Simple Suggestion #247... Buy clothes that you'll wear forever (shop smarter!)

The other day I bought a new red hoodie (sweater, kangaroo jacket, bunny hug -- there are so many variations on the name, depending on where you live!) I've been looking for a warm cotton one with a zip front since last fall (when my old one wore out) because I like to wear it under my spring/fall jacket when the weather's cool. It was a long search, as clothes go, but I'm finding that it's harder and harder to find really good, long wearing clothing.

Why? Maybe because consumers have gotten used to buying cheap, poorly made stuff at bargain prices, so that's what many clothing stores carry now. And those stores advertise crazy deals that insist we buy more than we need (how often have you seen those "Buy 2 get one FREE!" signs posted lately?) which helps me to understand why, when volunteering at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul's inner city clothing room, I often unpacked clothes that had never been worn. I could tell because the merchandise tags were still attached!

It's so easy to be sucked in by what looks like a great deal... but the 4 minute video below explains exactly why we shouldn't fall prey to that trap. It's can't be any clearer -- please watch!

We consumers need to re-evaluate our shopping habits and get back to buying only what we need and use, good quality stuff that we can wear until it eventually falls apart. And maybe we could also let favourite stores know that we appreciate quality merchandise that lasts. Finally, we need to make peace with the idea that we don't need to empty our closets every spring and fall to make room for new fashions.

For the sake of our planet, we need to shop smarter! (And less!)

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