ForDays: Kristy Makes Clothes That Last Forever (without ever hitting the landfill)

With degrees in Industrial Engineering, Business, and Fashion Design, Kristy Caylor was well prepared for the world of fashion by the time she joined GAP Inc. in 2004. She led the Project (RED) initiative within GAP, which engaged the private sector in raising awareness and funds to help eliminate HIV/AIDS in Africa. This initiative revealed the enormous people and planet-saving power when consumers vote with their dollar on mission-driven, sustainability-focused outcomes. After GAP, Caylor created Maiyet, a brand that moved the needle for mission-driven businesses by proving that positive social impact can coexist with world-class aesthetics.

Caylor’s ventures also revealed how devastatingly inefficient and wasteful fashion can be. She knew clothing companies would need to take responsibility for business practices that encourage 80 pounds of landfill waste per consumer, per year. The entrepreneur felt that she could spark a revolution in the fashion industry if she could change the company’s relationship to the consumer and consequentially, the consumer’s relationship to their clothing.

Kristy Caylor’s vision to transform commerce came to fruition with For Days, a circular clothing company she launched in 2018. For Days is a zero-waste, closed-loop company with a SWAP program that allows shoppers to send back used— ripped, stretched, and even stained— clothing to be upcycled into new products. The shopper is rewarded upon returning items with credits towards their next purchase. When For Days sends customers new clothing, customers can return used clothing in the same bag, empowering shoppers to swap clothes easily and with minimal shipping waste.

For Days makes sustainability accessible with price points, styles, and sizes that welcome participation from anyone and everyone. Their SWAP model builds loyalty and trust with consumers while emphasizing the long-term value of what’s in all of our closets. Intrigued shoppers can earn credits with For Days by sending them a Take Back Bag, which can be filled with old clothes from any brand, in any condition— the goal is to divert all clothing from landfills.