Countercultural choices and the easiest kids' clothes to find secondhand
Whilst I imagine myself immune to judgment, I found myself deliberating sharing this post. In a world focused on appearance (where brand names are more widely recognised than what food is in season when), I had to dig deep to remind myself of why I write what I do - especially because it involves my children.
Everybody like nice things. We like to have possessions that do what they are designed to, that make us feel good about ourselves and that express who we are (or who we want to be), but there is a fine line between expressing ourselves and defining ourselves (or other’s defining us) by our possessions. This is what I am afraid of for my daughter and son.
Six and concerned she has the ‘right’ backpack
At six years old, my daughter is already starting to hear from her peers discussion about brands. I have witnessed the debate in the school playground about what type of backpack they have for school, and what accessories they have added to make their (matching) bags unique. Again, these children are six. The pit of my stomach runs cold that already our children are associating their value with their possessions - that the ability to ‘fit in’ comes from the badge they sport on their shoulder rather than their thoughts and actions. I do not want that for my children. (I do not want that for myself.)
Countercultural consumption
Author and speaker Joshua Becker calls minimalist living ‘countercultural’, and at first I rallied against that idea. I am an average middle class white British woman, in an average suburban town, living a pretty average life. I just happened to get sick and, in turn, seek a life where I reduced the toxins I am exposed to and the impact I make on the planet. It made me reassess why I buy what I buy, how I shop and where, and what decisions I make to bring me to the intentionality and authenticity I was left craving after my illness. Ah: countercultural it is then, I guess.
New kids on the block
I find there is still a stigma around shopping preloved, particularly for our children but it is changing. Oxfam’s Second Hand September campaign continues to grow year-on-year, whilst shops such as Growth Spurtz - a dedicated online preloved clothes shop for kids, Kidswear Collective - a preloved designer kid’s clothing store, and The Little Loop - a clothing rental service for children, are making countercultural waves across the industry. And whilst affordability, necessity and access are all intrinsically linked to this discussion, I am writing here about the choice to buy secondhand for my kids (and me) because I believe it is better for the planet. It isn’t always easy: throw into the mix curating a capsule wardrobe and trying to find key pieces for each season in a specific colour palette - for both a girl and a boy and you will find yourself banging your head against the wall (like I do, often). But, according to The Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF), “increasing an item’s lifetime by just nine months decreases its environmental impact by 30-40 per cent” and since children before the age of three tend to outgrow their clothes before they wear them out, that is potentially an enormous, collective impact we can make together if we all shopped secondhand for our babies.
At some point over the last six years, I have ‘thrifted’ / bought secondhand or accepted hand-me-downs from all of the following fifteen items of childrens’ clothing listed below. From my experience these are by far the easiest to get hold of, least likely to have sizing problems with and can buy at a fraction of the new price particularly if you shop for them out of season. In fact, for some pieces shared here, I have never bought them brand new and I can now feel proud to declare that somewhat as a badge of honour: this is me living my values, and raising my children as such.
The 15 easiest baby and childrens’ clothes to find secondhand
Sleepsuits
Vests
Dressing gowns
Hiking kit (Waterproof trousers, walking boots)
Occasion wear (party dresses, smart shirts)
Coats (especially winter ones)
Rainmacks / Puddle suits / Snow suits
Holiday or themed items (Christmas jumpers!)
Wellington boots
Crocs / slip on shoes (for in the garden or at the beach)
Pyjamas
School uniform
Sports kit
Swimwear
Fancy dress!
Are you a fan of charity shops, eBay, or is Vinted more your bag? Have you ever bought anything from Vestiaire Collective and what was your experience? Or what has been your biggest secondhand success to date? Please do leave a comment below and spread the joy in secondhand shopping - either for your kids, for your home, or for yourself.
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