Earthquake Clothes
Wearing my earthquake clothes in Newfoundland The earth shook as I stood in front of the mirror in the changing room at the Red Cross thrift store in Christchurch, New Zealand. I had just discovered the joy of merino wool for the first time, in the form of a blue long-sleeve shirt that said Elusiv in faint gray letters across the front. And at that exact moment, there had been a small earthquake. I stepped out of the changing room and all the clothes racks were swaying slightly, coat hangers tinkling as they gently drifted back to stationary positions. It was my first earthquake, and it was very minor, but my fellow shoppers had more experience than they wanted with earthquakes. Many of them were standing in doorways with their hands braced against the frames, preparing for the worst. We were only four years removed from the massive 2011 Christchurch earthquake that had toppled numerous buildings and killed 185 people. Rubble was still strewn around the city and many of the historic