do justice

closet inventory February 8, 2010

by Kristi Pratt

This weekend concludes the fourth week of school. It is also the first weekend of February, the date which I declared for myself that I could shop for clothes again—but only at thrift stores. Without deliberately going out to buy clothes, I somehow managed to buy a dress and a shirt this weekend while walking down Hawthorne with a friend. It amazes me how a coffee date turns into thrift-store shopping and trying on ten dresses that you justify as “teacher clothes.” (I am starting my second practicum on Monday.)

I think the problem with my motives for buying clothes is that they initiate a never-ending cycle. I will always justify buying clothes by saying to myself, “What if this opportunity doesn’t come again? You may not need this right now, but it may never come again.” Then once I buy that item of clothing, I have the feeling of “I need something else to go with what I just bought.” Then my shopping trips of eluding boredom will turn into this endless cycle of buying the “good bargains” and chasing after the feeling of “I need more.”

 At Door of Hope, the church I currently attend, we have been learning about the 7 Deadly Sins. A couple weeks ago we went over greed. The pastor, Josh White, classified greed as taking more than we need.  This six-month challenge has caused me to realize how greedy I really am. I consume for the wrong reasons, and I consume excessively.  Not buying clothes over this past month has made me realize how much I don’t need to. It’s amazing how peaceful you feel when you are more comfortable with yourself and you are content with what you have! When you have the mentality of “I need more,” you are constantly a slave to an unattainable goal of satisfaction.

My supervisor, Heather, challenged me a couple weeks ago to do a closet inventory. I have been dragging my heels a little bit to do it just because I know that it will make me face the reality of how much I own.

So here is the closet inventory that I took:

-10 Cardigans (I LOVE cardigans)

-11 skirts (teacher clothes?)

-9 Sweaters

-5 Outterwear Jackets

-3 Cotton Jackets

-5 Hooded Sweatshirts

-3 Hoodless Sweatshirts

-8 Dresses

-3 Crazy Dresses (my 50’s dress, polka dot dress and 80’s dress)

-9 Pairs of Jeans

-5 Pairs of Slacks

-27 Tank Tops (ouch)

-7 Long-Sleeved Shirts

-14 Short Sleeved Shirts

-2 Pairs of Leggings

-4 Pairs of Tights

-13 Colored T-Shirts

-6 Long-sleeved T-Shirts

-6 Pairs of Sweatpants

-8 Pairs of PJ Pants

-12 Sports Shorts

-13 Work-out T-Shirts

For a very grand total of 183 articles of clothing.

First of all, I don’t know how all those clothes fit—considering that number. Second, multiplying that number by 10 (I figure that’s about the average cost of what I’ve paid for my clothes) is almost $2,000, most of which I have bought in the past 2-3 years. That is a lot of money to have been spent excessively. It is a crazy thought to know that I have spent that much, especially thinking about the people in this world who do not have clothes to change on a regular basis, or shoes that they can wear to protect their feet. I feel like the epitome of a “greedy American” after doing this.

And lastly, I still have clothes at home.

After this weekend’s shopping trip, I have now told myself that for every piece of clothing I buy, I must give 2 away. Now I definitely believe in that rule.