Not buying new only second hand of homemade

[lavenderbongo]

Hi

I am not sure this is the right place for this but thought I’d try!
I made a New Years resolution to buy no new clothes this year and only buy second hand or clothes I’ve made. I was given a new sewing machine for Christmas and have successfully made one dress I love and a rather dodgy top! I hope I will get better at it as the year goes on.
My second hand search has been a bit more successful as I have found a couple of nice cardigans and a skirt.
This was prompted by being forced into having a clear out and finding that I didn’t wear half of the clothes I owned and not really liking anything in the high street shops. I can’t bring myself to spend a fortune on the expensive clothes I do like but occasionally I can find awesome designer stuff in the second hand stores.
Is anyone doing anything similar and want to share tips or ideas?

Hi
I try to do this too.

I've converted a couple of dresses to skirts - I've a long torso so often the waist of a dress is too high

I've made a few shirt dresses over the years - cotton is much easier than anything too slippery. Also make a toile version out of an old bed sheet to check your sizing/fit and to practise anything tricky like collars and plackets - much better to make mistakes on a trial run than with nice fabric

Yes, I have decided to try and buy most of my stuff secondhand - not basics like Vests and leggings, but things like dresses (which I wear a lot), jumpers, cardigans, shoes, coats etc.

I have got a few things from charity shop but mostly ebay as you can really target your search - just watch out for postage.

I love it!

I only buy second hand now and would love to learn to make or alter my own clothes. Did you teach yourself to sew? Any tips on getting started, or easy, inspiring beginner projects would be much appreciated, thanks!

I'm trying to do this. I don't buy new clothes very often but when I do I'm getting them second hand. I've downloaded Vinted app and I love it. So far I've bought an unworn pair of topshop shoes and a pair of Levi jeans for a total of £12!
I'd love to learn how to alter clothes. I have a sewing machine but I've never attempted anything with clothes.

I buy second hand mainly. Ebay or charity shop.
Use your sewing machine to modify something, as pp suggested.
I wouldn't want second hand knickers or tights but you can disinfect things.
I'm not good at sewing unfortunately but I like a bargain, and I am quite environment conscious.

I haven't bought any clothes for a few years except technical outdoor wear and a coat. I even make my own jeans and knickers and have made one bra. I also alter things and have turned skirts into tops, dresses into skirts and so on. I have just done some creative visible mending on a pair of bought jeans about 10 years old.

Yes you're in the right place - plenty of like minded people here.
I don't ban myself from buying new clothes because that's the surest, fastest way to make me want them even more. But I probably buy around 80% second hand and have done so for a few years.

When I do buy new, I'm trying to support independent shops more. Again I'm not forbidding myself from shopping on the high street but I check out the independent sector first.

I don't sew yet but I'm planning to learn and have been threatening to do so for years.

There's also a thread somewhere on not buying any new clothes in 2020, which is much too hard core for me but worth checking out.

Those jeans are fantastic! I’ve been trying to do similar. I’m useless at sewing so mainly just buying secondhand. I’ve bought some lovely ‘new’ stuff and spent very little. Charity shops are a pain to drag round though, some days you’re lucky, others there is nothing.

I also like second hand from charity shops or eBay. Always get jeans off there and save so much

I buy a lot from charity shops, but recognise that I’m lucky to live in an area where the charity shops have great stock - I frequently find higher end high street brands like Reiss, Whistles, LK Bennett, Mint Velvet etc. Although today I found nothing

My tips for charity shopping:

• go to affluent areas

• pop in regularly- I try to go in each charity shop in town at least once a week, but I know what I’m looking for and move quickly so I’m in & out in a couple of minutes. My favourite shop separates out top notch stuff onto a “premium” rail so if I’m in a rush I just look at that.

• if you’re after something specific, even just a specific brand, ask volunteers as they may have it out the back

• accept that sometimes you’ll come away empty handed, don’t convince yourself to buy stuff that’s not right

• embrace the opportunity to try styles you would never have tried if you’d had to pay full price. Some of my favourite items in my wardrobe are random things I bought on a charity shop whim that I would never have paid full price for but turns out I love them.

I also eBay a bit but I’m very careful as I’ve been stung a couple of times by items in poor condition. I avoid anything simply described as “used” or “worn”.

Thanks all
I live very near a really good charity shop and have found some great quality stuff in there.
MontanaSkies - I’ve taught myself to sew by following a few blogs and just jumping in the deep end and attempting some shop bought patterns. I choose the ones that were labelled easy! It’s a great feeling to make something you want to wear.

It’s great to hear other people are trying to wear second hand as well.

I do also have a sewing machine, but with a toddler, pretty much full time job & sporting hobby I have yet to find the time

Kite flying Kat - I think you are right about buying secondhand enabling you to try styles and things you might not normally. I have really widened the colours and styles that I wear. It’s kinda fun

Oxfam have a second hand online shop. You can get lots of second hand clothes from Ebay.

Yes indeed - only this week I picked up some cropped wide leg Jigsaw trousers (£7). I was really unsure about the style (started a thread on here to ask opinions in fact). Turns out I like them. I would never in a million years have considered them full price.

The best charity shops where I am are in a pleasant but not the most affluent neighbourhood. They're on a stretch of main road leading into the centre and they're close to a free car park, which I'm guessing makes them handy for donors. I try and go round them every 2 weeks and I enjoy it, but it's very random and I get much better stuff from a local dress agency, where they only accept what they know they can sell (so no bobbled Primark). Obviously I pay more but I feel I'm supporting a local business so I don't mind. I also travel to a second hand market that has a couple of great stalls.
Weigh n pay sales can be decent, especially if you like tweed and denim. Also silk which weighs - and therefore costs - next to nothing.

I agree it's a good way of trying out styles you're unsure about. The downside is that I don't find it encourages 'thoughtful shopping'. Think and it's gone. Which is why I don't use Ebay - I know I'd make too many dud buys plus, if something's second hand, I like to see, feel, sniff and try before I hand over my money. But I guess I would if I lived in the middle of nowhere.

I like EBay and haven’t made too many mistakes, but I search for a limited range of labels and items for that reason. I also sell or give to the charity shop anything that no longer ‘sparks joy’. My wardrobe is gradually getting smaller but better! I enjoy feeling that all the clothes are continuing their lives, not languishing in a wardrobe unloved. Im learning to knit but am only at the hat stage, but that’s very satisfying too.

I'm trying to do this -except I'm not much of a seamstress. So, I'm focusing on wearing or altering stuff I have and buying used/vintage stuff. The 'shopping our wardrobes thread' has been very useful. I regularly go to a pre-loved designer shop, use Vestiaire and Ebay.

I rarely go to charity shops because they're so hit and miss. That's probably because I'm impatient and don't look carefully! Thanks for the location tip Flo

Lavender - that's great that you just dived in and got started. You've inspired me! There's a dressmaking course at my local college that I keep promising myself I'll do one day when time and funds allow. I think the other thing putting me off is having to find a space in my house to sit and experiment, away from clutter and small children.

Captain I love the visible mending! It's a skill I really wish I possessed, as my pile of things with holes gets increasingly big, and dc clothes get worn at the knees - would look fab with some contrast patches sewn on.

I'm a charity shop veteran but Flo you have prompted me to widen my search to dress agencies and weigh'n'pay places. Not sure if there are any near me, but they sound great.

I have slowly become more self-disciplined with second-hand shopping. A couple of years ago I was a bit "kid in a sweet shop" and probably acquired too much. Now it's become my normal way to shop I approach it with a bit more discernment and can happily walk away empty-handed - though I agree with Kat that it's a good way to try out things you might not otherwise.

@Floisme I agree the ebay/charity shop browsing doesn't encourage thoughtful shopping at all. I've been shopping second hand for the majority of my wardrobe for many years finding all sorts of bargains that I just couldn't leave cos my thought process was it being in charity/ebay sale its a 1 off and someone else could buy and I'd never see it again not like a shop where I could come back tomorrow and it would still be there. So I'd buy stuff just in case and then donate/sell it 9/12 months later again because I just didn't wear it. No different from the throwaway culture that fast fashion promotes really, even if it is second hand. I've stopped browsing altogether and will only start looking for items when I know I need a specific thing like at the minute I need to replace my crew neck jumper as my current one is full of holes beyond repair.

@Floisme I agree the ebay/charity shop browsing doesn't encourage thoughtful shopping at all. I've been shopping second hand for the majority of my wardrobe for many years finding all sorts of bargains that I just couldn't leave cos my thought process was it being in charity/ebay sale its a 1 off and someone else could buy and I'd never see it again not like a shop where I could come back tomorrow and it would still be there. So I'd buy stuff just in case and then donate/sell it 9/12 months later again because I just didn't wear it. No different from the throwaway culture that fast fashion promotes really, even if it is second hand. I've stopped browsing alltogether and will onlu start looking for items when I know I need a specific thing like at the minute I need to replace my crew neck jumper as my current one is full of holes beyond repair.

I just relist the ebay mistakes. Might make a small loss or profit.
Charity shops in rough areas may surprise you. I've had great finds.
I tend to end up with things that I don't need or don't go with anything, but donating them again means someone else can enjoy them. It's only been created once.

I do take your point about thoughtful shopping @Floisme @FruityWidow and admit I’ve made a few mistakes, although the two main charity shops I go to do take returns.

When I first “discovered” charity shops I was also a bit like a kid in a sweet shop and would buy the premium brands I saw even if I didn’t love them But now I am much more picky - on my last charity shop browse I left a gorgeous Banana Republic wool skirt & a Whistles cashmere dress on the rail.... and tried on two vintage dresses but didn’t buy either because I didn’t love them (they were both just ok). I’m trying to build a wardrobe of things I love

It's about time to spend. If you are pushed for time, a store where everything is carefully merchandised and displayed to show the possibilities makes life easier. Very few charity shops have the eye, expertise or the time to do the legwork. E Bay is always going to be about carefully selecting from known brands and ranges, and being wary about condition. As my leisure time has increased (and my income fallen), I've gone from full price, to Tk Maxx, to secondhand and to charity, but I don't feel any worse dressed, and I still buy (just rarely) at full price when I see something totally, perfectly versatile and transformational. But I did no new spend last year, apart from underwear and white T shirts, two sale pairs of black jeans (one summer weight/one winter to replace threadbare) and two new basic black and navy cashmere jerseys to replace the ones with holes. OTOH, I am late middle-aged and while fit and fairly firm of body, I don't want to follow fashion much.

They take returns if you have a receipt and usually say within 14 days.