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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Buying second hand clothes for DC

148 replies

KatnissMellark · 01/11/2017 13:39

I have bought a large bundle of second hand clothes for my son at each age group to be the bulk of his wardrobe. It means he has many many everyday clothes so I don't have to stress about washing, it's also much cheaper and better for the environment (I hate the idea of something being worn for just a few months then discarded).

We don't need to do this, could afford new but choose to buy second hand due to the environmental reasons more than anything else. A couple of people (friends and family) have mentioned that they find this odd, not really provided any reason why, other than we could afford not to. I do buy him new bits and bobs if I particularly like them or he needs something for a special occasion.

I would (and occasionally do) buy second hand for myself, but tend to have more new things, but do wear them til they wear out completely, so IMO not as wasteful as buying new and discarding after a few months as you have to with a child due to growth.

When he is older and growing more slowly, so getting more use out of things, of course we'll buy more new.

I think second hand is fine for now, AIBU?

OP posts:
MargoLovebutter · 01/11/2017 17:27

I was never commenting on social class Bubble - as I neither know nor care.

I was talking about location & making the point that charity shop locations are varied and not exclusively in poor/low rent areas or rich/high rent areas.

Bubblebubblepop · 01/11/2017 17:29

Oh right. I thought you were trying to say that the fact there are charity shops in London meant they're not
In deprived areas

1DAD2KIDS · 01/11/2017 17:50

Stuff them all, nothing wrong with second hand clothes. Plus quality second hand clothing is often better than cheap new.

Keep the extra money you save for more enjoyable stuff. If they want to spend their money on new stuff all the time let them. Remember a fool and their is easily party.

ChanandlerBongsNeighbour · 01/11/2017 18:01

Myself and DCs are almost exclusively dressed in secondhand clothes! (some great ones where I live, just yesterday I got some beautiful burgundy Hobbs skinny jeans for £8!) 👍🏻 I very rarely buy new items, I just can’t bring myself to when I know I can almost certainly get it secondhand! (I wore a vintage dress which I paid 99p for to Ascot this year!) Grin Go for it OP, definitely sensible, not strange!

1DAD2KIDS · 01/11/2017 18:05

Also if you are lucky enough to live in an upmarket/well to do town you can pick up a lot of very good quality clothing for great price. One of my best mate is really into his materials. When we went to North Yorkshire he found a gold mine of affordable (normally expensive) wool items in the second hand stores

Ausparent · 01/11/2017 18:07

Giving our kids second hand clothes is the most environmentally responsible way we can dress our kids. Plus if you are buying them from a charity shop you are giving your money to a charity instead of to a corporation.

We are in a group of friends where we get 90% of the clothes for our kids as hand me downs and then pass them all on to another member of the group.

There are about 6 boys and girls who have all gone through the same set of outfits.

corythatwas · 01/11/2017 18:08

I don't judge people for only buying new and wearing them a short time as long as their purchases don't end up in the landfill. But we all share one planet and when it comes to over-consumption for the sake of it, it's the poorest people on the planet who are going to suffer first.

Honeybooboo123 · 01/11/2017 18:14

I love second hand clothes for me and the DC and always give away to charity or friends anything that they have grown out of. Dislike waste.

Interestingly i do find it interesting when i have friends who have lots of cash sellimg otems on facebook for 50p rather than donating...

Nomoretears56 · 01/11/2017 18:15

superior doughnuts, oh wow!!!! What an arse!! Have a Gin and STFU

Ttbb · 01/11/2017 18:17

We only buy new but we have to. We have two children so second hand just wouldn't last. We've actually had to bin a few things with holes after onlytheeldest has worn through it. I also have two SIL who haven't had children yet so someone eventually will wear everything out.

Youcanttaketheskyfromme · 01/11/2017 18:22

I love a bargain. I get quite a few things from eBay for myself ! People are always asking me where stuff from and I tell them it was £1 or £2 on eBay.

Mummyoflittledragon · 01/11/2017 18:52

Some of my clothes are almost older than you indeed. No no no. I’m not old. It’s because you’re a whippersnapper Wink

heyday · 02/11/2017 05:58

I bought loads of wonderful, barely used second hand clothes for my own children. My grandson, on the other hand, had very bad eczema as a baby so everything had to be new as he had to avoid certain materials and any trace of scented biological washing powder residue on clothes. Buying second hand is a great way to have loads of lovely clothes for your little one whilst cutting down on the huge wastage of good quality items simply discarded to landfill.

DameSquashalot · 02/11/2017 06:09

We barely bought any new clothes when DD was a baby. She had plenty of hand-me-downs from her cousins. The clothes were also used by her cousins’ cousins.

It makes so much more sense. I know a lot of people look down on it. I buy 2nd hand uniform too - DD loses stuff. If I only pay £1 for the item then it doesn’t bother me.

Threenme · 02/11/2017 06:14

Yesterday 13:41 countingthestars

Generally, it's a class issue. Working class are more likely to have new clothes.

Completely agree! I was brought up very w/c I didn't know anyone with second hand clothes! If my mum saw mine dressed in them she would go mental at me! Not a doubt in my mind she'd bin them if they went to her house in them!

ellesbellesxxx · 02/11/2017 06:21

I love nct sales for my twins' clothes and the fb second hand sites. I buy new from supermarkets occasionally but they go through clothes so quickly... and sometimes explode on them Shock

79Fleur · 02/11/2017 06:53

I always buy a mix of second hand and new. Car boots and charity shops are great and also hand me downs. Generally I use the more worn second hand items for nursery or messy play, muddy outdoorsy type activities.
Branded and good quality children’s clothes are not worth the money new for the length of wear imo and don’t hold value.
Rather than it being a class issue I see it more as a common sense issue save your money for things that won’t be trashed by bodily fluids, supposedly washable paints, mud, wet sand etc...and be safe in the knowledge that your child can play, have fun and get messy without the annoyance of having to constantly replace expensive clothes. Then when they have grown out of them everything that is still wearable either pass down or hand back to charity shop...pay it forward.

PineappleSnapple · 02/11/2017 07:13

Nothing to do with class. More to do with smart choices.

Bbbbbbbb2017 · 02/11/2017 07:20

I cant rrally find enough sec9nd hand stuff for my daughter now she is pre school age. Much easier to go to primark and spend £50 i got: 10 tops, 10 trpusers, 5 nighties, 10 vests for just under £50 then next trip i got 3 cardis and 4 jumpers for £20

So it wasnt too bad at all

Bubblebubblepop · 02/11/2017 07:30

I don't think it's smart though. It's a option that comes with time. I don't have time to be trawling eBay or charity shops, or doing Facebook pick ups. I grab children's clothes at the supermarket or order online for delivery. If you have time, great. It doesn't make you sensible, it just means people have different lives.

I'm also laughing at people indicating new clothes are trashy (next, slogan) but in the same breath saying they can buy excellent quality frugi or monsoon. Well im the one buying your excellent quality clothes new. How can I not be sensible? I'm facilitating you

79Fleur · 02/11/2017 08:20

That’s a good point bubble...having time is a factor in so much in today’s society and in some ways is a bigger luxury than how much a person has to spend. I guess in answering the ops initial question my answer is no she is not unreasonable to buy second hand clothes for her little one. However it is not unreasonable for someone to buy only new clothes as well, and it is definitely not a class issue in my opinion. And big thanks to all those who donate new clothes to charity..you make my day Smile

LadyinCement · 02/11/2017 08:56

I've been saying the same thing, Bubble. I can sling a couple of Asda items in the trolley... or trawl the charity shops and buy second-hand Primark for more than they charge in Primark itself.

And this thread is full of twerps who don't get that in order to buy second hand, someone has to buy it new . Just where do you think these hand-me-downs and second-hand items come from?

Also if I have had "nice" clothes for the dcs, I Ebay them as a first resort. And I can tell you that on several occasions they have raised more than I paid for them! Ha!

SuburbanRhonda · 02/11/2017 09:01

And this thread is full of twerps who don't get that in order to buy second hand, someone has to buy it new.

I must have missed the posts where people said they don’t get that.

Buying secondhand is one way to reduce the environmental impact of cheap mass-market clothing manufacture. That’s why many people do it.

Threenme · 02/11/2017 09:04

Buying secondhand is one way to reduce the environmental impact of cheap mass-market clothing manufacture. That’s why many people do it.

I have to disagree I think people do it to get Boden at a fraction of the price!

AnnabelleLecter · 02/11/2017 09:10

DD had a mix of second hand and new clothes and toys until she was about 10. Our financial priorities are to have lots of holidays, days out and pay into savings/pensions.
I still buy a few bits from Charity shops for me. I have had some really great brands and quality items at bargain prices.