As the month of December approaches, the algorithm for social media begins serving festive holiday content. Lattes, peppermint candies, greenery, red berries, and other markers of the season flood our feeds. One seemingly ubiquitous element of the winter holidays is the so-called “ugly sweater.” We’ve all seen these garish garments, which seem to compete to …
There are few people who have not been victimized by the flawed clothing sizing system used by American clothing retailers. Have you ever thought that you needed to fit into a certain size in order to be worthy? Did you ever correlate a specific number with a sense of worth? Did you find yourself frustrated …
Now that Halloween is safely behind us, the advertising hamster wheel has spun to the winter holidays. Tinny music wafts through stores, red and green decor takes center stage, and glittery cards and baubles stock displays. Whatever holiday you choose to celebrate this time of year, there’s an aggressive marketing campaign directed at you. In …
Excessive consumption serves as a marker of status, while attracting attention, displaying wealth and power, and differentiating the conspicuous consumer from the rest of society. This phenomenon may be observed throughout history in expansive estates, gilded chateaus, elaborate garments, and lavish banquets featuring delicacies like stuffed peacocks. While it looks different today than in past …
The idea of reducing a wardrobe seems easy on the surface. As you dig into it, questions arise. How do you decide what to keep and what to let go? When you’re ready to let go, where do those items go? What about that one sweater you used to wear which is full of memories …
Now you have picked out some fabulous second hand fashion, what next? How do you keep that amazing wardrobe working for you for as long as possible? Nothing is more tragic than shrinking a beloved garment or realizing that you simply can’t get more life out of a piece of clothing. Nothing lasts forever, but …
During the last year and a half of the still ongoing pandemic, I, like many others, have found myself spending more time inside, and doing more of what I used to do in person online. Like most of the people who are likely to be reading this blog, I try to shop secondhand where possible, …
With the changing of seasons, we step from one pace of life to another. The days grow shorter or longer, the sunrise earlier or later, the air crisper or heavier. Some people see school terms begin and end, others see seasonal labor ebb and flow. It is natural that, as the climate outside morphs from …
Photo credit: Getty Images / Phil Oh A pair of pants that fits well can be one of the most empowering and stunning pieces of clothing. I love the way pants can make me look and feel. Unfortunately, those perfect pants are hard to find. Especially given how wildly cuts and styles have fluctuated in …
When we think about plastics in the oceans, I think many people think first of those profoundly dark images of sea turtles choking single use straws, fish stuck in the plastic rings from bottles, fish calmly floating along through water filled with garbage. These larger pieces of waste do not belong in bodies of water …
