Since 2011, Sara Charles has designed, printed, sewed and shipped over 14,000 garments, selling most of them on Etsy. She’s built her one-woman brand Simka Sol into a full-on fashion line and she’s really tailoring her brand image to create a unique, memorable experience for her customers. The Simka Sol brand aesthetic is modern and romantic with a touch of boho, and her eco-conscious process is a big part of the Simka Sol brand image — all of her fabric has to be organic and cruelty-free. 

Sara started out shipping her beautiful, handmade pieces in red, white and blue USPS flat rate mailers, because they seemed convenient — you pay for packaging materials and shipping all in one set price. But as she started shipping more and more garments, her packaging and shipping costs got crazy. With the launch of our kraft mailers and custom tape, she made the jump to custom packaging and she not only saved money, but she made her garments look even classier.

From start to finish, Sara crafts each gown, legging and dress by hand, and now she has more control over the first impression of each garment. She packages items in clear cello bags, metallic tissue paper and reading material inside of custom kraft mailers or boxes with custom tape. This year, she'd like to explore custom boxes and tissue paper.

Sara sends most of her garments in mailers and before Lumi, she was spending around $5.75 per package using Priority Flat Rate mailers from USPS. While that price includes shipping, she's still saving with custom packaging. Her custom mailers cost an average of $0.36 each and $2.75 for shipping, for a 46% savings on packaging.

With her own custom packaging, Sara is shipping packages that reflect her eco-conscious process and a dedication to her brand experience. She's saving time and money on packaging, and now she can offer a more branded experience to add value to each purchase.