The Best Places to Shop Quality Secondhand Clothing for Kids
We see you selective Mama. You want to shop more sustainably but you also love fashion. You want to manage your budget but you also want high quality clothing for your babies and kids. Joining the circular economy is the solution we all need, for the environment and for our wallets.
Buying preloved clothing versus new not only keeps it out of landfills, it reduces water use and carbon emissions. On average, every time an item of clothing finds a new owner, it decreases its environmental footprint by 25%.
Kids notoriously grow out of clothing quickly and fast fashion often results in trashed clothing at the end of one lifecycle. The good news? More brands are producing more sustainably from the start, using high quality materials and craftsmanship resulting in more durable clothing. Extending the life of the garment through the secondhand market allows it to essentially cancel out its own ecological footprint.
Thankfully, shopping secondhand for your kids has only gotten easier as the taboo surrounding ‘used’ clothing has lessened through the years. The growth of the e-commerce resale market has not only destigmatized secondhand shopping but made it, dare we say pleasurable?
Hand-me-down is no longer a dirty word.
If you’re new to secondhand shopping it’s not an all or nothing deal. Even replacing a small portion of your children’s wardrobe with preloved pieces helps to reduce waste. The biggest temptation will be the pull of overconsumption and impulse buying. We know, it’s such a good deal, but don’t buy it unless you love it. We still follow the golden rule of ‘Buy Less, Buy Well’, even when shopping secondhand.
Where to start. First, check with friends and family when a new baby is on the way and try to build your own secondhand network. You will be amazed at the amount of stuff people want to unload when they no longer need it. It can be a great way to create a community that you can trade with well into the future.
Next step, find a secondhand market you trust and enjoy shopping with. If you’re searching out specific brands, especially smaller, we’re big fans of the treasure trove of BST (buy, sell, trade) Facebook groups. On Instagram you have to dig a little deeper but there’s high reward when you find an instagram Mama’s style you like.
For this article we’ve decided to focus on resalers offering more sustainable and higher end brands that tend to have longer life cycles.
Do you like to shop small or shop big? With large resalers like theRealReal and Vestiaire, you’ll get much more choice by the sheer volume available and find tons from high end designers like Bonpoint, Chloe, Gucci and Burberry. At smaller resalers with a more curated selection like My Vintage Kiddos or Myno & Co, you’re more likely to find pieces from Bobo Choses, Mini Rodini, Soor Ploom and Misha & Puff. If the shop’s style is your vibe, you can more easily find things you love and save tons of time, even if you have to be more patient.
So here we are. We’ve put together a list of the best places to shop preloved baby and kids clothing if you’re looking for organic, high quality and more sustainable brands. These are our picks for high end consignment shops and resalers doing the good sustainable work.
Don’t see your favorite, drop us a line and share the goods.
MINI CYCLE
Not only can you buy new and preloved at this Canadian shop, they operate a circular model through a zero waste system. They will buy back anything you buy, either new or preloved and wash it, repair it, repurpose it or resell it again. Learn more about the process from our interview with the founder. They only carry brands that they have tested as durable and have a lower impact on the environment. You’ll find a lot of their regular roster of sustainable brands plus similar in clothing, accessories and shoes. They have a new bi-weekly drop every Wednesday. (nb - 12y, ships Canada & US)
Brands you’ll find: Bobo Choses, KidWild, Organic Zoo, Fairechild, Les Petites Natures, Tiny Cottons, Rylee & Cru
The RealReal
THE REALREAL
Their mission is to extend the life of luxury and likewise you’ll find mostly high end designer brands here with a small mix of sustainable and mid-range brands. They’ve perfected the luxury resale market for women and trickled it down to those shopper’s children. They make it super easy to shop and sort by size, colors, type, brands, etc. if you’re looking for something specific through either their website or app. Everything you purchase is processed directly through them, where they authenticate items and rate the condition from good to pristine. (0m - 16y, ships worldwide)
Brands you’ll find: Bonpoint, Stella McCartney, Chloe, Burberry, Petit Bateau, Jacadi, Ralph Lauren, Gucci
KIDS O’CLOCK
This preloved marketplace founded by a former fashion buyer (Net-a-Porter, Moda Operandi) has received lots of buzz since launching last year. With the function and feel of popular luxury resalers, it stands out for focusing on only kidswear at accessible prices. They use a peer-to-peer model where some items are uploaded and shipped directly by the seller and some are uploaded and processed through them directly. There’s a pretty even mix of high to low with sustainable brands in between, so hopefully they add a way to sort by designer or another way to help narrow the search. They recently partnered with Harvey Nichols to offer a resale drop off point in the Knightsbridge store. (nb - 10y, ships UK, US & Europe)
Brands you’ll find: Bonpoint, Petit Bateau, Ralph Lauren, Mini Rodini, Jacadi, Zara, Gap
KIDSWEAR COLLECTIVE
They set the bar if you’re a luxury shopper looking for only high end designer children’s fashion. Originally launching online in 2018, they upped the ante with a pop-up (that became permanent) at Selfridges, where you can shop in person at Oxford Street. It’s continued to grow into a large online store for both preloved and past season designer duds up to 80% off retail. All preloved are authenticated and go through an inspection process where they’re dry cleaned and condition is evaluated. To further support circularity they donate unsold garments to the Little Village charity. (0m - 14y, ships worldwide)
Brands you’ll find: Burberry, Bonpoint, Kenzo, Stella McCartney, Ralph Lauren, Dior, Tartine et Chocolat, Chloe, Gucci
Vestiaire
VESTIAIRE
One of the global leaders in the women’s luxury resale market, this French resaler has hubs in Paris, New York, Hong Kong and Singapore. You’ll find kids under the women’s section on both the website and popular app. With nearly 50,000 SKUs under girls alone (at the time of publication) you’ll find mostly high end designer brands and some more sustainable brands as well. They use a hybrid model where some styles are are uploaded and shipped directly by the seller and some are uploaded and processed directly through Vestiaire. The bulk are shipping out of Europe, however if you’re shopping from the US, the numbers go down significantly when you sort by US shippers. (1m - 16y, ships worldwide)
Brands you’ll find: Bonpoint, Burberry, Petit Bateau, Bellerose, Bobo Choses, Chloe, Dior, Dolce & Gabana, Fendi, Gucci, Moncler, Ralph Lauren
KIDIZEN
Kidizen is one of the biggest peer to peer marketplaces for secondhand kids clothing in the US. If you’re interested in higher end or eco-conscious brands, at first visit you might get frustrated and bounce. If you stay a little longer you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the many quality gems you can find, you just have to put in a little work. There are a lot of fast fashion brands to wade through but you can save filters by brand and size to make your search easier. You can also uniquely ‘follow’ individual shops. All product is uploaded and shipped directly by sellers/shops and the sellers even get reviews on their service. To help further you can search by the query of organic or vintage, but if you have specific brands in mind it might be better to start there. There’s also footwear, toys and an impressive assortment for babies. (0m-16y, ships US)
Brands you’ll find: Bobo Choses, Mini Rodini, Misha & Puff, Kate Quinn, Kyte Baby, Kickee Pants, Rylee & Cru, Jamie Kay, Fin & Vince, Nununu
BUBBLEMUM SOCIETY
The two sustainability loving Mamas who run this blogazine and secondhand shop are passionate about quality organic preloved clothing and it shows. Their model is a little different, where you message them (either from their website or insta) to purchase. They are constantly adding new inventory to their instagram feed and stories that you can purchase by direct message. Their community of bubblemums have excellent taste so you’ll find mostly cool high quality European brands well curated at 50 - 80% off retail. Sadly, this Berlin based company only ships within Germany right now but we’re holding out hope for future expansion. (nb - 10y, ships Germany)
Brands you’ll find: Bobo Choses, Mini Rodini, The Animals Observatory, Tiny Cottons, Noe & Zoe, Mainio, Monkind, Soft Gallery
LITTLE RESHOP
This Danish shop has high quality preloved clothing and shoes with a small curated selection of new accessories and handmade knitwear. There’s definitely a Nordic vibe to the more than 1800 preloved SKUs (at publication) of more sustainably made European brands. You’ll find muted colors and patterns with an emphasis on stylish comfort. They only accept brands they’ve quality tested. Everything you purchase has been processed directly through them and given a condition rating. (nb - 12y, ships worldwide)
Brands you’ll find: Caramel, MarMar, Poudre Organic, Omibia, Liilu, Co. Label, Condor, FUB, Dilling, Serendipity Organics
LITTLEST LUXURIES
As the name implies, this smaller UK shop is well curated with high end designer brands. There’s a classic European style in the quality offerings. Both the website and insta feel like you’re shopping a high end childrenswear boutique, it just so happens everything is preloved. You’ll find most items are nearly new (they only accept items in very good to new condition) from a select list of brands. Everything goes through their quality control checks and is given a quality rating before it is listed. (nb - 12y, ships worldwide)
Brands you’ll find: Bonpoint, Caramel, Jacadi, Chloe, Marie-Chantal, Ralph Lauren
MYNO & CO
This Canadian preloved shop is a newbie, having recently opened in 2020. There’s a vintage inspired boho vibe among the quality gems found here, focused on mostly sustainable kidswear. Patience is key here, as the thoughtfully curated seasonal drops are announced on their insta and popular brands go quick. Everything is quality checked in house and noted for condition. They also ship in compostable mailers and eco-friendly packaging. (0m - 9y, ships worldwide)
Brands you’ll find: Misha & Puff, Soor Ploom, Quincy Mae, Nellie Quats, Louise Misha, Mabo, Stella McCartney, Jamie Kay
MY VINTAGE KIDDOS
A rare unicorn, this Swedish shop is truly a haven for sustainable secondhand kidswear and beautiful wooden toys. If smaller sustainably minded brands are your jam, you’ll love their selection of cool eco-friendly European brands. Their beautiful and well curated presentation is proof that preloved shops don’t have to feel any different or less special from ‘regular’ full price children’s boutiques. Everything is quality checked in house and noted for condition. (0m - 10y, ships worldwide)
Brands you’ll find: Mini Rodini, Bobo Choses, The Simple Folk, MarMar, Facade, Tiny Cottons, Liewood, The Animals Observatory, Konges Sloejd
SMALLS
A very new preloved shop out of New Zealand that focuses on preloved designer and eco-conscious brands. The well curated bi-weekly drops offer some of the most popular premium children’s brands. You can only purchase directly on instagram through DM. They post new items in stories and remove once purchased. You’ll love the cool vibe at this shop that aims to make buying secondhand fun. (0m - 8y, ships worldwide)
Brands you’ll find: Bonpoint, Bobo Choses, Stella McCartney, Burberry, Mini Rodini, Oeuf, Kenzo, Petit Bateau
LES PETITS CHAMPIGNONS
A small shop focused on preloved, vintage and sustainable brands. Although the online selection isn’t that large, it’s one of the few you can find a mix of recent preloved and vintage in both clothing and kids. Everything is quality checked and condition is well noted on individual items. You’ll find mostly unisex styles up to 9 years but the selection is predominantly baby and toddler. They do new drops bi-weekly so keep an eye on how their offerings grow. You can also return anything you purchase for store credit through their Loyalty Loop. (0m - 9y)
Brands you’ll find: Organic Zoo, Rylee & Cru, OshKosh, Carhartt, Mini Rodini, Bobo Choses
BE DIDDY
This vintage shop is based in the UK and you can find tons of goodies in great condition. They recently opened a brick & mortar in Manchester where you can shop to your preloved hearts content but their insta is still the best spot to check the latest offerings. There’s a heavy focus on vintage denim and overalls but you’ll also find knitwear, tops, footwear and more. To bring it even more full circle, there’s a buy back program for when your minis outgrow their vintage denim. Everything is quality checked and cleaned before it’s listed. (3m - 12y, ships worldwide)
Brands you’ll find: Levi’s Carhartt, OshKosh, Ralph Lauren
RYDE & ROAM
The small shop focuses on mostly vintage denim and sweet dresses. The vintage and preloved styles have been collected through this fashion Mama’s travels in Germany, Greece, Portugal, Morocco, New Zealand Australia and USA and you’ll even see a note on where it was found. Little flaws are mostly fixed before being listed and the condition is well noted on individual items. You can’t shop by size or select filters, but there’s not a massive offering, so it’s easy to browse. (2y - 8y, ships worldwide)
Brands you’ll find: Levi’s, OshKosh, Carhartt, Wrangler
BEST FOR
SUSTAINABLE BRANDS
Mini-Cycle | My Vintage Kiddos | Little Reshop | Myno & Co | Bubblemum Society
HIGH END DESIGNER
Kidswear Collective | Vestiaire
HIGH END TO MID RANGE MIX
The RealReal | Kids o’Clock | Littlest Luxuries
VINTAGE
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We think it’s important to provide unbiased content you can trust, so Meer is not sponsored or paid by the brands we feature on this site. All brands and products are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy through the links on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.
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Looking for vintage denim for your kids? You’re not alone. There’s been a global movement towards women’s vintage denim in recent years and now demand seems to be increasing for kids too. When it comes to denim, it seems like old has become cool.