Can you only buy 5 items of clothing this year?

I never buy clothing new, except socks and underwear. There are so many places that have $5 bag sales near me and I try to pick out items made from wool, linen or 100% cotton even if it's 3X too big.  Everything is like new and the proceeds usually go toward something charitable. As a result, I have a huge bag of wonderful clothes that don't fit.  When I feel like wearing something new I just grab something from the bag and redesign it / sew it into something that fits.  My clothes are not perfect but since I am over 50 I am (happily) invisible out in public anyway.
 

Hmmmm,

This is a tricky one for me, but I will have to put it in context.

Firstly, I divide my clothing into two categories—fashion and function.  And I am absolutely allergic to buying fashion, but my wife will sometimes do it for me.  Also, I do have a dress code at school that I am expected to follow, so unfortunately I might blow the five items right there, but if it were up to me, I would have a far different dress code for class—jeans and T-shirts every day please!  Additionally, every year the school provides each teacher with a new school T-shirt that we are expected to wear on Tuesdays and Fridays.  Does a free T-shirt count against the five items?

As for functional clothing (I like to call this “gear”), I do take a more focused interest.  I am willing to spend more money than average on this type of clothing, but I also expect it to serve specific purposes (keep warm, cool, dry, etc.) and be durable.  These clothes always serve me for many, many years.  Probably the gear I go through the fastest are shoes/boots.  Shoes especially only seem to last about a year before they self-destruct.

So I don’t know how to exactly even define five items in my circumstance, but once I retire, I can finally ditch the needs for the school-mandatory clothing that I have to wear on a daily basis.

Interesting question,

Eric

Eric, I would say the Tee given out that you neither wanted/had to have would not count.  I also would have to give you and all the other folks from Permies still working a "public" job a pass on the five item limit.

Now, once you join the ranks and can claim the title of curmudgeon/rusticator, then the challenge will become valid!


Peace

I don't think I have bought anything this year except maybe some socks but that might have been late last year instead of this year, and I guess they don't count anyway. When I do buy something, it is quality, and I probably buy more than one to avoid price increases and because if you find something nice you can except them to stop making or "improve" it.

Several years ago, Lowe's had some gloves in packs of four pairs for $12, they turned out to be the best and longest lasting work gloves I've ever owned. I wore out one pair and still had three, but I when I noticed the price had gone up to $15, I figured by the time I actually needed them it might be $50 so I went ahead and bought ten packs at $15. The only shoes I wear, other than work boots were $95 a pair a few years ago but had gone to $125. They last five years or more so I went ahead and bought ten pairs. I'm set for shoes and gloves, well for as long as it matters.

I have an LL Bean canvas jacket and an Australian made rain hat that are fifty years old and just getting broken in. I have a winter had made of black mink in Russia that is even older, it was a gift from a man who helped fight off the Germans at the siege of Stalingrad. The Soviet hammer and sickle on the buckle isn't all that obvious and few people would know what it is anyway.

I had a pair of boots that finally wore out after forty years. I wrote a tongue in cheek complaint to the company that I had only had them forty years, worn them for not more than 2000 miles and only to cross five or six rivers, a couple hundred smaller creeks, climbed only have a dozen medium sized mountains and I swear, only one active volcano. They sent me a new pair and the military made in UAS version, not the crappy imports. I was shocked, my complaint was a joke, but it was true.

Anyway, I haven't bought any clothes this year and don't expect too, but full disclosure I did receive four new shirts for my birthday from someone who thinks dress clothes means something other than recently washed. It was actually my second gift because the first one was a gift card, and I blew it all on spare chains for my saw, a nice new chimney cap and some fish for my aquarium. Like she really thought I would go clothes shopping.

Does an Amauti count as a tool? ...

I think a lot of us can compensate for those who have office jobs and feel the pressure to have more than 5 outfits
I know a lot of us upcycle clothing.

As with perhaps the majority on here, I also shop the thrift stores and bought a little leather purse on a strap for 50 cents for my little cellphone -- I condone jailbreaking an old phone to let it do what you want it to do (another topic).

I feel I went overboard: I recently scooped up a like new thick cotton neon pink hooded poncho for $1: I feel grateful that someone didn't appreciate it: probably the colour, to which frequent remarks are met with: 'If I get shot, you'll know it wasn't an accident!"

Blankets that don't count ...

Used woolen socks that don't count ...

3 used athletic boulder holders that weren't mentioned if they count??

Used free stretchy pants ...

But I bought 3 brand new pairs of rubber sandals with 1 inch cushioning because that's all my ankle will take for now (or my -100 boots ) one for poultry, one for general outdoors, one for indoors. I will have them for years.

And a used winter coat and huge bag of almost new wool socks via an ad from a recent widowed lady. (I gave my coat to someone who needed it more, even though he is not a likeable person).
Yes usually buy men"s coats: the zippers are usually better and I don't care how I look if I am warm. It's light down filled and will scrunch down to nothing in luggage.

I have used a sewing machine almost 50 years, since I learned from a teen friend.
With it I am making an
Amauti (Inuit parka)
Those coats that carry children in the hood.
It's designed to separate in parts and I can take it as my coat onboard a flight. (Fly-in community another topic as far as us humans are living.)

...so it's a bed roll/recouperated faded cotton sleeping bag with damaged zip at the bottom where my head goes / used factory quilted blanket turned cover for said sleeping bag which functions as a blanket, and liner that works as inner sleeping layer / lightweight coat/hoodie
I still have the hood to design, but between the layers it will hold "oven" mitts, gloves, hats, scarves, and extra socks, ziplock bags and room for facecloths. Since I don't plan to have babies to carry, I still haven't gotten there yet.
Why bother? With the price of flying luggage mostly plus it's fun! Always a subject of discussion.

Even men wear them occasionally and I was impressed with custom Amauti overalls !!! to hold a 5 year old child worn by the passenger beside me coming from an outlying community -- he jumped in the hood in two seconds like a joey once we were released from our seats -- not a word of English in that kiddie!

I digress big time sorry! But making clothes saves a bundle. Everything but some zippers and snaps and thread is used.

I agree with the remark about zero waste outlook does a permie make. It took about 50 years to get from no waste raised by rationed wartime children but a stop along the way to finding internet and organic growing, my alarm to discover genetically modified fish and vegetables, and it didn't take long to find everything I needed to know on permies.

Two pairs of water shoes (best all purpose shoe for FL conditions for me and almost like barefoot) and replacement underwear or socks maybe bi yearly is about it for buying new.

The water shoes are destroyed before being replaced.

I used to run around barefoot, but after a couple instances of hook worms in my feet I'm better off in the water shoes.

Side note - rubbing Ivermectin horse paste on the worms externally works to kill them, or at least it did for me. An old timer pointed this out to me after the first time going to an emergency clinic and suffering through prescribed  internal Ivermectin and antibiotic gut distress for weeks. Not to mention the expense.

Everything else clothing-wise is thrift shop sourced.

A good friend is the central drop point for unwanted books and clothes for redistribution among our group of friends.

Any that aren't spoken for travel to town with another friend who volunteers at a clothe the homeless charity.

Leftover books go to the Friends of the Library for their book sales.

What an intriguing (and worthwhile) exercise.

There's a big difference between "can you" and "will you" or "have you" for the title of the thread.

As with everything permaculture (and many other fields), the answer starts with "it depends".  It is also very dependent upon context.

I know what it's like to have mother and daughter wearing the same clothes - our adult daughter often wears some of my wife's clothes (or they've been handed down to her).  My challenge is knowing who it is the just breezed into the room.  She Who Must Be Obeyed has long been frustrated with the fashion world for women's clothing - never enough pockets (often zero) as a starting point.  How often have you seen a woman with a phone tucked into clothing?  The other thing for her is that she's on the tall side for a woman, so finding slacks that fit can be a challenge and she's put too much money in the hands of people who sell her something that then shrinks and no longer fits properly.  Based on her career, she has to dress up a bit, but generally doesn't wear skirts - she typically buys most of her clothes second-hand.  At least, from a thinking about it perspective, these clothes are getting a longer lease on life.  

We generally don't dispose of clothes until they get too worn / damaged, or our size changes significantly enough - She had a health issue about a decade ago which led to weight changes, so has had to re-outfit her closet multiple times for work.

I'm about 30 lbs lighter than I was 3.5 years ago and am down a couple pant sizes (waist).  I eventually got fed up and got rid of (through charity which ultimately winds up in a thrift store) the pants that were too big.  For day to day, I used a leather awl to add a bunch of new holes to a couple of my belts.  

I look forward to watching the posted YouTube video.  I think one of the big issues is that clothes (along with a lot of goods) don't last like they once did.  I need to replace my hiking boots (I buy them with CSA safety toes so they can double for working at the acreage) - the challenge is that I got these just last year.  I walk the dog 4-5 km per day on average and use these when things may be mucky or most of the winter (so 4-6 months here) and the soles have worn incredibly.  It's so aggravating.  I don't expect everything to last forever, but there has been a race to the bottom for product quality.  I want to get good value, and am willing to pay for something better that will last longer, but there's no guarantee that the more expensive option at a store IS better and will last longer.  The hood on my pickup truck is aluminum, so it doesn't take very big hailstones to damage it - steel is much more durable, but weighs more.  Don't even get me started on electronics.  Planned obsolescence raises my hackles.

Anyway, I typically do purchase more than 5 items per year.  At least a couple of them are souvenirs from our travels - I know they may not last as long as other souvenirs, but they only add to the clutter of the closet / chest of drawers than the overall clutter of the house.  When you travel outside North America, there is an opportunity to get some incredible stuff.  One of our sons visited Peru (I think 2016) and brought me back a toque of alpaca wool.  It is so incredibly soft and warm.  We visited Peru this spring and I did wind up with a baby alpaca cardigan - it is soooooooooooooo nice.  I think we got some other items that were hand crafted at some of the spots we visited as well.  I also typically get a couple shirts through the year that are for car shows we attend - I'll preferably grab a button down or polo but often the only option is a t-shirt.  I did purchase a couple pairs of cargo pants this year as well to replace some of the tearing ones that have outgrown me.

One of my biggest recent challenges has been that I have to spend extra time in the store to confirm my size - I used to be consistent, but after making some dietary changes and shedding weight, I have to try on clothes - I can't just go in and know exactly what size to grab and get out.  I really don't like needing to be in a store for ten minutes.

At any rate, thanks for bringing up the challenge, and having it in the Dailyish - if nothing else, it hopefully gets us thinking about our consumption patterns and habits and where we may be able to make changes if we see a need.  Thoughtful consumption is considerably better than vapid consumerism.  I like to think that I consume out of necessity rather than want / fashion for the most part.  I would consume less (in total numbers) if I could get higher quality, more durable clothing.  I now do most of my clothes shopping at a work wear store which (used to at least) sell clothing primarily geared to those who are working physically and / or outdoors in their workwear.  However, I think I've seen a slide there in quality as well.  Sigh.

I really don't like the idea of online shopping...I know some folks rave about it, but I have enough issues getting stuff I like that fits right and feels nice to get something unfelt, to say nothing of the energy of individual delivery to home.

I found a eBay person who has 99 cent auctions with free shipping so I think this year I will buy more than 5 items ....

Too pretty to pass up.

Dave Bross wrote:
rubbing Ivermectin horse paste on the worms externally works
.

Awesome tip! I won't forget that tip. Wow! Way better than internal antibiotics. It makes one wonder if the blood letting days of yore were more advanced!

Ok, this thread has officially piqued my interest.

The more I think about it, the more I suspect that I am going to end up higher than the 5 items per year list.  My number one offender—Socks!!

I just can’t seem to find socks that will last me more than a few weeks wear anymore.  It seems like modern day socks are thread-bear from the start and get holes exactly where I don’t need them very quickly.  This is too bad as I remember a time when socks seemed to last forever.  Additionally, I like to have a variety of socks—three styles to be specific.  I have a standard white crew sock for many occasions, a short, ankle-length sock I wear in summer and especially for taking longer walks (prevents blisters), and wool/bamboo/etc. in the winter for warmth.  So that right there is going to put me over five items which is too bad as I don’t see an easy way to reduce this, especially as seemingly every sock now has a strictly limited lifespan.

Also, does a 6-pack of socks count as one item or six?

The same packaging issue applies to underwear as well.

And there are a few garments which I seem to need more often as I age.  For instance, I have a pretty bad case of restless leg syndrome (RLS).  I do take medication for RLS, but there are days (evenings) when the only hope is some type of compression garment on my legs.  As a rule, I buy these in threes so as to always have a pair ready and waiting if I need it.  And there are times when I need it daily.  The upshot is that these do a decent job at doubling as a form of long underwear in the winter so at least I get multiple uses/purposes out of them.  And they don’t last forever so they need occasional replacements (though I have not yet thrown any away so I always have a few backups just in case.).  But then I sometimes will need to add to the three if I am traveling.  So how do I/we count a garment that is primarily used for medical purposes?

I have multiple lifetimes worth of T-shirts, almost %100 free.  I recently donated several large garbage bags full of T-shirts.  My blue jeans and sweatpants last me many years.

So I don’t know where I land on this list.  Socks are frustrating and just don’t last.  Some garments I need for medical reasons but I repurpose as much as possible.  Others last for years.

I am totally open to thoughts here.

Eric

Eric Hanson wrote:Ok, this thread has officially piqued my interest.

The more I think about it, the more I suspect that I am going to end up higher than the 5 items per year list.  My number one offender—Socks!!

Eric

No no no 😂 socks don't count so they say!

And a 6 pack of socks counts as one pair since they will be thread bare after a few times through a washing machine!

Ra,

Yeah,  I kinda thought that you might say something like that.

Actually, as I was typing my previous response, I was thinking that socks just shouldn’t count against the list unless they are some sort of extreme, exotic sock that is not in any way a necessity.  As you put it, they just wear out too fast.  Probably the same thing could be said of underwear.  

While it doesn’t apply to me, how would a woman include bras in this list?  Somewhere I heard/read that the average American woman has 20 bras of various types, styles, colors, etc.  I will grant that the female beauty standard requires women to be more selective of undergarments than men when dressing and therefore require more options at her disposal.  And how often do they need replacements, I have absolutely no idea (why would I?).  If we are talking about some off-grid Permie lifestyle, then to me, the most practical bra would be a sports bra of some type, but again, what do I know about it?  And how many women here on Permies live a lifestyle that has one foot in a traditional professional world with its associated dress code and one other foot in some more rural/off-grid/homesteading existence?  I think this will work against the 5-item count pretty quickly.  And if there is anything that wears out faster than socks (so I am told), it must be pantyhose which are still required dress code items in some workplaces (though increasingly few).  So all of this jumbles up the mess even more and I certainly don’t want to blame any woman for needing more/different clothes than she already does.

What all of this says to me is

GRRRRRR!!

Eric

Eric Hanson wrote: The more I think about it, the more I suspect that I am going to end up higher than the 5 items per year list.  My number one offender—Socks!!

The first post clearly states that socks and underwear don't count. I would also declare that anything medically mandated doesn't count either.

However, you've identified a valid point about socks. There might be a thread here on permies discussing what socks last the longest - if not, I'd suggest starting one. For years I bought Kodiak socks and could find ones that were 100% cotton for summer, and almost 100% wool for winter. But alas, they've clearly dumbed down over the last decade.

Hubby likes Happy Foot socks. However, I got the impression at some point that they aren't what they used to be either.

My Grandfather had a cool sock knitting machine, but it wore out too. I wonder if we need to reinvent them?

As for underwear... it's a shame you gave away all those T-shirts or I would have sewn you some boxers that would last. Assuming that the T's were quality cotton, because they seem to be thinner and thinner, unless you buy them by weight off the web.

Don't get me started on the "stretch fabric everything".

If all this thread does is help us identify what to watch for and brands to shop for in an effort to decrease our clothing footprint, that's a step in the right direction!

Jay, I must have read right over the sock/underwear exemption so thanks for that clarification.

We are agreed about the medical necessity exemption.

And I am glad that you/we all seem to see the sad quality reduction of socks these days.

As for all the T-shirts, I just hope that someone else is getting something from them.  Mostly they were in passable condition.  Some didn’t fit right—mostly the neck opening was a bit too tight—I can’t stand anything tight around my neck!  But others probably aren’t as picky as me.

Eric

I love this challenge!
So far this year I have bought 1 pair of new shoes and I was gifted a shawl. Oh and I made myself a pair of slippers and a sunhat.

I've been meaning to make myself a new skirt for months but haven't gotten to it yet.

I did buy 6 cotton sweaters at a second hand store that were taken apart and used as yarn.

Next year I will be trying again!

Eric Hanson wrote:Ra,

Yeah,  I kinda thought that you might say something like that.

Nyeh-ha-ha
Yup that was my response; 😀

Eric Hanson wrote:

extreme, exotic sock

Good point: maybe exotic socks should count! 😂

Eric Hanson wrote:

While it doesn’t apply to me, how would a woman include bras in this list?  

No one has responded to my remark about athletic boulder holders (sports bras)

But I am going to go with your exotic proposition:
If the bra is like a Victoria Secret flimsy decoration it should count

If it's the sports type, it shouldn't count (a tool to ensure when doing certain physical permie jobs, the puppies don't go wandering off in different directions 🤣 )

Eric Hanson wrote:
Somewhere I heard/read that the average American woman has 20 bras of various types, styles, colors, etc.

Probably accurate: they're expensive and if the wearer's size yoyos, like will happen if one is injured and gains weight, or gets pregnant, etc., one ends up hanging onto various sizes.

Then there's the is it a bra? Is it a skimpy sun top? Is it a poor excuse for a naturist to be seen in permies...
Those ones are often colourful so as to masquerade as outer clothing, and in my opinion should count ;-)

Eric Hanson wrote:
....  And how often do they need replacements, I have absolutely no idea (why would I?).  

😂

Hand washing helps a lot. I can keep mine going for decades of not left in the sun or put in a dryer, and that goes for Lululemon type shirts that are really a sports bra with extra fabric, and might last 5 years with extra care -- and should count.

Eric Hanson wrote:

If we are talking about some off-grid Permie lifestyle, then to me, the most practical bra would be a sports bra of some type, but again, what do I know about it?

In my opinion the most comfortable bra is no bra, but sometimes, especially when bent over double, there are times when those puppies just have to be made to behave!

Eric Hanson wrote:
it must be pantyhose which are still required dress code items in some workplaces (though increasingly few).  

And thank goodness for that! I had forgotten about pantyhose -- long ago I bought a pile of microfiber leggings so I would never have to wear those again, then I forsook "cvilization " identified by pantyhose and neck ties

Definitely being a hermit allows one to wear whatever they please and care little about what others think!

Gulp….Barf……Neckties!  I completely forgot about neckties!  And I absolutely hate neckties the way so many women hate pantyhose.  Fortunately, my school dress code does not require them, but to me they are the single most useless, dangerous even, clothing item I have known.  I seriously cannot think of any purpose that a necktie serves, but having cordage around my neck is downright dangerous!

Yes Eric, in my opinion a neck tie is a "tell' of a white collar slave!
A professor I knew circumvented the tie by wearing the long sleeved polo shirt -- so much so that caricatures of him identified him by the polo !

Officially, I would consider a bra "underwear".

Unofficially, for the first time in 30 years, I bought a bra for my son's wedding. Despite it being "professionally" fitted, it was barely tolerable comfort wise. I had tried to sew one, but time and poor online instructions defeated me in the short term. For the money women pay for them, I suspect a big part of having a drawer full is how hard it is to account for both fluctuations in size, as Ra mentions, and that most of them don't fit well. Either that or I'm am more of an outlier than I already think I am.

However, I suspect another reason is that bras are expected to do something for a woman's shape that isn't what woman's shapes are really like. Why are both cups on my new bra the same size??? Left breasts are almost universally larger than right breasts because of blood supply. But women are expected to *look* symmetrical, so bras try to force the point. (Yes, like every rule, there are bound to be exceptions.)

I'm very thankful that I no longer work a worky job or spend large amounts of time in permies, so I can wear an A-shirt and be done with it, even though I have some girl friends that whine about how I should "show off my figure".

Hmmm. I sometimes combine two or more existing items, to remake them into a new one (parts get torn, worn out, etc, and I "frankenstein" them) or into something else, altogether. It makes use of what I have, into something I will continue wearing, or begin wearing, again - but, it actually reduces the number of items in my closet. How would that stack up, in this challenge? Do I get 'credit' for reducing my clothing collection, while simultaneously increasing the wearability of what's left? Is there extra 'credit', for combining more than 2 items? By 'credit', I mean, if I combine a few items, does that forgive the extra pair of shoes I had to buy, because both my hiking/farming/work boots died, and a month later, so did the only pair of black pumps I needed, for a funeral, when I'd already reached my annual limit?

I am wondering if I have found my home:

Was it a surprise to me this thread falls under its own category

When
stacking
stacking functions
... in upscaling
brings bursts of dopamine to my brain,

and when visions in my head
of upscaling to modify free 5X shorts into a forest green durable  kindling and lightweight tool wearing mechanism
that one can don
on the way to the Ring of Fire

I as suspect I am OCD intergenerational zero waste

😂

I fit within the limit quite well, but I try to buy durable things and I wouldn't say that I look unfashionable.

I am tickled to see so many people taking on the challenge, even if it's just a goal to work towards. I've been a textile nerd for decades, and slow fashion is close to me heart.

I decided to look back at this last year for me and my kid.

I bought one thing for me - A three pack of nursing shirts. Does this count as 3 items?
I did lots of repairs and alterations, the majority of my clothing is handmade so I tend to do overhauls on older items. This does involve new fabric from time to time, but after working at a craft store for 12+ years I have a decent stash.

My infant is a different story, but even then, there's a lot of opportunities to get away from the fast fashion cycle.
I didn't buy any new clothing for her.
I have made 3 sewn items and 2 knits.
I have been cycling clothes through a local exchange, many of these items (and some gifts) have been new with tags. The best of these garments I'm keeping for a future child, and many have already needed repairs. (LO inherited my big feet, so I keep patching holes where the big toe is poking through)

It's amazing to me how much kid clothing is available at a small town charity in the mountains. They always have bins overflowing with piles of clothing, most of it near-new or even totally new! Why would anyone buy new clothes for kids?!

The year is coming to an end and the only clothing I bought so far is a nice pair of boots.

I am pretty board with store bought clothes.   Nice clothes are expensive and usually too wimpy for my lifestyle.

I used to like thrift shops but now all the clothes I find there stink.  I have to wash them may times to be able to put them on.   So tedious and probably toxic.  


Making my own stuff is way more fun.   It might take me a year of sitting around in the evenings to create a garment from scratch but it can last for generations.  I wear sweaters my grandmother made for my mom and some that are so old, we don't know who made them.  

.  
I often have a piece of clothing burning in my imagination.   I have to get it out, hold it in my hands, this is art I can wear.


Making your own stuff can be quick and simple too.  

This 40 min movie gives detailed instruction on making and repairing textiles.
https://permies.com/t/250722/Natural-Textiles-Samantha-Lewis-Opalyn#2326380

Here is the trailer: