How to Tell People You're Okay With Second Hand Baby Gifts
I t's not a pair of box-fresh Bottega Veneta boots, or cashmere spun from the wool of a rare-brood yak, that will ensure you strike gifting gold with way fans this Christmas: it's the revelation that yous bought their present secondhand.
Once a muddy word, secondhand is an increasingly valued quality (the global "preloved" fashion marketplace alone is worth $130bn). A survey conducted by the online secondhand marketplace Vinted found that one in six of us are committed to giving preloved but this Christmas, and buying secondhand tin also help to gainsay the £42m worth of unwanted Christmas gifts sent to landfill each yr.
If a "vintage" gift was one time considered cheap or twee, it's now an inspired choice – a betoken that the person giving information technology has a finger pressed firmly on the pulse.
With this in heed, here are the etiquette guidelines for secondhand souvenir-giving this Christmas.
Tell the truth
Avert whatever awkward moments past shouting nearly the origins of your secondhand present. Lucy Mackay, founder of east London-based vintage children'south clothing site And They Wear, suggests putting a note in a card to hammer home the bespeak. "I recall a bit of caption helps confirm that information technology's a thoughtful option," she advises. "Just about anybody thinks vintage is cool these days. It should go down well."
Stay on message
A terrible Christmas nowadays is normally 1 that says "I have no thought who you are or what you're into", so giving information technology some thought is essential. "A handpicked vintage gift is a treasure. It's a considered piece that'southward going to add real character to a home," says Chloe McDonald, who sells vintage homeware from her Instagram account @scenebychloe and says zigzag candle holders and onyx and alabaster bookends are coveted gifts this December. Anna O'Brien, a seller on Depop and car-booter from Frome, suggests homing in on pieces that increase with value as they age, such as kickoff editions of novels or clothes designed to stand up the test of time. For guaranteed sentimental value, she suggests getting personal. "Think about the yr they were born or their favourite colour, and store accordingly."
Practise it for the kids
Preloved childrenswear is increasingly big business – but a pair of secondhand PJs makes for a fleck of a dull gift. For guaranteed success, seek out contained sellers who stock cult brands. Mackay says OshKosh dungarees and Levi's denim jackets are amongst her customers' favourite pieces to purchase as presents. Pastel knitwear also does well. "I change the buttons to smiley faces. Customers love that considering and so they're getting something that is customised and a 1-off," she says.
Make sure your gift looks the part
All secondhand presents should exist subject to a strict vetting process. With books, check for missing pages; with toys, replace any batteries; if it's wearable, sniff with vigour and have to an eco-friendly dry cleaner before passing on – O'Brien also recommends a spritz of vodka mixed with water to remove the musty secondhand smell. Those without time to exercise the legwork themselves should look to curated vintage sites and sellers. Aside from her own business, McDonald recommends Finna Vintage, The Attic, Foxberry Vintage and The Antik Store. "They have already gone through the trouble of sourcing of-the-moment and interesting pieces." If you're buying luxury clothes secondhand, sites such as Vestiaire Commonage have a rigorous actuality process, which volition dramatically reduce the chances of y'all passing on a faux.
Information technology's all about the 'add-ons'
Seasoned thrifter and vintage influencer April Salsbury (@knackered_cow) believes that finding the perfect pairing for a preloved gift is the fundamental. She suggests teaming a bestselling novel with a cashmere jumper picked up in a charity shop, or a vintage wine decanter with a bottle of red.
Regifting is frowned upon …
Merely there are exceptions. While it's not yet socially acceptable to wrap upwards a pair of boots you no longer want and pass them on to a pal, treasured pieces brand lovely gifts. Jewellery is excellent for this, every bit is art. "Information technology really is the thought that counts," says Elle Richie, who runs Depop store Studio Ell Richie. "Look at what you lot accept and consider the items no longer serving you lot."
Think about presentation
Y'all've sourced your best friend an well-nigh-incommunicable-to-track-downward dress from a Stella McCartney collection of sometime. Now, don't become ruining it with cheap foil wrapping paper and sticky tape. McDonald purchases vintage wrapping paper to make her gifts sing. But keeping things simple also has its benefits. "I add velvet ribbon, cuts of leafage from the garden and a few drops of essential oil to brown paper," says Salsbury. To cutting out the middleman, McDonald recommends shopping from the straight-to-consumer Instagram sellers who post goods in packaging that'southward pretty plenty to go straight under the Christmas tree. "Nearly offer gift messaging, likewise," she says, ''and so when the production arrives it feels special."
How to Tell People You're Okay With Second Hand Baby Gifts
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/nov/29/preloved-and-perfect-the-seven-essential-rules-for-secondhand-presents
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