As any proper frugalista would do....I swung my head around when I saw that sign ¨T-Shirts...$2.00¨
Say what? Can I actually be as frugal as this? What´s the catch? (Canada is not known for low cost clothing)
So the catch is this....the men´s T-shirts with the guy-ish neckline.... was $2.....and the women´s t-shirts with the cute vneck line were thin as tissue paper and see through....and too short.
Yikes. I had been hearing lately about the ¨ pink tax¨ and for the most part I actually ignored it. But I guess I need to admit that it is real in some settings.
And yes, you would be correct, by saying that I have no right to be demanding if I only want to pay 2$ for a tshirt. Ya ya.... hear ya. But it´s my blog and I´ll rant if I want to.
So back to that noted dollar store.The men´s t-shirts were of a quality well known sport brand name in the T-shirt world...the fabric thick enough so as not to be see-through and thoroughly washable. The women´s t-shirt was NOT made by that same brand name and was see-through, too short for normal length and would probably not survive well through a couple of washes and dryer rounds.
I get annoyed when people I hope are wrong....are absolutely right.
There is no logical reason why a men´s t-shirt should be stronger, better quality and of a better quality brand than a woman´s t-shirt.
We gals like cheap clothes too once in a while.
I happen to believe we shouldn´t have to go to thrift shops and buy used clothing just because we are trying to stay on budget. Brand new clothing should be available for all in this modern computerized age of manufacturing. Factories are constantly making improvements in robotics and now with AI, they can probably run a shirt factory with almost no labour costs. Am I wrong? ??
New Clothes should be getting cheaper, not lower quality.
Does this mean perhaps I must learn how to sew???.....then I could alter cheaper new men´s clothes into Women´s designs...and have the benefit of the low cost and still have good quality fabric.
But I sooooo don´t want to learn how to sew.
How ´bout you? I know that environmental activists are horrified by statements about the right to ¨new¨ clothing. Fast fashion is not environmentally correct. Buying thrift store treasures is a big movement right now....and will continue to be for the foreseeable future. But there are other options.
If the fabric from used clothing can be sterilized and broken down and made into ¨new to you¨ clothing, that would be a more appealing third option. The worst part of thrift stores is that the lack of cleanliness and the fact that you just might be touching and buying someone´s unwashed clothing. There are risks, both emotional and otherwise, from wearing things that once were worn by other humans. They can have hidden contaminants, chemical residues or insect infestations that may not be obvious.
Sorry, friends, I am not trying to gross you out. But let´s be a little realistic. Nobody knows what that second hand item has done before it wound up on a rack in a thrift store. It has an unknown history and therefore an unknown level of cleanliness.
The hope with new clothing is that it has never been worn and therefore, there should be minimal risk of dirt, germs and insects.
A good quality clothing manufacturer and retailer is going to ensure that the clothing they sell is going to be a clean and nice smelling piece of clothing for the proud consumer. Good work leaves a good trail. We feel safe and confident buying from a brand we have come to trust and rely on.
Any thoughts friends?
Peace,
Carla
