Cheap Clothes

I regret buying this cheap-ass turtleneck!

Before I get out of bed, I think about what I will wear that day. Before I decide what I’m going to wear, I check the weather report. In Canada, you never know what to prepare; it could be 20C one day and a day later -20C. For shit, that’s forty degrees to manage.

 I need a selection of clothing pieces for every 20 degrees. That makes 2 - 3 distinct wardrobes over the course of the year. And, many choices for coats and hand-knit accessories!

This morning, the mobile says sunshine and -3C. I’m preparing my cotton turtleneck over my Ptarmigan Pullover, boyfriend-knit scarf, hat, and Diana’s fingerless gloves. I’ll walk about 5 km and won't get cold. It’s critical to layer clothes and pull them off as you warm. No problem.

In the Winter of 2020, my guy and I took a train to Quebec City. When I visit another place, I purchase something to remind me of my time there. In Quebec, they call this a souvenir. (Je me souviens – it’s distinct.) We popped into La Maison Simons. It was established in the 1840s by a second-generation Scott for drygoods. Today, it is known as one of the last department stores with multiple locations in Quebec and spattering in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia.  Simons is reliable for fashionable trendy clothing and accessories for the wardrobe and home. Many of their lines, designed in Canada, are not necessarily made in Canada. Since I was there, I wanted to dive in deep and pick up a few pieces. I bought a pair of high-waisted wide-leg jeans and a charcoal cotton turtleneck. I love the jeans! I cropped them and like sneakers or boots with them. Super fun. I feel young when they fit. Remember, that was more than two years ago, pre-lockdown.

So sure, that turtleneck is over two years old, and it pissed me off today! 

I want the necks tall, reliable, and to stand on their own. In a fabric that can retract after the width of my head pulls through. Just look at the cotton rib on this lightweight sweater, and it stretches out! Sadface.

$59 for a shitty lightweight sweater that doesn’t do what it is supposed to; I got what I paid. Next time I would rather pay twice that amount. Perhaps I’ll invest in this turtleneck! At least I know I will have it for years. 

I have a collection of Ca Va De Soi. I know when I invest in one of their pieces, it lasts. The cost-per-use goes down each time I wear it.