Anyone who has seen me recently knows that I'm wasting away to nothing. I realize that most American women would be *thrilled!* to be losing weight in this manner, but I assume that those women have a clothing budget and actually enjoy shopping. Not me. The first part goes without saying in our current situation, and the second part...well...sometimes I love shopping: a fun day out with a sister, mom or girlfriend with good taste and the ability to be brutally honest, no time restrictions, and plenty of lattes and cookies. But most of the time shopping is a nuisance: I'm spending money I don't have on clothes that won't last in stores with no customer service, and I'll probably have to shorten or lenghthen the pants due to my long legs...that's assuming I've found pants that happen to fit my hips, thighs waist and inseam. I really need to take a sewing class and just start making my own clothes.
Don't get me wrong - I don't mean to sound whiny, and if I do, you've probably already stopped reading...
It boils down to the fact that my two pairs of work slacks are baggy and dumpy, so I had nothing to wear in client-facing situations. What to do? I reached out to a friend and humbly asked if she currently had a Goodwill pile through which I could scavenge. This was all okay in the email I sent, and her reply was favorable, but when I arrived at her house to try on h er clothing, I almost started crying I was so embarassed. She was exceptionally graceful and I left with a pair of pants, two skirts, a blouse and two pairs of shoes. I am so glad I asked! She actually suggested that we gather a group of girls together for a clothing-swap party. That's today's money-saving recession-surviving tip: Repurposing items through exchanges with friends and family!
THEN, we were being treated to taco night at another friend's house, and I mentioned my "shopping" experience. This friend is an itsy-bitsy petite person...as she says, I have two feet on her. It wouldn't have crossed my mind that she and I would be the same size in any article of clothing...to illustrate: a few weeks ago she and I went to a yoga class together after a slumber party. I hadn't packed yoga clothes, so I borrowed her maternity clothes! That's the difference in our sizes. At the end of the evening, she produced two professional-looking, high-quality sweaters from her "repurposing" pile. They fit beautifully!
As humbling as it was to ask for such a favor, I feel so happy and proud and grateful that I have these girlfriends.
They are SO invited to come to the gender-segragated commune with goats.
But that's another story altogether...
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Oh yeah--clothing swaps. I have done a few of them in Virginia; personally, I've had a lot more success getting rid of clothes than picking up new ones. Once I got a shirt at a clothing swap that seemed great until I got it home and discovered, in better light, that it had pale coffee stains all over the front. That's not good clothing swap etiquette, bringing a coffee-stained shirt! Humph. On the other hand, at another clothing swap I got a long-sleeved shirt that's the perfect weight for covering up bare arms when I go into air-conditioned libraries in the summer.
I think organizing a clothing swap (with people who won't bring coffee-stained stuff) is a great idea. I'd offer to participate if only my remote location didn't make it impractical.
P.s. re: pants sizing: I'm a big believer in finding something that works and sticking with it as long as possible. Banana Republic has a couple of cuts that work for me and now I know to stock up on anything I like that comes out in the Martin fit or the urban boot cut fit. In the past, I've ordered jeans in a discontinued style that I liked from eBay, which can be a source for cheap clothing. Nothing's as cheap as free, though, so two thumbs up to the clothing swap plan.
I just sold a very nice navy blue blazer on Ebay. Being one of your itty bitty petite friends, I am skeptical that I would have much to offer at a swap. But, since I have bought some of my favorite clothes on Ebay, I decided to give it a shot for a little extra cash. So far so good. I'll keep you posted if I sell more.
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