When I started this series, I wasn’t trying to make a statement about sustainability. I was noticing a pattern in how New York City parents navigate apartment living while kids outgrow clothes as fast as the seasons change.
Text threads about winter jackets. School hallway chats about rain boots. Parents asking the same question in different ways: Do you buy new? What do you do with everything once it doesn’t fit? Shrugs that say, “It is what it is.”
But it doesn’t have to be.
What stood out in my conversations wasn’t just that these founders were building secondhand businesses. It was that each company grew directly out of friction.
Jessica Granata built Carousel after realizing that shopping secondhand for her daughter felt inconsistent and time-consuming. Instead of asking parents to hunt, she created curated, pre-loved capsules that remove the sorting, vetting, and guesswork. Her goal isn’t just resale. It’s circularity that feels easy, even enjoyable.
Claudia de la Guerra and Mónica Leesha built Little Swaps after experiencing the other side of the equation: trying to pass things along. Endless messaging. No-shows. Safety concerns. The mental load of coordinating a $10 exchange. So they redesigned the handoff. Verified parents. In-app purchases. Swap Spots that eliminate scheduling gymnastics and remove the need to share home addresses.
Different approaches. Similar instincts.
Parents don’t need more pressure to “do better.” We need systems that work. Even better, systems that don’t just function but feel good to be part of.
Across both conversations, one theme kept surfacing: secondhand isn’t the problem. Friction is.
When something is simple, safe, and respectful of parents’ time, families participate. When it adds complexity, we don’t.
The shift I’m seeing in New York isn’t loud or ideological. It’s practical.
Parents are choosing better defaults.
Local businesses are collaborating instead of competing.
Community swaps are becoming more common.
Not competing. Circulating.
For years, the common model has been buy new, donate later, and hope it lands somewhere useful. Now, we have more local options that move away from “new” as the automatic default.
So here’s the real question: Which one fits your lifestyle?
Is it curated capsules through Carousel for families who want simplicity with style?
Parent-to-parent exchanges through Little Swaps for those who want flexibility?
Resale and consignment shops participating alongside parents?
Bringing outgrown clothes to a neighborhood swap to shop and share?
Less coordination. Less waste. More sharing. More neighbors helping neighbors.
Which brings me to what’s next.
Later this spring, The Parent Loop is partnering with Little Swaps for an in-person Upper West Side event. A neighborhood swap. Simple. Nearby. Easy.
Just families passing things along, together.
Stay tuned for details,
Jessie
P.S. If you’re a local business interested in sponsoring or getting involved in this or future events, just reply here. If it’s not this time, definitely next time.
Because good stuff really shouldn’t sit in a closet.
The Parent Loop