Everything's a Changing

Sometimes it frustrates me the way that clothes, shoes and everything change styles every 5 minutes. I'm not talking about stylish or trendy clothes - those you expect to change every time the wind changes direction. I'm talking about staples. Those basic black slacks, socks, shoes, undergarments, mops. I finally find a style that works well for me and the designers up and change it.

The worse is when they restyle the garment and don't change the style name. This happened to me with my favorite slacks from Kohl's. I found a style and fit that I liked. Sure they updated and introduced new colors and more, then one day I went in and the style was completely different. Not only was it a new style, there were multiple styles with the same name. The worse part was that none of them had the same fit as the original - they added pockets (not flattering if you have any extra around the middle), they lowered the point where the pants sat and the flow of the leg. I was so disappointed. I had been buying a variation on the original style for a few years and now, I had to find a new style that worked for my body type.

These challenges exist outside of the clothing world too. I've even had this happen with mops. I buy a mop that has replacement heads available. Sure, I usually can buy one replacement head for the mop, but by the time I am ready to buy another replacement head, the style has changed and I need a whole new mop as the refills are no longer available. Had this happen with the 'soap wand' we use for quick washing of dishes in the sink too.

You may think that stocking up on an item is mostly for food and other consumables, but I have learned that you can stock up on other things.

To combat this ever changing style of even wardrobe and household staples, I frequently purchase multiple of an item style that I like...lest it change before I can rebuy. So, now when I get a new mop, I buy two or three replacement heads in hopes that I can get some life out of the handle before I have to replace it. When I find a pair of tennis shoes that fit well, I go back (when there's a sale) and purchase my next pair and stash it away in my closet. When I buy a bra that I like, I buy a few extra. When it comes to pants, I buy the style I like in two or three colors/patterns, so that I have variety in a style that fits. With more of an item to wear, the slower they wear out.

This works for me. For more of what works, check out Works For Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family.