I've always thought buying cute new outfits for a young one to be wasteful money wise, but also a waste of other resources. There are plenty of used clothing items so producing so many more doesn't make total sense to me. I also feel strongly in not wanting to support poor labour conditions around the world.
My question is, has anyone had experience telling others NOT to buy your little ones those cute new outfits? Did people listen? Has shopping mostly used clothing saved you a lot of money?
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TW: Loss
EDD: 1/14/2017 : Blighted Ovum : D&C @ 10w6d
Re: saying "no" to new clothing
Also, to help steer gift-givers, on my Babylist registry, you can modify these blank coupons that they have that allow you to ask for anything, really: used clothing, used books, home-cooked meals. I created one for a bed-side bassinet and wrote "used preferred" and added another premade one they have for used clothes.
You can't make people buy what you want, but you can try to steer them with suggestions! I don't have the cajones to tell people to not buy us new crap, but I did write a lengthy greeting at the top of the registries that say "when possible, we prefer organic, handmade, wood or fabric over plastic, and USED items most definitely welcome!" (I stole some of that from a fellow bumper who also was trying to get people to not buy conventional crap for them).
In in your case, you can also arm yourself with a list of local consignment shops and/or other places where you plan to get stuff from, and pass that info along to potential gift-givers as another gentle steering method.
Also, consider donating an "new items" you don't really want to a woman's shelter. There are some moms/babies that can't afford to have anything brand new ever. I have worked with low-income families for many years and often times everything they own is used through donations/thrift stores. You should see the kids/families when they do finally get something "brand new" it makes them feel so good. I'm sure a struggling new mom would can't afford to buy anything new (even if she wanted to) would love to have some baby clothes with the tags on them. It might not be the most environmentally friendly option, but you'll be "paying it forward" and uplifting the spirit of someone who is struggling. You're still doing something good for humanity.
Buying new clothes that I can only wear a few months does seem wasteful.
If you just live it people kind of key in that it's your taste and behave accordingly .the same way you'd cook vegetarian if you knew one was coming to dinner