Hat’s off to her?
A Tennessee millennial who isn’t pregnant, isn’t dating, and isn’t sure she’ll even have kids says she has an attic full of baby clothes that she washes once a year.
“I don’t know if I particularly want kids right now — I’m 32 and I don’t have a partner,” Katie Wood, a solicitor from Chattanooga, explained to SWNS.
“But I love thrifting,” she reasoned. “And thrifting for any future kids has kind of become its own thing.”
Wood said she started out thrifting for her niece, Isla, 5, and nephew, Ian, 13 months. Then, she decided to keep some of her finds for her alleged future kids, so she can save money if they are, in fact, born.
She keeps a box in the attic of 20-plus items of baby clothing — as well as shoes — with silica pouches for preservation.
Wood says she’s very open to letting a future partner know about her stash — and friends and family are on board.
Wood has loved bargain hunting since she was a child, especially scouring garage sales with her parents.
Growing up with 14 aunts, uncles, and “a ton” of cousins, Wood’s wardrobe was filled with hand-me-downs.
But as a teenager, she rejected the idea of secondhand clothes in favor of new, fast-fashion items like her friends wore.
“For a while in my teens, I hated garage sales and spent a lot on trendy clothes,” Wood recalled. “All my clothes were brand new — and with fast fashion, nothing is made well anymore, so I’d have to keep buying more.”
After starting at Florida International Law School in 2010, at the age of 18, Wood began once again appreciating pre-loved clothing so she could afford “better” quality items.
She’d rifle through clothing bins in charity shops to find the best, most durable pieces — often snagging pairs of Levi’s jeans and tennis shoes.
“My biggest thrifting hack has to be rifling through the bins,” Wood shared. “There are some bits that are worth over $40 that I’ve got for $3 each.”
When Isla was born in 2019, Wood began thrifting baby outfits for her niece — like hand-knitted cardigans and dresses for $3 or $4 each.
She doubled down once Ian arrived four years later.
Now, she’s saving clothes for potential future children, so she can eventually save money on designer gear.
“Until my niece was born, I was set on not having kids. But I loved her so much, I could only imagine what it would be like to love a child of my own,” Wood divulged. “I realized I had to keep an open mind — and I started holding the clothes back so my future kids could wear them.”
Wood has even started to envision styles for her hypothetical kids — she wants them to eschew slogan T-shirts, big labels, and Disney gear for durable clothing like miniature Levi’s jeans.
“I can always gift [the saved clothes] at baby showers if I don’t give them to my own kids, which is a bit of a sad thought,” she sighed.
