L.L. Bean is dipping its toe into eco-conscious fashion with the Pre-Loved Collection, a range of refurbished vintage pieces launching exclusively on the brand's Instagram.
Spanning the '60s to the present day, each piece was sourced by the outdoor giant's design team and restored for a new lifecycle of wear and tear, a spread of timeless Bean basics given new life.
A sampling: a royal blue fleece jacket circa '80s is embroidered with L.L. Bean's cursive logo; a knit cardigan, also from the '80s, features a delightful polar bear print; a '60s hunting vest fits right in with fashion's love of tactical gear.
L.L. Bean joins a number of brands launching vintage and pre-owned collections in the name of sustainability.
Last year, Levi's introduced Secondhand, a platform dedicated to vintage and secondhand denim. Similarly, The North Face Renewed and Arc'teryx Rebird restores secondhand outerwear and apparel to like-new condition, for a more accessible price. And just weeks ago, Banana Republic dropped another "BR Vintage" collection, a range of pieces dating from the '70s, '80s, and '90s.
Luxury brands are getting in on the action, too.
In partnership with the RealReal's Circular Economy Program, Gucci, Stella McCartney, and Burberry offer perks for customers who buy secondhand. In February, Alexander McQueen launched a buyback program with Vestiaire Collective.
Vintage and secondhand, once regarded as dirty words among the fashion elite, now enjoy unprecedented cachet among increasingly eco-conscious consumers.
It's clear that L.L. Bean is looking to cash in on the hype by selling its Pre-Loved Collection exclusively via Instagram Stories, a rather novel format for such a classic brand.
To secure a piece, tap into @llbean's Stories on October 13, 20, and 27 at 10 a.m. EDT.
