sarahL

So on Jan 1, 2013, my self-imposed year of not shopping came to an end. I imagined I’d want to rush out and buy something frivolous and beautiful, but I felt strangely without desire. In fact, I kept fretting over eventually having to buy something, all the while wondering whether I could perhaps keep not shopping forever. 

On vacation in the keys a few days ago, I wandered into a drab church thrift shop, staffed by the friendliest woman on the planet. I sifted through the goods absentmindedly, totally out of practice. Then I spied a beautiful, vintage Missoni* dress in my size. She charged me three dollars for it. It was the perfect item with which to break my year-long diet.

My plan for this year is to not shop new. If I absolutely need something, I’ll buy it thrift or vintage.** Exceptions are granted for 1) a new pair of running sneakers (mine have a giant, toe-size hole) and 2) two new pairs of black tights (mine have giant, toe-size holes). 

My other goal for this year is to get a (used) sewing machine and learn how to sew.

If you want to join me in this quest for better living through not shopping, please do. It’s actually quite a lot of fun.

*Strange and only partially relevant anecdotes. The day I bought the dress I read that the patriarch of the Missoni family is currently missing. He was on a plane that hasn’t been seen for days. Hope the Missonis will be found safe. A few hours later, I read, in the wonderful book, The Thoughtful Dresser, about the Holocaust survivor responsible for bringing Missoni to Canada. Her boss thought drab Canadian women wouldn’t be able to handle the bold colours and patterns of Missoni. He was drably wrong.

**On the way to the keys, we stopped at C. Madeleine’s, a huge and wonderful vintage store owned by a woman who wears large glasses and carries a small dog. My sister found her wedding dress. It’s the most unique and lovely thing ever, the likes of which will never be found at a David’s bridal outfit.