10 Items, One Month, So Far
Since starting this series, I've had strange dreams, more like nightmares really, about shopping. In one dream I found myself in a small boutique filled with cute dresses. But then, the racks were so crammed with clothes it was impossible to pull them off and look at them, and the racks got closer and closer together, until they almost smothered me.
In another dream, I searched up and down the endless aisles of Walmart looking for Christmas presents for my sisters. I wanted a particular type of bodywash scented like different flavors of candy and soda. All I could find were pixi stix and root beer flavored. But then, I couldn't find any prices. I looked on the bottles and on the shelves, and then I realized that nothing in the store had prices posted. I started feeling panicky, not sure if I could afford to get them or not. To increase my anxiety, the store swarmed with people. I noticed that many of the people had already gone through the checkout line, but weren't leaving. Why aren't they leaving? I asked a man nearby. "They're afraid to leave," he said.
I'm not into dream interpretation, but I could draw some analogies from those nightmares. How often do I shop out of fear? I fill my house with stuff to make me feel secure. Sometimes we shop just to lift our mood, or to ease our pain and take our mind off a problem that needs to be dealt with. We're afraid, afraid of losing status, or afraid of dealing with painful emotions, so we shop. It's a bandaid, just like emotional eating, which covers the pain for a moment but when the pounds pile on, the sadness only increases. Ultimately, all the stuff we look to for security ends up smothering us.
Aside from the nightmares, this month is going well, but not how I expected. Some things are harder than I thought they would be, and other things are much easier. For example, telling people what I'm doing is much harder than I expected. When I try to explain why I'm wearing ten items, I feel like my brain freezes up and my mouth just keeps babbling on. I get all self-conscious and stutter-y. Luckily for me, my friend Tara is more than happy to tell everyone who will listen all about why I'm wearing ten items, and she does an awesome job! I'm very thankful for all of you who have shared, liked, and commented on this series. You have no idea how encouraging it is!
Last week I had moments that I forgot about only wearing ten things. When I'd get dressed in the morning, I'd reach for a different tank to go under my tee, and then remember. Once, though, I didn't remember in time. Without even thinking, I laced up my tennis shoes and went to work out with Brian. I didn't realize my mistake until hours later! Epic fail.
Just to clarify the rules, originally I wasn't going to wear accessories or scarves, but in Brian's words, I realized I'm a girl. So I am wearing my Noonday bracelet, and my FashionABLE scarf is one of my ten items. I could have counted all shoes as one item, but I know I have a big problem with shoes. I can't resist them, and I have way more than I need. So, I really want to work on that area this month by limiting myself to my Toms.
The 10th Item
The results are in! The tenth item you chose for me to wear, is...
The Good and Fair Clothing v-neck tee!
Thanks for voting! It's due to arrive any time now, and I'm SO looking forward to having another shirt to wear. I've mostly worn my Sevenly tee one day and my Stop Traffick Fashion tee the next. I still love my tees, but I'll be very happy when I have another one to choose from! Although, it its supposed to cool off again here, so hopefully I'll be able to wear my thrift store tunic again.
Speaking of cooler weather, last Friday night Brian and I spent time with our friends who live out in the country, and it was COLD after the sun went down. I thought about asking Brian for his sweatshirt, but decided it would be cheating. Luckily, I had my scarf, so I wrapped it around me like a shawl.
In other news, I
have updated the first post of this series so that it contains links to all the posts, and I'll continue to update it that it will be much easier to keep up to date and catch up. You might want to bookmark it so it will be easy to come back to.
This week I'm going to share more places to shop for fair trade and ethically made clothes, a fashion tip, and an interview with a woman who is passionate about using fashion for good. I can't wait! Thank you for joining me on this journey!
Labels: ethical fashion, Fashion for Freedom
