I was just told about this blog and that one of my customers had commented on the site.

I truly appreciate that others are making the move to buying gently used clothing for children and supporting local independent moms/businesses. At LilyToad, we resell both maternity and children’s clothing and gear, and are committed to continuing the recycling/reusing circle. We also promote more than 17 local crafters’ wares in the shop and in our online store. Our goal is to support the local economy (and creative moms!) as well as recycle clothing.

If you’d like to check out some of our locally made clothing and gear, go to http://www.lilytoad.com and use the coupon code: skipidi for 10% off your purchase.

ps. to Emma: consignment is when the store takes the items (clothing in this case) and pays the person a percentage of the sale price of the item after its been sold. Resale, on the other hand, is when the store offers the person either cash or trade credit for the items.

Firstly, for a dumb english woman – could someone please explain what consignment stores are? Secondly – yeah! good for you, Julia! I have 2 boys and handed down most of the eldest’s clothes to the youngest and still do. I also buy clothes for all the family from eBay – always in excellent condition and at a fraction of the original cost. I just can’t stand paying more than I have to for stuff.

we’re totally into thrift stores… there’s so many around here and if you shop ahead and hit the right days, the money you save and the benefit to the environment is all too good to pass up.

And starting shopping months ahead (like shopping for the next size as soon as your child changes into the size you had stored) lets you hit the days where you can get only the best pieces… my daughter has jeans that retail for 100 dollars a pair… not many… but she does have a couple… and the rest is childrens’ place, gap, etc. And you know how much I pay… no more than 1 dollar per item.

I buy my boys’ clothes that way, too, but it’s harder to find dressier shirts now that my boys are getting into much larger sizes.

Still, there’s nothing wrong with it… and the clothes I buy for my oldest get passed to his brother… any gender neutral stuff gets saved for their sister….

REUSE people… it’s the cheapest and easiest way to start being green!

Even if you change nothing else… if you just begin by reusing clothes (take your old ones to thrift shops and/or purchase from them), you’ll help so much!

When my kids were little, I traded clothes with two of my girlfriends who also had girls. We had six girls between the three of us so there were always many different sizes of clothing. It was a great way to save money.

Good for Julia! I’ll admit I’m no fan, but I think she’s doing a fantastic thing and hopefully her actions will help others to think a little more consciously of their environmental footprint.

I often shop for used clothes, only in excellent condition! My kids grow out of their every-day school clothing so quickly, it just makes more sense to spend less on things they won’t fit into for longer than 6 months.

Because of this, my kids always have a massive selection of clothes that are top quality, good brand names. We have bought many items at used clothing stores that still had the original tags on them.

I don’t buy used socks, underwear, shoes, or hats, though.

For us, it’s not for financial reasons…. just smart shopping, I guess.

We donate all of our old clothes that are in decent condition to local charities or leave them in our apartment building for others to take. It’s not worth the effort for us to sell them because it takes more time than the money is worth for me, but I think it’s a great way to recoup some of the money you’ve spent.

I used to shop at thrift stores all the time when I was in college, mostly out of financial need, but also because I loved to wear vintage clothes.

When I had my first baby many years ago, I got the following items brand new: Underwear, baby bottles, teething rings, baby shoes, cot mattress, the first push chair, baby phone and the car seat (many of those items were gifts from my parents as I was young and money was tight).

A lot of other clothes, the cot, bed sheets, nursery furniture, curtains, many toys and another (travel)stroller I bought second hand.

Almost all of that stuff went to friends and to charity shops after my son’d outgrown them, but the nicest pieces (among them a beautiful wooden rocking horse) I’ve kept for my next baby.

I buy loads of used clothes. I am a foster mom too so sometimes their are cases where I get a child in with no clothes at all. Yes I do have to get new clothes when I am in a hurry and the child needs a whole wardrobe. I also buy them used clothes as well. I keep a lot of used clothes on hand too. My own kids rarely get new clothes except for Birthdays or Christmas presents. I make my girls clothes too. I can make them for cheaper and normaly that is what they get for new things. I think they get more excitement out of things I make rather then buy. I also take used clothes and make more clothes or items. That is what I do online to make money.

I love buying used clothing for my daughter, I can afford so much more this way. Often the things I buy still have tags on them. I have got her so many still new looking brand name clothes. I also like doing it becuase since I save so much usually on clothes I don’t feel bad buying her a really expensive new outfit when I see one that she just has to have