poshmark and jumped in full time.
What are your top tips for listing preloved work wardrobe on Poshmark for selling success?
There are tons of clothes on Poshmark already, so you need to do something different to attract shoppers: better brands, better prices, better photos, better listings, or better marketing. My strategy is to strive for all of those.
We hear that Poshmark selling is now a full-time gig for you! What skills from your previous job helped you become a Poshmark seller, from getting started to hosting Posh Shows?
Ten years of experience as a journalist and content marketer transitioned perfectly to reselling. My skills with writing, editing, photography, social media management, and marketing theory all helped jumpstart my business. I also had hundreds of hours of on-screen hosting experience from my years as a battle rap journalist (which is a whole other story). So, when Poshmark rolled out their new Posh Shows—which let people buy and sell via livestream in real time—the hosting element was perfectly in my wheelhouse. A deep knowledge of high-quality clothing brands has helped too.
What would you say the benefits of using an online platform to earn extra income during job transitions and mass layoffs are?
Job insecurity is currently a tough reality in the media and tech sectors, so it’s always smart to set up some alternative income options. Having the infrastructure already set up made it easier to supercharge my Posh closet when I eventually decided to go full time.
What white-collar item of clothing were you most pleased to sell on Poshmark?
Tom Ford and Brunello Cuccinelli dress shirts always make for good flips.
share:
Be the first to comment