brand reduction

clothes, Uncategorized
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One way to safe time and keep the wardrobe lean(er) is to chose two brands for clothes (and shoes) from which to buy. Either online brands or shops. The shops have the advantage, that you use less CO2, because you can try different models on in store and there is no sending back and forth of packages. Also you don’t have to stay home or go to the pick up station to get packets and take them there for sending back. The advantage of online shopping is that you don’t have to go to the shops and listen to loud music or search forever for the two items you are actually interested in.

The idea of sticking to two shops is that if there isn’t anything you like in a season you don’t buy anything. If you have the urge to buy, you ask yourself if you actually do need something urgently, or if you just like to have something new. And if you need something, how urgently you need it. Do you need it next week or can it wait a few weeks or month?

Before you go shopping check your wardrobe, if you have 10 good shirts you probably don’t need another one, even if the one in the shop looks good on you. On the other hand, if one of your three pairs of trousers is still sort of okay but wearing thin on the buttocks or very faded, it may make sense to replace it, should there be a good candidate. If not, you already know to look out for trousers next season. Ask yourself what you need. A need does not emerge because the shops have a new delivery.

when less is not more …

clothes, Uncategorized

… now would that be soothing sight …

AdobeStock_32980609

Sometimes less is not more. “Why are they doing it?! Do you women find this attractive?” This morning on our prime recreational island (“Donauinsel“) most of the male early morning joggers were flaunting their naked upper bodies. My partner, well brought up as he is, was sporting a cycling top and assorted black pants, while asking me the above question. He doesn’t understand of course, because he is a cyclist and cyclists have a uniform. And if there is a uniform and you are not wearing it, you look like a clueless beginner. So cycling gear is what saves the eye from semi-nude cyclists.

Since there seems no such attire for the contemporary running man, best to strip. Obviously. Last year the ratio of clothed to semi-naked turned out a tiny bit in favour of the clothed bunch, but this year, the only place you’re likely to see a shirt on a male jogger, is in his hand.

Fact is, about 95% of the naked male upper bodies running around this summer would look a lot better in a shirt. And the remaining 5% would look a lot classier. It is simply unkind to expose arbitrary fellow humans to your nakedness.

You think it’s the tanning factor? How great is a brown torso over a white-pinkish groin going to look? There is a nudist beach on Donauinsel, where you can get an overall tan, so why do the stripy thing?

I suppose it has to do with the current selfie mania and taking shots of yourself in front of the bathroom or the gym mirror. Thankfully we live in a time of rapid change. So: What will replace selfie-ism? And do we have to go through a phase of the semi-naked man in public spaces and transport before that?