IN THE movie Titanic, prior to the sinking of the ship, real fun was not where the rich wined and dined, but where ordinary folks mingled, danced and drank cheap beer. A slight comparison could be made with clothes – the nicest outfits are not always from high end stores that sell new clothes - they could be from second hand clothes stores.

As we go up the income ladder and move up social classes, some of us are easily convinced that the only right outfit for us is those that we unwrap straight from the tailor’s hand, clothes that have not been worn before. We shy away from second hand markets.

But the truth is that you could easily find nice outfits from second hand stores that will look as good as new but friendly to your pocket.

The beauty of second hand stores in Rwanda is that they offer more variety and at times better quality than most boutiques that deal in new clothes.

An easy way to get around a second hand clothes stores is to frequent specific sellers which will eventually lead to a business relationship where you can get their latest stock or even make orders.  

A regular salesperson also keeps you in the know when they bring new stock and can reserve outfits they think you might fancy. It goes without saying that the more regular you are, the better the prices will be for you.

A common characteristic of second hand merchandise is the ease to come across well known designer labels like Gucci, Tommy Hilfiger and Old Navy among others.  

Most second hand buyers have a tendency to look out for such names without looking at the specific characteristics of the outfits which is distracting since at the end of the trade, you only end up with outfits whose only plus is the name.

Close inspection is recommended for buyers since some of the outfits could be well worn or could have mishaps that you only realise on getting home.

Issues of hygiene should not cause one to hesitate to purchase the outfits, unless it is underwear of course.  It is recommended that after purchase, use antiseptic to get rid of the germs.

It is also recommended that you do not walk around telling everybody that the outfit is a second hand one, take compliments in stride without revealing too many details.  

The most common second hand markets in Kigali are Nyabugogo, Kimironko, Giporoso and Kicukiro.