Basics

I am trying very hard to make better buying choices. The most ethical thing would to not shop at all — wear the things I already have and repair or alter them until they are basically patched up motley. The second most sustainable thing would be to buy second hand. And, when it comes time clothing purchases, the third most environmentally positive action is to avoid buying clothes with spandex or other artificial blends in them because they’re not easily recycled nor do they biodegrade.

Well my black leggings gave up the ghost just in time for Halloween. They were of the Lycra persuasion and darning them proved an exercise in futility. This began my search to find a 100 percent cotton pair, which I finally tracked down at Giant Tiger. They are a little thicker than previous pairs, and they have a drawstring rather than elasticize waist, but that’s okay because I mostly wear them under flowy tunics and caftans in the winter. But leggings are a building block of my fall/winter wardrobe and I hope that this pair will last a very long time (the last leggings I bought barely made it past the one-year mark).

I also had getting a long-sleeved t-shirt on my to buy list. I like having one around as a cold weather layering piece. The last one I bought was a little too tight so I traded it. That was probably two years ago.

I found this excellent Mickey Mouse at the Giant Tiger as well. It will be a shame to cover up this graphic.

To celebrate staying focused and sticking to the list on yesterday’s shopping trip, I turned around and bought a wacky vinyl inflatable witch hat just in case I ever become a burlesque performer with a blowup latex look.