Why Women Hunt for Second-Hand Imported Bras at Senen Market: The Elastic Lasts Longer
Jakarta, Indonesia — The second floor of Senen Market in Central Jakarta was bustling with residents hunting for second-hand clothing on Tuesday (10 March 2026). One of the busiest stalls attracting buyers was a shop selling imported pre-owned undergarments.
The row of shops offered various types of undergarments, ranging from bras and women’s knickers to lingerie, leggings and men’s underwear.
Based on observations by Kompas.com on Tuesday afternoon, several women were seen crowding around stalls offering discounted imported second-hand bras at several shops.
One buyer was Feni (42), a resident of Rangkasbitung, Banten, who was seen selecting imported pre-owned bras.
“I actually came to Senen Market today to shop for second-hand shirts. But I made time to thrift underwear as well. I often buy second-hand bras because they’re durable,” she explained.
“They really are durable. This is imported, even though it’s a pre-owned bra. It can be worn for over two years and the elastic is still tight. In fact, new bras I buy have elastic that easily stretches, in my opinion,” Feni said.
Feni had previously sold clothing at Senen Market. Because of this, she had long known that various types of pre-owned undergarments were also sold at the market.
If she did not find what she was looking for at one shop, Feni would usually walk around to other shops that also sold pre-owned undergarments.
“There are quite a lot of sellers of imported pre-owned undergarments here. There are seven or eight shops. They stock various items. Usually from Japan and Korea,” she said.
Feni said she looks for pre-owned undergarments according to her needs and preferences. She usually looks for functional bras to wear daily.
However, sometimes she also looks for sports bras or cloth bras to wear for special occasions.
In addition to what she considers reasonable quality, the cheap prices made Feni frequently shop for imported second-hand bras at Senen Market.
As for pre-owned knickers, Feni said she did not dare buy them for health reasons.
“Not knickers. Just bras. I soak them first with hot water twice before washing them,” Feni said.