The Great American Apparel Diet
no buying for one year

Birdie

Birdie Carpenter, 37, Colorado is an environmental engineer working in Colorado ( a recent transplant from NH, where she finished her PhD). Birdie tries to be conscious of what she buys in general, where products come from, especially food. One year she gave up buying anything from China (it turned out to be quite a challenge). Birdie’s biggest weakness is….clothes (and shoes, but lets focus on clothes for now), pretty clothes, sporty clothes, grungy granola clothes, comfy clothes, clothes with soft sumptuous fabrics and pretty colors! “My mom, my sister and I all seem to share this particular weakness,” she says. “Fortunately my sisters and Sister-in-law are about the same size so we swap quite frequently or rather pass on to each other things we don't use anymore or that don't fit quite right. Birdie loves that her castoffs go somewhere that it is appreciated. Birdie enjoys looking at fashion in magazines and watching what’s new in the store fronts. She is tempted to purchase new clothes, to support those little boutique shops. “ I am very guilty of online shopping as well (GUILTY GUILTY GUILTY!) which really only serves to chip away at my budget.” So why the diet? “ I want to join up and give up all ridiculous clothes purchases that I know I don't need. I feel lighter already!”