Although a life-long fashion dropout, I have absorbed enough by reading Harper’s Bazaar while waiting at the dentist’s to have grasped that the purpose of fashion is to make A Statement. My own modest Statement, discerned by true cognoscenti, is, “Woman Who Wears Clothes So She Won’t Be Naked.”
~Molly Ivins
outside a shop in Kathmandu, Nepal
Often it’s better not to walk around naked. This goes especially for certain parts of Asia, where even showing a bit of skin under the navel can draw shocked (or lecherous) glances. So what this means is that unless you’re going to wear the same outfit every day like Nina Yau, you do occasionally need to buy clothing.
Personally I hate shopping for clothing. I find it neither interesting nor relaxing. If you’re anything like me, you want to have clothing appear in your wardrobe – or suitcase – without having to pour a lot of effort into shopping.
I know not what you believe of God, but I believe He gave yearnings and longings to be filled, and that He did not mean all our time should be devoted to feeding and clothing the body.
~ Lucy Stone
I believe that you’re not put on this planet to spend hours shopping for clothing. (Unless you’re a fashion designer or something like that.) If you have too many clothes, give them away. If you have too few, accumulate just enough to cover yourself and get on with it. Simple.
But, not always so simple, unfortunately, because when you’re traveling in a foreign country you may not know the best places to find clothing, what the local customs are, how much is a fair price, where to find certain specific items, etc etc…
This can be stressful. And as you know, I don’t think traveling needs to be stressful.
The more we streamline the necessary but boringly basic bits of life, the more fully we can relax into the present moment and touch into our deeper purpose. My next few posts will help you save time, energy and money when shopping for clothing, so you can focus on the things that are more important to you.
Next up, I’ll be sharing a post about how to have a kurta made in Nepal. In the meantime, here are some fun and informative clothing-related posts from around the blogosphere:
- Why I Love my Burmese Longyi
- Top 9 Ways to Avoid Looking Like a Gringo in Latin America
- A Practical Guide to Owning Fewer Clothes
Any thoughts on how you balance your lifestyle with the inescapable need to wear clothing?
I want to help you find your calm center and experience travel with courage, curiosity and compassion.