“Fashion is art and you are the canvas.” – Savio Fonseca

Okay, here is the big debatable question of buying second hand…

Where do you draw the line? What items of clothing will you not buy used?

Yes, even I have my limits – I don’t buy bathing suits or underwear preowned (for obvious reasons). However, if you take the necessary precautions, there are other things that you can buy at a discounted price that some people would write off.

I have really been getting into wearing hats lately. For one, they are a great coverup for a bad hair day (though the hat-hair aftermath is pretty scary) but they can also look very cute and add a little pop to an otherwise drab outfit! So the question lends itself, can you buy used hats?

Now when I say yes, please don’t think I am being naïve to the consequences that buying used hats can bring. I have had head lice in my day, and it was not a pretty sight. NO ONE should have to go through the hours of washing and combing, scorching everything you own in the industrial dryers at the laundromat, bagging up everything you own, and putting yourself on house arrest. It’s awful. So I know of the dangers, but I now also know the best ways to avoid it and the tell-tale signs!

My husband and I are freaks when it comes to being paranoid about lice after the “Great Lice Outbreak of the Summer of 2017” as we so lovingly refer to it. I know exactly what an egg looks like and when the scratching on your head has just become too much. (Side note: I also know a fair amount about ticks and fleas from our family dog. Oh the joys of married life!) So here are some tips and tricks to buying used hats in a safe and cleanly way!

First of all, check the hat out at the store. Do a thorough investigation, it should be pretty obvious if there is anything sinister going on in there.

When you get home, clean the inside rim with a wipe that has bleach. That’s where sweat and makeup rub off often times. You may have to scrub a little, but it’ll clean right up!

Finally, if it’s possible, throw the hat in the dryer for a cycle. This has not been possible for the hats that I’ve bought without ruining them, so I take a hair dryer to them and just stand there for several minutes. This is best because heat is what kills any buggers, that’s why we had to use the commercial-sized dryer at the laundromat to heat up all of our possessions. If you are still really concerned, leave it in a sealed bag for a few days. Lice cannot survive without a host for an extended period of time.

This may seem like a lot of work, but it really only takes a few minutes and some careful probing. Now you are left with a cute, discounted accessory without fear of consequences!

 

Happy shopping!