Summary: At a time when fast fashion has made buying new clothes cheap and convenient, parenting groups including American families are still continuing the tradition of passing children's old clothes among relatives and neighbors. Discussions on the r/Parenting forum show that for reasons of saving money and reducing waste, this practice has not become outdated; the discussion contains no quantitative data from specific countries or institutions.

Key points

  • A parent posted a question on r/Parenting: after the spread of fast fashion, has the passing down of children's old clothes become a thing of the past; commenters generally believe the practice is still continuing.
  • Parents participating in the discussion identified three types of motivations for its continuation: circulation among relatives, siblings, and neighbors forming a network, saving the expense of frequently buying new clothes, and the "retro revival" outfits created by keeping clothes from decades ago.
  • The discussion holds that the increase in cheap retail options has not ended the tradition of sharing old clothes, and its dual role in saving money and reducing waste is still recognized by parents.

Fast fashion has pushed children's clothing prices down to the point of "wear it for a few months and replace it," making the threshold for buying new clothes lower than ever. Given that, is there still any need for the passing down of children's old clothes? A large number of responses to a question on r/Parenting gave the opposite answer: in many families, accepting clothes worn by slightly older children is still one of the main ways to dress their kids.

The parents who responded described this circulation as an "ecological chain." In families with broader networks of relatives and friends, the same set of clothes passes in turn through cousins, siblings, and neighbors' children before finally leaving use. An ordinary baby outfit is passed around repeatedly because babies grow extremely fast, so its actual period of use is greatly extended.

Economic considerations are one driving force. Children's sizes change frequently, and parents especially in the early years want to avoid continuously buying new clothes; going to the mall less and accepting more old clothes means the amount saved accumulates considerably over time. Some people even keep old clothes — over decades, childhood garments in boxes see the light of day again, letting today's children wear styles belonging to the previous generation or even 30 years ago.

Cheap new clothes alone have not broken this habit either. At the end, the article's author asks parents to share ways of dealing with outgrown clothes and points to more discussions on forums such as r/Parenting, r/Mommit, r/daddit, and r/Frugal; it also states that the story presents the personal views of Reddit users, does not represent Reddit the company, and that some post comments were lightly edited.

Against the backdrop of the adult second-hand clothing industry, this parent's experience sharing touches the underlying demand for old-clothes circulation: even in a market where first-hand new clothes are extremely cheap and buying them is extremely convenient, giving away and receiving old clothes still has practical value, showing that the circulation of old clothes is not just an environmental slogan, but also a stable daily arrangement within family budgets and community relationships.

Source: Are hand-me-downs a thing anymore? Or has fast fashion taken over? · Originally published on 2026-10-06