What you should not buy used
Short answer: Underwear, socks and anything where the elastic carries the garment. The first two for hygiene reasons, the last because elastane loses strength over time, even when the garment is not worn.
Three things not to buy used
There are three things you should avoid buying used: underwear, socks and anything where the elastic carries the garment. The first two for hygiene reasons, the last because elastane loses strength over time. Buy them new and spend the saving on something where buying used makes sense.
Underwear and socks
Underwear and socks are worn directly against the skin and cannot be sold used. Buy them new and save the money for something else. That applies even if the garment looks clean and whole in the picture, because that says nothing about how it was worn. See bamboo socks for women.
Anything with a lot of elastane
Sportswear, tights and close-fitting garments often contain a lot of elastane. The elastane threads break down over time, even when the garment is not worn. A garment that looks brand new in the listing may therefore have lost some of its stretch, without you being able to see it in a picture.
Why the elastic gives up
Elastane is a thread that gives fabric stretch, and it loses strength gradually, both through wear and through washing and storage. The result is that the garment becomes loose, loses its shape or does not spring back after being stretched. That is rarely visible in a picture, so it is hard to judge as a buyer.
Sportswear and close-fitting pieces
Sportswear and close-fitting pieces have to fit tightly to work, and that requires the elastic to still be firm. If it is slack, the garment loses its purpose, however nice the fabric looks. Buy such things new, so you know they fit as they should from day one.
What is good to buy used
Outerwear, shirts, trousers and knitted garments without stretch are good to buy used. They last for many years, they do not lose their shape from lying around, and they are expensive new. That is where the saving is greatest. See bamboo shirts for men as an example of an easy garment to wear.
Why outerwear lasts
Outerwear and woven garments do not depend on an elastic to keep their shape. The fabric lies as it does, and wear shows as lint or thin spots you can see in a close-up. That makes condition easier to judge from pictures, and the risk of disappointment is smaller.
Nightwear and loungewear
Nightwear and loungewear are a matter of taste when it comes to used. Wash them thoroughly before use and check that the elastic in the waistband is still firm. That is less critical than underwear, because the garment is not worn directly in the same way. See bamboo loungewear for women.
Keep the money for something else
When you buy underwear and socks new, you can put the time and money you save into used outerwear, where the difference is large. That gives a wardrobe where what sits close to the body is new, and what hangs on the outside may have had a life before you.
Frequently asked questions
Can you buy used nightwear?
It is a matter of taste. Wash it thoroughly before use and check that the waistband elastic is still firm, so it does not slip down or sit too loose.
How long does elastane last?
A few years, and the process continues in the wardrobe even when the garment is not used. So an unused elastane garment stored for a long time can also be less firm than new.
What is best to buy used?
Outerwear and woven garments without elastane, such as shirts and trousers. They keep their shape for many years and are expensive new, so that is where you save most.
You can find the full range at Bamboo-Clothing.com.
