More than three months ago I declared -- unfortunately aloud -- that I would cease buying new clothing, instead replenishing my wardrobe at secondhand stores, for a full year. I made the vow on May 21, and I still don't know what prompted it. Maybe it was repressed regret at having recently dropped a bundle at Nordstrom. Or exasperation at receiving yet another e-mail from Boden, a catalog retailer, nudging me to spend by offering 25 percent off. Or the nagging, if vague, notion that factory workers somewhere far away toiled in inhumane conditions so that I could wear the latest fashion.
It no longer matters what spurred the idea. Fact is, I've done fine with my $5 cowgirl shirt and $10 cropped jeans. Only once have I felt a twinge of desire, when I ran an errand at the mall and absentmindedly wandered into the Len Druskin Outlet. (I quickly retreated.)
But a new season is upon us, and I feel the need for a sweater, wool pants, a down ski jacket -- and inspiration. Please tell me where to shop. I'd like the names of favorite secondhand stores in the Twin Cities area. Then, I'll write another story sharing the best ones. With any luck, I'll tap away at the keyboard wearing a used but new-to-me, long cashmere cardigan in gray. Send tips to kwestenberg@ startribune.com, and put "shopping" in the subject line.
