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Comment by rileyphone | Hacker News Reader

I've taken to buying almost all my clothes second hand recently, both for this reason and I find the selection and styles far better than what fast fashion provides. Thrift stores like Goodwill provide some gems, but the best shopping comes from we-buy-your-clothes type places like Buffalo Exchange and Crossroads, and the prices are better too!

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But you exchange more of your time at 2nd hand places.

The reason new exists is not just the styles, but the higher likelihood you are going to find the correct (or near to it) size.

That’s only true if one is an average size or isn’t mindful of fit. Shopping new can be a huge drag otherwise.

But it's not like any of that is easier second-hand? If I go jean shopping new I might not find my size in every style, but it's very rare that I find second-hand pants that fit without needing to hem.

True, if there was a store with lightly used 80 and 90s clothing and shoes it would be great because sizing was different and less standardized between brands. But second hand is mostly recent stuffs so it’s equally ill fitting. Some stuff can’t be hemmed easily.

Time is half of the appeal though, the other half is randomness. If I had a nickel for every time I assembled an outfit or three around something so outside of my normal, I'd probably have a few bucks. It's delightful to find a funky 70s coat that you can work with and spend a few hours running around.

Also the cost factor is nice. My partner works at a local thrift and getting steep discounts on top of the already reduced prices is amazing. And whenever something outgrows my wardrobe it's back off to the donation bin (wear providing)

Sizing is tough though, you're right. My body is outside being sized for most clothes so a ton of otherwise good finds just won't do (but that's what traditional shops are for filling). Thankfully my partner has a similar sizer torso so we can share tops, jackets and whatnot style providing. Organizing two stuffed closets is a bit tricky however

There's always more stuff to dig through and finds to discover!

There are also some online resale marketplaces that have pretty great selections and aren't prohibitively expensive either. Postmark, Depop, Thredup, Curtsy, etc.

disclaimer: I work for Curtsy.

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