Are Used Clothes Disgusting Or A Great Way To Save Money?

There is a nothing wrong with thrift store clothes. I always buy my work pants, Nice demim dress pants, Used clothes don't bother me one bit. Just wash them and forget about it.

Getting overpriced brands for way less is so tempting, but the idea of someone having worn that item weirds me out a little bit. It's not even the worn part itself, but thinking about what they might have been doing, or where they might have been while wearing that item. I would never look down on anyone for dressing from the thrift store, whether because they enjoy it or because that's all they can afford, but I would't set a foot in a store that sells used stuff. I can't get over the smell. If anything, I'd consider getting a pre-owned dress or shirt online, purchased directly from someone and even then, I'd sanitize the heck out of it before throwing it in the washing machine with the rest of my clothes.

Hi all!

Have read with much interest all of the comments above in relation to this issue, which is something I've been thinking about a lot lately.

I'm in my mid-30s, Male and when I was in my teens I absolutely loved nothing better than finding a thrift store bargain. I was (and still am) very much of the thinking that really well made and designed clothing is an art-form. I remember finding really unusual designer pieces, a couple of which I still have (but don't quite fit my frame, 20+ years on!).

Now, I'm getting a little older, but still very much interested in both Avant-Garde and just really beautifully made garments. The trouble is budget. The kind of items I'd love to be buying are crazily expensive. I'm very good at sales though, and maybe once or twice a year will watch a garment until it comes down to a price I can afford them jump. Investment pieces only. Blazers, very high quality shirts etc.

But, the more time I spend trying to dig out rare and costly designers, the more I refer to e-bay. And yes, I can on occasion find a really special item there. But something stops me.

And that's OCD. Not the silly version of it that TV has made is all thing it is, but the actual diagnosed psychiatric condition.

Has anyone experienced this kind of issue when it comes to second-hand clothing?

It's strange that clothing never used to bother me when I was younger (even though OCD was a big problem for me then) but that it has now re-emerged, in this manifestation.

I'd love to hear from anyone who has had any experience in the field as it were!

Thanks so much

BW

I have been buying the clothes from thrift stores almost exclusively for the past 30 years since a friend invited me to go to Goodwill with her. My first reaction was "what for?'. I had a very good job and shopped the mall for most of my things. Well on that first trip I found a brand new London Fog all weather coat, and 2 beautiful dresses that fit perfectly. Now I am very petite so finding things that fit has always been a challenge....I don't sew. I got so many compliments on those dresses at every occasion I wore them and they lasted and lasted. Then I noticed I could find jeans that fit, already pre shrunk and softened, this was a novelty. Soon I noticed my thrift store finds were not wearing out as fast as store bought. No opening seams, buttons falling off (again, I don't sew), not fraying as fast. In fact over I have some thrift store things that have lasted a good 10 - 15 years. Can't say that for the few retail things I have gotten. In fact I just tossed out a Dress Barn blouse (one of my favorite pieces) that I bought new 4 years ago after getting a new sales job and needing some new clothes for it. I had just moved to a new state and hadn't found the thrift stores here yet. Noticed last week that the hem was badly frayed and I could see thru the shoulder seams. Of course it didn't take me too lomg after moving here to find the amazing thrift stores in the area and those items are still going strong. Last month during a trip to Breckenridge I checked out the thrift shops there and found so many "must haves" I also had to pick up another suitcase to get them home. Worrying about somebody else having worn it is just silly. Thats what washing machines are for. You're not going to get some horrible disease from putting on something someone else wore. If the seams are good, buttons firmly attached, not shrunken or stretched and it fits and looks good on, I say save yourself some money! Have a nice dinner out.

I realize that not everyone has the same budget as me, but, even if I so much as hinted the word of "used" with clothing, jewelry, phone cases, or anything else, I would get a "WHAT?!!?" response in return. My family is in the upper middle class, so you know, vacations every year, new clothes every 1-2 months, a phone every 1-2 years. The thing is, it's not just the word, it's the health. My dad wasn't very well off during his years, so this has turned him into a picky person. He prefers new not just because, but he feels jumpy wearing something old,(we usually give stuff to goodwill) and our family is naturally that family who spends $400 dollars on a single grocery trip, and probably more at the mall(favorite stop!). So, yes, our family would die of being poor. We're not used to it! Suck it up!