Launching Once Loved - The search engine for resale athletic wear

One year ago, I embarked on a transformative fitness journey. As life settled into a calmer rhythm after a period of intense work and shifting landscapes, I seized the opportunity to focus on my physical well-being. My goals were clear: build muscle, lose weight, and gain strength. Believing that proper equipment is a force multiplier for any activity, I headed to my local Lululemon for workout gear. Little did I know, this shopping trip would reshape my perspective on athletic wear and inspire a new mission.

Three Eye-Opening Realizations

1. The High Cost of Athletic Gear
   A simple workout set - just a shirt and shorts - cost over $90 CAD. While I could afford this investment in my health, I recognized that such prices might be prohibitive for many1.
2. Engineering for Longevity
   Athletic wear in 2024 is built to last, incorporating advanced materials and design techniques that significantly extend the lifespan of these garments1.
3. Bodies Change Faster Than Quality Gear
   High-quality workout clothes often outlast the physical transformations of their wearers, remaining functional long after body shapes have changed1.

The Case for Circular Athletic Wear

As a proponent of the resale market - from my used car to secondhand furniture and snowboarding gear - I've long appreciated the value of reuse. This philosophy extends to my purchasing habits: when buying new, I prioritize durability and repairability.

The athletic wear industry has seen remarkable technological advancements. Modern workout clothes are no longer simple cotton blends but sophisticated equipment featuring various polymers for controlled stiffness and elasticity. However, this progress comes at a cost, making athletic wear increasingly inaccessible to the average person.

Introducing Once Loved: Revolutionizing Athletic Wear

Inspired by these realizations, we created Once Loved - the premier destination for high-quality, pre-owned athletic wear. Our platform applies the same logic to workout clothes that many already use for sporting equipment: buy good stuff, used.

Once Loved is built on several key principles:

1. Curated Selection: We focus exclusively on top brands, filtering out fast fashion to promote sustainability.
2. Unified Shopping Experience: By aggregating listings from established resale platforms like eBay, Grailed, and Etsy, we offer a seamless browsing experience.
3. Accessibility: Our goal is to make premium athletic wear affordable and accessible to a wider audience.

A Step Towards Sustainable Fitness

Once Loved represents a bold new approach to athletic clothing. We believe that great workout gear doesn't have to be new - it just needs to perform. By promoting the circular economy in fitness apparel, we're not just helping people save money; we're contributing to a more sustainable future for the industry and the planet.

Join us in rethinking athletic wear. With Once Loved, you can find the high-performance gear you need at prices that work for you, all while supporting a more sustainable approach to fitness fashion.