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“WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER”
SHOP SMALL FOR BIG REWARDS Words by Kristin Holbrook | Photo courtesy of Two Skirts
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oday, I went to the local bookstore to
our customers. I encouraged my social media
purchase the summer reading literature
followers to “get-dressed” for dinner at least
for my kids. When asked, “Why not go to the
once a week, both for personal self-esteem and
library?” I replied, “To support local business.”
a chance to win Two Skirts credit. I highlighted
It’s something that has been important to me for
local restaurants that were open for take-out
years, and even more so now.
and focused on designers who produced small
I live in a small town and co-own a small
collections, were sustainable, designed in the
business. I feel lucky every day that locals,
U.S. and were overall nice people. I believe that
second home-owners and tourists have made
what goes around comes around.
shopping at Two Skirts a tradition for almost 20
years. And, I never felt more grateful for that
Telluride businesses and residents were doing
support than over the past few months during
their part to give back to this community and
COVID-19.
make a difference. From donating hand-made
It turns out that generosity spreads. Many
When the ski areas and businesses were
masks and provisions to the Food Bank, to
forced to close in March, I decided to get creative
providing lunch for school children in need and
and give people a reason to shop and a cause to
delivering meals to the elderly, to teaching free
support. I created a fundraiser for the Telluride
yoga classes on Instagram to get people moving
Medical Center COVID-19 Response Fund by
and in touch with one another, almost everyone
donating 10 percent of my Telluride sweater
was coming out for the good of the small town
sales. I was overwhelmed by the response from
— all the while maintaining “safer at home”
followers near and far who purchased sweaters
protocol and waiting out the storm.
and made donation matches. We raised 10,000
dollars, kept things moving at Two Skirts and
shops and restaurants opening their doors and
dressed women around the country. Supporters
returning to a “new normal.” But, the future
realized we had to come together to make a
is still uncertain, and it will take a continued
difference or we might not survive the viral
conscious effort to keep small towns thriving.
storm.
Awareness needs to spread that spending
We started to see the light in June with
“We are all in this together” became the
locally generates sales tax revenues for roads,
rally cry across the nation and locally. To me,
drinking water and open space. Eating and
this meant promoting and uniting with other
buying supplies locally cuts down on the
small folks. I focused my social media on the
carbon footprint created by shipping, from the
independents that I carry at Two Skirts, and
packaging to the transportation fuel. There is
vice versa. Designer friends and I would not
an education process that needs to continue to
only fundraise for bigger causes, but work
circulate in the minds of consumers about how
together to generate giveaways and contests for
to make meaningful purchases.
