recycle your wardrobe

That's the tagline of the second-hand store Rag-O-Rama, about a mile down the street from my house in Little Five Points. While I find Rag-O-Rama pretty overpriced for what is essentially thrift store clothing, I like the concept (and their window dressings).

So, I've decided to commit until my birthday (October 21st) to only buy second-hand clothing and clothes made of recycled materials. The resolution just occurred to me yesterday, but it follows a long vein of minimalistic habits I've been nursing all my life. It also comes in response to a nasty envy that I've been feeling towards well-dressed girls. ("The only reason they're cuter than me is they spend all their money at Urban Outfitters!")

If this exercise in discipline succeeds, it will accomplish two objectives:

1. I will become more cognizant of the amount of waste I produce and develop lifelong sustainable habits.
2. I will become more aware of how I spend my money—both how I waste money on things I don't need and how my resources contribute to environmental waste.

I also hope that knowing I can't pop into Urban Outfitters and buy that blouse that looked really cute on the girl in Noni's will ameliorate some of the anxiety I feel about not being able to keep up with the Eastside Bettys (or is it Edies?).

I'll have to get creative with thrift store clothes rather than buying the look I want. And if I need something for a special occasion, I'll hit up a classy vintage store or a sustainable enterprise like Alternative Earth or Urban Renewal.

Of course, making one commitment begs a dozen others: What about clothes made in China? Shouldn't I only buy local too? I probably shouldn't drive to these stores...

But let's start off small.

Know of any great shops that sell used or recycled clothing? Update: If you want to join me or even one-up me, state your pledge in the comments. Go team!

Image from my favorite fashion blog, ReadyMade's "Off the Rack" by Jane Flanagan and Tricia Royal.