Tax-free weekend

Today I went to the local big-box store to buy clothes since it is the start of the state's tax-free weekend in anticipation of school starting. I hate to admit that most of what I bought was made in China, but it was. For about $150 I ended up with 3 blazers, 3 pairs of pants, and 1 pair of shoes. Why spend the money when I can sew? Because I am changing my clothing style for teaching slowly. Although I love wearing jumpers with blouses for comfort, I need to change out from wearing nylons. I expect the price of nylons to jump sometime soon even at the outlet store where I buy mine. Besides, I hate to shave my legs, and nylons require leg shaving.

I am in the midst of working on a white button-down shirt. If there is one thing that either costs too much in my view or is not made the way I like it, it is the button-down oxford-style shirt for women. I like full-length sleeves, a cotton or silk woven fabric, no stretch in said fabric, and a nice fit that doesn't make me feel squeezed into it. Big box stores do not seem to have that, and the thrift stores run out of them quickly. Mall stores and the like are out of my financial reach since I teach at a non-public school where the pay is thousands less than in the public schools. When was the last time you heard of a K-12 teacher making a six-figure salary, let alone more than $50,000 per year. The latter is coming quickly, though, due to inflation.