Boy Scout Pants

+ today is the day that your projects will never be finished, the epitome of slow fashion.

Four years ago, I went to a thrift store in New Jersey called Udelco. Traveling through the West Side Highway over the George Washington Bridge into the vast landscape of New Jersey, through the chaotic entrance of highways and turnoffs into winding service roads, until I reached a random parking lot with a one-story brick building that went on forever. Pulling into a parking spot, I walked towards a metal door covered in stickers. "This must be the entrance," I thought. Pulling the door open, I entered what felt like the opposite of Narnia. I went into the closet

The first two rooms were the classic vintage store feel with racks, a curated selection with shoes and accessories. Then you walk through another back room and enter the warehouse where there are bins on bins on stacks on stacks on shelves on shelves of thousands of items from workers uniforms of all eras, boy scout outfits, jerseys, and any other item that was mass-produced in America in the past 70 years.

Digging through years of history, I found the green pants. Fastened with the silver button that said "Boy Scouts of America" engraved on it. It was perfect. The canvas texture of the pant, the simple cargo style. It came with fun context, a story, and style. I wore these pants day in and day out.

Not me pictured * This is a random Boyscout*

---

I love them so much that the thighs wore holes in them. Then for months wore them with the wholes. Until a friend had a mending night, which gave me the push to fix the pants.

Since these were special, they needed a special mend. Nothing straightforward. Oh no, that would not work for these. But the patch for the holes would have to create a whole new pattern on the pants. Patchwork was the only way.

Patchwork has such a rich cultural history, which dates back over 5,000 years. Today it is most used as a form of personal storytelling. Through traditional or contemporary design there are limitless ways to express. My choice was to take an old corduroy button-up and cut geometric shapes out of the shirt. Then line these shapes along the inside hem of the pants on each leg and sew them.

This was the vision…

They're not finished, as they sit in a pile of green and white fabric atop my sewing machine. I was reminded today that I might never finish these pants.

In my attempt at slow fashion - this one will remain very slow.