Secondhand Fashion Myths & Lingo

Secondhand Fashion Myths & Lingo

Renee McIntire

Purchasing used clothing is a trending topic. A lot of people have never purchased used clothing and have concerns about the quality of the clothing and may be fearful of the stigmas around buying pre-owned clothing. It's also easy to be intimidated by the lingo used on sites like Poshmark, Mercari, and EBay. 

First and most important is killing the myths around pre-owned clothing. Historically, our society has been known to view anyone purchasing used clothing as being unable to afford buying it new. Along with that, the clothing itself is viewed as lesser quality, dirty or assumed to be damaged in some way.  

These assumptions are far from the truth. People shop at used clothing stores or garage sales for a variety of reasons:

  1. They’re looking for cool vintage items to make their wardrobe unique. 
  2. They like to freshen their wardrobe often and pre-owned shops are a great way to donate/sell/purchase all in one place. Consignment stores are a great example. You can sell your gently used items and replace with equal quality used items all in one shop, allowing you to change out your wardrobe as often as you’d like without racking up a credit card bill.
  3. They want to help support their local community and charities. A lot of your local thrift stores go straight to a charity - like local animal shelters. It always feels good to support a cause while adding your favorite brands to your wardrobe.
  4. They’re trying to be more conscious of the effects the fashion industry has on our planet and landfills. This is a big one and a trendy topic right now. It’s becoming harder and harder to turn a blind eye to all of the ways that we’re hurting our planet. The fashion industry is no exception. An easy way we can help is by buying secondhand.
  5. And for some…they just love the thrill of the hunt and enjoy the feeling of a good deal whether they need to save money or not. 

While there WILL BE damaged/stained items in used clothing stores and sold online - you’ll be amazed to find that a lot of used clothing is actually in gently used condition and plenty of times I find items with dry cleaner tags attached. 

Used Clothing Lingo

You’ll typically see these descriptions used on apps like Poshmark, Mercari, and EBay.

  • EUC - Excellent Used Condition -used to described pre-owned clothing that is like new
  • NIB - New In Box. Typically used for shoes or home good items 
  • NWT - New With Tags. Brand new - store tag still attached. 
  • NWOT - New without tags. This item has never been worn but the store tag was removed and lost. 
  • Pre-loved -  A cuter way to say “pre-owned”, “used”
  • Secondhand - Another word for “pre-owned”, “used” 

I have purchased and sold on all of these sites. While there can be headaches, slow shipping times for example, they are all reliable sites to purchase used clothing. All of these sites will side with the purchaser if any issues arise. With that being said, the majority of sellers on these sites are honest, hard-working small business owners. You can check reviews for any shop. I personally like to check reviews for efficient shipping times. An added benefit is that you can message sellers and ask questions.

NOTES FOR BEGINNERS ON THESE APPS

  • POSHMARK - no returns are allowed unless the item arrives damaged or not as described. You cannot return if the item does not fit.
  • MERCARI no returns are allowed unless the item arrives damaged or not as described. You cannot return if the item does not fit.
  • EBAY - Each seller has different rules and are typically stated on the listing for the item being sold. Always pay attention- do they allow returns? If so - who pays? You or the seller etc. EXCEPTION- EBay will honor a refund for any item arriving damaged or not as described at no cost to you.

I encourage everyone to give purchasing used clothing a chance and If you have questions regarding my site, or even other selling apps, feel free to drop a comment below!

Renee