Thursday 21 January 2016

5 Reasons Hand-Me-Downs Are GREAT!

Last week, mother-of-two and BBC news reader Kate Silverton appeared in Hello! magazine with her children, talking about how she's managing raising a family and returning to work. Go mama! 

But why is this so exciting for us at Skibz? Well, Kate's son Wilbur was sporting the very same Skibz bib that was seen on his big sister Clemency in 2012! How can we be sure that it's the same bib? Because our Raspberry Gingham design has been out of stock for aaaaaaaages. Like, since 2014! It's gotta be the same one, right? How's that for proof that the Skibz bib is made to last?




It got us to thinking about hand-me-downs, and why they're so super-duper!


1 Sharing is caring! So many things, particularly baby clothes, are much too lovely to simply be disposed of, so why not spread the love? Ask friends and family if they have anything that is no longer of use to them that you could have or borrow. Or perhaps consider passing on some of your pre-loved baby clothes to a friend who's expecting. They'll appreciate the gesture, and you'll get that wonderful warm nostalgic feeling (and perhaps broodiness) in seeing your now terrible-two-year-old's cute little sleepsuit used again.


2 Save money. It doesn't matter whether you're pinching at pennies on a strict budget, or absolutely rolling in it; what's the point in throwing it away? Why waste money and perfectly reusable pre-loved items that still have love to give? Lots of products are made to last, but hardly get any use because little ones grow so fast. eBay, Facebook groups, local shop bulletin boards, jumble sales, car boots, Gumtree and Preloved are just a few of the many fantastic places to buy, sell, adopt and give away wonderful second-hand items.


It's for charity. Of course you'll want to buy the odd few bits brand new for best, but you're going to need a whole heap of outfits to keep up with the demand of changes due to nappy leakages and regurgitation. Charity shops are a great place to find beautiful little pieces for a fraction of high street prices and most are barely worn. One quick wash and you're away! (And you've also donated towards a good cause.) Alternatively, if you're convinced that you're done with having babies and no longer have a need for the bin-liner full of babygros that's stuffed up in your loft, why not consider dropping it in to a charity shop? Loft space for you, bargain baby stuff for someone else, funds raised for charity; win, win, win.


4 Protect the environment. In a throwaway society there is just so much quality going to waste. By accepting and sharing hand-me-downs you're doing your little bit to keep the cost to the environment (and yourselves) down. Dress your baby in second-hand with pride!


5 Create heirlooms. What better way to keep our favourite things in circulation than to hand them down to the next generation? Vintage, retro, antique, none of these things would exist if it weren't for previous generations passing on their much loved belongings. Pass your lovely things through your family, and keep the love rolling on, and on, and on...




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