PYP MERCH UPGRADE
Written by: Victoria Rutledge
Like most people, I learned the term “reduce, reuse, recycle” as a child. Back then (3000 years ago), we focused on recycling, the incredible process in which what we would consider trash would be run through processors staffed by smiling faces and turned into the most useful NEW items that you could think of. Incredible! Finally! We could consume without guilt and happily purchase “post-consumer” products, knowing that they would be churned through the same factories without consequence…saving the planet by continuing to BUY. MORE. STUFF.
If only I had known at the time that the most important steps in this colloquialism were the first two. How do we use less? How do we repurpose what we have? What does it feel like to consider simplicity abundance?
When we consider the second Niyama of Santosha, which means cultivating a sense of contentment in our lives and practices, learning to celebrate and revel in exactly what’s around us feels straightforward. But how do we really experience that? Especially when the memories of back-to-school shopping ranging from great family fun to genuinely traumatizing are so present in our bodies and minds?
Personally, nothing re-writes scripts like having new, *better*, experiences.
Seeing the way our community came together during our Clothing Swap last month, to embody the meaning of “reuse” as piles and piles of clothes were brought into the barre studio for our clothing swap. And not just the “i got this from forever 21 ten years ago” type clothes. Really beautiful pieces that were joyfully tried on again and again as compliments swirled in the space freely. The joyfulness of watching people discover their next favorite outfit for FREE was santosha in action.
With a whole rack dedicated to “vintage pyp,” it’s become clear that the way we think about merchandise is overdue for an overhaul. Sorting through the clothing swap, we were able to grab all types of pieces that we plan to block print on, *reducing* the number of pieces that are ending up in a landfill and *reusing* these gently loved threads for another round of style.
Building on this, we’ve invited Jordan Parks to come downtown and guide us through a block printing workshop to get custom designed art on our own threads. Have you ever wanted to have the downtown disco ball on your back pockets? This is your time to shine.
Being conscious of our consumption doesn’t have to be a punishment or a slog. It can be a chance to spend time together, to engage with items and art in new ways, and to find joy in things that would have otherwise been discarded.
And don’t tell anyone…but we are definitely having another clothing swap in September….
