The truth is in the wear.

This is what your moccasins should be looking like after a year and a half. 

I'd say it's about now that they start to be their best, to begin to show their real character, and to become so suited to your feet that they are an intrinsic part of daily life. This pair have protected my feet on all kinds of floors - from a rough wooden fisherman's cabin floor in Sandy Bay Saskatchewan, to the slate slabs of a cornish cottage in England. They have experienced everything I have in different dwellings over the past 18 months to finally this wool carpet in my own home, as I notice how they are wearing, and how much I love them still, if not more than at the start.

 

I had an intriguing conversation with a lady the other day. She exclaimed with annoyance that her husband goes through a pair of moccasins every year and every Christmas she has to buy another pair for him as he 'goes straight through them'. She was keen to find out about what I did, but looked dismayed when I told her how much a pair cost, so I explained why this was the case. I offered the notion that it probably costs her the same to purchase 4 seemingly cheaper pairs of moccasins as one pair from me that would outlast them all after 4 years. She looked a little confused as if she was trying to compute and calculate what I was saying. It is reasonable to have to articulate the costs and values upheld in my work - we're not all on the same wavelength or have the same interests, and so it's not fair to assume that people know what the hell is going on when they pass the studio seeing me dancing around with needles and thread or a mallet. After we parted ways I realised how important that explanation is, while being sensitive to the fact that it's not always possible to spend so much in one go on one item that can be pushed aside in the face of mounting household bills and insurances, food, rising fuel costs, and other life necessities that can dominate. The compounding quick-fix culture is also a very real issue we all face daily and i'm prey to it at vulnerable moments the same as anybody.

So the question remains:

How is it possible to have high quality goods in your life while spending less? 

The answer is: Over time. Over time the quality of a thing shows itself. This can't be rushed, cheapened or replicated. 

Seeing every decision as a long term investment rather than a short-term fix forces outgoings to slow down over time, and precious goods and relationships to shine through which are giving in their nature.

This model cuts out all the crap that comes with having surplus. As prices of things rise and financial income pales in comparison (for many people) ironically it's easier to see the farce of large scale commercial trickery we are led to participate in and pay for, thinking we are getting 'more' for 'less' and what we 'want' is what we 'need'.

In fact - with this model, we are paying for our own disappointment and loss further down the line. 'A lot' and 'a little' have been misconstrued and played off against each other.

In a person-to-person commercial model (this can still include purchasing online or through a shop or agent who also respects the products and processes) we are ultimately supporting ourselves through others regardless of the price tag because important values align and this is the spirit that keeps integrity alive.

It's a spirit that sees people first and commodities second. 

Our goods can work for us and protect us long-term. Wearing a meaningful and long-lasting item you love and cherish, and can have repaired by the person who made it adds value to life in many ways that can't be measured. And yet it's these un-measurable ways that have the most impact and warmth during the cold times.

In the end, the price of an item should be calculated by how much has been spent making it in practical terms - yes, but also how much it gives to you, and how it makes you feel through time. 

You can tangibly feel the benefits in myriad ways from a product that keeps giving to you.

To test it out, take a look at the things you hold dear and ask why?