Cheap Frills
It’s National Secondhand Wardrobe Day. Are you celebrating? If you’re opposed to wearing used clothing, you probably don’t grasp the thrill of boosting your wardrobe for less. Secondhand clothes shopping can be stylish, fun, and a considerable bargain.
You can find used clothing at various places, such as thrift stores, vintage stores, consignment stores, and especially online.
Mixing up old and new fashion is chic. Often the quality of retro and vintage clothing is superior to modern garments. At the very least, it’s often more interesting and unusual. Why pay more when you can stretch your buying dollars?
For those of us frugal frill seekers, here are some resale shopping tips:
Quality- Look for well constructed garments. Check labels for brand, size, and laundry care. Examine details like zippers, buttons, stains on fabric, and seams. If not purchasing in person, ask questions and request additional pictures from an online seller.
Allot enough time- Some stores don’t organize their display racks well and it could take a considerable amount of time to go through the racks.
Have a handy list of sizes-You might come across something for someone else. Have their sizes written down to refer to as needed.
Shop Often- The racks are restocked often and items are typically one of a kind, so to increase your chances of getting something you love, you need to go shopping more frequently than you would at a new clothing store. (but let’s remain frugal. Don’t shop excessively for wardrobe items that aren’t needed)
Dress comfortably- Try on your potential purchases, if there is a dressing room. Clothing sizes vary. Wearing lighter clothing will make shopping through racks and trying on clothes less cumbersome.
Be Informed-Find out return policies.
For those still not convinced because they view used clothing as icky or possibly dead people’s clothing,(yes, I’ve been told this before) how about purchasing accessories, such as purses or jewelry?
Happy National Secondhand Wardrobe Day. Now is a great time to shop your local thrift stores. Inventory is high this time of year from excessive donations.
Comment and let me know if you celebrate this throughout the year, or if you’d never consider it.
2 out of 5 in the Noel clan are celebrating.
* Note this is a recap from a related previous blog entry: Secondhand not Second Rate.
Posted by Sara Noel
on January 5 2007. Filed under Frugal & simple living.Sara Noel owns Frugal Village, LLC and is a nationally syndicated columnist with Universal Uclick. Bio, Follow me on Twitter, Join us on Facebook
Woohoo! We are big time second hand lovers here. Both giving & recieving.I think it’s wonderful how you can just look around & find such wonderful things to make you or your suroundings into a real different extention of who you are or just experiment with a new look without commiting big bucks. Have fun, enjoy!
Sometimes the best things aren’t new things.
1My children are generally clothed head-to-toe in secondhand clothes! We are blessed to have a couple of families at church with kids just older than ours — I don’t think I’ve bought a single thing besides his new Big Boy Underwear for my 3year old sincce he was born! Myself, I’ve had to learn to Just Say No to handmedowns, I tend to take things that don’t fit right or look right on me, and they end up as clutter in my closet. Now if someone offers me something that is just right, I’ll snag that right up!
295% of my clothing is bought second hand (or given to me second hand)….and the other 5% is bought on clearance, lol. I absolutely adore getting things the second or third time around….especially when it’s obvious that it hasn’t been used much and it still has tons of life yet.
3I love thriftshop clothing. At least half of my clothes are from thrift shops, and it’s probably the better half! Since I’ve become hooked on thrifting, when I go to a regular retail clothing store and look at the prices, I just laugh.
I’ve also given some amazing gifts from thrift stores, especially books and Christmas ornaments.
I did run into trouble in that I was filling the house with the clutter of too many doo-dads and such. For some things, objects that delight me, I find I do better just to take a photograph of it. Somehow it fills the need. Weird.
–LisaJay
4I love second hand clothes from my mom and sister. We swap clothes with each other to enhance our wardrobe choices. My mom and sister love to shop, I basically just welcome their hand me downs. Once in awhile I pass clothes on to them that they haven’t seen yet. I also like shopping at yard sales or thrift stores for my wardrobe. My wardrobe is almost entirely second hand, except for my undergarments and socks. I buy the undergarments on sale and with gift cards. I get the socks as gifts. If I buy anything new it’s on sale and with gift cards.
5Yippie!
I can’t remember the last time I bought new clothing (unless it was on the goodwill rack with the tags still on it!)
6All my clothes are secondhand except my undergarments.
7I see I’m the only one that has not gotten in to the thrill of the second hand clothing. I guess I have a mental block. My Mother never bought stuff like that for us when we were growing up. Actually, she made a lot of our clothing. Especially when we were babies and toddlers. We don’t have an overabundance of clothing, but we have enough. I may go exploring and check out some of the local consignment shops.
8I was raised in a second-hand and hand-me-down family. When I was a kid, I thought I was square be be clothed in used, second-hand clothes. Now I know it’s the smart thing to do.
Part of the thrill with buying at thrift stores or garage sales is knowing that you got the whole bag for $5. Today, you can’t even buy a quality t-shirt for that.
9I am celebrating today with a shirt I am wearing.
I love hand-me-downs and second hand stores. Just think of the money we save by shopping second hand.
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