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

[disneysteve]

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

I find going to garage sales and second had stores VERY time comsuming. You find something you like, but it's not like you can just pick it out in your size.

I think this is true to some extent, although there have also been plenty of times when I, or especially my wife, went to regular stores and malls and browsed in several different stores, tried things on and left with nothing.

I think thrift shopping is easier for guys because sizes actually mean something. If I find a shirt that is 15-1/2 32-33, I know it will fit. I don't need to try it on. And if I find pants that are 32-32, same thing. With women's clothing, the size doesn't really mean anything. An 8 can be too big, too small or just right depending on the company and style.

[rags2riches]

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

I would dress myself or if I had kids in thrift clothes. That said I don't shop at thrift stores and the few times I"ve gone to thrift stores the clothing hasn't really been my taste.

[beebop25blue25]

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

Absolutely!!!!!! I always shop the thrift/goodwill's first! Then if I can't find it there, I will shop elsewhere!! I've got some great finds at these stores for me, hubby, and all the kids! I think it's a great way to dress for less

[markio26]

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

i buy wherever i find my target buy price... i only pay $3 and under for shirts and tops...
$5 and under for 6 pairs of white socks, and 3 pairs of underwear... my mil buys sweaters for $0.10 each at church sales, and i swear that they are almost new and namebrand......it depends....

[veronak]

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

I am always at the thrift store,I find some really good buys; like Joes Jeans for $2 BCBG for $3. The only thing I won't buy are shoes and underwear...and I don't think I could use the dishes

[disneysteve]

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

I don't think I could use the dishes

If you stick with non-porous materials like glass and Corelle, you'd be fine. Run those through the dishwasher at the full heat setting and they are sterile. I wouldn't be quite so sure about stoneware.

[Elgin526]

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

Yes, but only if it doesn't LOOK like we are wearing thrift store clothes! Quality, name brand or designer clothes in exellent condition? Sure, why not! I don't do this myself because it's almost impossible to find clothes like this in thrift stores around here unless you get very lucky, the "good stuff" flies off the shelf as fast as it comes in, and I don't have the time or want to put in the effort requried to hunt for the deals. So I settle for buying stuff off the clearance racks instead. I just bought 5 tops and a skirt at JC Penney for $56, and I also just bought two skirts I've had my eye on for MONTHS at Eddie Bauer for less than half price. It's not as good a deal as buying at a thrift store, but it's sure as heck beats paying the orriginal price on the tag!

[momx5]

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

We have shopped garage sales and thrift stores for years. Passing clothes from one family to another is not only thrifty, it's fun. BTW, we prefer the term recycled clothing around here. And that fits in well with our goal to "Go GREEN".

[living_in_oz]

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

No, and here's why:

It is icky to me. There are some things that really skeeve me out, and used clothing is one of them. Clothes from a friend or family member I can do, but from a stranger reaaaly grosses me out. I also can't eat of dishes, use glasses or utensils that I know are antiques and came from an antique store. Some antique stores make me feel icky and I can't touch anything in there. Some I am ok in.

I'm odd.

Okay, so do you never go out to eat? You do realize don't you that hundreds, if not thousands of people have eaten off the plates, forks, glasses, cloth napkins at restaurants before you?

Do you never try on new clothes before buying and washing them? You do realize that people have tried on those clothes before you bought them don't you?

When you sit down at a restaurant, movie theatre, or ANY public place do you realize how many butts have been sitting on the very same spot before you?

Amy D(author of the Tightwad Gazette) calls this the Squeamish Factor. Lots of people don't like wearing used clothes but don't realize how much they eat, sit, etc, after other people. It's one of those things I "got over" a long time ago when I realized this.

[Coleroo]

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

I LOVE clothes shopping at the thrift store!!! I just discovered it this past year... as a teen back in the day I use to spend all of my paychecks in the malls and only have one or two things to show for it. NOW that Im in my mid 20s and married, I had to learn the hard way that blowing my pay at the mall is no longer an option - especially since I have a hubby I like to buy for too!

Now, since discovering thrift stores, I would be loathe to purchase retail! I am better dressed NOW than I was when I bought the mall clothes (when I would buy the cheap ("badly made") stuff like from rage or wherever, or the cheaper clearance stuff at the other stores. Today my husband and I have almost exclusively named brand stuff - I LOVE banana republic (their fit does me well) and have lots of it.. as well as gap, old navy, american eagle, hollister, twenty-one. My favorite brand to find for my hubby is Nautica (he looks so hot in them! and their shirts are to DIE for to sleep in... soooooo soft! ahh!).

We have a thrift store down here called "His House" and all clothing is $1.00, and usually if you have a buggy full the attendant will just ring you up with a flat $10 and no more! Found my dad a crisp brand new white long sleeve nordstrom shirt there, plenty of eddie bauer shirts, gap, and tons of old navy as well for hubby. Right before Christmas I found a brand new GAP boys dress shirt that was perfect for my little cousin - it still had a $34 gap sales tag on it. My price? $1.00 :-D

Another place I love to shop, although not as cheap as His House, is Ebay. For part of DH's christmas present I wanted to get him a new wardrobe since he had outgrew his (thanks to his wife's love of cooking.. whoops.. lol). Going to the mall (or even walmart!) was out of the question if i wanted more than 2 outfits. On ebay, I scored over 25 name brand sweaters and dress shirts (nautica, jc penny, tommy, jcrew, old navy, american eagle, eddie bauer, structure), 2 corduroy jackets from old navy, pairs of nautica jeans, an adidas sports jacket and basketball jersey --- 75% of which were brand new with tags.. and I only spent $150 total (in pure cash! hubby worked OT all during november so we would have cash at christmas and not have to use credit or miss any bills!). Yes, ebay does have its scammers out there and plenty of "fake" merchandise but if you do your research, everything usually comes out fine - all of my experiences have been great, and the clothes are excellent quality!

Anyway - thrift store shopping excites me! Growing up as lower middle class, I have never been able to dress in "quality" (and never really knew how) so I get want to tell the world when I find something of quality (like DH's new fully lined Macy's sportscoat!) at the thrift store for $1.00!! Well.. maybe not the whole world... maybe just a few who truly understands and will get excited with me.. lol

[markio26]

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

we don't have any thrift stores on the island.....and near our other home... just a goodwill....

[daphneg2006]

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

I love going to the thrift stores for shopping. This year it was the only affordable place to buy my 15 year old daughter Fleece one piece pajamas! I got a pair of new green ones that were Nordstroms brand with the tag still on. I also got 2 pairs of Target brand one iwht tag and other you could tell was new and they have cost me from 7 for the Nordstroms pair and $2.50 on a 50% sale day for one pair and $4.99 for the other pair! Online these were running around $30.00 or more. I also buy my picture frames there. I paid .99 cents today and they cost me $3.00 at Walmart. I have bought some name brand clothing with the tags still attached. I get a lot of Party Lite candles and holders at thrift stores as well. I buy most of my skirts there now and hubbies tee shirts. My 12 year old son just can't be told it was from a thrift store. He is into name brands from the mall! If he only knew!

[richinspirits]

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

i love thrift stores, and have for my whole life! i love vintage fashion and look for fun old pieces. i also have to buy a lot of professional clothes for work....and i have found that i have been going to the thrift stores less lately because it does seem to take a lot of time to find things there amidst the disorganization!

one thing that is interesting is that one of the goodwill stores here often gets regular deliveries of stuff from target. it must be the stuff that didn't sell from the last season, i am not sure, i am not a big target person....but they had a whole rack of the issac mizrahi shoes, new with tags on, obviously never worn. and other people mentioned finding clothing with tags still on. i think that even those who don't want things worn by other people can find things at the thrift stores!

[emmiedahl]

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

I buy everything but socks, underwear, and shoes at thrift stores. You do have to pick through things, but isn't that true of all bargain shopping?

When I worked at Macy's, we had people try on jeans without underwear and even several times have (ahem) intimate relations in the fitting rooms on top of piles of clothing. We never threw anything away--if it looked fine, it went back out on the rack and if it didn't, it went to TJ Maxx or Ross. I figure you aren't getting pristine clothes no matter where you shop.

Most of the parents I know who refuse to use thrift stores end up dressing their kids in poor quality or out-of-date clothing. They tell me they would never buy used garments, then wonder how I can afford to keep such a large family dressed so nicely. My children look like I stroll into Nordstrom and buy whatever I want, but I don't spend more than $50 a month clothing 8 people. My latest buy--a like-new Kate Spade handbag from the 2006 collection for $4.99. The two women next to me were whining that there was nothing but cr*p on the purse racks.

So, a resounding yes on the thrift store question.

[emmiedahl]

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

[QUOTE=boefixepa]
Another point is time. I find going to garage sales and second had stores VERY time comsuming. QUOTE]

It is definitely time consuming, but so is all clothing shopping. How many times have I gone to the mall and emerged four or more hours later with NOTHING? WalMart and the like are even worse because the clothes fall apart so quickly that I'm back next week to replace the item, and every week thereafter until I wise up and take the time to pick through the Goodwill racks.