Second hand clothes

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Do you buy second hand clothes for your children and AIBU to ask why and how you feel about it?

My friends and I swap clothes for our children all the time. It's lovely to see something my little girl once wore being used again. I buy quite a few 2nd hand bundles on ebay and will often sell them on again when outgrown. I bought a gorgeous preloved Boden winter coat for my daughter earlier this year for £5 off FB . I shall pass that on to a friend when she outgrows it. I buy a lot of my clothes 2nd hand too. I love an ebay bargain!

I didn't when she was a tiny baby but now I know how fast they grow I do! I love buying and selling on Vinted.

I have no feelings about it. When the DC were babies, I did rotate a lot with DSIS and DN. But now DS1 is taller than DN despite being younger. I pass on my DC clothes to SIL and DN too.

Personally, I find supermarket clothes cheap enough to buy new. I agree with others the faff of having to find something online, barter and then collect is not worth the saving IME. Especially when I can pick up a jumper for £3 while I do the food shop. DS1 and I are also allergic to cats and dogs and people get a bit put out when I won't buy something that comes from a house with pets.

I buy most shoes new, but second hand is great for football boots if only worn for school, and we both have excellent quality leather hiking boots for the price of cheap fabric new ones.

Yes, and now that they're adults we still take great pleasure in picking up second hand bargains. It's sustainable and makes a change of style affordable - you just clean the clothes and put them back into the system. My DDs have picked up several expensive designer items for peanuts, including DD1's 6th form prom dress for £17.

Yes, buy probably around half their clothes second hand, and half new, a few handmedowns from cousins and friends too. We also hand on or donate our children's clothes (though very little survives my DS).

I source clothes from eBay, local charity shops have quite a lot of Boden, John Lewis etc. Also ski wear, which only gets worn once or twice a year for 1-2 years before being too small.

Children aren't remotely bothered (in fact DD's first clothes purchase on her own was a party dress from a local charity shop and she's very proud of her bargain (and the enviro aspect).I always buy school shoes and underwear new, but I know people who buy those second hand.

It's SO much better for the environment!

Yes most stuff is second hand. Usually from ebay or theclearoutsfore or other such website. And also fb market place.
I just think enough tshirts have been made already. Plus they grow out of stuff so quickly!

I do. Only things in excellent condition/good quality brands and things like cheap joggies that my boys rip through in no time at all tearing around the place.kids Barnardo's near me has so much kids stock they sell it at 3 for £1!! It's win-win really 🤷 and I've picked up some fab next, JoJo, gap etc in fab quality for a quid or 2. Be rude not to.

@sadpapercourtesan bloody auto correct! 🤣 Should say "manky"!

I occasionally did when my now adult DC were little, but not often I admit. I did pass down clothes through my own DC, who are all boys so it was easy, then pass on again anything in decent condition. These days I never buy second hand for myself, but I often did back in my student days. I pass on loads of stuff to the charity shop though.

Definitely when they were pre-school. Everything they had was either second hand or a gift from family.
Now they're early primary and I do buy a bit of new stuff. Mostly outdoorsy tops & trousers which are unlikely to survive more than one child and don't come up second hand much. I try to keep their wardrobes pretty minimal, so the things they have get a lot of wear and often aren't in a state to be passed on.
Similarly school uniform - I buy a mix of second hand and new - a lot of it is in no state to be passed on at the end of a year so there isn't that much available second hand anyway.

Yes for me and my children. Saves a fortune and good for the environment. Plus I'm not precious then when the kids stain something because it's mostly only cost a pound or two.

@Emerald5hamrock

Unless you've been hiding underneath a rock it is well known second hand clothing rocks in social circles across the spectrum. Well maybe not Upper C. Most people around use seconds in a WC area before the pp's who know best mention WC people only buy new. It's popular for a variety of reasons.

I love secondhand. The upper classes in the country have always handed clothes down. Tweed never wears out. It's only the nouveau riche who buy new /designer clothes

Yep, all my kids stuff is 2nd hand. I buy 2nd hand for financial and environmental reasons and it doesn't bother them one bit.

Both my kids are super hard on their clothes, both dyspraxic and autistic so very messy and major sensory seekers. stray threads get pulled to bits, tiny holes become huge rips, they roll in and slide through mud all the time. This way I don't have to stress about the wasted money or ruined clothes and I can just let them get on with it

I usually scour the charity shops whenever I get a chance and build up a little stash of bits the next size up which we keep in the attic.

Yes most of my clothes come from charity shop hauls - could never afford the fashion I like ie. Cos/Jigsaw/Hobbs !

Yes I buy 85% of DS’ clothes from Vinted, 10% are gifts and 5% is stuff I buy in the sale.

Mainly environmental reasons, we’re pretty well off so could afford to buy new but I just see it as a waste. I’m pretty savvy with Vinted so only buy stuff that’s decent quality and condition.

I always get compliments on his clothes & manage to sell most on for at least 90% of what I paid for them, even after a couple of months’ of wearing them.

Most of my clothes are second hand too. I resent paying full price for clothes, and operate a strict one in, one out policy.

I reckon we end up financially neutral at the end of the year for clothing, plus it means that we don’t have a load of clothes cluttering up the place.

I’ve kept most of DS’ smaller sizes for future DC, and outfits that we love, but anything seasonal I tend to sell on.

I have bought lots of second hand clothes over the years, for myself, and for my two children when they were youngsters.. i have often found really good and almost new clothes in charity shops, often taken in from women who chuck away things all the time, as in the throw away society types.

Yes I would say 70% second hand from market place and friends. I have noticed it getting harder to buy and sell on market place recently. I've been trying to seek some JoJo maman Bebe stuff for a few quid each in great condition and not a single bit of interest. I tend to look for frugi, JoJo maman etc on market place because the quality is so much better than supermarket stuff and I want it to last for my second child. But I will never buy it new.

Yes. Less now they're teens. But I still find a few decent items.

Yes especially for the younger ages when clothes might only fit for half a year and can easily end up stained from food accidents. I have yet to find anybody offer a good reason not to buy used kids clothes. We are not on the breadline but do not see the point of buying new childrens clothes when they are available for a fraction of the cost on ebay and marketplace.

Sell that should say not seek

24 weeks pregnant with my first - so far I've only placed an order from Vinted for a big bundle of newborn and 1-3m clothes. I think this makes a lot of sense, they looked practically new and there were some very cute and practical pieces. I could afford new clothes for her but don't see the point for a baby

No and would never. Personal opinion

Yes, I live near a good charity shop and I buy a lot there, for environmental not financial reasons. Also because I always find great high quality or designer stuff there. (I live in a well-to-do area.) I buy more second-hand for my child than for me, as the children's stuff is usually not heavily worn.