Being Good. at Goodwill

After a reasonably productive week of writing, I treated myself to a trip to Goodwill.  I was looking for 2 things: a pair of light-colored flats to wear with summer-y skirts (thank you, sun!  Last weekend was *amazing*), and some cargo capri pants to wear on an upcoming trip.  (Okay, so the trip isn't upcoming until July, but I started looking at the cute travelers in the brochure, and they were all wearing cargo pants/shorts/capris.  I have to be a prepared traveler.)

Bought 3 pairs of shoes, and 2 cargo capris.

In with the new (new-to-me!)

As I was shopping for these items, I was mentally figuring out what I could "trade" them for in my current wardrobe.  I don't know about you, but my closet and dresser are full.  I can't afford to acquire without getting rid of something at the same time.

Out with the old: two skirts that I don't ever wear, a pair of heels that hurt my feet, my beloved comic-strip-covered Converse that are more-than-a-little split along the sides, and comfortable clogs that are too ugly to leave the house in.  Yay: an even trade!

As I was trying on clothing, however, I ran into a recurring Goodwill theme of mine: I can fix that!  I can restyle that!  Wouldn't this look cute if only... this sleeve were changed!  So often I buy clothing that becomes "project" as it awaits my restyling efforts.  Indeed, both pairs of capris that I bought are now sitting in my mending pile: the khaki pair needs a new drawstring, and the black ones need hemming (I am very particular about my capri pants length--almost always have to hem them.)  But I don't consider those sewing tasks to be "project", just mending.

On the other hand, after being around so much clothing, I decided to take a quick look in the "project" area to see if there are any Goodwill-clothing-restyle items hanging around that I am no longer in love with.  Fresh in my mind was the powerful knowledge that cute, wearable clothing exists on the racks right now at Goodwill--I don't need to chain myself to outdated ideas that I had when I impulsively bought "I can fix that!"

Gone!  Adorable kid-print vest that really didn't fit me at all.  (I'm sure there are more adorable prints in the world; and if I ever get back into wearing vests, I can find one that actually fits.)  Rayon tribal-print pants that I wanted to make into capris, but that had huge fit issues.  This one counts as a discarded project because I had disassembled and cut and pinned already: GONE.  And some gauzy rayon-y striped something that had been totally disassembled, and which I have no desire to sew into something new.