Second-hand men's sweatshirts and jumpers

On a pre-owned sweatshirt or jumper, wear does not start where you look for it. It is the ribbed edges - cuffs, hem, neckline - that lose their spring first, often well before the knit itself suffers: a garment whose hem no longer holds looks worn while the body is intact, and the reverse happens too. Then check for pilling where it rubs (elbows, under the arms, waist), which can be removed, then for snags, which need looking for against the light on fine knits. On wool, inspect the inside seams rather than the surface: any moth damage shows there first. The thick fleece of American sports brands ages particularly well, and their older pieces run wide and short, unlike recent production.