How to Shop Second Hand for Kids. 7 Steps to Easy Ethical Shopping.

“Having kids is so expensive.” Your going to get told this a lot. I’m here to help you navigate that. It’s important to me that new parents don’t get sucked into the deep dark depths of baby capitalism? Is that a thing? What’s also very important to me is ending ‘Fast Fashion’, it’s effects on people around the world and on our environment. That love for discovering a better way of shopping doesn’t end with my children. One of the best way to do this with kids is to shop second hand, but I know this is daunting to a lot of parents because A, wanting the easy of walking into a shop and B, wanting everything new and shiny for their new baby or older kids. That’s why I’m here to talk you through how to shop easily for secondhand clothes and how to find joy in the process..

7 steps to easy second hand shopping for kids.

1. Except hand-me-downs.

2. Find some nearly new sales.

3. Learn how to eBay.

4. Online quality secondhand shops.

5. Facebook Market Place.

6. Swap sites.

7. Charity Shops.

Toddler playing in wildflowers, wearing little green radicals.

1. Except hand-me-downs.

This is the first and easiest way I get most of my daughters clothes. It’s very common that people don’t offer hand-me-downs because they feel like they are off loading their seconds and don’t want to inundate you with things, ending up taking it to the charity shop instead. Avoid this by letting any friends or neighbors with older kids no your happy taking hand-me-downs. If you don’t want everything they give you that’s fine, you can sort through it take what you like then pass on or donate the rest.

I now have two great friends that give me everything their girls have grown out of. In fact most of what they give me was passed down to them first. I’m lucky here because most of it is high quality and built to last, so stands the test of time and many children. It’s also to my taste, which is important too. Find a friend with similar styles to you. I’m glad their not giving me bright pink glitter or tops covered with Elsa and Anna. It’s just not me.

2. Find some nearly new sales.

I’m lucky with these two friends with older daughters to pass me down beautiful clothes, but if you don’t have this fear not, there are loads of other ways to find great second hand clothes for your kids.

Start with a local nearly new sale. If your in England Mum2Mum market is a great way to shop if your looking for baby things. Search your area and when the next one is being held. Their usually every few months and held at a local school. It’s £2 entry, and I advise getting there early as all the good stuff will go. Not just great for clothes but everything babies. From push chairs to sleep suits and toys.

Mother and toddler standing in front of bedroom mirror wearing entirely second hand outfits.

3. Learn how to eBay.

Okay, so your probably more than familiar with eBay, but to shop easily on there I want you to become more familiar will all the settings. If your just searching baby girl clothes your going to have a million options pop up in front of you and it’s going to be overwhelming. Start with making a list of what you need and searching for specifics.

For example. Girls age 2-3 leggings. Then pop on to the filters, go to condition and click Used. You’ll then see all second hand leggings in the size you want pop up.

I often also search for brands I like. For example Girls age 2-3 Frugi. It’s amazing how often you’ll see items from your favorite brands still with their labels on, or hardly used.

I particularly like searching for favorite brands like Frugi, Maxomorra, Boden, because I know they are well made and well lasting. That means even secondhand they often arrive like new and will last as well but for half the price of new.

4. Online quality secondhand shops.

This is probably my favorite way to shop second hand. Like with eBay buying quality well lasting clothes from designers you may love but ordinarily wouldn’t pay for.

Mimi’s Preloved.

This site is great for pre-loved clothes because the categories are easy to navigate and they sell clothes up to 8 years old. It’s mainly high street clothes and the prices are good but it doesn’t have huge amount of stock so worth a browse if you just looking for clothes but not the best if your in need of something specific.

Mini Boden Preloved.

If your a Boden fan this is where you want to be. The filter is easy to use to show age sizes and the prices are good. I think Boden clothes last really well so it’s worth keeping an eye on this website for great deals.

Sweetpea PreLoved.

I like this site because it has a Scandi section. Find it here. Scandinavian clothes are known for being ethical and beautifully made.

Luxury Littles.

This one is if you still want to spend a little more for serious designers. I’m talking your Burberrys and your Chloe’s. Probably not for most of my audience but its there if you want it.

5. Facebook Market Place.

Its worth keeping an eye on your local Facebook Market place or looking there first. Often people will sell bundles. I picked up a couple of bundles of sleep suits and baby grows all in great condition for next to nothing. More than once those parents have asked if I’m looking for anything else because they’ve got more they need to get rid of.

6. Swap sites.

A neighbor of mine set up a local Facebook group for swapping clothes, no money being exchanged. Requirements for the group are to be within walking distance of each other so we are not just jumping in car and driving across town for one jumper. The idea of the group is to be as eco-friendly as possible. You wouldn’t believe how many local mums have joined.

If you can’t find one local to you why not set one up? It couldn’t be easier and you’d be surprised at how many join. Everything from baby clothes to school uniforms gets put on our site.

7. Charity Shops.

I left this one until last because although it’s the most obvious, the one most people think of first. When talking to lots friends they tell me they find shopping at charity shops hard, which is why they don’t do second hand. And they’re right it is hard.

Your never going to walk into a charity shop and see exactly what they want. And surprisingly I rarely find kids clothes in charity shops. I see them as browsing opportunity. A leisurely afternoon having a look. Sometimes I find some great things, my favorite dress for my daughter, one of my only dressy tops, wonderful Christmas story books. But its all about luck. Don’t depend on this as a way of shopping, especially if your looking for specifics, but don’t discount it either.

Mother and daughter in a field wearing all second hand clothes. Second hand shopping for kids.

things i don’t buy second hand.

Shoes mainly. I have been given some lovely hand-me-down shoes but I do worry about tiny feet being support correctly, which is why to begin with we always went to Clarks for a fitting and paid around £40 for a pair of their shoes. I’ve since discovered what I thought would be true, Clarks really isn’t an ethical company.

The solution I’ve found, recommended to me by a friend and someone on Instagram was to buy my own foot measure. I found one easily on eBay, then watched a YouTube tutorial on how to measure children’s feet correctly. Then searched the internet for good and ethical shoes.

I went with Kidly. Most of their shoes were the same price or just slightly higher than Clarks shoes and overall I’m really happy with them. Their super soft, fit well and look great. Although I’m slightly disappointed with how non scruff proof they are (Clarks did do well with this) so would pick a different style next time. But hey, were a pretty scruffy family, it goes with the look.

As for welly boots is all about Grass and Air.

For older kids unless you can’t convince them that Ethletic Trainers are cool, which actually they have some great styles, then try and go with hard wearing of whatever their choice is. Stay clear of the cheaper, Primarks, supermarkets and cheap high street store shoes. Their feet will thank you for this too.

As for the trainer brands your more familiar with, La Sportiva, ASICA, Fila, Skechers and Vans (Vegan range) came out the better of the bunch according to the Ethical Consumer Magazine. Stay away Salzenger, Lonsdale, Kerrimor. Nike, Converse and Puma came out somewhat in the middle of the others.

Brands i buy new.

Items I would buy new. Toddler wearing Picalilly jumpsuit, Grass and air welly boots and second hand jumper.

When buying for younger children there are a few brands that I go to if I want to buy new because they are ethical, quality and long lasting.

Little Green Radicals.

When wrapping up warm in winter and splashing about in puddles Little Green Radicals are the way to go, as well as the summer and winter dungarees of dreams.

Piccalilly.

More dungarees of dreams with added beautiful prints and room for cloth bums if you use cloth nappies.

Frugi.

I particular like Frugi because they were established by a Mum who wanted to create a range of clothes that were “cut for cloth” meaning they fit around cloth nappies nicely. They are a brand with great ethics and based here in the UK.

Maxomorra.

The ultimate brand for the best prints. I brought some leggings from these guys when my daughter was 9 months and they fit her up until two years, because of clever folding cuffs and roomy bottoms. I consider that great value for money.

second hand shopping for teenagers.

Now this is always going to be the trickier bit. It’s easy when you shop for your young children but what happens when they get older? I’ve been lucky so far that the boys trust my judgement on shopping still, have never complained about second hand, and have yet to demand a certain style or brand. I’m sure they will get there. When that day comes I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve I plan on using.

1. Shop second hand for them, sticking with current trends and “sort after brands”.

It kills me to say this but teenagers will be teenagers and brands are going to come into their lives. We can teach them it doesn’t matter, talk to them about the damaging effects of fast fashion but at some point we are going to have brands seep into their lives a little. Unfortunately that’s the world we live in. BUT I wont be spending hard earned money on brands I know are not ethical, I’ll search eBay to find good as new second hand finds and let them praise me when I find something “cool.”

2. Create a capsule wardrobe for them.

Let’s face it after the time their at school their not wearing their home clothes all that much. Therefore they do not need tons. Make sure everything you buy them can be interchanged. A few t-shirts all that match one pair of jeans. A pair of warm jogging bottoms and some shorts for summer. Remember they will grow out of it before you can blink.

3. Show them just how cool vintage can be.

This one is great if you want to take girls shopping. I’m stereotyping here but my step sons are quiet happy to let me do the shopping because it bores them. Compared myself as a teenager I loved browsing the shops, and loved discovering vintage shops with my cousin. Find good vintage spots to shop. Brighton is close to us and a gold mine for all things vintage. Take them into the treasure troves.

4. Encourage them to clothes swap.

When I was at uni my flat mates and I used to buy clothes together and shared everything. We didn’t want to wear the same thing out too many times but no one noticed if the others wore it. Obviously we were lucky we were all the same size which might not be the case for all friends. But teaching them the joy of raiding each others wardrobe early on is not only a joy but sustainable too. Things haven’t changed for me since my uni days, the last two weddings I went to my sister-in-law learnt me dresses.

I hope you now feel a little more confident in shopping second hand and will dive into this world without looking back. It really is just as easy for you kids as it is for you. Once you’ve shopped this way a few times you’ll find you couldn’t imagine ever going back.

Hannah x x