Long Sleeves Required

It’s starting to get back to that time of the year – when a few more layers are required on my morning walks.

We live in a nice suburb which is geographically across the road from a very nice suburb. When I cross the road I sometimes see women out walking wearing the latest workout gear.

How do I know it’s the latest…? Because the advertisements seem fill up my Facebook and Instagram feeds…

Sometimes I wonder what it’d be like to always be able to wear The Latest – because it’d take quite the bank balance… quite the income…

Many of my outfits are hand-me-downs. I’m blessed in that my mum has great taste in clothes and we’re almost the same size. When she empties out her wardrobe, season-to-season, I benefit. Sometimes it’s not even season-to-season, she hands-me-down, just because she can.

On Ash Wednesday this year I wore one of my favourite outfits. I, um, bought it back in 2005 – so 20y ago as at writing this. I haven’t worn it every year for the last 20 because there’ve only been a couple of (short!) periods in those two decades where I’ve been able to fit into it {hmmmm…}

One of the parishioners I know well enough to have a superficial conversation with, commented on how much she loved my outfit. I whispered that it was 20y old… she gasped!

I just replaced my walking shorts this year – only because the Lycra was all stretched out. They were about 20y old too. I enjoyed making my new leggings – hot pink – with deep enough pockets in the side that carry my phone.

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Here’s to it being okay to wear hand-me-downs…

Here’s to making your own clothes…

Here’s to walking at day break in autumn.

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Here’s to SmilingOnTheInside!