(apologies to Jason Robert Brown).
I was never keen on hand-me-downs when I was little. The thought of wearing somebody else’s clothes made my skin kinda prickly. Mom would need to wash things a number of times before I would wear them without protest. When the ICOM were in the ‘use teabags twice’ days I simply did without new clothes. The thought of going to a second hand or charity shop just never crossed my mind. Once we could afford new clothes again we would buy anything we needed in the USA no matter what the exchange rate was since clothes, shoes et al are always less expensive over there. (Besides, would you rather buy 16/18 in the UK or 12/14 in the USA? Please).
Even now we hit the outlets when we are on the left side of the pond – Vegas, Honolulu, and Woodbury Common Premium Outlets being our favourites — before Fifth Ave. or the malls. ‘Course I haven’t bought clothes since the middle of ’08 — just underwear, shoes and jeans. It’s Himself who comes away with the most bags lately. I am so swamped with fabric from the Asia travels I may never buy fabric again never mind clothes.
When you sign The Pledge you are allowed to ‘thrift’. I was in the big city to collect a friend at the train last Friday and since I had a wee bit of time to waste I walked up The Bridges to a number of charity shops I remembered from our poor student days. Back then I’d gone to those sorts of shops for books and housewares but never once looked at the clothes. What stuck me as I wandered about was the PRICES: 6-8GBP for shirts, 20GBP for wool suits and 9-10 for skirts and even 5-7GBP for jeans.
Now, since I don’t shop for clothes in the UK I am not overly familiar with prices, but the ticket prices of these used goods really seemed high to me. (Example: earlier that day in an M&S window I spotted lightweight cotton trousers for 12GBP). My first thought was for folk who are not lucky enough to be able to buy things new. The next thought was that these shops might not be getting so many donations these days so that’s why they might be trying to get a few extra quid for each thing they sell. I had a good rummage but didn’t see a single item that I would buy — even for the fabric for crafting.
I am glad I popped in these shops, especially since I picked up a great thick Doring Kindersley book of sewing techniques and tips for a few pounds, but I don’t think you are going to see refashioned thrifted things here on ALWOC or on WR. It’s just not my thang.
Viv’s camel skirt, well, that’s a different kettle of fish entirely. While Himself hangs out in The Hague for the next few days I’ll be working on this. The zip, facings and hem have all been unpicked on this chilly morning so once it comes out of its second washing I’ll get to work turning it into a dress for wearing in a warmer time and place.
