Second-Hand Stoked

I've made a bold new granola decision, folks: I am never buying new clothes ever again (sans underwear and socks, of course).  A few months ago I watched a series of Ted Talks on Netflix about fashion and one of the talks was from a lady who made the resolution to never buy new clothes again but to remain fashionable.  To prove her point, she only packed 7 days worth of undies for the Ted conference and went to local thrift shops to assemble her wardrobe for the time she'd be there.  And, of course, she looked hip and cool- like the version of myself I see in my head every morning when I wake up, before the disappointing reality hits when I actually try to dress myself.

Now, this kind of bold move is appealing to me for several reasons.  For starters, it's cheaper.  Am I the only one who goes shopping and gets sticker shock because I'm still expecting the price tags of the 1990s?  I mean, jeans for $60.00?  Get outta here!  On top of saving money I will also be saving the planet, which is like the number one commandment for granola people.  I'll be a walking billboard for recycling.  Plus, I'm really going to stick it to the man by not participating in our consumeristic culture.  My altruistic, humanitarian side is pumped because this is a way to effortlessly give back to the community by supporting organizations like Christian Community Action.  Non-profit agencies like this one use the money made in their thrift shops to fund community projects and help needy people.  This is great, because I like to make socially conscious purchases without having to buy an overpriced clothing item, like a pair of shoes, that happens to fall apart within a few months of buying it.

But let's get real here.  My number one reason for making this switch is because I HATE CLOTHES.  I want to be cute and hip and I have so many friend that dress nicely and have no idea that every time we get together I am secretly taking notes on what they wear so that I can try to dress myself cuter the next time I go out.  Sadly, I have no eye for fashion, hate spending money on clothes, feel incredibly uncomfortable in anything other than ratty jeans and an old t-shirt, and have anxiety any time I have to get dressed up.  With my new granola-style at least I have an out.  If I look out of whack people will just politely smile while thinking, "poor girl, must have been a bad week at the garage sale."

Speaking of garage sales yall, I hit the jackpot several months ago at this little Indian lady's house.  She was definitely in her 70's and I definitely bought a ton of her old clothes.  One item in particular hid in my closet for a long time before I finally garnered enough courage to try to make it work as a cute "tunic" of sorts.  When I walked out in my ensemble my brother, who was hanging out with us, told me I looked like a Power Ranger.  My sweet, loving husband told my son I was wearing a costume.  The rest of the day Will asked me repeatedly when we would get to go to the costume party.

They're wrong, right?  I added a stylish belt and I think overall this turned out to be a pretty hip outfit.  And notice the "rustic" side braid that took me about five attempts to make it look effortless.  I think there's hope for me buying used clothes.  Maybe I can avoid a stereotypical "granola" look and gain some fashion confidence at the same time.

**Cute, hip friends, if you are getting rid of anything because you feel like it's out of style or whatever, just send it my way.