We're overshopped! That's my gut reaction after reading a survey of over 4,000 readers published in the Sept. issue of "O" The Oprah Magazine.
Here's my summary of the results, which were posted on omag-poll:
Back of the closet sightings:
A whopping 60 % of poll participants have NOT viewed the rear of their closet in months.
Shop-a-holics 'R Us
10 percent confessed to buying a new garment at least once a week.
Landslide: Jeans
The TOP ranked hardest item to purchase
Commitment Shy Jean Owners:
31 % own 10 pairs of jeans.
Shoe boutique owners
12 percent of polltakers own over 50 pairs of shoes
Naked & Unhappy
24 % view their closet each morning and moan: "Nothing to put on."
Moving into the Bottomless Clothing Pit
69 % pray for more closet room
3 comments:
I've been thinking a lot lately about how the happy planet index (www.happyplanetindex.org) and how people in lower consumption nations are happier. What have we gotten away from that makes us think purchasing is the answer? How can we get back our base level of happiness?
It's things like this survey that make me think about raising kids in a different country.
Could not agree more...I work at a fortune 100 company and work clothes for me are important and in the past, I had a huge closet of idle clothes. So what did I do?
1 - Cleaned out the closet by donating 70 percent of all items that I was not wearing.
2 - Exchanged and Exchanging to natural fibers away from Dry cleaning. Decreased my costs, improved the environment and more comfortable with that decision from a physical perspective.
3 - Learned to do laundry better. Yes, a lesson from my mother at age 40, how embarassing and some on line reading too. Steam and hanging the clothes and then light ironing really works.
4 - Small repairs. In the past, a rip meant into the trash. Today, an opportunity to sew better.
5 - Five pairs of shoes - two basic for work, one for exercise, one for casual, one for fun. Shoe trees a must.
6 - Undershirt (Male perspective). I now wear undershirts to keep my work clothes from being impacted by my 'being human' results of walking and living. This extends my work shirts.
So, my closet is much smaller, cleaner and without the 'run rate costs' of dry cleaning. Also, I am getting more use out of the clothes I am wearing and feel better about my decisions.
I like your blog!!! Thanks for posting.
Hey Sally and Kansas:
Thanks so much for your comments.
Sally: I will check out that happyplanetindex.org. That sounds like a great resource.
Kansas:
Those are great suggestions, especially #2, #3 #6...Actually the whole list is excellent.
Thanks--Sally and Kansas--for stopping by.
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