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xxZeromancerlovexx
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11 Dec 2014, 8:40 pm

Does anyone find buying used clothes awkward? As much as I'd love to go to at thrift store or eBay and buy clothes for cheap it just seems like a recipe for scabies or bed bugs. I would think that washing the clothes or at least quarantining them for a month would kill everything, but that's not what I'm trying to say.

I've been tempted to go to thrift stores in my area, but the fact that you never know who wore the outfits grosses me the heck out.

Is this a sensory issue or more of a paranoia? I'm the same way shopping at clothing stores. What if somebody just got back from the gym and got armpit sweat on that cute vest? Gross....


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blue_bean
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12 Dec 2014, 6:32 am

I'll only buy preloved clothes if they're in good condition. It's not like I'll wear them a lot anyway.

I'll wash everything preloved or new before I wear it, it's just good hygiene. Plus there may be manufacturing contaminants in the fabric. With preloved clothes there's always the chance the item was unwashed before donating (the volunteers don't do much beyond giving them a quick inspection for tears, stains and saleability before putting them out for sale). You can usually tell if something has been molested, check for open zips, undone buttons and crookedness on hangers. I usually try to find the least molested looking item. Avoid items right on the front of the rack; they're prone to people who like to grasp while admiring them (like me :P)



xxZeromancerlovexx
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12 Dec 2014, 10:24 am

blue_bean wrote:
I'll only buy preloved clothes if they're in good condition. It's not like I'll wear them a lot anyway.

I'll wash everything preloved or new before I wear it, it's just good hygiene. Plus there may be manufacturing contaminants in the fabric. With preloved clothes there's always the chance the item was unwashed before donating (the volunteers don't do much beyond giving them a quick inspection for tears, stains and saleability before putting them out for sale). You can usually tell if something has been molested, check for open zips, undone buttons and crookedness on hangers. I usually try to find the least molested looking item. Avoid items right on the front of the rack; they're prone to people who like to grasp while admiring them (like me :P)


Do you wash them on cold water? I think going to a thrift store would make more sense because you can see the condition.


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blue_bean
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13 Dec 2014, 12:22 am

I wash in cold to save my electricity bill.



hurtloam
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14 Dec 2014, 4:50 pm

I get most of my clothes from ebay. I look for clothes that I couldn't afford new which are good quality items. Generally people wear them once or twice for a special event or they're the kind of people who have more money than sense so buy something and never wear it, so the clothes tend to be in good condition.

I've got a Ted Baker skirt for £3.00, an expensive department store winter coat really cheap, and some good Coast clothes quiet cheap. I usually find that the clothes are well looked after and clean. I've never had any problems with any of them, and by that I mean I haven't caught any nasty skin infections etc. I always wash them before wearing, even the dry clean only stuff because I'm convinced that dry cleaning is a bit of a con, although I did wash out they dye from a black silk coast shirt by washing it, but it only cost me 99p anyway so it was worth the gamble. That had to go in the bin.

Check out the feedback on a seller before bidding. If people have had issues with them in the past then avoid them. If the image is bad quality, I don't bid because I can't see what I'm buying. I've only had to throw out about 2 or 3 items I've bought off ebay and I think that after I complained I got refunds because the sellers knew that they were chancing their arm trying to sell clothes that worn out anyway.



Rezi
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17 Jan 2015, 12:48 pm

I get really high end stuff off eBay, frequently new and never worn/used, as cheaply as possible.
NWT means "new with tags." NWOT is "new without tags."
There are online sample sales too that sometimes have what I'm looking for at very reduced prices.
I look for excellent quality fabric and construction such as fine cotton from Europe or good cashmere, insanely expensive stuff ($300 night shirts, $150 fine gauge cotton plain slip dresses) that would be prohibitive at full price.
I've struggled with allergies and sensory issues since childhood and have crazy sensitive skin. A tag, seam or rough fabric against my skin causes excruciating discomfort and I've had hives and other visible reactions to various synthetic fabrics.
I still generally wash anything I get in hot water with hypoallergenic laundry soap.
I have to stop myself from stockpiling this stuff. It has given me such relief, that I'm afraid I won't be able to lay hands on it when what I have wears out and needs to be replaced.
I have to be careful to not get caught up in eBay bidding, though. I sometimes forget that "winning" affects my bank balance.



Skibz888
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17 Jan 2015, 5:03 pm

I buy a lot of clothes on eBay because I have a taste for weird and vintage clothing that I can't find anywhere else, including thrift stores. I've never had a problem with, um....scabies. It does benefit to wash everything before you wear it, of course.



y-pod
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23 Jan 2015, 6:24 pm

I shop at thrift stores a lot and wash everything before using. The only time my skin has any issues with used clothes is when they're strongly scented with detergent and dryer sheets. I hate those things. I usually wash them at least twice and air them out for a few days before wearing. Thrift stores usually get so much donations they only put out things with very good conditions (with minimal wears).


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BTDT
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27 Feb 2015, 7:41 pm

Just about everything I buy on Ebay actually fits--I only buy stuff in which the seller has gone through the trouble of measuring. As a bonus, its usually cheap, as most folks can't wear my size. Or if they do, they want something more appropriate to the younger crowd. 8O

Might not work for everyone--my proportions are pretty good--just that I'm small and can't find anything work-appropriate in the stores, so it is well worth my while to figure out the puzzle of online clothes shopping.



ominous
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27 Feb 2015, 9:01 pm

I almost exclusively wear second hand or buy clothes from eBay. I think your issue might be less sensory and more paranoia or some other issue?

I can buy quality items in styles I really like for the same prices (or less) than I would pay for trendy crap that I really don't want to wear. I wear a lot of natural fibres and like 'classic' clothing, like 100% linen oxford type shirts, etc., that are too pricey to buy new. I am also a larger size on top due to 38F (18F) bra size and find a lot of Australian clothing for 'larger women' to be polyester and emblazoned with bizarre and grotesque prints that I am simply not going to ever entertain.

I occasionally buy new, but that is usually stuff from a menswear cheap shop or the menswear dept at cheaper stores. The only thing I buy new all the time are bras and underpants. Everything I buy on eBay usually fits. I did just buy myself a pair of linen flood pants because I wanted something 'larger' and 'more floaty' but the things are HUGE and I could fit myself and my son in them. I have a bit of body dysmorphia and don't get what size I actually am sometimes. I will wear them, because they are larger and more floaty but damn, they are giant.



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06 Mar 2015, 9:05 pm

ominous wrote:
I occasionally buy new, but that is usually stuff from a menswear cheap shop or the menswear dept at cheaper stores. The only thing I buy new all the time are bras and underpants. Everything I buy on eBay usually fits. I did just buy myself a pair of linen flood pants because I wanted something 'larger' and 'more floaty' but the things are HUGE and I could fit myself and my son in them. I have a bit of body dysmorphia and don't get what size I actually am sometimes. I will wear them, because they are larger and more floaty but damn, they are giant.


Men's sizes typically run one size larger for clothes--a men's XS is a women's S.
Two sizes for shoes--a men's 5-1/2 is a women's 7-1/2

Young men's shirt sizes are the opposite of petite sizes--the arms are longer than normal!



LillyDale
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01 Apr 2015, 10:25 am

I wash or dry clean (rarely) pretty much anything I get from a thrift or ebay before wearing it. I have allergies to some laundry products and the artificial smell of most laundry products bothers me. I have also had people mist perfume on items before they pack them. So I assume anything I buy will need to be cleaned or laundered in some manner first.



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24 Aug 2015, 8:56 pm

xxZeromancerlovexx wrote:
blue_bean wrote:
I'll only buy preloved clothes if they're in good condition. It's not like I'll wear them a lot anyway.

I'll wash everything preloved or new before I wear it, it's just good hygiene. Plus there may be manufacturing contaminants in the fabric. With preloved clothes there's always the chance the item was unwashed before donating (the volunteers don't do much beyond giving them a quick inspection for tears, stains and saleability before putting them out for sale). You can usually tell if something has been molested, check for open zips, undone buttons and crookedness on hangers. I usually try to find the least molested looking item. Avoid items right on the front of the rack; they're prone to people who like to grasp while admiring them (like me :P)


Do you wash them on cold water? I think going to a thrift store would make more sense because you can see the condition.


I prefer online (ebay) to buy second-hand clothes, the premise is to see the photos enough.


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TheSilentOne
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04 Sep 2015, 10:02 am

Most of my clothes are from eBay. I've had very good luck there. I do tend to wash everything before I wear it, but I have never had any issues.


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