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Spotting Quality in Secondhand Children's Clothes

May 11, 2026

Not all secondhand is equal. Anyone who's dug through a disorganised charity bin knows the feeling — faded prints, pilling fabric, mystery stains, and sizing that makes no sense. It puts people off preloved entirely, which is a shame, because the good stuff is genuinely good.

The key is knowing what to look for. Here's how to spot quality in secondhand children's clothes — whether you're shopping a curated service, a local market, or a friend's hand-me-down bag.

Check the Fabric First

Natural fibres — cotton, wool, linen — tend to age better than synthetics. They breathe better, wash better, and hold their shape longer. Look at the care label. 100% cotton basics are usually a safe bet. Avoid anything that feels stiff, scratchy, or has a plasticky sheen — that's usually a sign of low-quality construction that won't improve with washing.

Look at the Seams

Turn the garment inside out. Are the seams straight and even? Is the stitching tight with no loose threads? Quality construction shows in the details. Cheap garments often have uneven seams, skipped stitches, or raw edges that fray quickly.

Check High-Wear Areas

Knees, elbows, cuffs, and collar edges take the most abuse. These are the first places to show wear. A little fading on the knees of jeans is normal and often fine. Actual thinning of the fabric, pilling, or fraying at the cuffs is a sign the item is near the end of its life.

Assess the Colour

Fading is the most common issue with secondhand kids' clothes. Hold the item up to natural light. Is the colour even, or are there patches of fading around the shoulders or collar? Uneven fading usually means the item was dried in direct sunlight repeatedly — it won't reverse.

Check Zips, Buttons, and Fastenings

Test every zip. Check every button is present and secure. Look at press studs on baby clothes — they should snap firmly. These are easy things to miss and annoying to deal with once you're home.

Smell It

A clean item should smell like nothing, or faintly of laundry. Musty, smoky, or chemical smells can be hard to remove and are a reason to pass. At Left Knee Patch, every item is professionally washed before listing — so you don't have to worry about this one.

Know the Brands Worth Buying Secondhand

Some brands are worth buying new. Others are worth buying secondhand specifically because they're built to last. Boutique kids' brands, Scandinavian labels, and heritage basics tend to hold up well. Fast fashion brands — even secondhand — often aren't worth it because the quality wasn't there to begin with.

Shop Curated When You Can

The easiest way to avoid the quality lottery is to shop a curated preloved service that does the sorting for you. At Left Knee Patch, we inspect every item before it goes live — so what you see is what you get. Browse our current selection at leftkneepatch.com.

About the author: Elli Stephanede is the founder of Left Knee Patch and a contributor to Sixx Cool Moms. She writes about sustainable parenting, preloved kids' fashion, and life beyond fast fashion.

Sixx Cool Moms Making an Impact: Elli Nede - From Fast Fashion to Sustainable Parenting

Written By: Elli Stephanede | Founder of Sixx Cool Moms Approved Sponsor Left Knee Patch

My Journey To Sustainable Parenting

Back when I was single and without a child, I worked in the fast fashion industry, producing new clothes around the world for major brands. At the time, fast fashion was a novel concept and considered trendy. The devastating environmental impact wasn’t widely known, images of mountains of discarded clothing hadn’t yet circulated globally. However, I had seen them firsthand in Haiti, where piles of discarded garments had grown so high that people built homes on top of them.

I traveled from factory to factory, country to country, overseeing production. Once our garments reached stores, I proudly purchased what my company had created, feeling accomplished. I had finally earned my place among the "cool kids" in the industry.

But the job took a toll on my mental health. That pretty dress, destined to become part of a high schooler’s cherished memories, had a stressful and complex history. It was the product of relentless deadlines, grueling price negotiations, and countless hours of labor, not just by designers and creatives passionate about fashion, but by factory workers sewing endlessly, machinery knitting fabric, container ships transporting goods, and warehouse employees just trying to make a living. These workers didn’t care whether it was a dress or a pair of distressed jeans; they simply needed to put food on the table. I admired their resilience and felt proud to contribute to their employment. Until things turned ugly. Corporate greed took over, and the work that once excited me became an overwhelming source of stress.

In the end, the biggest earners were the factory owners, the shipping lines, and the clothing retail chains. I was disenchanted by my idealistic desire to create a living for those in need, instead ending up spending nights out entertaining clients, who would order a $40 alcoholic drink demanding the waiter find a single large ice cube in the middle of the desert…while workers spent years in factories, away from their families in other countries, to provide for them; $40 for these workers would have gone a long way!

A New Chapter

I decided to leave my fast-paced life in New York City. The stress had taken its toll, culminating in a miscarriage. While sitting in urgent care, my employer called me repeatedly, demanding I submit a budget report the same day. When I told them I couldn’t, they asked, "Why not?"

I couldn’t bring myself to tell them the truth. I hadn’t even told my partner that I had lost our baby. That was my breaking point. I had devoted everything to my career, but now I was classified as a "geriatric" candidate for pregnancy. I needed to prioritize my health and well-being. I moved to Montgomery County to be with my partner, shifting my career to digital marketing and e-commerce. I took a pay cut in pursuit of a healthier work-life balance, a concept that, until then, had been foreign to me.

The Bird Laid The Egg & The Bee Did Its Thing

We once again got pregnant, and life was good. The pregnancy itself was rough, though. If I hadn’t been pregnant and felt the way I did every day, I would have called in sick every. single. day. How does society expect pregnant women to work, carrying a growing human who shifts everything inside, saps all their nutrients, and makes them feel like they’re hosting a lovely but exhausting parasite?

Then came the pandemic. I spent the last month of pregnancy working from home, only to be furloughed in my 38th week. I was furious and stressed. I had strategically waited a year before having a baby to qualify for my employer’s parental leave benefits. Only to lose them all.

Luckily, little Luca arrived just before the furlough deadline. Unluckily, he was delivered via emergency C-section after his heartbeat stopped. Luca was tiny, AND the third percentile for newborns, but healthy. We took him home and settled into blissful parental leave. While the world was in the streets during the black lives matter protests, I was at home being milked like a cow. But, like The Laughing Cow, I was happy to be feeding my little calf.

Still, I knew I needed to find a better job. One that would treat employees with more respect. I secured a remote position with better pay, working with online fashion retailers. It felt like a perfect fit. But then the tech bubble burst, layoffs followed, and I had to reassess my path once again.

Finding My True Path

I needed to recenter myself. I was a new mom, deeply in love with my child, supported by my partner, and still passionate about the apparel industry. But I didn’t want to continue mass-producing new clothes. What could I contribute to fashion that aligned with my values as a parent?

The waste in the textile industry had always horrified me. Most people don’t realize that polyester is plastic, and "vegan leather" is often just plastic, too. So much fabric is wasted in production, and countless garments end up in landfills.

I had always been passionate about recycling. As a child, I made my mother drive across town to the one recycling station where we could drop off a week’s worth of used paper.

During the pandemic, I cherished the support of friends who handed down their kids’ clothes to me. Though we couldn’t see each other, I felt their love through every piece of clothing Luca re-wore. But when I needed a secondhand item that wasn’t included in those hand-me-downs, the process was exhausting.

Why was it so hard for parents to find high-quality secondhand clothes in an organized, convenient way? Why were we expected to sift through thrift store bins or frantically claim items in "buy nothing" groups, proving our worth to strangers just to receive a jacket? Parenting is already hard enough. Didn’t we deserve an easier way to shop sustainably?

The Birth of Left Knee Patch

And so, Left Knee Patch was born. My son’s left knee was constantly wearing through his pants. He slid across the floor and playground while racing his toy cars, tearing hole after hole. I realized I could extend the life of perfectly good clothing by repairing and rehoming them. I wanted to share the joy I had experienced with preloved kids’ clothes and make "preloved" become "reloved."

Starting in the DMV area, with dreams of expanding across the U.S., I was determined to create a business that aligned with both career goals and my role as a parent. This time, I was doing it on my terms.

What’s Your Parenting Challenge?

I would love to hear about your experiences. Whether funny or heartfelt. What has been your biggest parenting challenge? Let’s connect in the comments and support one another.

For Sixx Cool Moms interested in supporting our sustainable parenting movement, you can find us at LeftKneePatch.com and enjoy 50% off your first order with the code SIXXCOOLFREEFIRST.

Interested in becoming a Sixx Cool Moms Approved Business? Visit Here.

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