The Secondhand Wardrobe Blog

The other day I found myself in need of a stack of used long sleeved tee shirts. I do programs for kids at schools and libraries and I’m scheduled to do one next Wednesday where I teach the kids to make stuffed animals from the sleeves of used tee shirts.   

I thought I had plenty of sleeves for everybody. Then I spoke with the librarian and found out that many more kids had signed up for the program than they had anticipated. I suddenly found myself with just barely enough supplies. Thank goodness that Goodwill has 2 for $3 days! 

Yesterday I strolled into the store, went straight to where the long sleeved shirts are located, looked for the ones with the discount tags, and within 10 minutes I had just what I needed. Not only that, I got a bonus for my secondhand efforts—in with the tees that I will use for my recycling program, I also nabbed a few that are in great condition and that fit me just right. 

It’s easy to shop for clothes at Sears and come out with a boring wardrobe. Generally, those of us who love dressing secondhand don’t have that problem, but there are other style dangers that lurk when we go out sniffing around for used bargains.

For one, we have to be vigilant in avoiding clothing that’s stained, torn or looks worn in other ways. That means carefully examining all items before plunking down your two dollars and fifty cents. For another, and I don’t know how to put this delicately, no clothing has the potential for being as goofy looking as clothing from a thrift store. There are so many strange things at secondhand stores, from sweaters with massive 3-D Christmas trees to MC Hammer balloon pants. Don’t get me wrong—I love goofy, but a little goes a long way.

In my last blog I wrote about somebody who offered me a barrage of unsolicited, mean advice about my hair. I did what I believed to be the best thing with her comments—I ignored them.

Unlike my experience with this one individual (who, by the way, is no longer in my life), most people who offer style advice probably have your best interests at heart. So how do you tell the difference between somebody who genuinely wants to help from someone who’s just trying to undermine you? I’ve come up with a few guidelines. You might want to listen to style advice if:

¨      The person offering it has style that you admire.

¨      You find your life isn’t heading in right direction. For example, you’re consistently meeting people who are wrong for you.

¨      Your boss is the person offering the style advice.

¨      Lots of people tell you that your clothing needs to change.

¨      You haven’t updated your look for five or more years.

Someone I used to know always had something bad to say about my hair. I needed a haircut, should color it or style it differently. I never took her advice seriously, partly because her hair looked so terrible, but also because I get compliments on my hair from other people and she’s the only person with something negative to say.

Advice from somebody who has great style, especially when you’ve asked for it, can be helpful. Nasty, sniping advice that’s unasked for, well, it’s just not in your best interest to pay attention to that.

I was one of those teenagers who really suffered because my family couldn’t afford to dress me like the other kids at school. I wasn’t picked on because of it, I just felt uncomfortable every single day. I wish I’d known that there was an alternative so inexpensive that even I, a kid with just a teeny bit of my own money, could have afforded it.  

Now I jump at the chance to speak to groups of teenagers about how they can find wonderful clothing at thrift stores. The kids never have much to say. Some of them are grossed out by the whole idea. But I’m sure that some stay quiet because they don’t want the other students to know that they wear used clothing.  

I’ll keep giving these talks because I understand how valuable it is to know that you can dress well even when your finances are tight. I also keep hoping that some of the kids will learn that donating is a much better alternative than tossing still-good clothing into the trash.