I like to think that my wife and I live frugally with regard to clothing. We buy most of our clothes at thrift stores, yard sales, and consignment shops. Not only does this save us a lot of money on clothing, but in a small way it supports the sustainability of our environment. And periodically, both of us will go through our closet and remove garments that we rarely wear, and set aside a pile of clothes to be taken to a thrift store. We like to keep things in circulation.
The environmental movement’s oft repeated slogan is: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Reclaim
But in spite of our best efforts to live lightly upon the earth, I just did a quick inventory of my own clothing and here is what I found:
- 27 long sleeve shirts
- 18 short sleeve shirts
- 11 sweaters, turtlenecks, and other pullovers
- 14 pairs of pants
- 6 pairs of jeans
- 14 pairs of shoes
- Dozens of other garments
Lord willing, the last week of October I will cross paths with the disadvantaged of Puerto Vallarta. I wonder how the quantity and quality of the clothing that I enjoy compares to the clothing worn by those I will soon meet.