Too Sweet To Be Sour...
In the 10 years I've had this blog, I don't think I've ever gone this long without posting.
There are a few reasons. One being that time is slipping past me so quickly that I barely realize how long it's been since I've done something or seen someone. Another being the ups and downs of my job, tackling misogyny and homophobia, has been exhausting and only occasionally rewarding. Another is straight-up laziness. Another is that I don't think I have much readership anymore. People rely on day-to-day social media, such as Facebook, to see what's going on with people. It's as though very few are interested in reading people's blogs where they express their opinions or what's going on in their lives.
I've been thinking more and more lately about the ethics, energy, and physical space involved with clothing and the proverbial stuff that we all have and consume. For some time now, most of my clothing has been acquired through thrifting which I think is great. Last year I went on a Modcloth kick and, well, a couple of those pieces are cheaply made and another I haven't gotten much use out of. The fact workers in China, India, and so on are paid so poorly, working in deplorable conditions for us to have the latest fashions or trendy stuff has started bothering me more and more. I think for the rest of the year, short of things like underwear or socks or shoes (I'm not one of those women that gets new shoes often anyway), I want to try and not purchase new items that are made in such conditions. Thrifting is still going to be okay, but I want to support my local community of designers, even if that means spending more. If it means spending more, then it means I'm not likely to buy as much which is not a bad thing at all. I've really enjoyed making things, too, such as leg warmers, sweater leggings, a tunic top, and belts made from neckties. My caveats are when I'm in Amsterdam and if I find something (probably online) that's novelty that I want and can't find here, like a "Macho Man" Randy Savage shirt I recently order. I'm on a Randy Savage kick, okay? Leave me alone. I've recently commissioned a local designer to make me a pair of overalls which are going to be so lovely. She posted a pair she designed on an event called Me Made March. I loved them so much that I got in contact with her. They might be done by next week. So exciting! Oh, and Etsy will still be okay, too, because they're handmade things.
As well, I feel like over the next month, or maybe when I get back from Amsterdam, I want to do a house purge of clothes and stuff. Having so many things that I either forget I have or just shove in a corner to not look at makes me anxious and exhausts me. On the flip side, when I try to do things like that, I feel some anxiety because what if I need this again later? What if I find a great outfit that this top would go with and I no longer have it? Neither of which are good feelings! Besides clothes, it's the stuff that really gets to me. It's not just my stuff, but Andrew's, too. He has bigger attachment issues to his stuff and he refuses to let things go. I'm debating on attempting a garage sale or organizing a swap with friends. People don't have to bring things to swap; they could just grab.
There are a few reasons. One being that time is slipping past me so quickly that I barely realize how long it's been since I've done something or seen someone. Another being the ups and downs of my job, tackling misogyny and homophobia, has been exhausting and only occasionally rewarding. Another is straight-up laziness. Another is that I don't think I have much readership anymore. People rely on day-to-day social media, such as Facebook, to see what's going on with people. It's as though very few are interested in reading people's blogs where they express their opinions or what's going on in their lives.
I've been thinking more and more lately about the ethics, energy, and physical space involved with clothing and the proverbial stuff that we all have and consume. For some time now, most of my clothing has been acquired through thrifting which I think is great. Last year I went on a Modcloth kick and, well, a couple of those pieces are cheaply made and another I haven't gotten much use out of. The fact workers in China, India, and so on are paid so poorly, working in deplorable conditions for us to have the latest fashions or trendy stuff has started bothering me more and more. I think for the rest of the year, short of things like underwear or socks or shoes (I'm not one of those women that gets new shoes often anyway), I want to try and not purchase new items that are made in such conditions. Thrifting is still going to be okay, but I want to support my local community of designers, even if that means spending more. If it means spending more, then it means I'm not likely to buy as much which is not a bad thing at all. I've really enjoyed making things, too, such as leg warmers, sweater leggings, a tunic top, and belts made from neckties. My caveats are when I'm in Amsterdam and if I find something (probably online) that's novelty that I want and can't find here, like a "Macho Man" Randy Savage shirt I recently order. I'm on a Randy Savage kick, okay? Leave me alone. I've recently commissioned a local designer to make me a pair of overalls which are going to be so lovely. She posted a pair she designed on an event called Me Made March. I loved them so much that I got in contact with her. They might be done by next week. So exciting! Oh, and Etsy will still be okay, too, because they're handmade things.
As well, I feel like over the next month, or maybe when I get back from Amsterdam, I want to do a house purge of clothes and stuff. Having so many things that I either forget I have or just shove in a corner to not look at makes me anxious and exhausts me. On the flip side, when I try to do things like that, I feel some anxiety because what if I need this again later? What if I find a great outfit that this top would go with and I no longer have it? Neither of which are good feelings! Besides clothes, it's the stuff that really gets to me. It's not just my stuff, but Andrew's, too. He has bigger attachment issues to his stuff and he refuses to let things go. I'm debating on attempting a garage sale or organizing a swap with friends. People don't have to bring things to swap; they could just grab.