2.27.10

Naturally, Olivia expresses our reasons so eloquently, and here I am, the one with the English degree, just trying to figure out how to spell "eloquently." I keep thinking of myself as a non-material person. But I'm not. How could I be? (Cos we are living in a material world, and I am a material girl - in the words of Madonna). I just keep buying and buying and buying. And I think that giving up buying clothes for a few months out of my whole life will help me to recognize that.

Yes, shopping can be used therapeutically, and it's kind of part of being a woman, and your outfit can boost your self-esteem, blah, blah, blah (in the words of Kei$ha).

But so can saving money - and whatever else comes out of this. I was freaking out slightly not even 24 hours into this, and told Liv that maybe I'll go on one last shopping spree to get it out of my system. But there I go again. Instead, I'll take this in steps. My goal is to make it through Lent, as the non-Material Girl. Liv wanted me to post a picture of my shopping spree, and since I'm not doing that, I'm instead including the last outfit I bought. Oh boy.

2.26.10

So Nenner and I are giving up buying clothes for the year. It's going to be a big pledge indeed.

Why am I doing it? Well a few reasons: The first and foremost, is that I own a ridiculous amount of clothes to the point that I barely use half of it. I feel like it’s not only cluttering my room, but also my life. The other reason is that I think, as a culture, we’re quick to forget the value of what we have, especially at an age when something bigger and better and trendier comes out on the market every few months. In the same sense, I also believe we’re becoming disconnected to how the things we own come about...how it’s made, who makes it, how it’s transported, how it affects the environment, and even how our purchase of that item affects the livelihood of the people connected to it. While I acknowledge that trying to make sense of this entire globalized process is daunting, the pathological optimist in me believes that the simple act of recognizing how our choices directly (or indirectly) affect the process is a good start.

So why blog about it? Well, like most people, I need accountability, and who better to share this year with then Nenner. Plus she said that it would be really fun to blog about it. As most of my friends know, I’m easily persuaded.

Enjoy my ramblings!

Olivia

2.24.10

I'm on a mission.

As I turn 25, the big 2-5, quarter of a century, entry into a new age bracket, my mid-twenties, and gaining the ability to rent a car, I've realized how much I've accumulated over my life. So Olivia proposed a challenge to simplify it - by giving up buying any and all articles of clothing over the next year. What a scary, unfathomable, unimaginable idea.

And so that's why I'm doing it, with Liv's support. This won't be easy. Living in DC, working in an area where everyone is fashionable all of the time. Phew, but we're doing this.

Here we gooooooo.