[jerlam]

Another benefit of higher-quality clothing is that it can be easily resold if you get tired of it or grow out of it, instead of dropping it in the dumpster or donation bin. Brands like Patagonia, stores like REI, and consignment stores will give you credit or money for your used stuff if it's from a known brand. But it's still more work than most people want to do, and it's still going to cost more than buying the cheapest possible item.

[lo_zamoyski]

This is a cultural problem. Local consignment and thrift shops are great (though avoid giving to Goodwill; prefer either consignment shops that pay you or charities like St. Vincent de Paul). I even know people who are middle/upper middle class who like to visit consignment stores on occasion to see if there's something nice for sale. Those who have been know you can often find very nice and interesting things for a very good price. I emphasize "local" as this does not have the negative economic impact of mitumba, and there is market feedback based on actual need, not coercive practices like those involving mitumba.

Unless there's a disaster or crisis, it is better to act locally instead of feeding into the glamorous, if cliche, resume-padding abstraction of "helping Africa".

[rahimnathwani]

For used formal shirts and used formal shoes, I've found ebay much better than thrift stores. Ebay makes it easy to filter by brand and size.