It Started With The Red And Yellow T-Shirt
By hereandthere
@hereandthere (45651)
Philippines
June 11, 2016 1:32am CST
When you have many siblings, sharing toys and bedrooms, hand-me-down clothes and school things are part of growing up.
Like there was a red and yellow striped T-shirt that my two older brothers wore that I wore, too, since I liked the colors and it was a unisex design.
Many years later, this practice continued with my nieces and nephews. My brother-in-law had an old red and white T-shirt that his daughters started wearing at home and around the neighborhood.
When they moved, it was sent to their cousins. The male cousin wore it first, and now his sister when it became too small for him.
Today, I still don't mind receiving clothes, shoes and bags from family members, but, of course, I only choose those that I like the color, design, material and fit.
To me, it was practical back then and until now, but I also think there are people who don't want to go through that experience again.
28 people like this
28 responses
@JudyEv (325793)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Jun 16
Wearing hand-me-downs was pretty common for many children growing up years ago. The only thing my Mum objected to was having to wear her brother's hob-nailed boots to school when he grew out of them. But it was boots or nothing so Mum wore the boots.
6 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
11 Jun 16
i looked up hob-nailed boots. uh-oh. i wouldn't want to wear those to school, too! hahaha! they look more suited to working in the garden or farms and orchards.
how about your sons? where do you send the clothes they grew out of?
4 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
11 Jun 16
you still get to follow fashion trends, though delayed.
2 people like this
@sishy7 (27169)
• Australia
11 Jun 16
@hereandthere ha ha... good thing I don't pay much attention to fashion trends anyway, so those hand me downs clothes/handbags/shoes always feel new to me...
2 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
13 Jun 16
i also don't mind if someone wore them first, but i will only accept and wear them if they suit me.
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
14 Jun 16
how lucky! you get new clothes all the time! so who do you pass on your clothes, shoes, bags, etc when you've outgrown then @sofs?
1 person likes this
@sofssu (23662)
•
14 Jun 16
@MarshaMusselman Been busy with some assignments.. Now I am back here. Hope all is well with you!
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38657)
• Midland, Michigan
14 Jun 16
Hey, where you been? I've not seen you about in quite a long time.
1 person likes this
@ida123 (6206)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
11 Jun 16
Yes, I've experience that also, wearing clothes from my older sisters and brother but now, I'm not experiencing that anymore. My siblings and my children were the ones who bought my dresses, shoes,everything and I'm happy for that.
4 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
11 Jun 16
that's so nice of them. i'm happy for you.
1 person likes this
@ilocosboy (45157)
• Philippines
11 Jun 16
this is a good practice for us as Filipino, its a good tradition passing dress to our generation
3 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
11 Jun 16
even household stuff get passed around
1 person likes this
@youless (112113)
• Guangzhou, China
11 Jun 16
@hereandthere I will keep my son's clothes to his cousin. Since my son grows up and some clothes don't fit him any more. And these clothes are not very old anyway, so I will be happy if someone who wants these clothes.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
11 Jun 16
@youless that's good. if there are no brothers and sisters, then give to cousins, or even neighbors or donate to organizations.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
11 Jun 16
yup, they're still presentable. does your family do the same @youless?
1 person likes this
@much2say (53959)
• Los Angeles, California
16 Jun 16
Hand me downs are great! I grew up with hand me downs from older cousins. And there are hand me downs for my kids now - we welcome them! Nothing wrong with items that are still perfectly useful. But I do know many families out here who do have a problem with second hand items, particularly for their kids . . . I remember one mom told me her husband thinks it's wrong to give children used items - they should have new and clean things. This mentality, I think, makes for wastefulness!
1 person likes this
@much2say (53959)
• Los Angeles, California
17 Jun 16
@hereandthere The thing is this family is rather wealthy - nothing but the best for his family. The wife comes from another country and grew up poor . . . she tells me she'd be happy with a small house with a tropical landscape to grow food like she did growing up. But instead they live in a ritzy area with a gigantic 5 bedroom house, nice cars, the greatest latest everything for their twin boys . . . just the way the husband wants it. For their/his sake, I hope he can always keep his great job to keep up this lifestyle.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
17 Jun 16
@much2say some would say she's a real-life cinderella and i guess she never expected all these. i also hope nothing happens and the twins grow up to be as successful as their father.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
17 Jun 16
heck, as long as it's still presentable, just wash it thoroughly in hot water and bleach.
if children should have new things all the time, does he have the money to buy them all the time until they're able to buy for themselves, without slowly and silently drowning in debt?
1 person likes this
@epiffanie (11326)
• Australia
12 Jun 16
I hated wearing all the hand me downs when I was little so i promised myself to make my own clothes when I grow up so I did ..
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
13 Jun 16
i have a cousin like that.
now all your clothes are unique.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
17 Jun 16
@epiffanie i remember your newspaper dress. 
1 person likes this
@epiffanie (11326)
• Australia
13 Jun 16
@hereandthere yes I enjoy wearing my own designs.. When I attend functions, I know that I will be the only one wearing that design ..;)
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
13 Jun 16
@willmah but if you have a 7-year gap, then wouldn't her clothes be too big for you?
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
13 Jun 16
@wiLLmaH i have clothes both from my older and younger sisters.
1 person likes this
@wiLLmaH (8801)
• Singapore, Singapore
13 Jun 16
@hereandthere She is a tiny girl back then. You know I still have her 2 pair of jeans. :)
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
27 Jun 16
I think all of us have worn hand me downs over the years. It was so common when I was younger. It was always good to be a different size to brothers or sisters. My grandmother used to unpick jumpers or cardigans and re knit them again for each of us so what was too small for my brother was unpicked and re knitted for me then when it was no good for me was unpicked and knitted with a girly pattern for my sister and so on!
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
28 Jun 16
wow! your grandma was so resourceful and creative @garymarsh6! our elders were determined to squeeze the last breath out of everything. but then, maybe because the quality of the materials back then were very durable. otherwise, they wouldn't last that long.
@MarshaMusselman (38657)
• Midland, Michigan
14 Jun 16
I didn't mind wearing clothing from my cousins, mostly because their dad worked a good job and their clothes were nicer than our own. My mother made a lot of our clothes and we rarely bought new things to wear. I was happy with what I had and do not mind finding clothes that fit without feeling like I need new things all the time. You are right though, in that some adults will never pass their clothes around, nor take clothing from others even if they may like the style, pattern or colors.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
14 Jun 16
maybe it's because i've never been in a position where i had no choice but to accept whatever was given me, say if everything burned down or were washed away in a massive flood, so i can still choose what looks good on me and what comfortable, etc.
did you and your sisters (if any) learned to sew your own clothes, too?
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38657)
• Midland, Michigan
17 Jun 16
@hereandthere I'm sure all of us did, but we only did it when younger. I, sewed my own clothes to some degree into my twenties. I took my sewing machine with me when I travelled around, but never used it again for that purpose.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
18 Jun 16
and to whom do you pass them on afterwards?
1 person likes this
@Yar_Joey (3271)
• Philippines
18 Jun 16
@hereandthere My adopted children have clothes of their won. I can give them to the less fortunate people here in my area
1 person likes this
@thelme55 (76476)
• Germany
19 Jun 16
As the eldest child of my parents, I always had new clothes and shoes and when they were no longer fitted to me, my younger sisters wore my hand me down clothes. When I got married, I started sending balikbayan boxes with hand me down clothes and shoes from my son for my nephews. I am still doing that. I can't throw clothes which are still good to wear.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
20 Jun 16
it's such a natural thing for our people to do, isn't it, @thelme55, to keep thinking about our family and relatives, wherever we are. did you ever donate anything there?
1 person likes this
@thelme55 (76476)
• Germany
20 Jun 16
@hereandthere Yes, it natural for us to think of the family all the time. Our culture / parents taught us to think of our siblings, parents and any member of our family and their own families as well. Yes, I have donated but I did it directly.
1 person likes this
@jobelbojel (34729)
• Philippines
12 Jun 16
This is practice too in my family. Those shirts I wore were passed on to my siblings. Since I am the eldest, I get to use new clothes first hand. LOL
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
13 Jun 16
true, and you eldest peeps always get to do things first, too.
@Letranknight2015 (51523)
• Philippines
14 Jun 16
I received a lot of clothes from my eldest brother and father recently which is Im grateful for. I've also received rubber shoes from my dad.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
17 Jun 16
so true about the shoes @letranknight25 because they're expensive. glad you have the same shoe size. how is your father's health now?
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
12 Jun 16
I never minded tons, I loved stealing dad's flannel shirts growing up!
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
11 Jun 16
true, because they seem to be growing much bigger than us!
1 person likes this
@responsiveme (22926)
• India
2 Jul 16
lots of hand me downs for me and family too.As long as I like them.
1 person likes this
