rachylou, great point--and relates to clothes, too. Many things don't actually last long enough to be worth an "investment". It's not just wearing out, it can be new technologies or change in lifestyle. I get the TravelSmith clothes thing, too. I think in those catalogues there are always a few things that might be ingenious but then there's a lot of polyester disasters. It's both the fabrication and the tendency to formless ("comfortable") fit. They also place a lot of emphasis on color-print coordination, which is one of the selling points, but I'm trying to do that with "real" clothes, using capsule approach. However I did buy the EB Travex pants which I would wear in mild weather walking-hiking here.
keturah, there's the rub, right? So I am trying to include some clothing pieces that are some of my true daily items because those I bought specifically for how they fit, length, fabrication, but I probably would not take an item that currently makes or breaks a favorite outfit but is difficult to replace. My AT sweaters are nice but basic and seem replaceable. I may find that they pill with hard wear and I will think of that as, pill now or later, what does it matter, good to know. My track pants I still like a lot but may have limited lifespan from now forward, would not buy exactly the same thing today, and I want to use them, can't wear them much in true summer which is just around the corner. They are a way to wear a tapered pant without investing in a trip-specific tapered pant.
