OUR FAMILY QUIT BUYING NEW CLOTHES: Why we did + this month’s clothes haul!

UNPACK THIS MONTH'S CHARITY SHOP HAUL WITH ME! 🛍️👗
Join me as I show all the second-hand clothing we found for our family this month! From outfits I love for two family weddings to seasonal essentials for the kids and thoughtful party gifts, we spent over our usual monthly budget, but it balances out with months we need less.
🔔 Remember to like and subscribe for more real-life tips on sustainable, low-footprint family living!
In this video, I also dive into a "podcast style" chat about our journey with second-hand clothes, why it's crucial for us beyond budgeting, and how it has positively impacted my style and confidence. You can listen in the background or watch along!
PLACES WE LOVE TO SHOP USED:
Vinted
Poshmark
Charity/Thrift Shops
Small independent sellers like Stae Store (www.stae.store/)
Oxfam Online (UK) - My husband's favorite with convenient return options! (tidd.ly/4cF7Etg)
PLACES TO SHOP ETHICALLY:
While we stick to our 2023 No New Clothes challenge, here are some ethical brands we trust for those rare new purchases:
ABLE: Apparel, leather goods, jewelry (US) (able.sjv.io/9WXMn0)
NISOLO: B corp shoes (US/UK) (nisolo.uvwgb9.net/oqYNYn)
ROTHYS: Recycled plastic shoes (US/UK) (rothys.sjv.io/JzNr02)
BODEN: Kid's shoes and apparel (worldwide shipping) (sovrn.co/30m6nbm)
NUDIES: Organic denim with lifetime free repairs (www.nudiejeans.com/)
Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
1:10 - My journey in choosing to shop second-hand
2:05 - Lessons from Our 'Year of No New Clothes'
4:34 - Financial benefits
5:29 - Shifting beliefs about used clothes
7:43 - Gifting second-hand items
8:35 - Favorite spots to shop used!
10:45 - Kid's haul
12:55 - Wedding outfits!
16:33 - Total spend breakdown
17:33 - What I love most about second-hand shopping!
Thanks for watching and supporting our journey! 🌿👗✨

[@sabihaedwards8191]

Really identify with letting and relying on the fashion industry telling me how to shop and what's in style. Totally on the vibe of growing in confidence with setting my own style through secondhand buys . Thanks for the inspiration!

[@thewholehome]

I wouldn't have known it was that at the time but as my journey's gone on I can see why my comfort zone was there in the fast fashion industry. Yes to growing confidence and finding our own style!

[@greeneyedmimibostian3013]

I ❤thrift all my clothing ❤ Usa

[@thewholehome]

I love that! What’s your primary motivation for going on that journey?!

[@baywillow9272]

Buying secondhand has been a long journey for me - my parents had relatively low incomes when I was growing up so we’d get half of our things from flea markets and the rest from sales. This came with a stigma at school (especially a bit later on when brands started to matter to people). I loathed used clothes as a child. As a teenager I became a Goth however, which effectively took me out of the normal fashion world, and since specific Goth brands were super expensive, I had to be more creative in putting together outfits that I liked. Much later on (and a change in style) I ended up working in (and then owning) a vintage style shop, with a mix of vintage looking things (which allowed for inclusive sizing), and actual vintage items. What a revelation to realise how much value old things can have, and often much better quality too! I learned that styling is very often the issue with people being willing to buy used items - we could have a vintage dress on the rack for months and as soon as we’d put it on a mannequin with some accessories, it would sell. I think we need to use a bit more imagination whilst shopping secondhand online, and be willing to ask for measurements and what material things are made from, to make for happier secondhand buying experiences. Now with two girls, I’m lucky that we have a lot of girls in the family so hand me down clothing is the norm, and most things get worn by 3-5 girls until being passed on to friends’ children. Second hand is not second best 😊

[@thewholehome]

Thanks so much for your comment! I love people's stories on embracing second hand (and embracing any other practices like this!) cos I think each one helps it feel more normal and speaks to a different person. There is absolutely a stigma that can be attached to second hand for some people. And I think as we celebrate it more, even if people have to do it for financial reasons maybe it won't be tied primarily with the stigma in the the same way - do you think? I love that you owned a vintage style shop. The size inclusivity is real and maybe we need to see more tailoring or repurposing of used items to create more size inclusivity - I'd love to hear more of your thoughts on how we can do that piece better if you have any! And YES on styling - I think it can be so hard for people to find style when it's not given to them by a store. I love that you styled pieces and saw a difference in how they sold. People just need vision for things!

[@baywillow9272]

Sorry for the delay in replying, YT never notifies me about comments! I think the sustainability and planet-friendly approach is the best way to reduce the stigma - I feel like a lot of middle-class people are already there with getting this, it’s the upper and lower echelons of society that hold a real value attached to buying new. Needs a real systemic change in values, which could be achieved if the right people would get on board (somebody like Mrs Hitch comes to mind). Difficult thing to crack! Re styling things: I wonder if having adjustable dressmakers mannequins that people could use for photos at repair shops or libraries etc would be an easy way of helping people make second hand clothing look more appealing when selling online. Just seeing how clothes sit on a body helps a lot, and if they don’t fit you any more, a mannequin is needed to show that. We have an absolutely amazing community wardrobe/clothing bank in Whitby, they have a library of prom dresses that can be borrowed for an event, and hold evenings where they also give advice on hair and makeup whilst you try on the dresses! Fantastic enterprise that will hopefully become more widespread. :)

[@lucyroberts2800]

It’s yayger nice dress

[@thewholehome]

Thank I should have known how to say it! It was such a happy find!

[@jennifermason-cu4mm]

Hi, I’m keen to embrace this way of shopping for clothes, and I’m about 60% there, I gave second hand clothes at Christmas to my daughter and Son-in-law, they were very happy with there gifts. I’m in the process of selling on some of my clothes, however I have several pairs of reusable period pants that are great quality and were expensive to buy at the time, do you know of any platform that I could re sell these?

[@thewholehome]

I love that you do this and gift that way too! And that your family loved them :) I'd say with period pants, trying people in your community is probably the easiest if that's possible. Seeing if anyone needs them or knows someone who would need them. After trying that I'd probably have kept them for a bit to see if someone needed them. Beyond that, probably clothing recycling is most likely what I'd go for next. Sorry I don't have a better answer!

[@thewholehome]

Unless they're unused in which case, Vinted has a lot on there!

[@greysky09]

Any thoughts on buying second hand items that are a “score” when we don’t need that price? I feel really guilty getting say the only Nike shirt at a charity sale that my kid will love, because I know I could afford one on sale if I waited etc. I feel so guilty “taking it from someone more needy” but also that’s what my child wants (not that only just an example). I feel less bad on Mercari because it’s a higher price and I can see if it’s in hot demand and wait to purchase a day etc to give someone else a chance.

[@thewholehome]

Thanks so much for your comment! This is a question that comes up a lot and I love the thoughtfulness of it. It's something I've thought about a lot and listened to other people on too. I know there is frustration felt by people who need to use charity shops for budget reasons (which is me too given I won't shop fast fashion - so my alternative is sustainable and ethical brands which isn't in the budget!) but there is frustration felt when people buy to resell items and take those items out of charity shops. I think it's a complex one with many issues to consider. Currently, I don't ever see a charity shop with low stock or without a good-ish range of items. We know statistically there isn't a shortage of clothing on the planet (and a lot of it is unwanted.) The British Fashion Council have said there is enough clothing on the planet for the next 6 generations. And then next stop from charity shops is often clothing dumps or markets after transporting them to countries of the Global South. Where they then have to deal with the waste. It's estimated that only 10-30% of items taken to charity shops are actually sold in the country where they were donated (research linked below!) So when we look at the bigger picture I think my general view is that if we can responsibly take things OUT of charity shops then that is a GOOD thing however it happens. That said I think there's a great place for leaving the items that we know will sell well, if we can. And being open to choosing something that maybe we think someone else wouldn't sell. I've asked charity shops before if they have any of a certain item that they're not able to sell and I've been able to buy those even more cheaply. I also think it would be amazing for charity shops to make people aware of which pieces aren't selling so that those could really be given a chance by people who are mindful of this issue. I think with the specific example of the Nike shirt we have to look at the full ramifications of the item. We know Nike is not the most transparent, eco friendly and ethical brand. So I would say if you're going to by a Nike shirt - get the used one and not the one new from Nike. But then I'd say could you explore maybe being ok to not get a name brand one. Could there be another option that you get a use shirt - but it's not the Nike one and you then leave that for the person who doesn't know better? I think it takes a loosening of our 'wants' from all of us and a willingness to embrace something different and morph what we value towards something with a lower impact. Which is not always easy - I'm not pretending that, and it takes constand self talk and reminding ourselves of what matters! I DO think there is an issue with prices in charity shops being driven up. In some places like resale apps this is supply and demand and more understandable. But people are seeing this in charity shops and I think this is one that could be solved. I wonder if there could be some kind of discount program available for certain groups to shop and charity shops (like en EBT credit in the states perhaps that gives a discount at charity shops.) I don't know how workable that would be. Or maybe it could be for people with children and come with child benefit - but obviously that would be complicated and have a high cost to manage. Potentially there could also be a "pay what you can" system on some items at charity shops. I don't know and I'd love other people's thoughts on that! But I feel that that real issue could be one we could solve in some way. www.researchgate.net/publication/281463089_Clothing_Poverty_The_Hidden_World_of_Fast_Fashion_and_Second-hand_Clothes

[@thewholehome]

Thanks so much for your comment! This is a question that comes up a lot and I love the thoughtfulness of it. It's something I've thought about a lot and listened to other people on too. I know there is frustration felt by people who need to use charity shops for budget reasons (which is me too given I won't shop fast fashion - so my alternative is sustainable and ethical brands which isn't in the budget!) but there is frustration felt when people buy to resell items and take those items out of charity shops. I think it's a complex one with many issues to consider. Currently, I don't ever see a charity shop with low stock or without a good-ish range of items. We know statistically there isn't a shortage of clothing on the planet (and a lot of it is unwanted.) The British Fashion Council have said there is enough clothing on the planet for the next 6 generations. And then next stop from charity shops is often clothing dumps or markets after transporting them to countries of the Global South. Where they then have to deal with the waste. It's estimated that only 10-30% of items taken to charity shops are actually sold in the country where they were donated (research linked below!) So when we look at the bigger picture I think my general view is that if we can responsibly take things OUT of charity shops then that is a GOOD thing however it happens. That said I think there's a great place for leaving the items that we know will sell well, if we can. And being open to choosing something that maybe we think someone else wouldn't sell. I've asked charity shops before if they have any of a certain item that they're not able to sell and I've been able to buy those even more cheaply. I also think it would be amazing for charity shops to make people aware of which pieces aren't selling so that those could really be given a chance by people who are mindful of this issue. I think with the specific example of the Nike shirt we have to look at the full ramifications of the item. We know Nike is not the most transparent, eco friendly and ethical brand. So I would say if you're going to by a Nike shirt - get the used one and not the one new from Nike. But then I'd say could you explore maybe being ok to not get a name brand one. Could there be another option that you get a use shirt - but it's not the Nike one and you then leave that for the person who doesn't know better? I think it takes a loosening of our 'wants' from all of us and a willingness to embrace something different and morph what we value towards something with a lower impact. Which is not always easy - I'm not pretending that, and it takes constand self talk and reminding ourselves of what matters! I DO think there is an issue with prices in charity shops being driven up. In some places like resale apps this is supply and demand and more understandable. But people are seeing this in charity shops and I think this is one that could be solved. I wonder if there could be some kind of discount program available for certain groups to shop and charity shops (like en EBT credit in the states perhaps that gives a discount at charity shops.) I don't know how workable that would be. Or maybe it could be for people with children and come with child benefit - but obviously that would be complicated and have a high cost to manage. Potentially there could also be a "pay what you can" system on some items at charity shops. I don't know and I'd love other people's thoughts on that! But I feel that that real issue could be one we could solve in some way. www.researchgate.net/publication/281463089_Clothing_Poverty_The_Hidden_World_of_Fast_Fashion_and_Second-hand_Clothes

[@klarisa5602]

I am sure there are great second-hand shops somewhere in Germany, but our Bavarian town definitely does not have one of those. I had tried buying secondhand online, at great financial loss, unfortunately, and low yield of useful pieces. My nephew, who is on autistic spectrum, absolutely would never put on anything that someone wore before. Other kids are more or less ok with it sometimes, but for me, the time and energy I would have to put into finding, ordering and handling what did not work, is absolutely not defendable.

[@thewholehome]

Hi! I’m so sorry you had a bad experience - its definitely not always as easy for the consumer as shopping new. My husband just lived in Germany for 6 months and we found some great ones and loved the streetwise swap areas (I can’t remember what they called them!) we saw there - but yes it wasn’t Bavaria and different areas definitely have different access. There are definitely places where it’s more challenging and people who it’s more challenging for, availability of size inclusive second hand options can also be a read factor - and that’s where we NEED great ethical and sustainable brands to give options to everyone, and maybe greater regulation so the game is changed for everyone!