Pre-Loved Pant Struggles

It’s been a bit (understatement) of a shit week in Britain: leaving the EU, realising I’m not at Glastonbury and being called ‘feminist trash’ by some guy that seemed to think the wage gap was Disney’s latest fairytale, made up to keep the kids in the backseat quiet for the 8 hour drive up to Newcastle, instead of an actual issue. On Wednesday my skin was covergirl quality and now I have 4 spots simply from the stress. In order to re-chill and remind myself how intersectionally liberal I am, I ordered a book of maps (which is probably like a racist’s ‘I have black friends’ argument but it made me feel better all the same).

However, this isn’t a post about maps because, after I bought my anti-Brexit propaganda I headed over to Depop- otherwise known as my go to gal- just to browse (says every girl ever before she spends £38.50 on a Naked Palette, I see you bb) (shakin dat ass) (shakin dat ass) (top tune what can I say) but ultimately I ended up buying three stripey rollerneck jumpers. And I honestly don’t even know why. Jess darling, it’s summer? Although it did get me thinking, every single experience I’ve had with Depop buyers and sellers has been wonderful, but isn’t the process of buying second hand clothes a little weird when you start thinking it through? I thought I’d share with you my DEunPOPular thoughts

For anyone that doesn’t know, Depop is a site where you can buy, sell and swap clothes and other crap you don’t really want anymore. 

When haggling: God this is awkward. Maybe just because I’m British and in Britain you
can’t so much as put your bin out without feeling awkward, but asking someone to lower the price is the worst. Like, I understand that you’re selling your clothes to pay for the
extortionate expenses involved with your charity trek round the Tanzanian rainforest but like, I don’t want to buy your mom jeans for £30. I could probably buy my own mom jeans for £29 I just can’t be bothered to face the pretty sales assistants in town who keep asking me if I need any help when I’ve literally just walked into the shop and therefore don’t know if I need help yet ft paying 5p for a bag and having to face all the flip flops in Hollister. On the rare occasion that I ask, pls just reduce the price.

When buying shoes: I am one of those wondrously unlucky human beings who have been blessed with a half shoe size and so eversince it’s stopped being socially acceptable to stand on that banterous measuring machine in Clarks and have your shoes picked for you depending on your foot’s circumference, I’ve prevented buying anything except Converse. This provides a rather inconclusive size indicator as I fit the 5, 5.5 and 6. Buying shoes online, usually brand new bc ew feet, is virtually impossible because I won’t know what size to get and as the brands are usually cute Canadian boot companies, I can’t really Google how close the sizing is.

When buying knitwear: For someone that buys a lot of second-hand jumpers, I always feel weirdest about buying jumpers second-hand. I guess it’s because I know what happens to my jumpers: doubling up as a picnic blanket when the grass is wet, rarely worn with a bra, the little bits of quorn sausage that missed my mouth laced into the wool. They’re my jumpers so it’s kewl. But what if I sold them- is this what it’s like for other people? Do they realise their jumper no longer makes a good enough pyjama tribute band and sell it onto someone else? I don’t want someone else’s quorn sausage, saliva-y sleeved, Cath Kidston creation. Or maybe I do, seeing as I’ve just bought another three.

When viewing the pics: Trying to work out if a product is nice- or should I say, why the person is selling the item- from the photos is tricky. Usually if there’s not a picture of it on then I assume it’s a poor fit, or when the images from the original website are used that’s even more worrying. Like babe I know Joanna Halpin wears that white tennis skirts well, I want to see how many period stains you’ve left on it. Sometimes I wish Depop did the thing ASOS does where you can see an outfit on the catwalk before you purchase. After all, once you’ve bought it there’s no sending it back.

When buying underwear: Okay don’t judge yes I’ve purchased second-hand underwear before and no it didn’t creep me out as much as I wanted it to but yes in hindsight it’s a bit of a weird thing to do. I mean it did still have the labels on but there wasn’t one of those sticky labels in the pants so I’ll never know for sure if our bums have touched or not. If so then we’ve basically had sex. Oh God. I paid her, reviewed her service and then didn’t message her back aka I have just become 87% of the male population. I do not belong on Earth send me to burn in Tinder asap.

Teamales do you buy pre-loved clothing? Depop, Vinted, Kilo Sales or maybe you’re a traditional charity shop goer, whatever the way, do you worry about the stains and creases or embrace them?