When I discovered a pink dress with a lace collar in my storage, I was elated. Upon learning I was having a second child, a girl, I was excited at the opportunity to see some clothes my eldest daughter grew out of too quickly. One particular piece was this Janie and Jack dress that shows off little tiny shoulders and Michelin Man baby biceps.
We reached out to adults who were dressed in hand-me-downs, be it from their older siblings or other older people in their lives. Additionally, we reached out to two licensed psychologists who work closely with children and young adults to explore the potential effects on hand-me-downers.Hand-me-downs evoke a lot of memories for some. Lauren French, a school counselor in Southern California, said her hand-me-downs affected her childhood and her relationship with her sister.
But now, French is singing a different tune when it comes to previously loved pieces. “Now, I love a hand-me-down . When does a closet clean out, I am right there going through the piles. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law often do closet clean outs and they know to ask me first before donating anything.”
“I’ve definitely had clients who have been the recipients of hand-me-downs, and in my experience I’ve never heard kids or their parents identify this as being an area of concern or a trigger for anxiety or shame,” she shared.“My sense is that this, in part, because the proliferation of thrifting and secondhand fashion over the past few years has diminished the social stigma surrounding ‘used clothes’ and hand-me-downs.