offset

I joined two friends at 7AM this morning for birdwatching (timed with high tide)! Beaches on the Minas Basin are rest stops for Sandpipers and Plovers as they migrate from their northern breeding grounds to their wintering grounds in South America. They put on a spectacular air show without burning any fossil fuels. These little birds (that don’t swim) are resting and feeding on the beaches here before flying non-stop over the Atlantic Ocean for 3 days!

It’s my yearly post* on an intentional wardrobe and there is an abundance of new items to report!

• Puffy jacket.
• Toques (3).
• Shorts.
• Swimsuit.
• Sports bra.
• Hiking boots.
• Sneakers.
• Flip-flops.
• Ballcap.
• Nova Scotia tartan neck gator (multifunctional tubular headgear).
• Stats: 7 of the 12 items were on sale.  3 purchases were in-store, 9 online.

Notice a theme?  Yeah.  Other than the flip-flops, ALL are outdoor/exercise clothes.  The total was ~$1100 and my clothing budget is only $600, but generous birthday/Christmas gifts helped cover the expense. 

Comments:

• Along with the new purchases above, I picked up items second-hand or gifted to me.  I also sewed four pairs of PJ bottoms (two flannel and two for summer).
• Most of the everyday clothing I brought east with me four years ago is still going strong because it’s good quality.  No, I am not looking shabby!
• When I do spend money on new everyday clothing or shoes, it may be an indication that I am either 1) working in public again or 2) interested in dating again (shaving my legs regularly will be the tell). 
• I didn’t meet my goal of only buying items on sale because:
  • Hiking boots – I got prematurely worried about a pandemic-created supply issue and not finding a new vegan pair in my size.
  • Bathing suit – I knew if I waited to find something on sale that I liked, I would not be swimming this summer.
  • Ballcap – I finally found a comfortable fit.
• I’m a repeat customer.  The puffy, shorts, sneakers, and flip-flops are all the same brand/model I’ve had before.  I did discover one downside to the flip-flops: the cute little smiley faces that cover the soles are difficult to clean out when you step on your cat’s wayward dingleberry.

These were all mindful purchases, no impulse buys.  I had stopped recreational shopping long before the pandemic.  How did the purchases measure up to my Who Did I Support? activism re supporting Local, Fair-Trade, and sustainable products and companies?  It feels like just so-so. 

I did clue in again this year to Patagonia which is an outdoor brand that has been committed to environmental activism since its beginning in the 1970’s and I bought a few of their items last month.  But I’m reminded more and more lately that my individual choices have no effect on the environment—we need political and systemic change for that.  However, I’m still hoping to earn some Buddhist merit points for my mindful shopping choices.  I call it my Karmic Offset.

*The simpler-living clothing report period is July-June. 

Note: I didn’t include outdoor gear or fabric for face masks.

Related links:

• update from a larger closet (post #143)
• revisited: who did i support? (post #132)