Thanks jazzgirl - I had heard of stone ware (two words, I thought) but wave form is a new one, which I shall now look up. I wanted to put 'hand me down' - which I believe is the most usual phrase. But I could be wrong...usually am!
yes! I remember my grandmother calling trousers 'reach-me-downs' . If I didn't feel so exhausted by the heat and hay fever I'd dash off a letter to The Times.