Right around the time I hit high school, my family started opening gifts on Christmas Eve. The seven of us would come together in our large living room and sit expectantly on the plaid couches while someone played “Santa” setting piles of presents next to each of us. The stack included some sibling gifts we exchanged amongst us, but the bulk of the presents came from my “parents”… technically, my mom.

It was the same thing each year. Our piles mainly consisted of squishy presents that were all the same size and uniformly wrapped. My brothers’ were slightly different from those my sisters and I would get, but the holiday paper covered the same, basic item inside. One of us would unwrap a pair of socks and sure enough, the rest of us would get a similar if not the same one. I never lost hope that maybe, just maybe my mom actually got me that new pair of flared jeans, but alas, it was the same set of underwear my sisters had opened, only in a different color.

For my poor mom, these gifts became a running joke with us. My oldest brother would start to raz her about the white t-shirt he just unwrapped and as soon as my dad or other brother opened theirs, we’d fake our surprise and burst out laughing.

Don’t get me wrong, there were always one or two gifts specific to each of us, but mostly my mom looked at Christmas as a way to replenish our basics.

We may have given her a hard time every December 24th, but in reality, we were grateful. Buying basics was never a priority for any of us. I mean, how many teens or twenty year olds put underwear or socks on the top of their gift lists?

Every family has their own traditions and stuffing stockings was not one or ours. Instead of putting gifts in stockings, my mom wrapped every gift herself. Only Santa’s gifts were delivered unwrapped and placed in plain sight under the tree in our sun-room.

We were incredibly fortunate and to the outsider’s eye, the amount of presents piled under our tree looked extravagant, but most of them were t-shirts, underwear or socks we’d wear year round…and that is exactly what makes a gift the best gift; the one that gets worn, used and loved for years to come.

This year, more than any other, we need to rethink the gifts we’re giving each other. Purchasing and consuming too much stuff is so last year and if 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that we can all stand to live with a lot less. Instead of buying plastic jumping toys or yet another useless gadget, get your loved ones something they will use every day like eco-friendly, ethically and USA MADE intimates by ME.

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I realize this sounds like a shameless plug to sell our products, but in reality, buying packages of cheap, flimsy panties and boxers is exactly what has gotten us into the climate mess we’re facing today. Fast fashion pumps 1.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide into our air each year. This is the gas responsible for warming up our planet, killing off species, increasing the amount of hurricanes and contributing to more devastating wildfires than ever before. Believe it or not, that cheap underwear is a big part of the problem…

Cheap underwear is fast fashion and anyone who thinks a pair of panties or boxers should cost a buck or two is ignoring the truth and supporting an industry that is killing us and the planet.

Our definition of a “Sustainable” garment is one that will be worn more than 30 times.

How many pairs of your cheap, bought-in-bulk underwear has survived after only a few washes? Maybe these garments are sold in packs of five or ten because they were never made to last…

Did you know that most fast fashion garments are worn a total of three times before being tossed into a landfill?

Even if you’re big into Thrifting and Upcycling, hopefully you’re NOT going to be reselling your undies. Nope, that’s exactly the kind of clothing that ends up in a landfill or washed up on a beach on the other side of the world.

2020 is finally coming to an end and most of us are grateful to be saying goodbye to it, but as we head into 2021, we need to commit to making positive, healthy changes that not only keep us healthy but help the planet too.

My mom was way ahead of her time. She gifted us basics we wore everyday and before fast fashion took control of the apparel industry, they actually stood the test of time.

We can all learn something from my her. She grew up during the Great Depression and learned to take nothing for granted.

Face it! We are living thru a similar time...

This year, gift like Shirley and get ’em stuff they will wear a lot and actually use.

Better yet, gift yourself some eco-conscious, ethically and USA MADE basics…

You have the power to change the world and that starts with changing your underwear. Now that I think about it, we can thank moms all over the world for that advice.

– Germaine Caprio, MAJAMAS EARTH Company Owner & Designer