One Year Of Two Days Off
Gina here, I am the founder and maker behind Two Days Off and as I am writing this I realize that this is the first time I have spoken directly to you outside of social media and our newsletter.
February marks the one year anniversary of Two Days Off (although September feels like our real anniversary being the month we launched our website and made everything “legit”). 12 months ago I launched 3 styles and 3 accessories on Etsy, two of which were the Olivia and Suki Tops. I vividly remember the combination of fear, doubt, and optimism as I entered this new world of entrepreneurship. And over the past year have continued to feel each with regularity.
Two Days Off didn’t begin as a sustainable clothing company. The essence of what would become this company actually began as a feeling for me over 3 years ago. I describe this feeling with one-word: ease. I was in a place in my life where I was constantly asking myself how to achieve a life that embodied the feeling of ease. This question led me to many answers. For me it meant physical and mental health, feeling unburdened by daily challenges, and winning over myself each day. In practice, it translated to becoming more mindful of all aspects of my life and my impact on the world.
Fast forward to when I started Two Days Off, it was the utmost importance to me that I am considerate of how the company operated and how it represented the concept of ease everyday. As a climate change researcher by training, I think systematically from start to finish. As an environmentalist, I seek out closed loop systems with mutual benefits for all. As a designer, I look for beautiful and practical solutions to life’s day to day problems.
Clothing has an embodied history before it makes it into anyone's closet. The fibers to make materials have been grown or synthesized, manufactured, dyed, sewn, and transported (numerous times) by the time they make it to a store. Each garment already had an impact on people and the planet before it impacts someone’s wardrobe. And once it becomes part of someone’s life it will be washed and worn, hopefully for a very long time, until one day when it will most likely end up in a landfill. What I hope to achieve with Two Days Off is to give a people a clothing option that puts their mind at ease. I want them to be comforted by the fact that the product they love also represents their values.
This past year has been one of learning for me in this new business. I am learning how to create the best possible product without bending on my ethical standards. I am exploring the power of being an entrepreneur and how to stay grounded in mission at all times. And I am learning how to grow a sustainable clothing line slowly and in balance with the rest of my life.
What I write here may not be as compelling to you as it is to me, but I have been itching to share more tidbits into the brand and my brain as I Two Days Off enters year two and beyond. Thank you if you made it this far, and thank you for your support in year one. Having people along on this journey makes the work so much more fulfilling.
Sincerely, Gina
