Fashion Statements

April 13, 2010
“IF THE SHOE FITS…” you’re not homeless LOL. There is a stereotype image of the homeless person wearing a ragged old over coat, smelly, grubby, half emptied mickey of rum peeking out of the top of a torn inside pocket. While you will see a few, who fit that picture (as with every stereotype) most homeless are clean and well groomed. But there are subtle tells… shoes which are much too large or are being stepped down on the heels and worn like clogs. It is hard to find decent walking shoes in the donation closets, when we find a comfortable pair of joggers we wear them 'til they fall apart. Many, many dress shoes are donated, but these are only useful for girls on the stroll (street walkers as we called them in my day). A few years ago I was ask by someone from a local professional association, what would be a good choice for their charity drive to benefit homeless. I suggested new running/athletic shoes. If every member of the association bought just one pair of runners in their own size and donated it to the shelter… the D.I. would have 5600 pairs of shoes to distribute to homeless people. They could call the charity drive” HAPPY FEET”.
It is also hard to find clothes in “larger” sizes (16 up). As you may know I travel with only 2 changes of clothing, so on my first wash day I set out to find something to wear while my things were in the laundry. I went to 3 charities before I found a top which fit properly. Then just before the 11th hour the nice young man at Lookout gave me a pair of pants, pull-ons in a size 24 LOL. The next morning I put on the pants and rolled them over twice at the waist… this actually turned out to be kind of a cool look; they hung low on my hips. Then a week later I picked up a pair of used blue jeans which were too high in the waist but otherwise ok. So I left the button undone, folded back the edges and pinned them down with bright blue metallic safety pins. I like to think of this kind of improvisation as “HOBO CHIC”. Think it will become the next fashion craze?
Just one last thing I am going up the coast tomorrow, for a few days, so I won’t be blogging again until Saturday. Hope everyone has a good week.