Walden and Clothing

I have three daughters who love to shop, particularly for clothing. I think they need to read this book (at least the part on clothing) but I don't think they will appreciate it or come to Thoreau's way of thinking but here are some quotes they should read:

"we are led oftener by the love of novelty and a regard for the opinions of men, in procurring it, than by a true utility."
Do we buy clothing we don't need? Do we buy clothes to impress others? Do we just love to shop? (I think Thoreau would be appalled by just a small peak into many of our closets!)

"No man ever stood the lower in my estimation for having a patch in his clothes..."
Does anyone even patch clothing any more?

"I am sure that there is greater anxiety, commonly, to have fashionable, or at least clean and unpatched clothes, than to have a sound conscience."
I do agree that most of us think more of what we look like on the outside as we leave our homes each day than how clean our consciences are? Of course being a good true person is more important than clothing but I still don't don't want to wear clean patched stuff.

"old shoes will serve a hero longer they have served his valet." "......bare feet are older than shoes, and he can make them do."
I love to go bare foot in the summer but it is not because I don't have plenty of shoes!

"who ever saw old clothes....actually worn out,"
Do we get rid of clothing because it is worn out or because it is out of style, we are tired of it, or it does not fit in our closets anymore?

"We don garment after garment, as if we grew like exogenous plants by additon without. "
This quote is perfect for one of my daughters who lives in SLC and seems to have something new on everytime I see her.

Thoreau also talks of our dwellings and shelters and do we have what we need or do we have showplaces? This point was brought home to me as I traveled out of the country this past fall. I had a daughter living in the Ukraine and I went to visit her. After living in one of the old Communist block cement apartment houses for a week and meeting and associating with the family she was living with, I felt like a very spoiled American. We do place a lot of value on STUFF! The families I met in the Ukraine did not seem any less happy with less stuff. ( including clothing) . In fact in many ways their lives seemed simplier and better, but sadly I did not come home and get rid of all my stuff and move to a smaller dwelling. I do try to put less value on it and I really do see Thoreaus point. I don't want to wear patched clothing but in many respects we are spoiled Americans that place a lot of value on things that probably have little worth.