A Practice in Self-Restraint

It's been a couple weeks now so it's probably safe to write about it here.

Recently, my pal E and I took a no-shopping challenge. I don't think we are the first people to do this, but we are probably the raddest. Kidding. I actually got the idea after doing a closet purge (that's what they call it when you go through all of your stuff and get rid of things you no longer wear like last year's peacock prints or whatever) and was confused and frightened by the amount of crap I had. I did an online search and saw a bunch of fashion bloggers that vowed to not purchase any new clothes for one year.   The idea is that we all probably already have enough stuff in our closets to get us through four seasons (or more - I even have some items that would get me through the Pacific Crest Trail, a week-long aerobic competition, and probably a run for Governor in a small state). Most people were able to do it. Although many of those gals had really nice Frye boots....

I might not have started a blog about the no-shopping if weren't for E jumping on board, but here we are with No New Duds. Sure, part of this was motivated by these tough economic times, but some of it we see as a creative challenge and mostly - at the emotional core of this endeavor is the quest for The Apple Shirt.

The concept is inspired by E's dad who has a very select number of shirts, he has worn one of them, an apple-print shirt, for seventeen years. And after seventeen years it still brightens everyone's day. It brings him power and provides power to those around him. We got to thinking, how can we find our powerful apple shirt if we are too busy cycling in a consumer trap?

So it is a vision quest and a test of will. We agreed to NOT thrift shop either. We're just going to see what we can come up with what we already have in our closets. We have made it two weeks, we are alive and clothed so far, but E is already starting to spray paint shoes and I'm developing a twitch in my online shopping finger.

You can read more and follow those adventures here.  Words of encouragement and shoe-painting ideas welcome.

More to come!

*note: I am well aware that some people are like NBD! Shopping is LAME anyway, but you must understand that as an oppressed female manipulated by the barrage of unobtainable standards in modern cultural messaging, it is very hard for me to not buy the latest shape of t-shirt or bootie without being convinced I will be shunned by my friends and family and people that I don't even give a crap about.