Shopping

Spring hit me rather hard last week.  

The temperature was gloriously warm.  The sun was shining, and suddenly all those lovely, newly fitting winter clothes seemed dark and dreary and drab.  Oh I am sure there will be opportunity to wear them yet.  I am well aware that last week was warmer than most of last summer, but spring fever was upon me.

Unfortunately spring clothes are still in short supply around here and I had no real intention of making them all.

 I had already ordered a stack of tees, having discovered that I had only one long sleeve cotton tee, a wardrobe necessity.  The one in hand was a deep blue-purple, nice but limiting.  A supply of black and white was immediately necessary, and few flattering colors wouldn't hurt.  Luckily I quickly discovered that J. Crew's "perfect fit" tees did, indeed, fit me perfectly.

But then, with the warm weather I was itching to get to work in the yard, which has been long neglected.  I refuse to garden in St. John wool knit pants however, or heels, and more shopping was in order, namely for basic pants to get me through the summer working in the yard and running in to town to get mail or make a quick stop at the lumberyard or garden supply store.  

Nothing fancy was required, just jeans and/or chinos.  I could make them.  I have made jeans, although not completely satisfactorily, and I wanted jeans that functioned but in which I also felt comfortable going to town. I also wanted my jeans now, not three muslins from now so I went shopping. Perhaps this is too much to ask, but luckily I continue to be able to find nice jeans.

 In fact the day I went jeans-shopping last week, my first stop ended up being my last stop.  I walked into the Gap, pulled two pairs of jeans off the shelf in two different styles and made my way to the dressing room.  Both pairs fit fabulously.  

I ended up with two pairs of "Always skinny" jeans, one in a dark wash for going to town and one in a medium wash which will hopefully function for all casual activities.  I've been without dark wash jeans for a few months now, and I've missed them.  I seem to have come late to the appreciation of dark jeans.

As for the medium wash.  I promptly got online and ordered two more pairs as they only had one pair in the store in my size.  I've already hemmed the first pair and worn them in the garden all weekend.  And I am quite grateful that The Gap uses a fairly standard jeans-type topstitching thread so that the thread in my stash matched the thread used on the jeans.  It really bugs me when the stitching at the hem does not match the rest of the jeans, even in the garden.

As for the other pairs, they too are necessary, even though I am trying to get away from buying too many multiples.  After all I would like to have two pairs of jeans lest one pair be covered in mud or grass or what-have-you, and I prefer not to have to wash my jeans every night if I am working in the yard.  Every other night is often enough.

And I also need a pair to leave long to wear with heels.  Yes, I wear jeans with heels.  I wear medium wash jeans with heels.  I used to feel guilty about this.  I am far too prone to guilt.  I don't wear my dark wash straight (read skinny, although the skinny jeans are not nearly as skinny on me as on the model) jeans with heels, but I do wear the medium wash jeans.  It finally occurred to me that my issue with jeans is not dressing them up by wearing a dark wash, my issue is using jeans to dress a more formal garment down.  I wear the medium wash jeans to take the formal edge off a too formal or too dressy jacket so that I can wear it around town without feeling like I've gotten all gussied up.

I am completely relieved to have that settled in my head.

 I also came home with a pair of dark wash boot cut jeans. I haven't had a pair of dark wash jeans since November when I finally recognized that my old pair was unflatteringly large and I have missed them terribly. They are my preferred silhouette, along with trouser jeans, as they make my legs look longer.   I don't really need multiples of these.  Or perhaps I wish I did, because I think I could live in them.  But I don't, need them that is. And having too many pairs of the exact same style is boring, except when they are needed of course.

A nicely fitting pair of chinos seems to be  more problematic.  Perhaps I will end up sewing those.  But then again, perhaps not.

The problem is, if shopping is so easy, a couple of issues pop into my head:

If I can go to a store and get clothes that fit and I like easily, why should I bother trying to reach my weight loss goal?  Isn't the whole thing about feeling comfortable with myself?And if I have clothes that fit and flatter, I tend to feel comfortable with myself.   Of course that is the same thought that got me started gaining weight in the first place. 

Secondly, if I can buy jeans or chinos, why should I sew them?  Luckily I live in an age when I can run to the store and buy manufactured clothes.  I do not have to literally clothe myself and my family.  This is a good thing.  Besides I would rather sew something I enjoy sewing.  Actually, finding clothes I like is rather liberating.  It takes the pressure off.  That sense of desperation, of not having something to wear is gone.  Now I can just enjoy.

Comments

[RuthieK]

A successful shopping trip. That's good to hear as they can often be very frustrating.

[K-Line]

Yay! And I have those Always Skinnies. They are so fantastic. My fave jeans, I think. I didn't even have to get them hemmed.

[Myrna]

Congrats on such great finds.

Unfortunately - at least for me - finding things that fit, and especially jeans, is a seasonal thing. One season, everything fits and it's all wonderful and I can buy, buy, buy and the next season, nothing fits or flatters and it's all frumpy. It's so inconsistent.

With sewing, I have more potential for a good outcome so if I need to or want to, I can sew the garment - even jeans - I hope - I'm working on that. Sewing for me is about the challenge. I love that as well as the creative expression. I've never had a goal to sew all of my clothing. I can't imagine that ever happening.

- Myrna

[Nancy (nanflan)]

Isn't it liberating to realize you don't have to make everything? I know--radical thought! But honestly, the only one you're accountable to is yourself.

Congratulations on your jeans and t haul, BTW.

[Mardel]

Yes, Bev, thats it!  I blind hem them as well when I cant match, although If I have the thread  match, that is my first choice.

[sdBev]

Do you realize how much you have learned about yourself this year. You really are coming into your own.

"It really bugs me when the stitching at the hem does not match the rest of the jeans, even in the garden." Oh me too. I would rather blind hem my jeans then have a jarring different color on the hem.

Personally, I've developed a new appreciation for dark wash, skinny, stretch jeans. I'm so surprised at how good these can make me look.

Also agree, why make something that you can buy. I prefer to use my sewing time for making the unique or making clothing that fits.

Love your self-discovery journey. Please keep posting.