Hand-Me-Downs

I think many of us who have older siblings of the same gender (I have an older sister about three years older than I) grew up hating the concept of hand-me-downs. Like, really? I get her old unwanted clothes? Wow! That's so great! I really feel like a valued member of this family getting only what she doesn't fit into anymore. Thanks, Mom and Dad!

However, I'm pretty sure this is an unfair response. First, it negates how hard our parents are working to keep us clothed at all, which is kind of a lot of work when you think about it. Second, I think the vast majority of us were getting hand-me-downs that were still in good condition, so it's not like we were walking around with holes or huge mustard stains or anything. And third, it ignores how exciting clothes are when they're new to the person wearing them, even if they aren't new to the world as a whole.

My great and wonderful friend Miss Heaton I mean, Mrs. Toth recently cleaned out her closet and gave me some of her hand-me-downs. I love when she does that, because she's always got super cute stuff that's still in great condition, and I suddenly get new (FREE) clothes, like the skirt I wore today:

It fits well, and the color is a nice soft mix of light green and light blue. I decided to pair it with a long-sleeved black top with a square cowl neck. With the top and skirt both solid colors, I added some print in my charcoal gray tights, then finished off the outfit with ankle boots:

So do you have any friends who might be able to give you her (or his) hand-me-downs? If it starts to feel too unfair - like one of you is always giving and one is always receiving - you could arrange a clothing swap. Nothing like a quid pro quo to keep the friendship balanced. :)