Quince believes quality products can elevate your life, especially when they are sustainably made and affordably priced. The innovative California brand promises luxury for all, claiming it offers accessibility to high-end garments at affordable prices for all customers without cutting corners.

What is Quince Clothing?

Quince is a Manufacturer-to-Consumer (MTC) brand that focuses on sustainable and high-quality garments at an affordable price. They focus on luxury materials and silhouettes usually reserved for high-end fashion brands, like this washable silk blouse for $69.90.

They also have a home line, which features luxurious bedding, towels, and more, which was the ‘aha’ moment for the founders to create the brand.

Who founded Quince?

Quince was founded in 2018 by a husband and wife team in San Francisco, California. Co-founder Sid Gupta had previous experience in investment banking on Wall Street and then decided to try his hand at entrepreneurship. After a short stint in the candy business, he found his way to direct-to-consumer by founding Quince with his wife. Co-founder Zunu Mittal had previous experience in tech, which created an ideal match for the brand.

The couple loves to travel, and when they do, they always splurge on luxurious accommodations. With high-end bedding and towels the norm at many 5-star resorts, the founders wondered why they didn’t have this bedding at home, where they slept most of the year. They decided to launch a company with high-end goods at a more affordable price.

Is Quince an actual store?

Quince does not have a retail store which aids in keeping the costs lower. They operate online with a revolutionary business model that goes beyond Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) and is Manufacturer-to-Consumer (MTC).

Each item is shipped directly from the factory floor to the consumer’s door. Quince claims this drastically reduces the supply chain costs and allows the brand to be competitive in pricing. Brands that operate DTC still place large orders with their factories regularly (beginning of the season, for example). DTC still allows for excess items to be produced because forecasting the demand for every single item is challenging.

Quince places an order with their factories at the beginning of each month. This way, they can adjust the order and quantities to reduce the number of unsold products. Quince says this cuts down costs so the price is not inflated to cover the unsold items.

Why is Quince so cheap?

Quince is centered on the message that quality shouldn’t be unattainable and everyone should be able to have garments and materials made with high-quality fabrics. The brand keeps its prices low using a factory-direct model (that cuts out the supply-chain middleman) and other cost-cutting measures which Quince has declined to disclose in order to maintain its competitive advantage.

The brand also believes that an affordable price tag should not come at the cost of worker exploitation. The brand states it carefully selects its production partners for fair working conditions.

A pricing transparency example is shown on their website, which outlines a sample cost of materials, crafting, packing, freight/handling, and credit card fees and how they price their product accordingly.

Quince sells a $50 Mongolian cashmere sweater and shows on its website the pricing breakdown of its brand compared to other well-known companies like Everlane, J.Crew, and Vince.

A traditional supply chain incurs costs with factories, sourcing agents, tariffs, warehouses, brands, and stores, and the final price is put onto the consumer. Quince has a simplified supply chain from factory to consumer; that is it.

Gupta stated to Forbes, “Essentially what we’re doing is we are curating high-quality items. We’re shipping directly from the factory to the customer, saving the customer 50 to 80 percent off the market.”

What does Quince sell?

Quince has clothing lines for women, men, babies, and kids. You’ll find a variety of silk pieces and cashmere items in their collection for the whole family. They also have a robust home line in various fabrics.

• Women
  • Cashmere Sweaters
  • Dress & Skirt
  • Tops & Blouses
  • Bottoms
  • Activewear
  • Sweatshirts & Sweatpants
  • Jackets & Outerwear
  • Loungewear
  • Tees (scoop neck, v-neck, and sleeveless)
  • Intimates
  • Accessories
  • Maternity
  • Skincare
• Men
  • Sweaters
  • Activewear
  • Jackets & Outerwear
  • Shirts & polos
  • Loungewear
  • Pants & Shorts
  • Sweatshirts & Sweatpants
  • Tees
  • Accessories
• Home
  • Bedding (Duvet Cover, Sheets, Quilts)
  • Bath
  • Rugs
  • Pillow & Decor
  • Kitchen & Table Linens
  • Window Treatments
  • Wall Art
  • Skincare
• Baby & Kids
  • Cashmere
  • Tops
  • Sweaters
  • Sets
  • Bottoms

The brand also has Silk Fabric 101 and Cashmere 101 sections on its website to give consumers more information about the fabric and how they are sourced. FYI: high-quality cashmere feels light and soft to the touch, which many reviews said Quince was.

Is Quince real cashmere?

Yes! Quince uses 100% real Mongolian cashmere in their garments.

However, there is some debate over Quince advertising the cashmere as being “Mongolian” because it is sourced from Inner Mongolia, an autonomous province in China, not the country Mongolia that is world-renowned for its production of this luxury wool. This is just one example of how some verbiage from Quince can be potentially misleading (more on that later).

What grade is Quince cashmere?

Grade-A Mongolian cashmere according to the Quince website.

Why is Quince controversial? Is Quince greenwashing?

In a comprehensive article by Eco Cult looking at several different components of Quince’s business model, the brand can be seen as controversial. Eco Cult believes Quince portrays itself as being sustainable but only provides vague statements with inadequate factual data to back it up, which can indicate greenwashing.

Some food for thought: Eco Cult warns consumers to keep in mind that if the price tag is too good to be true, it is most likely being subsidized by a degraded ecosystem and underpaid workers. When the website reached out to Quince with questions about their business model, shipping, factories, and more, they either gave vague answers or declined to comment citing the need to maintain industry competitiveness.

Where is Quince located?

Quince headquarters are located in San Francisco, California.

Where is Quince clothing made?

Choosing factories is an essential component of Quince’s business model. Quince states they prefer to partner with mid-sized family-run operations that have employed the same workers for years. However, they do partner with many large larger operations.

The brand works with factories worldwide and picks locations that align with their values and ethics. Quince also works with factories that can locally source the materials for their items. For example, towels are made in Turkey using local cotton, and leather goods are made in Italy from locally tanned cowhides.

Most apparel is produced in China and India, two countries notorious for forced labor and poor working conditions. But many high-quality, luxury brands are manufactured in China so the country does have a reputation for turning out high-end goods. Yet with an emphasis on keeping the costs low and deliberate opaqueness in its business practices, it’s not unreasonable to have some concerns.

How long does Quince shipping take?

Quince offers free standard shipping and free returns. Delivery time is typically 6-9 business days.

Returns are accepted for a full refund or exchange within 365 days of the purchase date and must include original packaging, including all tags or boxes.

What are some other brand alternatives to Quince?

Some alternative brands to Quince are listed below. Many consumers shop at these brands in addition to Quince.

• Pact
• Reformation
• Vetta Capsule
• Everlane
• Parachute Home (Bedding, home linens, robe, loungewear)
• Able
• Italic
• Marcella NYC
• Christy Dawn (Farm to closet)
• Ten Tree

Final thoughts

Customers love the idea of an affordable, soft silk blouse to wear to work or a $30 linen maxi dress, but is it too good to be true?

Quince’s business model is innovative and aims to revolutionize the fashion market and many people see value in their factory-to-customer business model.

However, many people argue that the brand needs more transparency in all aspects of its business model to decide if it’s a brand worth supporting.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links wherein I may earn a commission from any purchase made.