Another pair of shorts ruined.
One of the hazards of rehabbing a house is the wear and tear on clothing. I have old tee shirts that I have hung on to for decades, for the sole purpose of wearing them when I am painting or working on something that may create a stain. I have a Hamilton Type Museum tee shirt from the old factory in Two Rivers, a place that was torn down in 2015. I have a Cabela's shirt featuring a giant dry fly that I probably bought during a trip to Montana in the 1990s. Both of these and others are flecked with paint and threadbare, perfect for project work. I try and remember to change clothes before I start a project. Unfortunately, I sometimes forget, until I lean against a paint brush with a pair of new shorts.
I am not really sure I can claim to have 'nice' clothes. I tend to wear things until they are unwearable, and Maggie would probably say that I go beyond that point. I can't remember the last time I bought a shirt - usually they somehow just appear next to my closet. I probably buy a new pair of pants once a year, to replace a pair that gets a hole in a pocket that I can no longer sew shut. I would hang onto those, but I am afraid I would lose my pocketknife and spare change. The last time I bought shoes the clerk asked me if I wanted to be on their email list for sales and I explained that the pair of shoes I was purchasing was the exact same pair that I was replacing from two years ago, and only because I had worn a hole in the sole. I recently read the average American buys 70 garments a year. I am glad to be the one pulling that average downward.
I do maintain a small collection of office clothes for work. Those have not seen much use during the past few months of COVID-19 working from home. Being able to wear shorts is one of the few perks of working at home in the summer. Less wear, less tear on my office clothing, so that only extends their life. Khaki never goes out of style, right?
Sometimes it seems like my work clothes and 'nice' clothes are slowly merging into one collection. Fortunately we are almost done painting, which is the hardest on clothing. At least I have a new pair of shorts for painting.
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