Austerity unplanned
Every article of clothing we own that currently fits me, Myles, and Brigid, and is summer-appropriate, packs without much effort in one large roller-type suitcase. This includes underwear, pajamas, shorts, shirts, skirts, a few pants, a couple of long-sleeve shirts, and some light-weight sweaters.
While I would love to take credit for being so thrifty, that sadly is not the motivation for what seems to be packing light to friends and family. All these years of apartment living in China has forced us to live withing limits, and our space limits have really tightened since we moved to Beijing. With nearly no closet space, and only a few drawers to share among ourselves, we simply cannot store the wardrobes I know we would have if we still lived in the US. I was in two different friends' homes recently, both of them, like me, have an older son and a younger daughter, and both of them offered me sacks full of girls' clothes, some still with tags attached, and in one case, a duplicate outfit to one their little girl was wearing. Both of them had drawers and closets stuffed beyond full with their kids' clothes. They acknowledge they have generous families. friends, and neighbors, but they also realize they have more than their own kids could possibly wear.
These past few weeks, I've been shopping for clothes that are better purchased here than in Beijing. Cost is a big factor for the kids' clothes. When stores like The Children's Place or Target have major clearance, those $5 or even $10 pants I buy there are much better quality than the pants I could buy in China at those same prices (30-60 RMB). Size is another, obviously for me, and sometimes for the kids, too. And there are some things that, regardless of price, we can afford to prefer the American versions (Myles' long underwear is one, blue jeans for everyone is another). I am already going through what I brought with me in June to see if anything can already be purged. I've already disposed of two plain t-shirts of mine that were stained, and I have my eye on a few of Myles' shorts and pants that just might have to be purged. Even though we have more than enough suitcases to take these clothes back, I also need to carry books, kitchen supplies, and a whole lot of whatever-else-have-you with us, too. And, of course, I need to be able to put it all away next week when we get back to the apartment.
While I would love to take credit for being so thrifty, that sadly is not the motivation for what seems to be packing light to friends and family. All these years of apartment living in China has forced us to live withing limits, and our space limits have really tightened since we moved to Beijing. With nearly no closet space, and only a few drawers to share among ourselves, we simply cannot store the wardrobes I know we would have if we still lived in the US. I was in two different friends' homes recently, both of them, like me, have an older son and a younger daughter, and both of them offered me sacks full of girls' clothes, some still with tags attached, and in one case, a duplicate outfit to one their little girl was wearing. Both of them had drawers and closets stuffed beyond full with their kids' clothes. They acknowledge they have generous families. friends, and neighbors, but they also realize they have more than their own kids could possibly wear.
These past few weeks, I've been shopping for clothes that are better purchased here than in Beijing. Cost is a big factor for the kids' clothes. When stores like The Children's Place or Target have major clearance, those $5 or even $10 pants I buy there are much better quality than the pants I could buy in China at those same prices (30-60 RMB). Size is another, obviously for me, and sometimes for the kids, too. And there are some things that, regardless of price, we can afford to prefer the American versions (Myles' long underwear is one, blue jeans for everyone is another). I am already going through what I brought with me in June to see if anything can already be purged. I've already disposed of two plain t-shirts of mine that were stained, and I have my eye on a few of Myles' shorts and pants that just might have to be purged. Even though we have more than enough suitcases to take these clothes back, I also need to carry books, kitchen supplies, and a whole lot of whatever-else-have-you with us, too. And, of course, I need to be able to put it all away next week when we get back to the apartment.
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