Weirdly, when I saw Julia's word pick I immediately pictured the Hungarian woman from Chicago.
I took this picture at Joann's fabric store, the most prominent reason being that I feel less guilty about spending money on clothes if I am going to make them than when I buy them. I love clothes but they can get pretty expensive and justifying a new dress or skirt is difficult, but if I spend money on fabric then not only am I getting a new item of clothing but I also am improving my skills in the craft of sewing.
Theoretically.
Realistically, I spend as much (if not more) on fabric, zippers, buttons, etc., that it probably loses all value. Which led me to my next reason: the reason many stores are able to sell their clothes so cheaply is that they are made in other countries by children or adults who are grossly underpaid and, in many cases, endangered in the work place, this fact is nothing new. Sadly, that fact doesn't really stop me from shopping at said stores (although I wish I had the means/will power to do so) but each time I make a new article of clothing I am, at least in that moment, not contributing to the mistreatment of people in sweatshops both here and overseas. Maybe someday I'll be able to fully clothe myself and thus be inculpable from perpetuating the system. Or, make enough money to only shop at stores who don't use sweatshops.
