| <!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { | | | | myriad of reasons. First of all, in today's economy, |
| margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> | | | | finding a way to cut down on expenses and stick |
| Not so long ago, most Americans (or at least | | | | to a budget is incredibly important. Having to pay |
| American women!) knew how to do basic repairs | | | | someone else to do tasks that are so simple, that |
| and alterations to clothing. Maybe they did not | | | | will often take you more than a few minutes at a |
| design and sew their families entire wardrobes, | | | | time, is absolutely ridiculous. Bringing something to |
| from school and work clothing to fancy dresses | | | | a tailor will cost you at least $5 or $10 per item. |
| and pant suits for special occasions (although | | | | Not to mention the fact that you have to drive |
| some certainly did – especially immigrants or | | | | the clothing over to the local seamstress, wasting |
| those in rural areas). But they certainly could sew | | | | both gas money and your time. So even if you |
| a button, shorten a pair of pants, or repair a split | | | | do not care about the money, the amount of |
| seam. These days, however, many people have | | | | time you spend driving to and from the tailor's |
| no idea how to do these simple tasks. Everything | | | | shop two times to drop off the item and pick it |
| has been outsourced. If they pop a button or rip | | | | up again will likely take you more time than if you |
| a hole in their jeans, they either get someone else | | | | just did the alteration yourself! |
| to help them (perhaps even pay a professional | | | | |
| seamstress), live with the damage, or throw or | | | | Learning to do these tasks with your wireless |
| give the item a way. In any case, it is a total | | | | Internet connection will also come in handy if you |
| waste – of money, of one's sense of fashion, | | | | have a specific physical trait that makes |
| or of a perfectly good piece of clothing! | | | | conventional, store-bought clothing fit you poorly |
| | | | | the majority of the time. This can be especially |
| But fear not – though decades of consumerist | | | | true for petites – men and women who are |
| outsourcing may have cleansed Americans of all | | | | shorter and/or have a finer bone structure than |
| domestic skills, wireless Internet can actually help | | | | the average populace. Many such people, for |
| you regain some of the knowledge that United | | | | example, have trouble finding pants that do not |
| States residents have forgotten. Both women | | | | drag on the ground, looking quite unprofessional. |
| and men can retrain themselves by using their | | | | The same is true for petite women and their |
| research skills and the mobile air cards on their 4G | | | | skirts. Learning to do some simple hemming can |
| phones, accessing a wealth of information that | | | | make finding clothing a pain-free process, as you |
| people have shared online. | | | | know you can always take it home and shorten it |
| | | | | an inch or two. Looking up how to do these tasks |
| But why should one learn to do these incredibly | | | | on your 4G phone will make your life easier for |
| simple alterations and repairs onself? There are a | | | | years to come! |