I’m doing Meredith Lewis (@dangerousmere) Advent Calendar of Creative Prompts this month and today’s creative prompt is to write about something from my wardrobe that will give me a superpower. What would I like to turn into? Who would I be? Where would I go?

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For those who may know me, I like to dress comfortably and practically. You won’t see me outside the house with track suits unless I’m doing exercise but at the same time, you won’t see me dressed in loud jewellery, high heels and tight clothes for a night out.

To me, how you dress has to suit your personality and style.

Mine is simply…practicality with natural classic with just a whiff of edge. Just a whiff.

In my wardrobe, there is a pair of khaki chino pants with pockets on the side of each thigh.

The ‘edge’ are the pockets. As you can see, that’s the whiff.

Anyone else would have been aghast with horror to have pockets on thighs (especially to me with a fully round hips and thighs) but the fact there were two additional fully functioning pockets was what got my attention and I had to buy them.

Every time I wear these pants, they not only look good on me (or so I think), they’re versatile, you can dress them up or dress them down, they’re functional and practical.

These are the type of pants I would take anywhere with me because I could store stuff and do away with carrying bags of any sort.

They are my SUPERPOWER PANTS! (Not bad for Target pants bought for $35.00 and which have lasted me 4 years already although from overwear, they are now thinning and I’m getting worried I won’t find another pair exactly like them).

When I wear my pants, I think about Mary Poppins bag. I want my pockets to store all sorts of stuff that I may need when I need them. However, Mary Poppins bag was too big for my liking. If anything, my pants would have the magical ability of reducing everything into smaller sizes – the tinier the better.

Many years ago, when I was in the Navy, I revelled in keeping things to a minimum. I liked the idea of being able to pack a bag with only the bare essentials and keep everything I needed in the size of a small locker. The idea of being able to carry a bag in your hand with all that you needed to survive for the next few years on a posting appealed to me. Or to up and leave at a moment’s notice.

It was a constant battle to look at each item and think, “Will I wear this? How often will I use this? Do I need this?”

Things were constantly siphoned into smaller and smaller containers and my dress code minimised to the barest essentials. For many years of my life I didn’t wear any make up because to me, it was all clutter. I cut my hair short so that I didn’t have to deal with hair accessories; I had the minimum jewellery allowed, one ring, pair of earrings.

I even integrated my uniform into my civilian wear too much to the mirth of my colleagues.

“Are you wearing your uniform belt with your jeans Helen?”

“OMG is that the Navy handbag on your shoulder?!” (We used to call this bag, ‘the brick’ but it could double up as an awesome weapon you could wham across someone’s head if you ever got into trouble).

“Are you wearing your parade boots out? Bloody hell, you ARE! They’re spit polished!”

I figured all clothes – uniform or not – could double as clothes to be worn anytime, anywhere.

Practical and functional. That’s me.

People laughed (at me) but I didn’t care. Let’s see what THEY think when they need to quickly get all their essential things together in less than 5 minutes and be out the door! (That’s what I used to think). I think nowadays you can call it a ‘capsule wardrobe’.

For some reason, this gave me some form of control to be able to know that I can effectively have everything but I wanted to get that bag become smaller every time.

In fact, I wanted to be able to disappear at a moment’s notice and to be able to survive with as less items on me as much as possible.

My ultimate goal was to simply take everything ON MYSELF in tiny containers or just a hand bag. That, to me would have been my SUPERPOWER!

To me, my pants are my superpower of being able to carry the bare essentials on me – and still look svelte – no bulky bits sticking out – and to be free of restrictions.

I hate the idea of lugging so many items around in bulky bags or suitcases. The less you have, the more free you are to move quickly and have less things to think about.

All essential and critical items should be carried on yourself (I still think this way). Everything else can be carried or bought at your location – and then left there.

My super pants allow me to carry these essential items on my body. When I wear them, I become the superwoman of practicality and functionality.

Do I money? Check.

Do I have a tiniest weeniest first aid kit? Check.

Do I have lip balm? Check.

Am I wearing layers that I can remove as needed and double up as casual and nice wear for evenings out? Check.

Have I found the best shoes that are comfortable as well as nice looking? Check.

Have I got a scarf that functions as a sarong, blanket, towel, tent? Check.

One of the things I’d like to carry on me is a Swiss army knife but I can’t because well, rules of society.

However, in my dream, a knife is always in one of my pockets.

Here’s some snippets of a YouTube channel that I have been subscribing and watch often as I’m amazed with the different ways this man can survive in the bush with just the barest of items. Now, I have not been hiking or in the bush for YEARS and unlikely to start any time soon but I’m in awe of what items can be doubled up to create things that you can use to survive in the harshest situations….