Good Threads Company, solely a social media-based business, was created this spring by St. Thomas seniors has made over 30 sales in three states.

Seniors Jenna Zimmerman, Sarah Gady and Caitlin Balsimo have begun customizing denim products ranging from jeans, jean shorts or jean jackets by gaining inspiration and learning techniques from Instagram, YouTube videos and displays in stores.

The company’s mission is to inspire people to wear what they want to wear, not wear what’s popular.

Their customizations so far include acid washing, distressing, embellishing and painting.

“It’s inspiring that they are taking their creative passions and they’re actually doing something with it,” St. Thomas senior and customer Kaylee Nguyen said. “I think it’s rewarding for them as well to see that people actually like their stuff and something’s happening with it.”

Nguyen was the first customer of Good Threads Company, purchasing a distressed jean jacket. Already familiar with the three students, Nguyen was excited when she found Good Threads Company while searching around on Instagram one day.

“They’re the kind of people that when you hear they opened their Instagram account, you’re not surprised by it,” Nguyen said.

She said she had been looking for a jean jacket for a while but couldn’t find one that fit right or that she felt was an appropriate price range. From Good Threads Company she was able to purchase her jacket for $20.

To find the denim they work with, during their free time the girls search through thrift stores on Selby Avenue like Up Six. They have also had lots of success thrifting at Savers.

“We strike out once a trip,” Balsimo said about the struggle they often endure to find products worth customizing.

Once they have customized the products, they post pictures of them for sale on their Instagram. Customers can direct message their Instagram account if interested in purchasing. The girls then arrange a time and place to meet with the customers so they can try the product on to ensure satisfaction before the purchase is complete.

Their main clientele so far has been fellow St. Thomas students, making finding a place to meet very convenient.

“We just met in the library,” junior Sadie Buckel said about her experiencing buying a pair of jean shorts. “I brought them home with me and they said if they didn’t work I could bring them back and get a full refund.”

All different majors, Zimmerman in exercise science, Gady in biology and Balsimo in marketing the girls bring various points of view to their business model.

“If we were all business majors, our ideas may clash more,” Balsimo said. “I think it’s good that we all have our own business perspectives to contribute.”

The three plan to continue the business following graduation, as they will all be in the Twin Cities area.

“I think especially in Minneapolis, there’s such a creative community around here, so it would be really easy for them to carry on,” Nguyen said. “They’re already getting recognition, and I think if they really wanted to, they could really push it further.”

Taylor Shupe can be contacted at taylor.shupe@stthomas.edu.