Happy Pants

Last year, my husband and I had too much fun at an afternoon brunch. We stumbled out of the brunch establishment with wide eyes, in lock step, and embracing down the downtown thoroughfare. As we walked, we giggled and window shopped. Popping into a nice women’s store, I was immediately bowled over with joy when I saw these amazing military surplus pants with the iconic smiley that accompanied, most notably and importantly to me, my youth. With my mouth agape in wonder, I held the pants up, while my husband looked on with encouragement. They were my size! I squealed, and with a fuzzy disposition headed for the dressing room. Upon finding they were a perfect fit with only one other size available, I knew I must have them. However, I am not always comfortable spending a lot of money, and these puppies had a steep price tag. But, who am I to deny true love?

These pants came in, after tax, around $400 (I honestly forget the exact price). That was tough for me, but I have to say, with a year of wear down, they were SO worth the investment. I love them. They make me happy. They make others happy. They are my happy pants, and I wear them all the time.

[Check out more about the history of this iconic smiley here: https://www.frieze.com/article/brief-history-smiley.]

The purchase of my happy pants has kicked off a really fun fashion journey for me, a journey in which I acknowledge and value the clothes I put on my body and the way they make me feel about myself and my place in the world. It has been a fun experience, and I have felt so satisfied creatively. Spending the money on items that genuinely spark joy has served to make them more valuable and priceless to me. I even think I might try to make similarly quirky new pants with patches or embroidery to see how that fills my creative cup. Giving myself permission to be be seen is fun and new for me- I highly recommend dabbling,

Stay tuned for updates on making my own wearable creations as well as more happy and creatively exciting clothing items.

Until next time,

Grace