i don't like greedy american consumerism
Casting my mind back at this point to how my neighbours and friends and I would show up at each others' doors bearing finds from garage sales, or big bags of clothing and shoes and winter gear picked up from friends of friends, sent by second cousins, etc., so that everyone could share the bounty.
I remember bagging up winter gear and handing it all around - especially snow bibs, snow boots, and jackets, which made the rounds year after year. I have photos of my DCs making snowmen with the neighbours from the mid 90s to the mid 00s - certain outerwear on my oldest DCs then appeared on younger neighbour children, then returned to us for my younger DCs. One particularly recognisable orange, down-filled jacket eventually found its way to Goodwill and hopefully it will keep many more 7-8 year old children cozy for many years.
Fond memories too of block parties with every family bringing a pot luck dish to share and kids with fruit punch stains all over their tops eating hot dogs, the remains of water balloon fights all over the street; and more sombre togetherness as neighbours rallied to feed the family of a woman fighting cancer, take them out for trips here and there, doing a rota of laundry and housecleaning.
Apart from a little spell from about age 12-14 most kids are not that into brands or any 'must have' items. When I go to my local second hand shop I always see students I recognise finding clothes for school.
All this in an affluent suburb.