*** Quoting Ward Dossche from a message to Carol Shenkenberger ***

WD> Well, he is ...  ... we've experienced that most kinds of textile
WD> in the US are fairly inexpensive compared to here, as long as you don'
WD> buy them somehere along 5th Avenue in New York. Added to that is the v
WD> advantageous exchange-rate between US$ and Euro which adds another 20%
WD> to the profit. So I prefer the girls to really consider a US textile o
WD> as the enemy, launch a frontal attack and try to come out victorious.
WD> If you spread-out the expense over a year and look at all the stuff we
WD> don't have to get then it is a tremendous saving... and that is where
WD> the Dad-logic sets in.

Good!  Excellent use of the euros there!  I do the same sort of thing when
we ¨hit an asian port like Thailand although I'm not as good at making
bargains as ¨some.  I actually have several light cloth carryalls I use
wehn out so I can ¨get it all back home from the ship.

> Girls can be very cruel over such
> 'details' by age 12-13. They get over it by age 15 but still 'like the
> frilly stuff' and never grow out of that one!
WD>  
WD> Boys can be cruel too ... so far that my youngest son only wears brand
WD> otherwise he is the laughing-stock at school.

Yup.  Same concept.  Hopefully he isnt into those overly baggy pants
falling ¨off his tush but if that's the sty;e there, you have to go along
with it or he ¨pays the price with his friends.

Sasebo BTW has a clothing policy that is applied also to the families. 
Overly ¨baggy clothes are not allowed.  It's a bit of a judgement call and
i'm easier ¨than most as long as they arent actually falling off.  No
frayed clothes ¨allowed which causes problems with kids and blue jeans if
their legs arent that ¨long yet.

AH!  Thats what I need.  Ruth in Hawaii is shipping me a small box of stuff
I ¨cant find here (military PO box, not expensive to ship from one to the
other).  ¨Maybe she can find some of that 60's wide 'ribbon cloth' we used
to use to ¨extend pants legs.  That would cover Charlottes frayed bottoms
on a pair of ¨jeans that she likes and fits her almost perfect.
                                       xxcarol

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