Putting on old clothes is fashionable and almost every average person gets to dress in these very colourful and trend clothes and shoes.

Surprisingly, these stylish vintage clothes carry latest fashions, which have been abandoned or rejected for whatever reason.

If you care for a "one-for-you” look then opt for bend and buy shopping and you will stand out of the crowd with your fashion designer icons like Madonna, Carrie Bradshaw, Grolia Stefani or Bradpitt.

Although all items are second-hand, you will not find many clothes which are damaged or worn out. There are different reasons why people prefer these old clothes to the new clothes sold in shops around the city.

And therefore the misconception that people used to have about second hand clothes is slowly fading away as many are discovering the decency that come with them. 

However, there are some of us who wear caguwa because we have no choice. The second hand items depending on the fashions are very cheap and affordable.

At Nyabugogo market, traders who deal in second hand clothes are experiencing an increasing number of customers that are coming to the market in search of used items in form of clothes, jackets, shoes bed sheets, curtains and under garments!

These seemingly hardworking traders go to the market very early in the morning and leave at five in the evening after a tiresome day of calling out to customers and doing their best to sell them their wares.

The market is divided into six sections called zones and each zone has a person responsible for the goings on in his area of jurisdiction.

His responsibilities vary from controlling the trader’s behaviour to settling wrangles between customers and the traders.

Each trader has a stall that he rents Frw 6000 per month and this money is paid at the end of every month to the Murengye that has the responsibility of collecting it.

To some of the traders, this is a lot of money because some times it is hard to sell enough to meet the rent.

This is because most of them have the same products and there is a problem trying to sell enough to sustain ones self and still is able to pay rent.

Antoinette Mushimiyimana 23 year old woman with two kids is one of the traders who come to Nyabugogo as retailers, pick first class clothes from cut bales and then sell them else where.

"We pick first class clothes from wholesalers with varying prices depending on the season and fashion,” says Mushimiyimana.

Some traders buy their bulk of clothes from some major wholesalers who import the bales from mostly United Kingdom, Germany, USA and Canada.

These whole sellers are located at Mateus which is one of the busiest streets in Kigali.

These bales weigh 45kg and are packed tightly and neatly before being shipped to Africa.

All the bales are marked properly with labels that show what is inside in order to make it easy for retailers to know what they are buying.

"There are trading companies in Europe and America that collect and carefully grade the used clothing, so that all bales contain only clean, wearable used clothes, without any damaged or overused pieces,” Mushimiyimana adds.

The price of one bale of second hand clothes varies depending on what one is really interested in.

For example; if one is buying kids second hand clothes the price will be different from that of second hand male trousers.

First class bales go for Frw100,000 and the second and third come down to 80000 to 70000 respectively.

The uniqueness of fashions  

Most of these down town clothes are on market because of their being unique.

Most people get fade up of putting on the new same kind of children, men and women with the same designer names that are commonly known as ‘already made’.

This has boosted the second hand business, says one Dusabe who sells new clothes in Kigali.

Fashion lovers want to shine out among others by being unique. If one is seen at a party or an occasion putting on the same attire another, then the heat of the moment is lost.

One student who happened to be doing her shopping at Nyabugogo says she buys there because the clothes are durable.

"I have discovered that caguwa clothes are more long-lasting than the new clothes found in boutiques in town. I think it’s because they are made by original designers in Europe” she says.

These clothes are not as expensive as those found in shops around town.

Uwimana Shatal who was doing her shopping by press time at the market says, "I buy most of my clothing at this market.

It makes me wince to pay more than Frw 5000 for a piece of clothing unless it’s something top quality top quality.

Also at the market, there is a wide variety and therefore choice and selection are not limited”.

One Kamanzi, another trader at Nyabugogo says that the market has a huge selection, and the Items are often fashionable and in good condition.

"One is bound to get what he is looking for if he has the time and patience” she says. The selection isn’t as wide as you might find at a thrift store, but the quality is generally better.

How to shop for second hand clothes

The best advice is to go shopping with a friend. It’s good to have a second opinion. Your friend may have an eye for what looks good on you.

When buying caguwa, be sure to try on the clothes or shoes and knowing the right size.

Sizes vary widely between manufacturers and countries, Chinese, Koreans have flatterin figures while Canadians are huge and therefore African sizes will definitely differ from others.

However, you are advised to storm the market with your general size and measurements.

Note that some places don’t have dressing rooms, so it’s smart to wear a modest thin layer in case you try on.

One should not forget to examine all the items thoroughly. It sucks to get home to find your new shirt with a hole in the pocket.

Or that the slacks you thought were to change looks have a broken zippe or a stain.

While shopping, check the washing instructions on the items that you are buying. You don’t want to pay a lot of money for something if you’ll never dry-clean.

Most people go out there to buy caguwa clothes with designer names. Use the tags as a guide to find quality brands you like, but don’t limit yourself.

Sometimes a brand you’ve never heard of can yield a favorite piece of clothing.

Woes of second hand clothes

If browsing in second-hand markets is not too much time-consuming for you, then you had better try Nyabugogo market. Always by the time one lands on one what they want, two or three hours are gone.

It is also difficult to set a budget because you don’t know how much things cost. But eventually you’ll be able to tell yourself.

Every stall has its own price and these vary considerably.

There is no set price for any item although it seems these traders have a minimum at which they are likely to sell their wares.

It becomes a game between the buyer and the seller to see who has the best bargaining power.

Used clothes are also subjected to spreading of diseases especially with those people who wear second hand panties and underwear as well as bras.

Ends