A Funky Pair of Boots
I was at a fun little street fair today. Tucked in amongst the various art and jewelry booths were a variety of new and used clothing booths. I spotted a funky little pair of cowboy boots at a booth showcasing goods from a local resale shop called Imagination Creations. They were only $25.00 and I would have bought them had they not been a half size too small.
Instead, I found myself explaining my blog to Heather, the owner of Imagination Creations. She kindly gave me permission to take a picture of the boots. Looking at them from this angle, one could say there is a fine line between funky and ugly. It would not have been the first purchase I have made because something looked cool perched in its given environment only to bring it home and discover that it looks totally out of place in my real life.
Although I still think the boots qualify as funky, I have come up with a terrific Grandma Challenge that will prevent me from making any mistaken fashion purchases in the near future. I am going to commit to not buying any new clothes for the remainder of my “grandma” year which officially ends on June 23, 2009. If it is going well, I am going to try to carry out this challenge for a full year from today which means it will not end until September 20, 2009.
In their younger years, my grandparents did not own nearly as many clothes as I do. When discussing this issue with my Grandpa Fred, I asked him a series of questions trying to jog his memory about how much clothing he had when he was a young man at home. I first asked if he had a dresser where he kept his clothing. He said that he did not have a dresser of his own. I asked if he had a closet or a wardrobe where he kept his clothes. He said he did not have a closet or a wardrobe either. Apparently there was only one closet in his childhood home and he was pretty sure it was used by his six sisters. After pausing for a moment, he recalled a chair he kept next to his bed, and it dawned on him that he kept all of his clean clothes neatly folded on top of that chair. At this point in the conversation my Grandpa got a twinkle in his eye as he teased that I would probably need a couch next to my bed to hold all of my clothes.
In light of my Grandpa’s “couch” comment, I decided to count the clothes hanging in my closet. I currently have 54 shirts, 14 sweaters, 6 dresses, and 12 pairs of pants. Those do not include the summer clothes I just put away now that cooler weather is here. My Grandpa was right - I would need a very large couch to hold all of my clothes! Make that two as my husband would probably need a couch of his own.
I think a big part of living sustainably is learning to distinguish between a need and a want. Evaluating my clothing is a great opportunity to do just that. I also have a hunch that all of the cheap clothing floating around in the marketplace (and my closet) is not made in the most sustainable way. Stepping back from buying any new clothes for one year will give me time to become more informed about my clothing choices.
I am still trying to decide if I will include resale clothing in my challenge or not. I could easily make a case for letting myself buy from resale shops because it does not create any additional human or environmental burden. However, it seems I might be missing the point that I do not need any new or used clothes.
Are you willing to join me in this challenge? Why or why not? Do you have any stories to share from your own life? How many items of clothing or outfits did your grandparents own in their younger years? How many items of clothing do you currently own?
I buy clothes constantly. And I think it would save us a lot of money if I took this challenge with you. So I am going to. I don’t know about my grandparents but my Dad gave me a dresser from when he was little. It’s not big but him and his brother both shared it!
I took this challenge myself about a year ago. At the time, I had a closet full of clothes (including the shelves), plus an entire dresser AND a bin or 2 of out of season clothes. My goal was to eliminate so much clothing that I could fit my clothes into a couple of drawers in my dresser (including our of season clothing, eliminating the bins). I accomplished that goal rather quickly - just toss, toss, toss! Nearly all of my purchases for clothing come from garage sales or thrift stores, and whenever I bring in a new purchase, I try to live by the rule of: 1 thing in, 1 thing goes out. I thought this would be much harder than it is, but it truly has made my life simpler! I no longer stand there wondering what I’m going to wear!!
yes, i’m with you. i love this challenge and have wanted to live this way for a long time. so i’ll commit to the year as well. and additionally if i feel the need for something “new” I’m going to try and use a sewing machine to turn my already existing clothes into something new. btw, i will commit to no new clothes but i love garage saleing too much to agree not to buy clothes there. p.s. also, i’m going to drag you along to the oakdale sale next year with me so get ready!!
I think I am going to stay open to resale shops and garage sales. I do not have a lot of extra time to dig around looking for bargains and so there is no real risk in me buying tons more clothes this way. I am a self-confessed retail snob. I love the smell and feel of new clothes and have never enjoyed buying used clothes. It will probably be good practice for me to learn to stay open and aware of great bargains. Despite my own misgivings about resale, I am going to buy as much of my kids clothing through resale for sure! I have spent far too much money on new clothes for them in the past!
Lavonne - I love the idea of learning how to modify my existing clothes with a sewing machine! Count me in!
Kathi - Thanks for the great tips! I too think this will actually simplify my life. I dislike the time I waste buying/returning/buying/returning and I do not like the “pull” I feel at the mall of suddenly wanting things I did not want prior to seeing them!
Santana - You are brave! Thanks for joining me!
Don’t forget that the few sets of clothes your grandparents had were made to last. They weren’t the current mass-produced garbage that falls apart if you snag it on a loose nail. And making it to the next laundry day was pretty easy, because they didn’t wash something until it was dirty. And they probably had a different definition of “dirty”.
When we moved into our tiny house with only one small closet I went through all the clothes our family owned and got it down to just a week’s worth of clothes (minus church clothes). In the last year each of us has only replaced things that wore out. If my kids want something special they have purchased it themselves with gift money, but that is rare. In the last 12 months I think we have spent a total of $150 for clothes and shoes for 4 people. Our largest expenditure was 3 pairs of shoes to replace worn out ones. We still have to trade out our summer and winter clothes but they no longer take up so much room.
Oh I love this one!
When we moved from MN to WI.. a number of years ago now.. I down sized my closets out of necessity and desire. I follow the buy something new give something away rule!
I also have really tried hard to only buy used clothing. I can’t completely commit as I am in the process of loosing some serious pounds.. but I am buying second hand to do my part!
So I am in as much as I can be!
Karen
Great post April!
I hate shopping for clothes! = ) Since I started having kids my weight has gone back and forth pretty drastically. I do lots of thrift shopping, but my dresser is full of transition clothes. I’ve also bought inexpensive clothes because I know I won’t be wearing it long, but that means it doesn’t last long either.
I’m tired of seeing my dresser full of clothes I can’t even wear! Once my weight is back down where it belongs I’ll be repairing or sewing everything from scratch so I know it will be good quality. I’ve already started doing that for my kids. I spent pocket change on flannel from the remnant bins last week and made 2 pair of pajamas. I was so excited and enjoy sewing again. Its such a feeling of satisfaction!
This is a great challenge April!
I recently started blogging about purging my three closets and huge dresser full of clothes. It is really shocking and eye opening when you take the time to add up what you actually own. Holy cow! I was a retail manager in the mall for six years and amassed an extensive wardrobe. Most of it unnecessary. So far I have removed 29 pounds of clothing from my dresser alone! If you are in a fix, feel the need for something new, and wear a size 4/s/xs contact me. I will gladly hook you up!
Good luck with this challenge! I am right there with you.
Drew - You bring up a great point. Grandma’s clothes were built to last! I have found line drying my clothes to be a challenge, in part, because most cheap clothes need time in the dryer to regain their shape. I just finished reading a book about the Dust Bowl…and it does make a good case for your point that Grandma probably had a different standard for dirty!
Greeen Sheeep - I have really enjoyed your purging posts! It’s funny because I always thought it would be fun to do retail because of the excuse to buy clothes. Your purging shows the downside to all of that!
I hate shopping, so that’s not such a problem for me. I tend to only go when something basic wears out. Like jeans. I do shop at thrift stores. I started when my husband was in law school and we were pretty poor, and now I just can’t bring myself to pay retail for anything.
Of course, living where I live and doing what I do, my wardrobe doesn’t need to be extensive or fancy. Though keeping it clean can be a challenge . . .
This is a great idea. I don’t buy much clothing but in my tiny apartment (with one closet) I am always struggling to have room for my clothes. I think I’m going to try this out: not buy any new clothing until I have plenty of room in the closet/dresser. (I do think I’ll make allowances for 2nd-hand clothes though but only if I am *really* in need, that is if something wears out and has to be replaced.)
This is a hard one! I too am a retail snob. I think about buying second hand and I can’t bring myself to do it. (which is funny, b/c in college I loved shopping at Good Will!) I’ve been reading all of these books on living green and have been contemplating trying to buy second hand…I know I sound like a wimp. I do not know I can commit to avoiding buying new quite yet, but I will begin to try garage sale shopping and consignment…I think I am good at purging the no longer needed clothing, but I do struggle with not buying brand new to replace it! Thanks April for the challenge.:)
When you do the bread challenge or at least begin to bake bread, I suggest the book, The Secrets of Jesuit Breadmaking. I checked it out from the library when we got down here and ended up buying it (used:)). I haven’t bought bread since we moved down here, which has been 10-11 weeks? I do think you need a stand mixer or at least a food processor to do it consistently and I know my Grandma had a stand mixer…maybe not my great grandma though:)
Tegan - I really appreciate your honesty regarding the clothing thing. I feel like I have been gearing up for this challenge for years and years. I have always wanted to buy less new and learn to buy used but I was not ready before. Maybe now that I am so firmly entrenched in motherhood and realize that I basically wear the same comfy (but stylish!) clothes over and over, I felt like I could do it. Who knows?! I guess the time was just right.
Green Cat - Thanks for taking the plunge with me!
I applaud everyone out there (Heidi, country Kristin, etc) who already knows the value of resale! You all are like a secret club of really smart people. Can I join?