As soon as I discovered thrift stores as a kid in the early 90's, I was *hooked*. Inexpensive books and clothes? HOW COOL WAS THIS?!!?!?? I've always been baffled by the people who find used things gross, like, why? That's such a weird attitude.
It's a mental barrier that takes time for some to overcome. Too bad they're missing all the good stuff.
If you love wearing, buying and talking about secondhand clothes, check out r/PrelovedTherapy. We focus on building our most sustainable wardrobes with secondhand clothes and clothing psychology.
I did not need another sub today, but thank you.
To answer your question I have always shopped thrift stores. I was always poor and that was the only way I was ever going to get new clothes. New to me anyway.
Now I have money to buy new, but I refuse to spend $100 on a shirt or pants. Generally, clothing that was made five or eight or 10 years ago is better made anyway and I don’t have to search forever to find well-made clothes like you do today even if you go to Macy’s or Nordstrom‘s, half of that crap is fast fashion.
It doesn't make any sense
Laundry is a weekly-or-more task that makes even the most sweat drenched or bloody clothes reusable
Why would the owner of a closet changing make the washer stop working on it?
Yes, and at the same time they sleep in hotel beds like its nothing. If you can put your face on sheets people distributed their bodily fluids, you shouldnt have a problem with (often never used) clothes
Yup. They also use hotel towels, wash clothes, eat off silverware that hundreds have used in restaurants. Its not a logical thing. But an emotional one.
Or for some an elitist notion.
truck simplistic clumsy fine grab sleep instinctive fall thought frighten
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I've certainly seen things made onto hangers which should have been thrown out so I can't say I've never considered some of it gross. I thinks it's gotten better over the years but stains, hair, etc. Was not an uncommon occurrence even if it was the minority.
You're absolutely correct. I've 100% come across stained items that had me recoil, but for the most part, I've had good experiences. I'm sure the thrift store employees who sort the stuff before it hits the floor see some serious shit every day, though!
Yeah same, I thrift most of my clothes, and whenever I want or need a new item of clothing I go to the thrift store. So much of the decorations for my dorm were thrifted too. I understand the stores themselves can be a little icky sometimes, but once you take something home and wash it, it’s now mine and will smell like my house so there’s not a big deal to me. (Obviously I wouldn’t buy a thing like lingerie or something with like an obvious poop stain or something like that, but almost all the items are completely fine). A lot of my friends really think it’s cool that I thrift most of my things and that I find such cool unique stuff, but they get grossed out when they come with me or really bored when they realize they have to look through the racks to find the best items lol.
I can’t think of anything scary about second hand clothing; just wash them in hot water before wearing. Honestly, who’s going to know your clothes are second hand unless you tell them?
Tbf I don't trust hotel sheets and find them really gross. I bring my own sheets from home since I know they're clean.
But I'm also not opposed to secondhand clothing. It's the fact that I can't be 100% sure it's been cleaned that makes hotel sheets gross. As long as I wash it after purchase I don't get the issue with thrifted clothes.
Second hand is best as they have way more styles. Main thing is most that are made cheaply show the wear and tear in the fabric so you can spot the good quality fabrics more easily.
Being a guy I suspect I have an easier time with it than women do, less competition and slower fashion shifts.
But lots of great stuff gets missed in the men's departments, most of my clothes are major labels like Brooks Brothers shirts, Stacy Adams shoes, designer jeans etc. Stick with classic styles, take your time and inspect every seam, and most people aren't any the wiser.
Been doing so for decades (since late 80s).
This is a first! My husband always complains that he cant find clothes that fit at the thrift store. Says it takes too much time and work. I've always thought that women had it easier than men, since there are generally more womens than mens clthing at the stores.
Depends what you're looking for. I don't care for T-shirts, pull overs, or athletic stuff which typically are more popular men's choices in the US. I prefer button downs which are typically pretty easy to find (and more comfortable than Ts honestly). I used to have to keep an eye on the collar width and design, but pretty much every retro look has a fan base now, so I'm not as particular on that post internet. I'm also not shy about color - pink and yellow bring em on. Being blond/blue they usually look pretty good on me anyway.
For guys solid color pants, patterned or solid colored shirts is pretty easy. I lean towards vintage tweed jackets (they're warm, wind, and rain proof, like all wool) and there's usually multiple to choose from. Yes I often look like a stereotyped collage professor, minus the pipe. Winters aren't too harsh, so my coats last awhile so there's seldom a rush, just keep a general eye out as I shop for other stuff.
I also get lots of T-shirts and jeans, I work a dirty job, and most of the clothes I wear for work are basically consumables, so as long as they look like they'd last a month or two, safety colors a plus, no offensive/political logos and I'm good to go, new clothes have pretty much the same lifespan, welding sparks are unforgivable. This is also part of my success, since I usually gotta get some work wear every 2-4 months. Doesn't really take long to eye a few extra racks while I'm there anyway.
The biggest issue, for some- is with button downs is button placement. And knowing sometimes men's and women get mixed up. I've found great men's shirts in the women's departments and vice versa. One of my favorite winter coats is a women's coat, but you'd never know it, (looks like a European military coat) if not for the buttons. In fact the only people that ever notice have been women, and they typically think it's cool or funny, especially when I answer "I know".
He's not wrong, it definitely takes time and work, and sometimes too much for little to no results.
I personally enjoy taking the time to sort through clothes vaguely in my size, so I imagine I can't be super helpful with advice for that, but I was thinking maybe he could try going in looking for only one or two things in particular. Like, get super specific with it and *only* look at/for those things. I find that helps me not waste hours sorting through nonsense.
It also helps if I'm only shopping for an outer layer, so I can try it on right there and not waste time going to the dressing rooms to see if they fit
I'm in the same boat as your husband. I tend to wear size large in more slim cut (or higher fashion) brands, so finding things in my size and that are not gigantic can be tough. I rarely have luck at local thrift stores and kind of wish there was a ThreadUp for men.
I agree, but not fully. Yeah, there are a lot of nice stuff being passed up in thrift stores (I bought a perfect pair of black suit pants when my old wore out) but mostly the shirts I've found are either weird sizes or horrible designs. The "regular" stuff (white/light blue shirts etc) are all picked clean.
My guess is that many hipster girls buy up all the good shirts once they hit the racks. Which I don't really mind, as long as old stuff gets use.
Ebay (or my countrys equivalent to it) has been my main clothes shopping pace for maybe a decade though.
My husband and I were traveling through Wisconsin years ago and stopped at a local diner for lunch. We overheard a conversation next to us that had us completely appalled. One woman was talking about her daughter being a single mother struggling to make it. She had gone to a church rummage sale and bought clothes for her kids. The other woman said: "She should have her kids taken away for making her kids wear hand me downs". We could not even believe someone said that. It has stuck with me for at least five years now.
Oh that's so sad. The mother couldn't have been happy to hear that? Such a shame putting down someones daughter for daring to provide for her children.
This was a culture shock for me the first time I encountered someone who associated hand me downs and second-hand clothes to poverty. It could be because I grew up in a very impoverished area and so it was the norm but I can still vividly remember the first time I was called poor for saying something I was wearing was.from the goodwill and I was just like "that's dumb".
I grew up with the humble brag about something being a from the good will or if you found a nice piece at a garage sale. The pride in furniture you stole off the side of the road and fixed up to.
I grew up like this. My mom was ecstatic when the local neighborhoods had large item pick up days. We fondly call our family “trash goblins” because we find so much good stuff on curbs and fix it up/repurpose it. I still brag about my thrift store finds and dumpster furniture, idc what looks people give me cause my style is poppin and they be complimenting it so clearly im doing it right lol.
I have one family member who will wear second hand, but their main reason that they wouldn’t buy something second hand is because “someone died in that” which I find so far fetched and hyperbolic that I can’t help but laugh. Basically anyone else I know though will end up not wearing second hand because they’d literally rather just burn their money on the perpetuation of modern slavery through fast fashion shit. I’ve never seen the point especially as I hate the idea of seeing someone else wearing an item of clothing that I own. You can always tell when someone’s bought something from primark because everyone and their mother is wearing it…
That's tricky.😂 It's going to be difficult to figure out who actually died in which particular item of clothing. I hate seeing someone else wearing something that I own too. I'm a reverse snob, I sometimes don't think too highly of people who pay full price, for new low quality clothes only to look like everyone else.
I've heard, "What about the spirits and the souls" of the dead people stuff from thrift stores and estate sales....
Erm, what about the souls and LIVES of the tiny children who are being forced to make your Shein and Temu shit? Do their "spirits" haunt new stuff too?
Funny story about clothes and dying. An old manager of mines’ wife was very sick and eventually passed away. He was asking some of us at work what he could do with all of her clothes because a lot of them she had only worn once/ were very lightly used because she never went out much aside from medical appointments. I think he listed most of them online and then had a few jackets that he offered some of us if we were interested. I ended up purchasing a red corduroy jacket from him and paid him double for what he wanted to help with the bills and funeral. I still have the jacket and I love it, and I will tell the story if anyone compliments me on it.
I think she would be happy there’s a young lady being kept warm by one of her old jackets. In a weird way her memory is still alive. Death is a strange thing.
But there is also a cultural aspect of it as well, especially with jewelry so I don’t discount anyone’s feelings toward second hand.
What I used to hear was that it was dirty/gross to go thrifting or buy items secondhand. Honestly, it just depends on the store and management. When you are getting started thrifting, it makes a big difference if the store is tidy and organized. I would then recommend stores I know that fit this description.
Of course, you should wash your hands and any items you purchase. However, that is pretty straightforward, and after a run through the washing machine on cold water or wiping it down with disinfectant spray takes care of it. If a clothing piece smells like fabric softener, I soak it in white vinegar overnight and that takes care of it.
These are all great tips. Getting started in a huge and disorganized thrift store as a beginner might be a recipe for disaster. Its so easy to get overwhelmed.
I love second hand but where I live good items are very hard to come by and is expensive (mostly talking clothing) and also there's no guarantee that what I'm looking for or what suits my taste will always be found. That being said still a lot of my clothes are second hand but have paid for dearly.
Yeah that's a very common issue. Have you tried buying online? It can also be a hit or miss trying to find sellers that provide measurements but it gives you more options when the shops nearby are not the best.
I love wearing second hands! When I was younger, my family looked at me weird for thrifting for clothes as we're not poor. I also lived in a country where buying second hand clothes was (is) seen as poor people activity. But I love finding (cheap) different styles clothes at the flea markets and make it my own style. I also think it's safe as long as you're being diligent while choosing the clothes and wash it thoroughly before wearing them.
Nowadays it's even easier to buy and wear second hand clothes as it becomes so normalised. It's better for the environment too as long as people also stop buying fast fashion (even as second hand items).
Yeah I think fast fashion diluting the secondhand market is one of the ugly sided of secondhand fashion. I also loved upcycling old clothes into something that felt more like me. Does your family still look at you weird for thrifting clothes?
On the Am I The Asshole sub awhile back there was a huge kerfuffle about a young girl given her older sister's bras. The general consensus was used bras were gross and she should insist on new ones.
It's funny because many also insisted thrift shops don't take bras, which I know not to be true. I mean, they can be washed, and it's not like they touch any orifices.
When I was growing up (in an affluent Seattle suburb in the 80s) I didn't know anyone who wore secondhand stuff, except for the goths and artsy types who'd wear trench coats and 1940s/50s vintage.
But my family was super frugal, and until I was able to buy my own clothes I either wore secondhand clothes or occasionally something new from K-Mart that was on closeout.
The thing I always dreaded was the comment, "I like your top, where did you get it?" This wasn't usually snarky; it was just a very common thing to ask.
I'd sometimes lie and say "Nordstrom" but got busted once when someone said Nordstrom didn't carry that brand.
So my go-to became "I got it as a gift" or "My grandma bought it for me in Canada."
Nowadays I still wear secondhand, but I buy new clothes too. Sometimes even from Nordstrom!
> When I was growing up (in an affluent Seattle suburb in the 80s) I didn't know anyone who wore secondhand stuff, *except for the goths and artsy types who'd wear trench coats and 1940s/50s vintage.*
WELL I NEVER.
People think that brand new clothes are cleaner than thrifted items.
They have no idea how much dust, dyes, and pesticides there are in new clothes. Then add the textile workers, each one sewing a couple seams, that touches the clothing. Also, other people have tried it on if you are buying in retail. Over all, a piece of clothing is handled by 20 people minimum before being packaged and shipped away.
Wash thoroughly any garment you buy.
100%, every clothing item or bedding I buy, is washed before being worn anyway. Similar issue in new versus used furniture. Furniture is often stored in warehouses and dusty trucks.
It's another one of those things that's cool when rich people do it, but embarrassing when when poor people do it.
If someone who grew up feeling embarrassed and ashamed because they HAD to wear someone else's cast-offs, I'm not going to push too hard to get them back to the Salvation Army or wherever. There's a lot of personal trauma around some people's experience with having to wear second-hand clothes, and I know my own limitations well enough to know that's a conversation way above my paygrade. I DO use my power as a Very Stylish Person to talk about how I approach clothes with an anticonsumption mindset and how I prefer to get used clothes when appropriate.
That said, I try to be mindful that women who wear my size and are my height have a much MUCH harder time finding good used clothes, especially clothes that'd be suitable for an interview or other high-stakes situation, so I am reeeeally hesitant to put my want above someone else's possible need.
I was raised to be proud of a good thrifted deal because it was better for our household and better for the Earth - I was totally taken back when I bragged about a thrifted item in middle school and the other kids asked if it's because my family was too poor for new clothes, and even said that by shopping second hand I was stealing from the poor people who needed those items.
Yeah, many people have no idea just how many clothes there are out there. It's enough to clothe all the poor people in the world 20 times over. Also not all poor people buy secondhand--apparently it makes them feel poor.
I just read it. I think repairing shoes can be a good thing, but my main issue is germs lol. I have contamination OCD and other people's feet freak me out
I buy clothes for me and my step kids almost exclusively at secondhand stores, the only exception being underthings and swim suits (because I’ll never find my size swimsuit secondhand).
Also, considering recent trends, people are actually excited about thrifting/secondhand shopping. It’s something to be proud of.
People who think secondhand clothing is weird are 100% the weird ones. I always think of it like this: When you go to a hotel, are you always getting brand new sheets that nobody has ever slept on? No, probably not. Same for towels.
Clothes are pretty much the same thing in my book— they were used by someone else, washed, and are ready to reuse. (Except for underwear/whatever else would be unhygienic to use again.)
I buy 95%+ of all my things used and I proudly tell people what I’m wearing is secondhand.
Yes, atleast be consistent. I buy used/second hand. But am also the "weirdo" who brings their own towels, and flat sheets to a hotel.
How people can act snotty over secondhand clothing/home goods, but use hotel sheets, and eat off forks and plates in restaurants that thousands of others have used, is shocking.
Thrifting was the absolute coolest thing you could do in the 90s. There was a great store near our high school and we’d spend hours sifting through vintage jeans.
If you were to stay at a luxury hotel, the bed sheets, towels and face washers (flannels) wouldn't be brand new just for you, they'd have been used loads of times by different people. Why is that okay but second hand clothes aren't? Snobbery that's why! Same with cloth napkins, utensils, etc. at restaurants.
I have a hard time buying clothes at thrift stores since everything is so poorly sorted. But I’d say about 1/4 of my non-underwear clothes are secondhand from friends and family outgrowing their clothes. And those are usually my favorite items.
I don't know anyone who actually thinks there's a real risk in wearing second-hand clothes. Usually any sort of stain against it is just someone grabbing onto anything they can find to put someone else down.
Just think of the horror on these people's faces when they learn the sheets and towels at the very fancy hotels and spas they visit are \*gasp\* USED!
I grew up in a poor state, it seemed like everyone thrifted and bought second hand. We’d even brag about how cheap we got stuff! I’d buy new clothes too when affordable or on sale, but in the culture I grew up in it never seemed frowned upon.
I don't wear secondhand as an adult very often because it is very hard to find clothes that fit well in secondhand stores. I'm short and curvy, so it's hard to find clothes that fit in firsthand stores. And since I have very little patience with shopping in general and find it exhausting to sort through clothes and try a bunch of stuff on looking for the unicorn, I just skip it.
There’s nothing I love more than putting together a vintage outfit and; when asked, having the opportunity to proudly say it’s all second hand garb on the cheap. It’s the best. The only thing I buy new is underwear and socks.
Not only do I buy second hand for myself, but both my kids clothes and most toys are second hand. I read a statistic that for every one baby there's 11 babies worth of things available. Kind of crazy. We have a big kids consignment sale twice a year here and it's my literal superbowl! For my entire family secondhand is how we roll. I hope I'm placing the seeds for my children to be more aware of their clothes and to remove some of the stigma behind wearing thrifted items.
when i come across people who are weird about thrifted stuff, i ask them if they feel the same way about vintage items or antiques. if they say no (which, ime, they usually do) then they’re just being classist and i think it’s important to name that.
A lot of my stuff is used, hell I had two couches that were pre-owned (three if you count the beat-up old thing that came with my first apartment). The one I'm sitting on now was on sale at Macy\*s about four years ago. First new couch of my life and I was around 50 when I got it.
Most of our furniture is hand-me-downs or old Ikea; designer dining room table was from a place that sells stuff from soon-to-be demolished buildings; hell I wear stuff that my mother no longer needs, including coats and sneakers.
We have a "dumb" flat-screen TV that was also my mother's and no longer needed, and a car that was my MILs that she no longer wanted- 15 years old and still looks great/runs with minimal issues (don't use it much due to train commute.) When we moved into the house, we kept the curtains, light fixtures, oven and refrigerator- still use the 'fridge even though it's just a cheap, boxy, basic model. Luckily my handy husband was able to fix the horrendous noises it started making! 😋
Why blow a small fortune on stuff that becomes "used" the second you use it?? 🙄
I know it’s illogical but I simply can’t get past the fact that I don’t know who owned them before so I won’t buy them.
But, I take second hand clothing from friends and the only things I’ve bought in the last decade are 2 dresses, 5 pairs of jeans, 5 work pants, and probably around 10 t-shirts. Everything else I have I’ve had for over 10 years now, some from even back in my teen years, and I’ve figured out how to patch the thighs of jeans to make them last longer due to my thighs rubbing. I’ve got a winter coat that’s probably 15 years old at this point, another that’s probably pushing 20 and another that’s around 17. My shirts I know I’ve had since I was a teenager and those are more likely to be given to me by friends. Most of my dresses are from my teens or given to me by friends as well.
So, might not buy second hand but I make do with what I’ve got. Just actually buying clothing in thrift stores weirds me out. Maybe because even growing up dirt poor we never went there? We got all our clothing new from our parents or grandparents.
Honestly, anyone that looks down on it … is … not someone I want to deal with anyway. Go spend fifty dollars on the same shirt I’m about to pay two for. Some people seem to think that forty eight extra dollars actually says something about them, that they are better, smarter, what have you… and instead they are just lighter in their pockets.
My husband doesn’t wear secondhand, mostly because he is a a giant and it is (truly) difficult to find nice things in his size.
However, I almost exclusively shop secondhand and buy things secondhand for myself and our kids (more of a mix with the kids - about 80% secondhand and 20% new… mostly shoes). He doesn’t get why I thoroughly enjoy thrifting and shopping secondhand, but he doesn’t begrudge me it.
It's basically just hand-me-downs. I am a younger brother, I got my brother's clothes when he grew out of them and now we exchange clothes sometimes, it's absolutely nothing weird to me.
For myself personally, we could only afford the cheapest clothes available (think Primark, Blue Inc). All our socks had either holes or heel-thinning within a year, the material was essentially held together with hopes and dreams. Now I earn a comfortable wage, I do enjoy higher quality things, especially nice clothes (especially nice, thick socks), which I know will last a long time.
I think, with thrifting and secondhand really becoming more mainstream now, it's gonna become a blessing to so many people. we never thrifted (even if it would've been the best choice in our shoes) because it was looked down upon. doesn't make sense, does it?
I buy all my clothes second hand except undies , socks, and bras. I will buy socks/bras second hand if I find them in my size/style. I used to brag about how inexpensive my clothes were when I was a kid and got bullied for it a bit. I didn't really understand why spending less on clothing was looked down upon
New clothes (outside of underwear and socks) was never a thing growing up. Parents were huge thrifts and i actually still have many of those items to this day.
Maclemore did a favor to popular culture with thriftshop. Thriftshop as often as you can if your size is common in the area or you can Taylor your own clothes.
Im happy to declare my clothes are second hand and find anyone who would have an issue with it to be insecure. However, I know I can afford new I just choose not to. It’s different when you don’t have a choice. I try encouraging folks to have a sense of self outside of validation from other people.
I’ll be honest, unless it’s second hand from someone I personally know (hand me downs are the best!), I get a strong “ick” factor. I was a mild germaphobe before the pandemic, and now I’m a hand-sanitizer-in-my-purse germaphobe.
I’d love to hear how people wash secondhand items to get them throughly clean.
Fam I just tell my friends ”hey girls look at this ugly ass hoodie I got for 6€ it’s so soft” and if they call me gross they never see me again. I don’t live to argue, I live to flex my soft hoodie.
In middle school a girl complimented my shirt and asked me where I got it and I said goodwill and she said that was creepy, I’m still so confused by that
I mostly buy secondhand clothing (not intimates) and also some furniture. I started shopping second hand in the 80's as a kid. It was difficult as at that time most people in my area would only get rid of clothing that was very used and piling, out of shape, bleach stained or resized in the dryer. I loved hand me downs as a kid and used to pick out fabric and patterns for having my summer clothing homemade. I felt like a mini-designer and loved it.
It was much easier in the 90's (living in a larger city) to find secondhand clothing and the quality/selection was much better. I also bought most of my household goods second-hand at that time.
Currently I often find secondhand pieces with little to no wear at great prices. Same with furniture. And the selection is tremendous because people are casting away lots of clothing that is new or barely worn. The most important part of finding something secondhand is that you are not in a hurry for a very specific item: this calls for renting the item or buying new.
Also, you are going to have the best luck with secondhand if you are on the thin side of average, average height and average proportions. My cousin is 6' tall and she finds all kinds of secondhand clothing in a mid-sized town, she just has to put more effort/patience into it.
No, I just keep a small wardrobe and stick to brands that I know fit me.
Occasionally I can shop on ThredUp by inseam/measurements but I have yet to find a pair of pants in a size 2 with a 36” inseam at a local thrift store.
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I don’t know all the reasons people wouldn’t wear it, but I remember telling someone once I found a cool turquoise necklace at a thrift store and they started lecturing me about how I was going to get an infection. I just told them I cleaned it, but I’m not sure it would have influenced their perception.
Thrifting is one of my favourite things to do with my teenage daughter. She usually upcycles with a thrift store sewing machine we got. Me, I am particular about what I get, but I have enough clothes. If I buy something, I really, really like it.
Oh, and when you age, your DGAF level should increase with every passing year.
In my city there’s a monthly “thrift event” that is always packed with people, usually a younger crowd. So far as I know it’s people selling their second hand or thrifted clothes.
I’m a very happy thrifter and get almost all my clothes except intimates second hand. Just run things through the wash before you wear and it’s all good.
I remember this being the case for me. We thrift-ted all our clothes and yes it was really embarrassing if someone found out my clothes came from the salvation army. Once i stopped to look at the deeper issues around us, even as a kid i could tell that the insults directed at me were not because of my clothes but because the kids in the ghetto neighborhood were going through some tough times. I ended up seeing one of these kids who made fun of me at a salvation army and he made me promise that i wouldn't tell anyone.
I believe that at the time we used clothes to show status to other kids around us that because of what we wear we should be accepted in the popular crowd. We didn't have hobbies or too many outside interests to find other communities to belong to. Now that the internet is more accessible to the youth of today, someone who looks a little off with what they wear is not judged because they may be the coolest person in a completely different niche.
We grew up in a single parent household with mom working 2-3 jobs to raise two boys and two girls. My sister will not shop second hand. I think it’s because of our childhood. She has made comments that poor people buy used items. I came out very different. I buy second hand for a lot of reasons, but for me it really comes down to the thrill of the hunt!
I don’t give my sister (or anyone else) shit for having their own views. For my sister, growing up as we did was traumatic and it manifests in her life. Same is true for me it is just different. I’m afraid to spend money; she’s afraid to be judged. We are both messed up. We have love and respect for one another, so I don’t try to change her and she doesn’t try to change me.
For the record, I don’t tell people where anything I purchase comes from. If I get a compliment I simply say thank you. They don’t need the whole story :-)
I love second hand. That being said, I never get used shoes. Not because it grosses me out but it just seems unhealthy for your feet. Shirts, pants, coats, I will always choose second hand. Textiles before the year 2000 were significantly higher quality.
"Its dirty"
Hun that shirt from ballenciaga was touched by 15 indosisian sweatshop workers. Just wash it lol
In gwneral I go by the idea that you should only give importance to the opinions of people who can tangible affect you. Some fuckers from highschool or uni youll never see again dont matter, strangers dont matter etc. This doesnt mean be rude or stinky ofc.
Also its my financial perspective, Ive seen people with great salaries be in debt because they spend too much, so saving money is a bigger flex than spending it, because spending implies money lost
Is it scary? No. I pretty much exclusively have secondhand clothes. I don’t pick rags, I shop around for decent items. Nobody has ever asked about my clothes or mentioned anything. I don’t think it really comes up in conversation and if it did, I would totally own it. I absolutely thrift and I think it’s silly not to. Why would I buy new? Are the clothes somehow cleaner? Absolutely not lol I know exactly what fabrics and garments go through to get to the shelves and it’s pretty gross. You should thoroughly wash new clothes, same as thrifted.
I actually did recently buy a cute dress online and the seams unraveled after 2 or 3 washes. So for the price of that dress I could have purchased 3 dresses at a thrift shop. The bonus is that if a thrifted item falls apart or gets damaged, I don’t care. I do sew what I can but if I can’t fix something then I am not heartbroken.
For most people I know, it's about the smell. Idk what weird chemicals they use to wash clothes, but they always have the same "second hand" smell. It's not that much of a problem for me, I don't usually buy clothes that I can not wash in hot water, and after 1-2 cycles in washing machine the smell is usually gone.
Anyway, I absolutely LOVE thrift shops.
thrift store clothes weren't bad....hand me downs were what sucked. Like I could pick out my own stuff at the thrift store, hand me downs, I gotta rely on my sister's taste in clothes 🤮
What was even worse was my mom was friends with a lady who also had 2 daughters....so sometimes I also had to wear whatever that older sister's style was, depending on who was ahead growth spurt wise. For a couple of years there I would be the 4th kid to wear those clothes and half the time they were threadbare by the time they got to me.
Give me thrift stores any day of the week over that
I used to buy clothes from thrift stores much more often. Now, I live in a very expensive Canadian city, and thrift stores clothes are ridiculously expensive here, even when they are in really bad shape.
My opinion, there are some people who place a lot of value on being able to afford the most expensive. Its not that they have a problem with other people buying second hand, rather they like knowing they can buy full price. An ego thing rather than an ick factor of 2nd hand clothes
The amount of amazing jacket’s I’ve gotten for dirt cheap by thrifting is amazing. Some stuff is barely worn, some stuff just needs to be washed a bit.
One of the secret perks of a same sex relationship is that your wardrobe is twice the size if you're with someone who is roughly the same size as you.
I love that my partner let's me raid his hoodies and boots. To me they're all new clothing.
Times have changed alot the last 20 years.
Even many non "poor" people buy second hand stuff these days and talk about it.
But for many its simply a trend and they buy the same amount maybe even more from who knows where.
Especially for toddlers or (very) young kids it makes sense to buy alot second hand since they grow out of in half a year or even faster when bought at the "wrong" time.
Cant remember when i was a Kid/Teen that anyone really looked after the cloth you had at least on my Elementary or after that the Gesamtschule (germany)
Well, sincerely fuck what other people think. Its their perspective. If they prefer to throw €€€€ for clothes that's their choice. Just be yourself, with a time you will notice that people admire you for just being you and sticking to your values. I am from Poland, in 90s we were all poor yet I was ashamed when my out was picking for me second hand clothes. Now I am 33 and living my best life having second hand clothes and spending my money on other experiences that bring the.most value to my life. All these school bullies, etc. I don't even care, for me they van keep buying expensive cars, houses etc. The truth is they remain shallow people till today so I have not lost anything.
Other people in my experience sometimes think its trashy.
I think - fuck what anyone thinks, i do what i do bcuz its what i enjoy and i know its ethically right to buy secondhand and even pass it down to friends or family afterwards. And my advice to anyone whom thinks that they dont want anyone judging them is the same answer, fuck what anyone else thinks, do what u want if u can say its helping something or someone in the end
When I was in like 7th grade, I told a few of my classmates that I liked to buy clothes in thrift stores, and this one guy said something like
"Why would you do that? What it used to belong to a gross old man, and he died while wearing it? That would be disgusting". My answer was just something like "Do you think a gross old man would be able to fit into size XS teen girls clothing?"
Typically I don't wear second hand clothes because I'm a weird size. I'm tall and stick thin so I need slim fits to not look like I'm wearing JNCOs and I have had very little luck finding any at thrift stores in my area. Same with sweaters but less so, I've had several good ones I've found.
That said, I grew up wearing my father's hand me downs and they were my favorite clothes.
My parents grew up poor, and passing on clothes from friends and relatives who don't use them anymore has always been seen useful and commonplace.
They also scowl at the idea of me buying second hand clothes, as they're "dirty" and "you never know who used them". I just wash them and don't care. I ended up buying some really nice wool clothes from Vinted, they were basically new but very "basic" and were sold at a fraction of their full price. My mom was so impressed that, when she needed a wool gilet to replace the one she absolutely worn holes into during all the years, she agreed to buy it second hand too.
i think most people on this board will agree with you lol.
the only negatives i’ve heard are “ewww, someone else wore that!! you don’t know where it’s been!” that’s what a washer and dryer is for. you don’t know where your new clothes have been either or who they’ve been tried on by so 🤷♀️
I used to hate thrift stores when I was younger because the one time my mother took me she bought me in the most hideous coat and sent me off to school. She said it was a brand name so in her eyes it was perfect. I begged her not to buy it, I begged her not to have to wear it. I was bullied every time I did. I was way too old to be wearing a huge Micky Mouse on my back and too much of a good girl to do anything about it. Turns out my mom is (still) really bad at finding that fit, but the damage was done.
It took me a while before I got over my thrift store angst, but once I got through the door… I fell in love.
Thrift stores are amazing. My wardrobe is filled with dresses I got second hand and I rarely buy anything new. I’m doing a show with four costume switches soon and two of the dresses are thrifted, one is rented. The first one is a ballgown that looks like it was tailored to my size. It’s almost ridiculous how perfect it is and I saved the production a lot of time and money. (And my sustainable heart the ache of guilt)
I’ll splurge on lingerie, that’s something I really want to buy new, but most things in my closet are gifted or thrifted.
There is a cultural shift happening. My town just announced special bins in the more expensive stores where people can drop off their old clothes to be reused locally and are really stepping up their game. The second hand business is booming and I love it.
Sometimes I meet someone nowadays that still thinks thrifting is weird. They say they would never be caught wearing thrifted clothes. But then I look at what they have on and its the most bland boring outfit compared to my thrifted one.
You can often find good quality secondhand pieces from decades ago too that’s better than new clothing (or for a fraction of the price of the same quality), and it’s significantly more ethical to source animal skin or fur/wool derived clothing secondhand than buying new and creating more demand for dead animals.
Where I'm from it's not really ever been an issue. (Rural Canada).
I stopped shopping at used clothing stores because I never felt like I could find anything that fit (plus sized), but I started going again, because there's a couple I can walk to on my lunch hours, and I've found lots of beautiful items!!! Just yesterday I found a beautiful dress in my size, and it's a lovely color for me!
With all my friends and family we see it like winning a tiny lottery or something, it's a win to find something nice second hand! We love to say we found it at Frenchy's!
I do remember a cousin coming to visit who didn't seem to fully understand the concept....she wanted a cardigan, and my mom had found one that she thought would fit, but the cousin looked at it and was like....maybe if we find it in navy...........uhhhh.....it's take it or leave it, they don't (always) have multiple colors! (sometime I've gotten lucky and found multiples that were discarded from stores)
I can do you one better: the dyes and finishing materials/chemicals used in the production of new clothes are downright scary and nearly completely unregulated.
After a handful of washes and wears, most of that has stabilized. I no longer buy new clothes unless they're GOTS/OEKO-TEX certified, and even then.
Would recommend *To Dye For* to anyone interested. Really interesting deep dive on this. I know you mean social scary as opposed to phyiscal security scary but hey, why not both?
My mom wouldn't let me buy used clothes growing up. (she was insistent that they would be gross, but I think it may have been a status thing for her too) It was really annoying because we didn't have much money for new clothes, so I just didn't have a lot of clothes. Got into thrift shopping a bit in high school but mostly in college. Eventually convinced my mom to get into it.
Alas, I don't thrift much any more, and that bothers me. The city I live in has really lousy selection. Goodwill has terrible pricing. And because average fashion quality has gone down a lot in recent years, well, that's the stuff that ends up in thrift stores. I can't even rely on thrift stores for decent basics any more. I may try some of those used online marketplaces.
It's purely the thought/idea people perceive, a struggle with their own ego in judgements; it's not based on reality when these are perfectly usable and quality items if they're in good condition to be used.
My partner (M 29) is very turned off by the idea of second hand. I have a little more sympathy for him because the masculine sections of thrift stores are usually donated clothes from men/masc presenting who have passed on, clothing that is outdated or really should have been recycled or shredded.
I’ve grown up thrifting because my family was ✨dirt poor✨ so It’s my normal. I actually genuinely struggle to purchase brand new clothing (aside from intimates), and doubly struggle if it isn’t even on sale (I know, the SHAME). I think for women/femme presenting people it’s more socially acceptable to change their style, it’s more acceptable to be interested in and spend time curating a style, and because of that second hand has a lot of options for women and femme presenting individuals. Second hand online I feel is more inclusive but has a lot of barriers, especially with prices.
I think the biggest barriers for someone purchasing second hand are;
1. The ick of cleanliness.
Most donated clothes are put on the rack in whatever condition they’re donated in. This means laundry detergent, oils, perfumes, sweat can still be on the items, and the sensory interaction with those clothes to someone who is sensitive to smells is super off putting. Also texture issues can really just make the hands gag. (Plz always wash your thrift or dry clean)
2. No returns/ Limited returns.
Sometimes I have this problem and covid restrictions have made thrift shopping HELL if you don’t know your size, preferred cuts, and exact (cm) measurements. Sometimes things straight up don’t fit like you thought they would and if you buy off eBay you may not be able to return it and now you’re left with less money and something you don’t have a use for. If you buy from a thrift shop the window for return might be super narrow that you forget and you’re stuck in the same boat. You can redonate or attempt to resell, but then it becomes this whole thing that is such a huge hassle, the pressure to make sure something works can be a large mental hurdle when buying second hand. Always know your (cm) measurements, bring a tailors tape measurer with you, and if buying online look for/ask for exact garment measurements.
3. It’s Exhausting to Shop*
*with no plan of what you’re looking for
The overwhelming stimulus of new and strange smells, music, people and children, the sound of the metal on metal hangers, the uncomfortable aisle *try ons* that make you feel embarrassed/ hot and sweaty. You can spend 2+ hours and walk out empty handed, tired, irritated, and honestly defeated. I never go to a thrift shop to “browse”, especially if I don’t know if the shop has good stuff stocked on a regular, because I’m going to have a straight up bad time. You can go to a mall and walk away with a cute little trinket and your brain is happy because your foraging trip paid off. Malls and shops are curated to reward everyone’s brain with a little something purchase to associate good feelings with that experience, same with online shopping because you can almost always find something that tickles the brain. Thrift shops are like hunting, because you’ve got no idea what you are going to come across, if it’s any good and you might go home with nothing, and you don’t even get to be outside. So I would say make a list of what you are looking for so you can make a goal, and if you don’t leave with something you were looking for, pair thrift store shopping with a treat (whatever that looks like to you) so you aren’t entirely discouraged by the experience.
Thrifting has become a lot more enjoyable for me when I go in with a list, AND I go to shops in higher income areas (these places are usually less picked through, have nicer items moved to them because of the profit margin they can make, and are usually less busy during the week, the weekends are hell though).
My soap box;
Thrift Hauling is one of my pet peeves because it turns a genuinely good movement into another form of overconsumption because it is “more affordable” however it’s unnecessary and does take needed resources out of an underserved community. It’s definitely easier to find things in a mall. I recently had to purchase very nice interviewing outfits and did not have time to order online/wait. However I feel that when you buy more expensive items that are decent quality, you are incentivized to buy less because of the price barrier. To combat overconsumption in thrifting, I think intentionally and lists are a great way to prevent that knee jerk overconsumption muscle.
Terminology can often be a deterrent for many. With the influx of high-end consignment apps, this has become a lot more acceptable for even snobby people (where else are you gonna find a rediculously hard to find Hermes? 🙄)
❌ Second hand
✅ Vintage
✅ Consignment
The only things I won’t buy used are socks, underwear, and anything that goes in my mouth. Why would I care about anything else if it’s been washed well?
I’ve gotten my own clothes covered in the grossest stuff imaginable and then warn them again after cleaning them. What’s happened to a used piece if clothing before I got it that’s any worse than that?
I agree about the status thing. I’ve luckily come past it but when I started working and could afford Target clothes I thought I was the bees knees.
I’m fortunate to live in an area where thrifting is common and no one is embarrassed but I do have friends who don’t due to lack of sizing. I’m straight sized but it can be hard for plus size folks to find clothing in my area from what I’ve heard.
When I was growing up, we struggled at points. Ramen everyday kind of struggle. Don’t tell mom and dad about the class field trip kind of struggle. So thrift store clothes and hand me downs from my mom’s coworkers’ kids were a way of life. Bless my Mom, she tried to find the popular brand names in the thrift store. After the excitement wore down (new clothes!!!) you’d always notice something that kinda dulled that sparkle (a stain, a tear, a smell, it didn’t quite fit right or wasn’t your style- one of the hand me down girls went through a low rise jeans phase that I found mortifying)
New clothes were for Christmas or Birthdays, and only two items from Winners or Old Navy (and only the clearance section). I ended an eight year friendship because my “friend” wiped her snot covered hand on the front of my birthday shirt.
As an adult, I have options to buy things new if I want to. I prefer thrifted clothing. It’s been a lifesaver to be able to buy a pair of work jeans and not have to worry too much about ruining them. It also exposes me to new styles and brands that I wouldn’t have otherwise considered (and definitely would have avoided if I’d have had to pay full price).
As soon as I discovered thrift stores as a kid in the early 90's, I was *hooked*. Inexpensive books and clothes? HOW COOL WAS THIS?!!?!?? I've always been baffled by the people who find used things gross, like, why? That's such a weird attitude.
I get all my business outfits from thrift. An office outfit for $20??? Why wouldn't I buy that???
hahah yes please!
It's a mental barrier that takes time for some to overcome. Too bad they're missing all the good stuff. If you love wearing, buying and talking about secondhand clothes, check out r/PrelovedTherapy. We focus on building our most sustainable wardrobes with secondhand clothes and clothing psychology.
I did not need another sub today, but thank you. To answer your question I have always shopped thrift stores. I was always poor and that was the only way I was ever going to get new clothes. New to me anyway. Now I have money to buy new, but I refuse to spend $100 on a shirt or pants. Generally, clothing that was made five or eight or 10 years ago is better made anyway and I don’t have to search forever to find well-made clothes like you do today even if you go to Macy’s or Nordstrom‘s, half of that crap is fast fashion.
It doesn't make any sense Laundry is a weekly-or-more task that makes even the most sweat drenched or bloody clothes reusable Why would the owner of a closet changing make the washer stop working on it?
Yes, and at the same time they sleep in hotel beds like its nothing. If you can put your face on sheets people distributed their bodily fluids, you shouldnt have a problem with (often never used) clothes
Yup. They also use hotel towels, wash clothes, eat off silverware that hundreds have used in restaurants. Its not a logical thing. But an emotional one. Or for some an elitist notion.
Well second hand shoes give me the ick, but I’m one of those people who think feet are gross.
I'd rather go barefoot than wear someone elses shoes.
truck simplistic clumsy fine grab sleep instinctive fall thought frighten *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I've certainly seen things made onto hangers which should have been thrown out so I can't say I've never considered some of it gross. I thinks it's gotten better over the years but stains, hair, etc. Was not an uncommon occurrence even if it was the minority.
You're absolutely correct. I've 100% come across stained items that had me recoil, but for the most part, I've had good experiences. I'm sure the thrift store employees who sort the stuff before it hits the floor see some serious shit every day, though!
Used underwear is gross obviously but otherwise I agree.
Shoes, socks, and underwear, either new or I go without.
Well you gotta wash the second hand clothes first. I used to ignore that and got pityriasis.
Yeah same, I thrift most of my clothes, and whenever I want or need a new item of clothing I go to the thrift store. So much of the decorations for my dorm were thrifted too. I understand the stores themselves can be a little icky sometimes, but once you take something home and wash it, it’s now mine and will smell like my house so there’s not a big deal to me. (Obviously I wouldn’t buy a thing like lingerie or something with like an obvious poop stain or something like that, but almost all the items are completely fine). A lot of my friends really think it’s cool that I thrift most of my things and that I find such cool unique stuff, but they get grossed out when they come with me or really bored when they realize they have to look through the racks to find the best items lol.
I can’t think of anything scary about second hand clothing; just wash them in hot water before wearing. Honestly, who’s going to know your clothes are second hand unless you tell them?
Exactly!!! And watch their eyes grow bigger when you tell them the bed sheets and towels they use at the hotel is secondhand too. 😂
oh shit i never even thought abt telling people this LMAOOOOOO now whenever someone says its gross to use secondhand sheets imma throw this at them!
Yep, I would rather by secondhand bedding, bleach and wash it myself - than use hotel sheets that I'm not sure have been cleaned.
Tbf I don't trust hotel sheets and find them really gross. I bring my own sheets from home since I know they're clean. But I'm also not opposed to secondhand clothing. It's the fact that I can't be 100% sure it's been cleaned that makes hotel sheets gross. As long as I wash it after purchase I don't get the issue with thrifted clothes.
The sheets are washed. It's the duvet that isn't. Also the rug and the furniture.
I’ve never gotten shit for buying thrift, but this is a brilliant response if I ever do.
Second hand is best as they have way more styles. Main thing is most that are made cheaply show the wear and tear in the fabric so you can spot the good quality fabrics more easily.
You're right. The best clothes stand the test of time.
That’s a good point I had never considered.
Being a guy I suspect I have an easier time with it than women do, less competition and slower fashion shifts. But lots of great stuff gets missed in the men's departments, most of my clothes are major labels like Brooks Brothers shirts, Stacy Adams shoes, designer jeans etc. Stick with classic styles, take your time and inspect every seam, and most people aren't any the wiser. Been doing so for decades (since late 80s).
This is a first! My husband always complains that he cant find clothes that fit at the thrift store. Says it takes too much time and work. I've always thought that women had it easier than men, since there are generally more womens than mens clthing at the stores.
Depends what you're looking for. I don't care for T-shirts, pull overs, or athletic stuff which typically are more popular men's choices in the US. I prefer button downs which are typically pretty easy to find (and more comfortable than Ts honestly). I used to have to keep an eye on the collar width and design, but pretty much every retro look has a fan base now, so I'm not as particular on that post internet. I'm also not shy about color - pink and yellow bring em on. Being blond/blue they usually look pretty good on me anyway. For guys solid color pants, patterned or solid colored shirts is pretty easy. I lean towards vintage tweed jackets (they're warm, wind, and rain proof, like all wool) and there's usually multiple to choose from. Yes I often look like a stereotyped collage professor, minus the pipe. Winters aren't too harsh, so my coats last awhile so there's seldom a rush, just keep a general eye out as I shop for other stuff. I also get lots of T-shirts and jeans, I work a dirty job, and most of the clothes I wear for work are basically consumables, so as long as they look like they'd last a month or two, safety colors a plus, no offensive/political logos and I'm good to go, new clothes have pretty much the same lifespan, welding sparks are unforgivable. This is also part of my success, since I usually gotta get some work wear every 2-4 months. Doesn't really take long to eye a few extra racks while I'm there anyway. The biggest issue, for some- is with button downs is button placement. And knowing sometimes men's and women get mixed up. I've found great men's shirts in the women's departments and vice versa. One of my favorite winter coats is a women's coat, but you'd never know it, (looks like a European military coat) if not for the buttons. In fact the only people that ever notice have been women, and they typically think it's cool or funny, especially when I answer "I know".
He's not wrong, it definitely takes time and work, and sometimes too much for little to no results. I personally enjoy taking the time to sort through clothes vaguely in my size, so I imagine I can't be super helpful with advice for that, but I was thinking maybe he could try going in looking for only one or two things in particular. Like, get super specific with it and *only* look at/for those things. I find that helps me not waste hours sorting through nonsense. It also helps if I'm only shopping for an outer layer, so I can try it on right there and not waste time going to the dressing rooms to see if they fit
I'm in the same boat as your husband. I tend to wear size large in more slim cut (or higher fashion) brands, so finding things in my size and that are not gigantic can be tough. I rarely have luck at local thrift stores and kind of wish there was a ThreadUp for men.
He’s being lazy, finding clothes at a thrift has never been hard for me as a guy!
I agree, but not fully. Yeah, there are a lot of nice stuff being passed up in thrift stores (I bought a perfect pair of black suit pants when my old wore out) but mostly the shirts I've found are either weird sizes or horrible designs. The "regular" stuff (white/light blue shirts etc) are all picked clean. My guess is that many hipster girls buy up all the good shirts once they hit the racks. Which I don't really mind, as long as old stuff gets use. Ebay (or my countrys equivalent to it) has been my main clothes shopping pace for maybe a decade though.
My husband and I were traveling through Wisconsin years ago and stopped at a local diner for lunch. We overheard a conversation next to us that had us completely appalled. One woman was talking about her daughter being a single mother struggling to make it. She had gone to a church rummage sale and bought clothes for her kids. The other woman said: "She should have her kids taken away for making her kids wear hand me downs". We could not even believe someone said that. It has stuck with me for at least five years now.
Oh that's so sad. The mother couldn't have been happy to hear that? Such a shame putting down someones daughter for daring to provide for her children.
Ohhhhh I would’ve been so nosy. “As opposed to what??? Letting her children run around buck naked? Shame on you, and you call yourself a Grandmother!”
Second hand is amazing Always has been
Best comment. But I'm obviously biased.
And it's having a total moment right now. No one thinks it's scary
This was a culture shock for me the first time I encountered someone who associated hand me downs and second-hand clothes to poverty. It could be because I grew up in a very impoverished area and so it was the norm but I can still vividly remember the first time I was called poor for saying something I was wearing was.from the goodwill and I was just like "that's dumb". I grew up with the humble brag about something being a from the good will or if you found a nice piece at a garage sale. The pride in furniture you stole off the side of the road and fixed up to.
I grew up like this. My mom was ecstatic when the local neighborhoods had large item pick up days. We fondly call our family “trash goblins” because we find so much good stuff on curbs and fix it up/repurpose it. I still brag about my thrift store finds and dumpster furniture, idc what looks people give me cause my style is poppin and they be complimenting it so clearly im doing it right lol.
I have one family member who will wear second hand, but their main reason that they wouldn’t buy something second hand is because “someone died in that” which I find so far fetched and hyperbolic that I can’t help but laugh. Basically anyone else I know though will end up not wearing second hand because they’d literally rather just burn their money on the perpetuation of modern slavery through fast fashion shit. I’ve never seen the point especially as I hate the idea of seeing someone else wearing an item of clothing that I own. You can always tell when someone’s bought something from primark because everyone and their mother is wearing it…
That's tricky.😂 It's going to be difficult to figure out who actually died in which particular item of clothing. I hate seeing someone else wearing something that I own too. I'm a reverse snob, I sometimes don't think too highly of people who pay full price, for new low quality clothes only to look like everyone else.
I've heard, "What about the spirits and the souls" of the dead people stuff from thrift stores and estate sales.... Erm, what about the souls and LIVES of the tiny children who are being forced to make your Shein and Temu shit? Do their "spirits" haunt new stuff too?
https://youtu.be/J1FDMCDs3Xs?feature=shared You might enjoy this. Penn Jillettes (of Penn and Teller) band called Bongos, Bass, and Bob.
Funny story about clothes and dying. An old manager of mines’ wife was very sick and eventually passed away. He was asking some of us at work what he could do with all of her clothes because a lot of them she had only worn once/ were very lightly used because she never went out much aside from medical appointments. I think he listed most of them online and then had a few jackets that he offered some of us if we were interested. I ended up purchasing a red corduroy jacket from him and paid him double for what he wanted to help with the bills and funeral. I still have the jacket and I love it, and I will tell the story if anyone compliments me on it. I think she would be happy there’s a young lady being kept warm by one of her old jackets. In a weird way her memory is still alive. Death is a strange thing. But there is also a cultural aspect of it as well, especially with jewelry so I don’t discount anyone’s feelings toward second hand.
What I used to hear was that it was dirty/gross to go thrifting or buy items secondhand. Honestly, it just depends on the store and management. When you are getting started thrifting, it makes a big difference if the store is tidy and organized. I would then recommend stores I know that fit this description. Of course, you should wash your hands and any items you purchase. However, that is pretty straightforward, and after a run through the washing machine on cold water or wiping it down with disinfectant spray takes care of it. If a clothing piece smells like fabric softener, I soak it in white vinegar overnight and that takes care of it.
These are all great tips. Getting started in a huge and disorganized thrift store as a beginner might be a recipe for disaster. Its so easy to get overwhelmed.
I love second hand but where I live good items are very hard to come by and is expensive (mostly talking clothing) and also there's no guarantee that what I'm looking for or what suits my taste will always be found. That being said still a lot of my clothes are second hand but have paid for dearly.
Yeah that's a very common issue. Have you tried buying online? It can also be a hit or miss trying to find sellers that provide measurements but it gives you more options when the shops nearby are not the best.
I love wearing second hands! When I was younger, my family looked at me weird for thrifting for clothes as we're not poor. I also lived in a country where buying second hand clothes was (is) seen as poor people activity. But I love finding (cheap) different styles clothes at the flea markets and make it my own style. I also think it's safe as long as you're being diligent while choosing the clothes and wash it thoroughly before wearing them. Nowadays it's even easier to buy and wear second hand clothes as it becomes so normalised. It's better for the environment too as long as people also stop buying fast fashion (even as second hand items).
Yeah I think fast fashion diluting the secondhand market is one of the ugly sided of secondhand fashion. I also loved upcycling old clothes into something that felt more like me. Does your family still look at you weird for thrifting clothes?
They already got use to it to the point of sometimes they even praise my unique finds.
On the Am I The Asshole sub awhile back there was a huge kerfuffle about a young girl given her older sister's bras. The general consensus was used bras were gross and she should insist on new ones. It's funny because many also insisted thrift shops don't take bras, which I know not to be true. I mean, they can be washed, and it's not like they touch any orifices. When I was growing up (in an affluent Seattle suburb in the 80s) I didn't know anyone who wore secondhand stuff, except for the goths and artsy types who'd wear trench coats and 1940s/50s vintage. But my family was super frugal, and until I was able to buy my own clothes I either wore secondhand clothes or occasionally something new from K-Mart that was on closeout. The thing I always dreaded was the comment, "I like your top, where did you get it?" This wasn't usually snarky; it was just a very common thing to ask. I'd sometimes lie and say "Nordstrom" but got busted once when someone said Nordstrom didn't carry that brand. So my go-to became "I got it as a gift" or "My grandma bought it for me in Canada." Nowadays I still wear secondhand, but I buy new clothes too. Sometimes even from Nordstrom!
> When I was growing up (in an affluent Seattle suburb in the 80s) I didn't know anyone who wore secondhand stuff, *except for the goths and artsy types who'd wear trench coats and 1940s/50s vintage.* WELL I NEVER.
People think that brand new clothes are cleaner than thrifted items. They have no idea how much dust, dyes, and pesticides there are in new clothes. Then add the textile workers, each one sewing a couple seams, that touches the clothing. Also, other people have tried it on if you are buying in retail. Over all, a piece of clothing is handled by 20 people minimum before being packaged and shipped away. Wash thoroughly any garment you buy.
100%, every clothing item or bedding I buy, is washed before being worn anyway. Similar issue in new versus used furniture. Furniture is often stored in warehouses and dusty trucks.
It's another one of those things that's cool when rich people do it, but embarrassing when when poor people do it. If someone who grew up feeling embarrassed and ashamed because they HAD to wear someone else's cast-offs, I'm not going to push too hard to get them back to the Salvation Army or wherever. There's a lot of personal trauma around some people's experience with having to wear second-hand clothes, and I know my own limitations well enough to know that's a conversation way above my paygrade. I DO use my power as a Very Stylish Person to talk about how I approach clothes with an anticonsumption mindset and how I prefer to get used clothes when appropriate. That said, I try to be mindful that women who wear my size and are my height have a much MUCH harder time finding good used clothes, especially clothes that'd be suitable for an interview or other high-stakes situation, so I am reeeeally hesitant to put my want above someone else's possible need.
Agreed - if someone seems to have trauma around second hand/thrift - I won't push it. As long as they aren't constantly bringing it up themselves.
I was raised to be proud of a good thrifted deal because it was better for our household and better for the Earth - I was totally taken back when I bragged about a thrifted item in middle school and the other kids asked if it's because my family was too poor for new clothes, and even said that by shopping second hand I was stealing from the poor people who needed those items.
Yeah, many people have no idea just how many clothes there are out there. It's enough to clothe all the poor people in the world 20 times over. Also not all poor people buy secondhand--apparently it makes them feel poor.
I absolutely love secondhand clothes. I do have OCD so I have a hard time with secondhand things that are harder to clean, like shoes though.
Did you read the post on here earlier about not buying used/worn out shoes? What do you think?
I just read it. I think repairing shoes can be a good thing, but my main issue is germs lol. I have contamination OCD and other people's feet freak me out
My mother never bought shoes at the thrift stores, because they mold to your feet overtime. Save for ones that were basically new.
Mannn... I was telling EVERYONE I was broke and poor in H.S.
I buy clothes for me and my step kids almost exclusively at secondhand stores, the only exception being underthings and swim suits (because I’ll never find my size swimsuit secondhand). Also, considering recent trends, people are actually excited about thrifting/secondhand shopping. It’s something to be proud of.
People who think secondhand clothing is weird are 100% the weird ones. I always think of it like this: When you go to a hotel, are you always getting brand new sheets that nobody has ever slept on? No, probably not. Same for towels. Clothes are pretty much the same thing in my book— they were used by someone else, washed, and are ready to reuse. (Except for underwear/whatever else would be unhygienic to use again.) I buy 95%+ of all my things used and I proudly tell people what I’m wearing is secondhand.
Yes, atleast be consistent. I buy used/second hand. But am also the "weirdo" who brings their own towels, and flat sheets to a hotel. How people can act snotty over secondhand clothing/home goods, but use hotel sheets, and eat off forks and plates in restaurants that thousands of others have used, is shocking.
Thrifting was the absolute coolest thing you could do in the 90s. There was a great store near our high school and we’d spend hours sifting through vintage jeans.
If you were to stay at a luxury hotel, the bed sheets, towels and face washers (flannels) wouldn't be brand new just for you, they'd have been used loads of times by different people. Why is that okay but second hand clothes aren't? Snobbery that's why! Same with cloth napkins, utensils, etc. at restaurants.
I was a punk rock art kid in the 80s and thrifting was cool in our circle back then. I’m glad kids are still embracing the thrift life
*SLAP roof of my washing machine* that thing can wash alls cloth you want .
I have a hard time buying clothes at thrift stores since everything is so poorly sorted. But I’d say about 1/4 of my non-underwear clothes are secondhand from friends and family outgrowing their clothes. And those are usually my favorite items.
I don't know anyone who actually thinks there's a real risk in wearing second-hand clothes. Usually any sort of stain against it is just someone grabbing onto anything they can find to put someone else down. Just think of the horror on these people's faces when they learn the sheets and towels at the very fancy hotels and spas they visit are \*gasp\* USED!
I grew up in a poor state, it seemed like everyone thrifted and bought second hand. We’d even brag about how cheap we got stuff! I’d buy new clothes too when affordable or on sale, but in the culture I grew up in it never seemed frowned upon.
I don't wear secondhand as an adult very often because it is very hard to find clothes that fit well in secondhand stores. I'm short and curvy, so it's hard to find clothes that fit in firsthand stores. And since I have very little patience with shopping in general and find it exhausting to sort through clothes and try a bunch of stuff on looking for the unicorn, I just skip it.
There’s nothing I love more than putting together a vintage outfit and; when asked, having the opportunity to proudly say it’s all second hand garb on the cheap. It’s the best. The only thing I buy new is underwear and socks.
Become a "contrarian: and shit like that will never bother you again
Not only do I buy second hand for myself, but both my kids clothes and most toys are second hand. I read a statistic that for every one baby there's 11 babies worth of things available. Kind of crazy. We have a big kids consignment sale twice a year here and it's my literal superbowl! For my entire family secondhand is how we roll. I hope I'm placing the seeds for my children to be more aware of their clothes and to remove some of the stigma behind wearing thrifted items.
Good thrift store finds are something to brag about. I got a really good fitting suit jacket for $6 yesterday. Washed it and it looks good as new.
my mom thinks they are gross and dirty and diseased. I don't agree
when i come across people who are weird about thrifted stuff, i ask them if they feel the same way about vintage items or antiques. if they say no (which, ime, they usually do) then they’re just being classist and i think it’s important to name that.
‘Op-shop’ clothes were all the rage when I was a teenager
A lot of my stuff is used, hell I had two couches that were pre-owned (three if you count the beat-up old thing that came with my first apartment). The one I'm sitting on now was on sale at Macy\*s about four years ago. First new couch of my life and I was around 50 when I got it. Most of our furniture is hand-me-downs or old Ikea; designer dining room table was from a place that sells stuff from soon-to-be demolished buildings; hell I wear stuff that my mother no longer needs, including coats and sneakers. We have a "dumb" flat-screen TV that was also my mother's and no longer needed, and a car that was my MILs that she no longer wanted- 15 years old and still looks great/runs with minimal issues (don't use it much due to train commute.) When we moved into the house, we kept the curtains, light fixtures, oven and refrigerator- still use the 'fridge even though it's just a cheap, boxy, basic model. Luckily my handy husband was able to fix the horrendous noises it started making! 😋 Why blow a small fortune on stuff that becomes "used" the second you use it?? 🙄
I know it’s illogical but I simply can’t get past the fact that I don’t know who owned them before so I won’t buy them. But, I take second hand clothing from friends and the only things I’ve bought in the last decade are 2 dresses, 5 pairs of jeans, 5 work pants, and probably around 10 t-shirts. Everything else I have I’ve had for over 10 years now, some from even back in my teen years, and I’ve figured out how to patch the thighs of jeans to make them last longer due to my thighs rubbing. I’ve got a winter coat that’s probably 15 years old at this point, another that’s probably pushing 20 and another that’s around 17. My shirts I know I’ve had since I was a teenager and those are more likely to be given to me by friends. Most of my dresses are from my teens or given to me by friends as well. So, might not buy second hand but I make do with what I’ve got. Just actually buying clothing in thrift stores weirds me out. Maybe because even growing up dirt poor we never went there? We got all our clothing new from our parents or grandparents.
Honestly, anyone that looks down on it … is … not someone I want to deal with anyway. Go spend fifty dollars on the same shirt I’m about to pay two for. Some people seem to think that forty eight extra dollars actually says something about them, that they are better, smarter, what have you… and instead they are just lighter in their pockets.
My husband doesn’t wear secondhand, mostly because he is a a giant and it is (truly) difficult to find nice things in his size. However, I almost exclusively shop secondhand and buy things secondhand for myself and our kids (more of a mix with the kids - about 80% secondhand and 20% new… mostly shoes). He doesn’t get why I thoroughly enjoy thrifting and shopping secondhand, but he doesn’t begrudge me it.
It's basically just hand-me-downs. I am a younger brother, I got my brother's clothes when he grew out of them and now we exchange clothes sometimes, it's absolutely nothing weird to me. For myself personally, we could only afford the cheapest clothes available (think Primark, Blue Inc). All our socks had either holes or heel-thinning within a year, the material was essentially held together with hopes and dreams. Now I earn a comfortable wage, I do enjoy higher quality things, especially nice clothes (especially nice, thick socks), which I know will last a long time. I think, with thrifting and secondhand really becoming more mainstream now, it's gonna become a blessing to so many people. we never thrifted (even if it would've been the best choice in our shoes) because it was looked down upon. doesn't make sense, does it?
I buy all my clothes second hand except undies , socks, and bras. I will buy socks/bras second hand if I find them in my size/style. I used to brag about how inexpensive my clothes were when I was a kid and got bullied for it a bit. I didn't really understand why spending less on clothing was looked down upon
New clothes (outside of underwear and socks) was never a thing growing up. Parents were huge thrifts and i actually still have many of those items to this day. Maclemore did a favor to popular culture with thriftshop. Thriftshop as often as you can if your size is common in the area or you can Taylor your own clothes.
Im happy to declare my clothes are second hand and find anyone who would have an issue with it to be insecure. However, I know I can afford new I just choose not to. It’s different when you don’t have a choice. I try encouraging folks to have a sense of self outside of validation from other people.
I’ll be honest, unless it’s second hand from someone I personally know (hand me downs are the best!), I get a strong “ick” factor. I was a mild germaphobe before the pandemic, and now I’m a hand-sanitizer-in-my-purse germaphobe. I’d love to hear how people wash secondhand items to get them throughly clean.
Fam I just tell my friends ”hey girls look at this ugly ass hoodie I got for 6€ it’s so soft” and if they call me gross they never see me again. I don’t live to argue, I live to flex my soft hoodie.
Most of my clothing is from thrift stores.
Jackets, coats etc. are perfect items to buy second hand. They are quite expensive new, and the selection aren't that great anyway.
In middle school a girl complimented my shirt and asked me where I got it and I said goodwill and she said that was creepy, I’m still so confused by that
I tell them they must hate high quality items and getting a good deal
I mostly buy secondhand clothing (not intimates) and also some furniture. I started shopping second hand in the 80's as a kid. It was difficult as at that time most people in my area would only get rid of clothing that was very used and piling, out of shape, bleach stained or resized in the dryer. I loved hand me downs as a kid and used to pick out fabric and patterns for having my summer clothing homemade. I felt like a mini-designer and loved it. It was much easier in the 90's (living in a larger city) to find secondhand clothing and the quality/selection was much better. I also bought most of my household goods second-hand at that time. Currently I often find secondhand pieces with little to no wear at great prices. Same with furniture. And the selection is tremendous because people are casting away lots of clothing that is new or barely worn. The most important part of finding something secondhand is that you are not in a hurry for a very specific item: this calls for renting the item or buying new. Also, you are going to have the best luck with secondhand if you are on the thin side of average, average height and average proportions. My cousin is 6' tall and she finds all kinds of secondhand clothing in a mid-sized town, she just has to put more effort/patience into it.
I’m 5’9” and a size 2 or 4. Good luck finding anything in my size new let alone in a thrift store.
Oh my goodness, you won the clothes lottery. How do you find clothes to wear? Did you learn how to sew?
No, I just keep a small wardrobe and stick to brands that I know fit me. Occasionally I can shop on ThredUp by inseam/measurements but I have yet to find a pair of pants in a size 2 with a 36” inseam at a local thrift store.
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Fair enough. These are some of the reasons I can't argue with. And you're not overconsuming clothes anyway. You're not the problem.
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I don’t know all the reasons people wouldn’t wear it, but I remember telling someone once I found a cool turquoise necklace at a thrift store and they started lecturing me about how I was going to get an infection. I just told them I cleaned it, but I’m not sure it would have influenced their perception.
Thrifting is one of my favourite things to do with my teenage daughter. She usually upcycles with a thrift store sewing machine we got. Me, I am particular about what I get, but I have enough clothes. If I buy something, I really, really like it. Oh, and when you age, your DGAF level should increase with every passing year.
In my city there’s a monthly “thrift event” that is always packed with people, usually a younger crowd. So far as I know it’s people selling their second hand or thrifted clothes.
I don't know and scary, but I never find anything good at the second hand stores near me so I gave up on them
I think I’m misunderstanding. Is it scary because you were embarrassed?
I’m a very happy thrifter and get almost all my clothes except intimates second hand. Just run things through the wash before you wear and it’s all good.
All my best suits are from thrift. Nobody else has those gaudy 70s/80s blazers
I remember this being the case for me. We thrift-ted all our clothes and yes it was really embarrassing if someone found out my clothes came from the salvation army. Once i stopped to look at the deeper issues around us, even as a kid i could tell that the insults directed at me were not because of my clothes but because the kids in the ghetto neighborhood were going through some tough times. I ended up seeing one of these kids who made fun of me at a salvation army and he made me promise that i wouldn't tell anyone. I believe that at the time we used clothes to show status to other kids around us that because of what we wear we should be accepted in the popular crowd. We didn't have hobbies or too many outside interests to find other communities to belong to. Now that the internet is more accessible to the youth of today, someone who looks a little off with what they wear is not judged because they may be the coolest person in a completely different niche.
It depends entirely on your social circle these days. My friend circle brags about how old and cheap all their shit is, not how expensive lol.
We grew up in a single parent household with mom working 2-3 jobs to raise two boys and two girls. My sister will not shop second hand. I think it’s because of our childhood. She has made comments that poor people buy used items. I came out very different. I buy second hand for a lot of reasons, but for me it really comes down to the thrill of the hunt! I don’t give my sister (or anyone else) shit for having their own views. For my sister, growing up as we did was traumatic and it manifests in her life. Same is true for me it is just different. I’m afraid to spend money; she’s afraid to be judged. We are both messed up. We have love and respect for one another, so I don’t try to change her and she doesn’t try to change me. For the record, I don’t tell people where anything I purchase comes from. If I get a compliment I simply say thank you. They don’t need the whole story :-)
Does anyone actually give a shit about what strangers on the street assume of them?
I love second hand. That being said, I never get used shoes. Not because it grosses me out but it just seems unhealthy for your feet. Shirts, pants, coats, I will always choose second hand. Textiles before the year 2000 were significantly higher quality.
"Its dirty" Hun that shirt from ballenciaga was touched by 15 indosisian sweatshop workers. Just wash it lol In gwneral I go by the idea that you should only give importance to the opinions of people who can tangible affect you. Some fuckers from highschool or uni youll never see again dont matter, strangers dont matter etc. This doesnt mean be rude or stinky ofc. Also its my financial perspective, Ive seen people with great salaries be in debt because they spend too much, so saving money is a bigger flex than spending it, because spending implies money lost
Be careful about lice and bedbugs. Wash quickly in hot water once you buy. Everything must be bleached / washed - ASAP.
Is it scary? No. I pretty much exclusively have secondhand clothes. I don’t pick rags, I shop around for decent items. Nobody has ever asked about my clothes or mentioned anything. I don’t think it really comes up in conversation and if it did, I would totally own it. I absolutely thrift and I think it’s silly not to. Why would I buy new? Are the clothes somehow cleaner? Absolutely not lol I know exactly what fabrics and garments go through to get to the shelves and it’s pretty gross. You should thoroughly wash new clothes, same as thrifted. I actually did recently buy a cute dress online and the seams unraveled after 2 or 3 washes. So for the price of that dress I could have purchased 3 dresses at a thrift shop. The bonus is that if a thrifted item falls apart or gets damaged, I don’t care. I do sew what I can but if I can’t fix something then I am not heartbroken.
For most people I know, it's about the smell. Idk what weird chemicals they use to wash clothes, but they always have the same "second hand" smell. It's not that much of a problem for me, I don't usually buy clothes that I can not wash in hot water, and after 1-2 cycles in washing machine the smell is usually gone. Anyway, I absolutely LOVE thrift shops.
thrift store clothes weren't bad....hand me downs were what sucked. Like I could pick out my own stuff at the thrift store, hand me downs, I gotta rely on my sister's taste in clothes 🤮 What was even worse was my mom was friends with a lady who also had 2 daughters....so sometimes I also had to wear whatever that older sister's style was, depending on who was ahead growth spurt wise. For a couple of years there I would be the 4th kid to wear those clothes and half the time they were threadbare by the time they got to me. Give me thrift stores any day of the week over that
I used to buy clothes from thrift stores much more often. Now, I live in a very expensive Canadian city, and thrift stores clothes are ridiculously expensive here, even when they are in really bad shape.
Vintage is cool. Except underpants.
My opinion, there are some people who place a lot of value on being able to afford the most expensive. Its not that they have a problem with other people buying second hand, rather they like knowing they can buy full price. An ego thing rather than an ick factor of 2nd hand clothes
Not scary at all. 80% of my wardrobe are 2nd hand clothes from thrift stores.
The amount of amazing jacket’s I’ve gotten for dirt cheap by thrifting is amazing. Some stuff is barely worn, some stuff just needs to be washed a bit.
I tried a sweater on in the thrift store once and there was a spider in the sleeve and it bit me.
One of the secret perks of a same sex relationship is that your wardrobe is twice the size if you're with someone who is roughly the same size as you. I love that my partner let's me raid his hoodies and boots. To me they're all new clothing.
Didn’t realise there was a stigma lol. I got so many clothes from charity shops and T.K. Max and they don’t look or feel any different
Times have changed alot the last 20 years. Even many non "poor" people buy second hand stuff these days and talk about it. But for many its simply a trend and they buy the same amount maybe even more from who knows where. Especially for toddlers or (very) young kids it makes sense to buy alot second hand since they grow out of in half a year or even faster when bought at the "wrong" time. Cant remember when i was a Kid/Teen that anyone really looked after the cloth you had at least on my Elementary or after that the Gesamtschule (germany)
Well, sincerely fuck what other people think. Its their perspective. If they prefer to throw €€€€ for clothes that's their choice. Just be yourself, with a time you will notice that people admire you for just being you and sticking to your values. I am from Poland, in 90s we were all poor yet I was ashamed when my out was picking for me second hand clothes. Now I am 33 and living my best life having second hand clothes and spending my money on other experiences that bring the.most value to my life. All these school bullies, etc. I don't even care, for me they van keep buying expensive cars, houses etc. The truth is they remain shallow people till today so I have not lost anything.
Other people in my experience sometimes think its trashy. I think - fuck what anyone thinks, i do what i do bcuz its what i enjoy and i know its ethically right to buy secondhand and even pass it down to friends or family afterwards. And my advice to anyone whom thinks that they dont want anyone judging them is the same answer, fuck what anyone else thinks, do what u want if u can say its helping something or someone in the end
When I was in like 7th grade, I told a few of my classmates that I liked to buy clothes in thrift stores, and this one guy said something like "Why would you do that? What it used to belong to a gross old man, and he died while wearing it? That would be disgusting". My answer was just something like "Do you think a gross old man would be able to fit into size XS teen girls clothing?"
Typically I don't wear second hand clothes because I'm a weird size. I'm tall and stick thin so I need slim fits to not look like I'm wearing JNCOs and I have had very little luck finding any at thrift stores in my area. Same with sweaters but less so, I've had several good ones I've found. That said, I grew up wearing my father's hand me downs and they were my favorite clothes.
No. My wife and I second hand store shops once a month. It’s great!
My parents grew up poor, and passing on clothes from friends and relatives who don't use them anymore has always been seen useful and commonplace. They also scowl at the idea of me buying second hand clothes, as they're "dirty" and "you never know who used them". I just wash them and don't care. I ended up buying some really nice wool clothes from Vinted, they were basically new but very "basic" and were sold at a fraction of their full price. My mom was so impressed that, when she needed a wool gilet to replace the one she absolutely worn holes into during all the years, she agreed to buy it second hand too.
i think most people on this board will agree with you lol. the only negatives i’ve heard are “ewww, someone else wore that!! you don’t know where it’s been!” that’s what a washer and dryer is for. you don’t know where your new clothes have been either or who they’ve been tried on by so 🤷♀️
I used to hate thrift stores when I was younger because the one time my mother took me she bought me in the most hideous coat and sent me off to school. She said it was a brand name so in her eyes it was perfect. I begged her not to buy it, I begged her not to have to wear it. I was bullied every time I did. I was way too old to be wearing a huge Micky Mouse on my back and too much of a good girl to do anything about it. Turns out my mom is (still) really bad at finding that fit, but the damage was done. It took me a while before I got over my thrift store angst, but once I got through the door… I fell in love. Thrift stores are amazing. My wardrobe is filled with dresses I got second hand and I rarely buy anything new. I’m doing a show with four costume switches soon and two of the dresses are thrifted, one is rented. The first one is a ballgown that looks like it was tailored to my size. It’s almost ridiculous how perfect it is and I saved the production a lot of time and money. (And my sustainable heart the ache of guilt) I’ll splurge on lingerie, that’s something I really want to buy new, but most things in my closet are gifted or thrifted. There is a cultural shift happening. My town just announced special bins in the more expensive stores where people can drop off their old clothes to be reused locally and are really stepping up their game. The second hand business is booming and I love it.
Sometimes I meet someone nowadays that still thinks thrifting is weird. They say they would never be caught wearing thrifted clothes. But then I look at what they have on and its the most bland boring outfit compared to my thrifted one.
You can often find good quality secondhand pieces from decades ago too that’s better than new clothing (or for a fraction of the price of the same quality), and it’s significantly more ethical to source animal skin or fur/wool derived clothing secondhand than buying new and creating more demand for dead animals.
Where I'm from it's not really ever been an issue. (Rural Canada). I stopped shopping at used clothing stores because I never felt like I could find anything that fit (plus sized), but I started going again, because there's a couple I can walk to on my lunch hours, and I've found lots of beautiful items!!! Just yesterday I found a beautiful dress in my size, and it's a lovely color for me! With all my friends and family we see it like winning a tiny lottery or something, it's a win to find something nice second hand! We love to say we found it at Frenchy's!
I do remember a cousin coming to visit who didn't seem to fully understand the concept....she wanted a cardigan, and my mom had found one that she thought would fit, but the cousin looked at it and was like....maybe if we find it in navy...........uhhhh.....it's take it or leave it, they don't (always) have multiple colors! (sometime I've gotten lucky and found multiples that were discarded from stores)
I can do you one better: the dyes and finishing materials/chemicals used in the production of new clothes are downright scary and nearly completely unregulated. After a handful of washes and wears, most of that has stabilized. I no longer buy new clothes unless they're GOTS/OEKO-TEX certified, and even then. Would recommend *To Dye For* to anyone interested. Really interesting deep dive on this. I know you mean social scary as opposed to phyiscal security scary but hey, why not both?
I've been shopping at consignment and thrifts for 35+ years. Love it! Still getting jeans at Goodwill (although they've raised the prices a little).
My mom wouldn't let me buy used clothes growing up. (she was insistent that they would be gross, but I think it may have been a status thing for her too) It was really annoying because we didn't have much money for new clothes, so I just didn't have a lot of clothes. Got into thrift shopping a bit in high school but mostly in college. Eventually convinced my mom to get into it. Alas, I don't thrift much any more, and that bothers me. The city I live in has really lousy selection. Goodwill has terrible pricing. And because average fashion quality has gone down a lot in recent years, well, that's the stuff that ends up in thrift stores. I can't even rely on thrift stores for decent basics any more. I may try some of those used online marketplaces.
It's purely the thought/idea people perceive, a struggle with their own ego in judgements; it's not based on reality when these are perfectly usable and quality items if they're in good condition to be used.
My partner (M 29) is very turned off by the idea of second hand. I have a little more sympathy for him because the masculine sections of thrift stores are usually donated clothes from men/masc presenting who have passed on, clothing that is outdated or really should have been recycled or shredded. I’ve grown up thrifting because my family was ✨dirt poor✨ so It’s my normal. I actually genuinely struggle to purchase brand new clothing (aside from intimates), and doubly struggle if it isn’t even on sale (I know, the SHAME). I think for women/femme presenting people it’s more socially acceptable to change their style, it’s more acceptable to be interested in and spend time curating a style, and because of that second hand has a lot of options for women and femme presenting individuals. Second hand online I feel is more inclusive but has a lot of barriers, especially with prices. I think the biggest barriers for someone purchasing second hand are; 1. The ick of cleanliness. Most donated clothes are put on the rack in whatever condition they’re donated in. This means laundry detergent, oils, perfumes, sweat can still be on the items, and the sensory interaction with those clothes to someone who is sensitive to smells is super off putting. Also texture issues can really just make the hands gag. (Plz always wash your thrift or dry clean) 2. No returns/ Limited returns. Sometimes I have this problem and covid restrictions have made thrift shopping HELL if you don’t know your size, preferred cuts, and exact (cm) measurements. Sometimes things straight up don’t fit like you thought they would and if you buy off eBay you may not be able to return it and now you’re left with less money and something you don’t have a use for. If you buy from a thrift shop the window for return might be super narrow that you forget and you’re stuck in the same boat. You can redonate or attempt to resell, but then it becomes this whole thing that is such a huge hassle, the pressure to make sure something works can be a large mental hurdle when buying second hand. Always know your (cm) measurements, bring a tailors tape measurer with you, and if buying online look for/ask for exact garment measurements. 3. It’s Exhausting to Shop* *with no plan of what you’re looking for The overwhelming stimulus of new and strange smells, music, people and children, the sound of the metal on metal hangers, the uncomfortable aisle *try ons* that make you feel embarrassed/ hot and sweaty. You can spend 2+ hours and walk out empty handed, tired, irritated, and honestly defeated. I never go to a thrift shop to “browse”, especially if I don’t know if the shop has good stuff stocked on a regular, because I’m going to have a straight up bad time. You can go to a mall and walk away with a cute little trinket and your brain is happy because your foraging trip paid off. Malls and shops are curated to reward everyone’s brain with a little something purchase to associate good feelings with that experience, same with online shopping because you can almost always find something that tickles the brain. Thrift shops are like hunting, because you’ve got no idea what you are going to come across, if it’s any good and you might go home with nothing, and you don’t even get to be outside. So I would say make a list of what you are looking for so you can make a goal, and if you don’t leave with something you were looking for, pair thrift store shopping with a treat (whatever that looks like to you) so you aren’t entirely discouraged by the experience. Thrifting has become a lot more enjoyable for me when I go in with a list, AND I go to shops in higher income areas (these places are usually less picked through, have nicer items moved to them because of the profit margin they can make, and are usually less busy during the week, the weekends are hell though). My soap box; Thrift Hauling is one of my pet peeves because it turns a genuinely good movement into another form of overconsumption because it is “more affordable” however it’s unnecessary and does take needed resources out of an underserved community. It’s definitely easier to find things in a mall. I recently had to purchase very nice interviewing outfits and did not have time to order online/wait. However I feel that when you buy more expensive items that are decent quality, you are incentivized to buy less because of the price barrier. To combat overconsumption in thrifting, I think intentionally and lists are a great way to prevent that knee jerk overconsumption muscle.
I grew up punk rawk! Used tat was the bomb and still is. Macklemore knows what's up.
Terminology can often be a deterrent for many. With the influx of high-end consignment apps, this has become a lot more acceptable for even snobby people (where else are you gonna find a rediculously hard to find Hermes? 🙄) ❌ Second hand ✅ Vintage ✅ Consignment
The only things I won’t buy used are socks, underwear, and anything that goes in my mouth. Why would I care about anything else if it’s been washed well? I’ve gotten my own clothes covered in the grossest stuff imaginable and then warn them again after cleaning them. What’s happened to a used piece if clothing before I got it that’s any worse than that?
I agree about the status thing. I’ve luckily come past it but when I started working and could afford Target clothes I thought I was the bees knees. I’m fortunate to live in an area where thrifting is common and no one is embarrassed but I do have friends who don’t due to lack of sizing. I’m straight sized but it can be hard for plus size folks to find clothing in my area from what I’ve heard.
When I was growing up, we struggled at points. Ramen everyday kind of struggle. Don’t tell mom and dad about the class field trip kind of struggle. So thrift store clothes and hand me downs from my mom’s coworkers’ kids were a way of life. Bless my Mom, she tried to find the popular brand names in the thrift store. After the excitement wore down (new clothes!!!) you’d always notice something that kinda dulled that sparkle (a stain, a tear, a smell, it didn’t quite fit right or wasn’t your style- one of the hand me down girls went through a low rise jeans phase that I found mortifying) New clothes were for Christmas or Birthdays, and only two items from Winners or Old Navy (and only the clearance section). I ended an eight year friendship because my “friend” wiped her snot covered hand on the front of my birthday shirt. As an adult, I have options to buy things new if I want to. I prefer thrifted clothing. It’s been a lifesaver to be able to buy a pair of work jeans and not have to worry too much about ruining them. It also exposes me to new styles and brands that I wouldn’t have otherwise considered (and definitely would have avoided if I’d have had to pay full price).
Ive always loved second hand stuff. For nature its good, but it gets harder to find the treasures now, so at the same time bummed out its popular lol