Would you dress yourself or your kids in thrift store clothing?

[LittleGopher]

Re: Would you dress yourself or your kids in thrift store clothing?

With four girls, how could I not?!!

Seriously, my older girls like pulling together outfits all their own style, and not like anyone else's. We frequent two thrift shops - a nice big general shop that receives high quality donations (many items are new with tags) and Plato's Closet (caters to teens and the younger crowd with nary a waist-hitting pair of jeans on their racks.) I love the prices!

Underclothes and shoes we buy new - though we pass down shoes within our family when not too worn (dressy or fun shoes) or outgrown too quickly (due to amazing growth spurts.) We also accept all pass-along clothes from friends and coworkers (and we pass our discards right along too.) We fill in the wardrobes at clearances and sales as needed too, as we aren't always able to find everything at thrift shops. I've yet to send a girl to school without clothes, or with clothes too embarassing to be seen in!

[Ima saver]

Re: Would you dress yourself or your kids in thrift store clothing?

Sure I would. I worked in one as a volunteer, and we tried to throw out everything that was really old, stained, etc. Kids clothes went so fast, it was scary. I have not been in one for a while, but only cause i don't need anything and don't want to be tempted!

[pearlieq]

Re: Would you dress yourself or your kids in thrift store clothing?

I fully intend to outfit my kids there and I wish I could buy myself things there, but I can never seem to find my size, plus my local Goodwill is not well organized by size and it becomes tedious and frustrating to sort through the racks.

I don't see anything "icky" about it. I would give everything a good washing, but otherwise, how is that any different from buying new clothes? If you think about it, how many people do you imagine tried on any piece of clothing you'd buy in the store? To each his own, I guess...

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Re: Would you dress yourself or your kids in thrift store clothing?

Sometimes I see that donated items have the tags from a dry cleaners on them. I do think that the vast majority of people freshly wash the items they are donating before they give. I know I do. Sometimes I'll even iron them beforehand. I don't think many dirty items actually get donated. Even so, of course I wash what I buy.

I'm very overweight and used to rarely find anything that would fit. But as the rest of society has tended to gain weight, it has gotten much easier to find my big size.

My biggest problem is that the re-sellers all know the schedules by which various sorts of items are stocked into the various charity thrift stores. So they and their employees snatch up so much of the best stuff before the ordinary shopper gets a chance.Then they re-sell it in their own shops, at higher prices , of course.

I know one store out in the distant suburbs where a larger quantity of better quality stuff seems to be available, but I don't drive out that way often. I never schedule a trip out there just for the thrift store. If I'm in the area I will stop in. I've gotten some great deals there on clothes, furniture, and kitchen items.

Also, my young kids' shelves were stocked with great books from Goodwill!

[lrjohnson]

Re: Would you dress yourself or your kids in thrift store clothing?

I also can't eat of dishes, use glasses or utensils that I know are antiques and came from an antique store.

I wonder if that affects going out to eat?

I worked in a fitting room, and people try stuff on all the time. It seems odd to me that used clothes are that much different to people...or are they not realizing not all new clothing is unworn?

A used piece of clothing that looks good is something you can count on. You already know it's held up through washings, and seams and buttons have stayed, material hasn't pilled, it won't shrink any more, etc. I think that since higher quality clothes last longer, they are more likely to end up in thrift shops.

[kealina]

Re: Would you dress yourself or your kids in thrift store clothing?

no kids yet but of course i would... i love yard sales and if i found a good thrift store i would be there... dressing us that way was one of the best frugal things my mom did...
i remember when i was a teenager my mom asked me if i would prefer to be given the money and allowed to shop retail or if i would rather let her keep buying me yard sale clothes... i absolutely declined... i told her i'd rather have 10 quality used outfits than one...
one of the coolest things about growing up was that i had so much compared to the other kids... we spent a fraction of what others did and people were always asking me about my clothes or teasing me that i was spoiled... my friends joked that i had enough clothes for four people... friends were welcome to borrow from me and i was always able to share with those who were even less fortunate...

[Great to be Debt Free]

Re: Would you dress yourself or your kids in thrift store clothing?

Yes for us! DH and I have fluctuated sizes for the last couple years (we're ata our Weight Watchers goals-- both of us finally!) -- just enough to have to need the next size up/next size down kind of thing. We had the smaller sizes, but anytime we lose enough weight to move down a size, we donate the bigger stuff to try to keep us from needing it again. Some times it works, othertimes...

So when we both needed a size up, we headed to the thrift store. Dh looks better than most of the guys at work (and not just because he's so darn handsome, though he is!), and some of my finds were really stellar. Now it's the first place we go when we need something!

No kids of our own, but I ams ure I would. Baby stuff especially-- almost everything I see there still has tags!

[meaghanchan]

Re: Would you dress yourself or your kids in thrift store clothing?

Heh, I'm the only one so far who voted 'my kids but not me'. I am in my early 20s and like to stay pretty current with fashion. I also live in an area in which it's hard to find thrift stores that aren't 'vintage' stores that mark used clothing up instead of down. I'm a hard size to fit, and have never had much luck finding anything at thrift stores. I gave up, because it just wasn't worth the effort. I don't buy many clothes, and the ones I do buy last me forever. I have a lot of clothing I've had about 10 years (yes, since I was like... 14. Embarassing.) It mainly goes to the gym with me, though.

But kids...? Kids are always growing. Why buy them a lot of expensive clothing that they'll grow out of within the next year? And if it's too big... They'll grow into it.
Of course, I don't have kids now, so my answer is probably a bit biased.

[geojen]

Re: Would you dress yourself or your kids in thrift store clothing?

I totally plan to dress my kids with thrift stores and garage sales. I love on the edge of a swank neighborhood, and some of those garage sales have clothes on sale for a buck that would take me 2 weeks to earn the case for to buy new!! Until my kids are old enough to cause a huge, hairy, stink, second hand it is!!

[benosayi]

Re: Would you dress yourself or your kids in thrift store clothing?

I am in the process of losing quite abit of weight. My ideal was to go to thrift shops until I lose it and they go back to paying full price. I will never go back to full retail. I get like new and new clothes for little or nothing. My daughter has brought great things at thrift stores but my son will not go. I either sew it or buy it at thrift stores.

[Mamaoftwins]

Re: Would you dress yourself or your kids in thrift store clothing?

Oh I love thrift stores and going to yard sales for clothes. Especially for my twin boys. We go through jeans and pants so quickly. When I find really nice clothes at yard sales or thrift stores but they are too large for the twins I store them away in those large plastic bins in my garage and I label them. We've saved a ton of money on clothes for them that way. Some of the clothes I buy look brand new. Ive taught the twins that by buying the used clothes and not spending the $20 + for brand new jeans, shirts etc we have extra money to go to the movies or buy a video game. They love that.

[disneysteve]

Re: Would you dress yourself or your kids in thrift store clothing?

We definitely shop at the thrift stores, especially for my daughter who grows like a weed. It doesn't make sense to pay $20 or more for a pair of jeans for her that will only fit for 3-4 months. Instead, we go to the thrift shop and get 4 pairs for about $15 dollars. When she outgrows them, we just get more. She's also gotten some hooded sweatshirts recently for a couple of dollars each.

My wife also buys clothes secondhand - sweaters, blazers and jeans mainly.

I find it a little more difficult to get myself clothes at the thrift shops, though I still do from time to time. I think men tend to keep their clothing longer, not changing often due to what the fashion police dictate. So what turns up in most shops tends to be more worn or really blatantly out of fashion. The other reason I don't buy much at the thrift shops is simply that I don't buy much clothing. I have pretty much all that I need. A good dress shirt might last me 10-15 years. Pants not quite as long, but still 8-10 years for a decent quality pair.

[MaureensAvon]

Re: Would you dress yourself or your kids in thrift store clothing?

I shop there frequently! I just picked up a GORGEOUS merino wool Calvin Klein coat for $4.50!! Can't beat that with a stick!

[Pupart]

Re: Would you dress yourself or your kids in thrift store clothing?

Some of the best blue jeans I have are from yard sales.
I frequesntly find Liz Claiborne clothes too.
You can get very spolied buying clothes this way! I find so many good deals.
Underwear, shoes and socks are bought brand new... the rest I find at yard sales!

[shengmei]

Re: Would you dress yourself or your kids in thrift store clothing?

I have to go to a nicer thrift store in a better neighborhood. The one in my town regularly have people who go there and buy things to sell on ebay. By the time I get there, all the good stuff is gone.

The funny thing is that everytime I go to a thrift store my husband thinks I am robbing from the really destitute people who starve to death. He thinks that we should save the nice stuff for the people who cannot afford food. I only make $15000 a year. I was like "come on....this is America....I am not that rich by American standards"