Hand-me-downs

Malaysia
September 2, 2009 2:17am CST
I know in this age and time, not many people wear hand-me-downs. Not during my childhood days. In those days, we have to wear hand-me-downs from our elder siblings. For us, we even had clothing from our neighbor's kids and our cousins. So, we were often mock by our neighbor's kids when they saw us wearing one of their old shirts ,trousers or dress. i remembered I really dislike this when my aunt will come by and said, "Hey, that was Janet's dress. we bought it last year fro her 10th Birthday".How insensitive of her. My kids nowadays also do not like wearing hand-me-downs. So, we will give our used clothes to the church for their annual church bazaar sales. So have you worn hand-me-downs before?. How do you feel? Tell us your experience.
1 person likes this
14 responses
@jules67 (2788)
• Philippines
2 Sep 09
Hi gracefuldove. Yes I did and I do not see anything wrong with it. Especially now in times of global crisis, we have to be prudent. Wearing hand-me-downs is not at all demeaning.
1 person likes this
@vingyan06 (2486)
• Malaysia
2 Sep 09
Hello Jules and Grace, I also wear hand me downs and so to my daughter. I don't see anything wrong to wear hand me downs. It is a way to save money too. For my daughter, she likes to wear hand me downs of her cousin sister. This is because she likes her cousin so much and she just loves what ever that her cousin gave her, be it a new stuff or a hand me downs.
• Malaysia
2 Sep 09
Well, those were the days. These days, we as adults may not want to see the sensitivities of giving hand-me-downs to our children because of the economic downturn.Truth be told, my neighbour's son really detest wearing hand-me-downs. The very fact that he wears only the new T-shirts and shorts bought by his mother and refusing to wear those the mother got from her sister is ample evidence of this boy's dislike for it. For me, from experience, I am fine with hand-me-down, even today.
@vingyan06 (2486)
• Malaysia
2 Sep 09
Hello Gracefuldove, This is a nice discussion. For me, I don't have any much hand me downs from my elder sisters or cousins. They are all bigger than me so many years ahead, so normally my mom would just buy new clothing for me, which included home wear, school uniforms and others. But now we are all grow up as adults. My sisters and cousins would have wearing same size clothing. Hence sometimes my elder sisters will hand me downs some nice dress or shoes or bags. I don't mind to wear all the hand me downs from my sisters because all the stuff that she has passed to me are all in excellent condition. I am happy to wear hand me downs from my sisters, .
• Malaysia
2 Sep 09
Truth be told, I hardly get many hand-me-downs. My aunt, who is a tailor oftentimes sew me new dresses. There were very few old hand-me-downs which she altered for my use.Yes, my sister and I do swap T-shirts and handbags too. Anyway, I have no great grudge over this issue of hand-me-downs.Thanks for your comments.
@robert19ph (4577)
• Philippines
3 Sep 09
hello gracefuldove, Yes indeed I wore hand me downs when I was a kid. It's the clothes of my older brother. It's just fine with me wearing them even they were already used or what not. What's important to me was that they were clean. It's a waste of money if I will not wear them. They were still good. Though I just wore them at home, not in going to school or where ever. We do the same with our kids. The younger one will choose what he likes before giving the others to our friends or relatives.
@EliteUser (3964)
• Australia
20 Sep 09
Hey, Well I am an older brother, so I always got to wear all of my new clothes. My brother was the one who would always wear the clothes that I used to wear, and most of the time he had no problem with that. Make sure you have a good day, God bless and Happy Lotting!!
@chi2nasrin (1101)
• Malaysia
3 Sep 09
When I was a kid, I wore hand-me-down, I would be wearing my sister's clothes that didn't fit her anymore. My little sister got new clothes because she's 9 years younger than me and our old clothes either had been thrown away or given away. At that time I think I did feel a little sad because I seldom have new clothes. But now come to think of it, it is nothing to be ashamed of because it actually helped my parents and saved their money to spend on better things.And the hand-me-down clothes was only wore by my sibling, not anyone else outside the family that I didn't know. Now my older sister has three sons, and she still keep the baby clothes for the new baby, so that she and her husband don't need to buy a new one. Babies grow very fast and buying them a new clothes when there's already hand-me-downs from the older brothers is such a waste of money. The money can be used to buy diapers and milk instead. So, it is not wrong to wear hand-me-down. Those people who made fun because people do wear them are very inconsiderate.
@elenyae (388)
• Australia
4 Sep 09
I have definitely worn hand-me-downs before, and I've never had a problem with it. I'm guessing that I'm one of the younger members of myLot, so I can say that I was born in 1991 and wore hand-me-downs until I was 13 or 14. That is, I never got to buy new clothes until that age (except for basics like underwear and socks). I used to sometimes feel self-conscious, but my parents made me realise the value of the money we were saving.
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
2 Sep 09
i so dont see anything wrong with that. my kids still wear hand me downs all the time! we have friends that buy designer stuff and when she gets tired of her clothes (usually 6 months later) she gives them to us. i also do shop at thrift stores which are pretty much hand me downs too. i would say that 90% of my wardrobe (both work and play) are used clothing.
@Nardz13 (5055)
• New Zealand
2 Sep 09
Hi there. I can only imagine the feeling, when your told you've got so and so's dress on, insensitive is right, instead of keeping it to themselves. I have'nt really experienced wearing hand me downs myself, as I am the oldest in my family. I do have children though, that I naturally pass a sweater or so onto from the older one. I also wash clothing my children can no longer fit, always in good condition and we do drop offs to either there cousins or salvation army places. There cousins are really appreciative and they love it. I taught my to never ever say things to them about wearing there hand me downs, i just dont see a need for it and it would be embarrassing to them. You should get a few hits on this discussion. Cheers, Have a great day....
@weasel81 (2496)
• Australia
2 Sep 09
it's a bit like op shopping, nothing wrong with it. i've still got all my son clothes from when he was born to be re used. my bro bought a pair of jean of me when they shrank yrs ago, i've now got them back. i've given a fair bit to the op shop but have recentally given a heap of clothes that aren't going to fit me again, with ease and all hardly worn to friends whose kids in know will have loved them. there was also a jumper i had, it was to big for my granmother i think. i loved wearing it, don't know where it is at the moment thou.
• Philippines
2 Sep 09
I'm the youngest in the family so I had to wear hand-me-downs when I was a kid. I only got to wear new ones when I reached my teens. It's because my body frame is petite. My two older sisters are big so their clothes wouldn't fit me anymore. Thank God! (lol) I have a 5-year-old daughter now and she also wears hand-me-downs. My two older sisters have daughters and they pass their daughters' clothes on to my daughter. Most of those clothes were worn only a few times because kids grow up so quickly so they still look new. It saves me a lot of money from buying new clothes, a big help in these financially-troubled times. :)
@cwong77 (2010)
• Malaysia
2 Sep 09
I have heard from the older generation, that if babies or kids wearing hand me down, the kid will be a good kid.. Anyway, I don't mind hand me down, my baby has got a lot from my cousins and friends too.. however, what I do mind is, someone being very inconsiderate in giving the hand me down... they will be giving those that is really bad stained, button missing or even some that has holes in it My house or my baby is not a junk for them to just throw those clothes that they don't want and call them hand me down! When we refer hand me down, it's something that nice, neat and able to be wear. I get very upset every time when my cousins came with those hand me down, and I need to go through them one by one.. and I can be throwing away at least half of it.. As for me, if I am really want to give hand me down, I will let the other person choose what they want, and the rest, goes to charity.
@rosepedal64 (4188)
• United States
2 Sep 09
When I was younger there was not that much money in our family. I was the youngest of four kids. My sister is 10yrs older than I and Of course I couldn't get her hand me downs. I do how ever got alot used clothing from yardsales and so forth. I never thought that there was anything wrong with that at all. I also used hand me downs for my boys too. Brand new clothing isn't always the best option for some families.
• United States
3 Sep 09
When I was a kid, every now and then I received something second hand from my cousins. I was a really tiny child so most of the time it didn't fit well. My mom made me wear it anyway. I was not happy about it. Today. I look forward to wearing vintage clothing. I think you have a different mindset as you get older.
• Philippines
2 Sep 09
yes, i did. i got hand-me-downs from aunts, cousins and other relatives and i make them happy and proud when i wear them! that is what i feel too... i feel happy seeing a person wearing my old clothing. it is one sign being appreciative.