Frequently Asked Questions

First Things First

First, let’s start off with the definition of sustainable. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines “sustainable” as “of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.” When applied to the fashion industry, sustainability means creating clothing that does not deplete or damage the resources used to create that clothing. At Curate, we believe that all clothing should be made with respect to the environment and our Earth's valuable resources. As we know, there is no Planet B, so our mission is to provide clothing made with the utmost respect for the Earth.

Ethical fashion refers to the process of producing clothing under ethical working conditions. This includes several factors, such as: fair wages, safe working conditions, no child labor, providing medical insurance for employees, nondiscrimination, no use of forced labor, regular hours of work, and much more. We believe that every garment worker that makes the clothing that we wear should be treated fairly and justly. That's why at Curate, we only carry designers and brands that make their pieces ethically.

Curate is an online boutique dedicated solely to ethical and sustainable apparel and accessories. Every piece we carry is handselected and highly curated by our team, and we make sure that each and every brand we carry is committed to making a positive impact on the environement and our people. We're determined to provide a place for people to shop for responsibly-made goods and make it easier for you to build a conscious wardrobe. With our carefully curated items, you can shop sustainable and ethical apparel, all in one place.

Our Products

At Curate, we only carry brands and designers who are committed to creating pieces responsibly. You can learn more about the brands we partner with by visiting our Brand Directory.

If you’ve seen an item that you were interested and it is now sold out, please add yourself to the waitlist on the product page so we can notify you if it has been restocked. Alternatively, feel free to email us at info@shopthecurate.com, and we will let you know if we're planning on receiving a re-stock on the item(s).

If you need guidance on sizing and fit for any of our products, please feel free to email us at info@shopthecurate.com. Because we carry a multitude of brands, we do not have a one-size-fits-all size chart, but we are more than happy to provide further measurements and fit details for each item, so feel free to email us with any questions you may have.

Following candle care and proper safety rules are key to ensuring a pleasant candle experience. We recommend following the care instructions and safety rules, shared below.

Candle Care

- Trim your candle's wick to 1/4" before each lighting or once your candle has cooled
- Never attempt to trim a burning candle
- Discard the snipped portion in the trash; never leave wick trimmings in your candle jar
- The wick should always remain centered and away from the sides of the vessel
- Allow the wax to melt to the edges of the jar during each burn to prevent tunneling
- Once the candle's gone, we hope you'll re-use it. Clean it out and you've got a new planter or pencil holder – or whatever you want!

Safety Rules

- Never leave a candle burning unattended, near a draft, or in reach of children or pets
- Don't burn your candle for more than 4 hours at a time
- Do not allow your wick to curl over, as this can create a larger than normal flame
- Stop burning your candle when only 1/4" of wax remains
- Do not pick up a burning candle or immediately after it's been blown out
- Protect the surface underneath the candle no matter the material
- Always ensure the candle is in sight when being used and extinguished if leaving the room

Shipping, Returns, and Local Delivery

Yes, we offer FREE shipping* on orders over $200.00 USD with a shipping destination in the USA. This FREE shipping will automatically be applied to your cart at checkout.

*The FREE shipping rate applies to Economy Shipping (5-8 business days) only.

If you experience any issues with this, please email us at info@shopthecurate.com for assistance.

Yes, we currently offer international shipping for Australia, Canada, Europe and Mexico. Pricing and delivery estimates will differ depending on your shipping destination and will be available at checkout.

At checkout, you will be able to choose among different shipping services.

Please note, once your order is placed, it can take our team 24-48 hours to fulfill your order and get it to the appropriate shipping carrier.

After your order has been packaged and shipped, it can take between 2 - 8 business days to arrive, depending on the shipping option that you selected at checkout. We do our best to ensure the timely delivery of all our orders. When selecting a shipping option, please note that we are only provided with an estimated delivery date from the carriers that we work with. On occasion, these packages can arrive outside of the estimated timeframe.

For international shippments, the shipping timeframe depends on your destination and the shipping service selected. Please refer to the estimates provided at checkout.

Effective 03/08/2024, all sales are final. Curate will be closing its virtual doors and cannot offer any returns or refunds on orders placed on or after 03/08/2024.

Unfortunately, we do not accept returns and/or exchanges on all of our thrifted and vintage products. This is noted in the product description as well. Our thrifted and vintage items are one-of-a-kind finds that we have curated with utmost care and attention. Because of this process, we are unable to offer returns and/or exchanges on the items.

Yes, we offer FREE local delivery for our Laredo, Texas customers on orders over $50.00 USD. There is a $5.00 local delivery fee for all orders under $50.00. To qualify for local delivery, the shipping address must be within a 5 mile radius of our location.

Sustainability + Ethics at curate

We do an extensive amount of research before deciding whether or not to partner with a brand. Our core pillars include the following: sustainable materials and practices, and ethical working conditions. We make sure that the brands we partner with believe in and implement responsible practices. You can learn more about the brands that we carry at our Brand Directory. If you have any concerns or comments about the brands we carry, please reach out to us at info@shopthecurate.com.

Giving back is one of our core pillars at Curate. We donate one tree per order via our partnership with One Tree Planted. One Tree Planted is a non-profit organization focused on reforestation, rebuilding forests after fires and floods, providing jobs for social impact, and restoring biodiversity. With our donation, One Tree Planted plants trees around the world, contributing to a positive environmental impact. If you've signed up for our newsletter, you'll receive a notification and copy of our donation certificate everytime we make a tree donation.

Every month, we neutralize our shipping emissions via Planet. Planet allows us to neutralize our shipping footprint. As our customers, you are supporting an environmentally-friendly business that invests in sustainability initiatives to counteract the negative environmental impact of shipping. Our contributions to Planet fund cutting-edge carbon removal projects that have the potential to reverse climate change.

All of our products are shipped in any of the following: 100% recycled, 70-90% post-consumer waste, 100% compostable mailers or 100% recycled boxes and with sustainable packaging materials.

Our tissue paper is, meaning that the Forest Stewardship Council certifies that the paper products are sourced from a forest and supply chain that is managed responsibly and sustainably. The paper is acid-free and printed with soy-based inks. It is made from cellulose fiber where the active acid pulp is eliminated during processing. It is also lignin- and sulfur-free, which means that the ink won’t transfer from the tissue and the paper won’t leave behind any of these chemicals when decomposing.

Our Washi Tape is made from rice paper and printed with soy-based inks. It is 100% compostable and curb-side recyclable.

Soy inks are an eco-friendly alternative to petroleum-based inks, made from soybeans, a renewable resource.

The water-activated tape we use on our boxes features a renewable, reliable, and plant-derived adhesive and backing.

The GreenWrap bubble wrap we use is naturally biodegradable, compostable, SFI-certified, and fully recyclable.