Academic

Terry-cloth jumpsuits

By firstamendmentblogger

That's what I remember most about hand-me-downs as a kid - striped, fluorescent terry-cloth jumpsuits that my Aunt Eve pieced together from a McCall's pattern.  That, along with bell-bottoms, concert Ts, and 2 inch heels on occasion. 

Being among the youngest of 56 cousins, I got hand-me-downs by the bag full.  Literally.  Brown paper grocery bags full of clothes my teen-age cousins had tired of or outgrown.  And I couldn't wait to get more.  More, more, more.  Cousin Claurise was just soo pretty, and Anne-Marie soo smart, and Aline, well, she was just way cool.  She stayed out late, had a boyfriend, and swore on occassion when her parents weren't around.  She gave me the jump suits.  If only I could be like them.  Or at least look like them.  Or just pretend.

Just for a day . . .

Anyway, hand-me downs are a good money saver, but there's a new study out from the National Institute for Risk Assessment in Germany touting the health benefits of second-hand goods, especially for infants:

Second hand articles have had time to naturally lose the dangerous chemicals which are most easily emitted or leached from the articles to which babies are exposed. New furniture, much of which emits formaldehyde from the glues and particle board constituents or chemicals added as flame retardants, will have rid itself of most of the harmful emissions by the time it comes up for second hand sale. Baby clothing has been through enough wash cycles to ensure the chemicals added during textile manufacturing and distribution are gone. And who can remember being upset by a few smudges in the paint or carpeting of their nursery?

So the 'hand-me-down' kid might not be the neighborhood fashion icon, but she might breathe a bit easier.  And heck, it sure beats spending money on some overpriced brand-name princess get-up a bunch of 8 year olds put together in a sweatshop.     

-Kathleen Bergin

Full post as published by The Faculty Lounge on August 02, 2009 (boomark / email).