Challenge Accepted!

I love me a good, self-imposed challenge. The self-imposed part is key, by the way. I don't like people telling me what to do. Unless I want them to. It's complicated. My point is that I like to set up little challenges for myself simply for the sake of seeing whether or not I can accomplish the goal and to hopefully learn something along the way. In high school, this usually took the form of auditioning for something - the lead in a school play, for example. The idea of auditioning TOTALLY FREAKED ME OUT, and that is precisely why I did it: to prove to myself that I could. (Later, after landing the role, I would regret my decision because having the role actually meant having to talk to people during rehearsals and do horrifying things like improv. Oh my god, I could have DIED. And probably from overheating my brain with all the blood rushing to my face, if that were even possible.)

Later in life, my goal setting took the form of things like running a 5k (did it) or quitting smoking (did that too). And then, in 2006, I became pregnant and my all-consuming goal was to give birth naturally. At the time, I didn't really even think of it as a goal; it was simply the way I was going to do it. But my son took 23 hours to be born and a good 10 to 12 hours of that was really hard work. And there was a period of time during the labor that I felt like I couldn't do it. It was a challenge, in the truest sense of the word. (And one, by the way, that I couldn't have accomplished without my amazing husband/coach and my loving, supportive mother. Both of them were absolutely essential to my achieving this goal, and I am forever grateful to them for that.) It was after giving birth to my son that I really started to fall in love with the self-imposed challenge. MY BODY HAD GIVEN BIRTH. Yes, I know women give birth literally all the time, and many without pain medication. But the fact that it is commonplace doesn't make it any less amazing. I realized that I was much, much stronger than I had previously thought. I experienced the worst pain of my LIFE during the labor of my son, but I made it through. I achieved my goal. And that, my friend, is an amazing feeling.

Setting goals for yourself, and achieving them, boosts your self-esteem and your self-confidence. Setting goals for yourself, and failing, allows you to clarify what is important to you in life and gives you ample fodder for self-reflection. And sometimes a self-imposed challenge can completely change your life, as was the case for me and Stephen when we challenged ourselves with the Quantum Wellness Cleanse (21 days without animal products, caffeine, alcohol, sugar, or gluten) back in January of 2010. We made it through the 21 days and have been vegetarian (with strong vegan tendencies) ever since.

All of this rambling about the benefits of setting goals is just my long-winded and clumsy way of telling y'all about my latest self-imposed challenge: to not buy any new clothing, shoes, or accessories for the whole of 2012. (Actually, it's more like the whole of 2012, minus a couple of weeks. Mid-January, I treated myself to one last shopping spree, purchasing a blazer, a pair a of jeans, a pair of boots, several pair of earrings, and lots of pretty underwear.) Now, this does not mean that I cannot buy any clothing, shoes, or accessories. It simply means that I have to buy used. I chose this challenge for myself partly for environmental reasons; I buy a lot of clothes (and shoes, and accessories) and when I purchase these things new I am vastly increasing my carbon footprint. (Just think of all the raw materials, energy, and water required to create new products (the production of a single pair of jeans requires 2,900 gallons of water!), not to mention the fuel required to ship the product from the manufacturer (usually overseas) to the stores.) But the other reason I chose this challenge is personal; I buy a lot of clothes (and shoes, and accessories), often impulsively, and I wanted to sort of examine the motives behind that. I am now two and a half months into the challenge, and I've already learned all sorts of things!

First of all, I have become painfully aware of just how much of this stuff I was buying. You know that mid-January last hurrah I mentioned above? Well, while this may seem like a rather large purchase to some, for me it was just business as usual. Stephen and I allow ourselves a certain amount of money each month to spend on whatever we want, no spousal consent necessary. Nearly all of my share went to clothing, each and every month. A lot of these purchases were completely impulsive: I'm at Target to buy toilet paper and cat food, but end up walking out the door with bags full of clothing. Or I'm looking through the latest issue of Lucky magazine and I come across a pair of shoes I simply have to have. Oh, looky here, there's a web address! Couple clicks of the mouse and my shoes are on their way! 

Since starting the challenge, I have gone shopping for clothing exactly twice. Shopping for clothes twice over the course of two and a half months may be normal for some, but trust me, it's not normal for me. In the month of December alone, I made clothing/shoe/accessory purchases on seven different occasions. I am not kidding. I buy so much clothing that twice a year - in July and December - I go through my closets, figure out what I don't want anymore, and give it away. A couple of my friends have mentioned to me that some of my hand-me-downs have become their fashion staples. If I am able to give away piles of perfectly good clothing twice a year, I am buying too much.

I suppose the main reason I'm shopping less these days is because shopping for used clothes is a lot more time consuming than shopping for new. First of all, it involves going someplace I don't already normally go. Whereas before I could shop for clothing, toiletries, housewares, cleaning products, pet supplies and (some) groceries all in one place, now if I want to buy clothing, I've got to make the time for a separate outing. Secondly, buying second-hand requires a willingness to dig through the crap to find the real gems. These stores don't have racks full of one type of shirt in a rainbow of colors and sizes; it's really a mixed bag, and sometimes you'll score and sometimes you'll go home completely empty-handed. Sound like way more trouble than it's worth? Au contraire, mon frere! ("Don't you even go there; me without a rhyme is like a beat without a snare." Quick! Name that tune!) So far, I've found several positive side-effects of shopping second-hand...

1. It's freeing! Before starting this challenge, I was worried that it was going to be really hard, and that passing the clothing racks at Target or flipping through a fashion magazine would be absolute torture. But I've actually experienced the exact opposite. No more getting bummed out because I don't have enough money to buy all the items I want. No more buying huge piles of clothing while shopping with the kids only to try it on at home and realize I need to return half of it. No more wasting time shopping online every time a company sends me an email about a sale they're having. I'm not buying new clothes this year. Period. So what's the point in even worrying about it? I am a slave to fashion no more! And it feels good.
2. It's fun! Sure, I used to get pleasure out of buying new things (why else would I do it?), but when it comes to shopping, nothing beats the feeling of scoring a cool vintage top (that nobody else will be wearing!) or finding the perfect pair of designer jeans and then discovering with pure delight that they only cost $18, and have probably already been hemmed. Honestly, I may never buy new jeans again. Shopping is no longer simply a means to an end. Now, it is an adventure and an exercise in creativity. I feel like I am finally having fun with fashion again. And it's about time!
3. It's affordable! Even if I eschewed thrift shops like the Goodwill and were only to shop at the pricier second-hand stores, I would still save a bundle compared to what I'd have paid for new.
4. It doesn't make me feel guilty. After switching to a plant-based diet, I struggled for quite a while with my desire to purchase clothing and shoes made from animal products. I knew I was being hypocritical by choosing not to eat meat for ethical reasons while still allowing myself to purchase goods made from leather and wool. About six months ago, I decided I would do it no more. But now that I'm buying used, I feel like I can buy such things without feeling guilty about it. I know there are a lot of vegans who would disagree with me here, but as long as I am not directly supporting the industry, I feel my conscience is clear.

As a way of bringing this ridiculously long-winded post to a close (Are you still there? Are you still awake?), I thought I'd share with you the purchases I've made thus far. (If this is at all interesting to you, please let me know, and I'll continue to post pics of the treasures I find.)

Red Sweater, Italian Merino Wool, Banana Republic. Purchased at Article Consignment Boutique, $19.60. Would look super cute with cuffed boyfriend jeans, a black shrunken blazer, delicate gold pendant necklaces, and leopard-print flats.

Aztec Print Dolman-Sleeve Lightweight Sweater, brand unknown, fabric content unknown. Purchased at Article Consignment Boutique, price unknown (I lost the tag). I like to wear this with black skinny jeans, black pumps, and big dangly earrings.

Red & Navy Blue Geometric Print Vintage Top, fabric content unknown (most likely polyester), Hornell's. Purchased at Article Consignment Boutique, $24.00. I recently wore this with some fairly high-waisted dark blue trouser jeans, grey suede peep-toe stiletto booties, a statement necklace, and a wrist full of navy and floral print bangles.

Suuuuper Wide-Leg Jeans, cotton denim, Free People. Purchased at FreeStyle Clothing Exchange, $13.00. I recently wore these with a super soft grey boyfriend tee, a shrunken black blazer, black and brown suede heels form the Missoni for Target line, and chunky black and gold jewelry. But, they're jeans. The possibilities are endless.

Hippie Shirt, 100% Cotton, Odille. Purchased at FreeStyle Clothing Exchange, $8.00. Wear this with your favorite pair of jeans and some flip flops for a super* comfy laid back California look.

*Note to self: you use the word 'super' too much. Work on that.