The Hundred Day Dress Challenge This keeps popping up all over the internet at the minute. The challenge is this - could you wear the same dress for one hundred days in a row? The company Wool& think you can do so in one of their dresses. In fact if you buy one, wear it for 100 days and send them 100 pictures to prove it, they will send you a voucher for 50% off another one!
How does this work? well the main thing is the fabric- it is a lightweight merino wool jersey. The great property of merino is that it does not hold odours- and if you hang up it to air each evening when you take it off, it will be fresh as a daisy next morning. It also launders easily - you can quickly spot treat any spills, and [allegedly] wash it and hang it to dry overnight. The other factor is the choice of simple styles- swing, fit'n'flare, simple shifts and tank-styles which are easy to accessorise. But the first style in the range, 'Rowena' remains the #1 choice.
Over a shirt, under a denim jacket with plimsolls, with heels, over trousers, with floppy hat and sandals
I do like the idea in principle - - the fabric is breathable, temperature regulating, anti pilling, odour resistant and uv protecting - it is naturally soft, machine-washable and the dress has pockets! What's not to like?
I do agree with Emma Beddington in the Guardian article - for women of my age, with short, dumpy legs, tights would be a must. We are not all blessed with long slim legs like the Duchess of Cambridge!
Bizarrely, a number of articles I have read [eg this guest post on Joshua Becker's blog] say that spouses, husbands, friends and work colleagues didn't even notice they were in the same dress for 14 weeks. [Thank you Bob, for taking time to see what I wear, frequently complimenting me on my clothes- I am confident you would spot the repetition]
Whilst I would quite like one of these [style Rowena, size M, Marine blue, available in the UK from September/October] I am not sure I want to shell out £130. I have never spent that much on a dress in my entire life. I would then feel compelled to do the challenge - but that would mean wearing the dress under my red Supergran work overalls, whilst laying garden paths, and probably frequently sponging off evidence of baby-sick or toddler-sticky-fingers! And what about sitting on a sandy beach at Cromer?
I have a beautiful newly built wardrobe, with enough clothes to last me for years. I shall wear them until they are beyond use, and reconsider the challenge then. I realised on Friday that I was wearing a favourite t-shirt bought at Spring Harvest in 1995 - which still looks good, and on Sunday wore a pretty cotton summer dress at least 10 years old. And they still spark joy.
I do believe in slow fashion, make-do-and-mend, charity shop, hand-me-down and 2nd hand recycling. I understand that fewer clothes, made better with natural fibres, and lasting longer are better for the planet. I am attending a wedding on Saturday - but [like Kezzie] I shall wear a dress I already own. But I am afraid that the 100-day garment might end up as 'just another dress' in my wardrobe - I wouldn't get rid of all the others currently hanging there.
None of the bloggers I follow regularly has mentioned doing this challenge [I don't think I can count the guest post on JBs minimalism blog]
Would you consider it?
Would it be practical for your lifestyle?
Do you think the pandemic has impacted on your daily choice of clothing?
Count me out too.
ReplyDeleteAny wool is too itchy on me - even £130 worth!
They claim that merino wool is non itchy... You rarely see sheep scratching!
DeleteI'm buying a whole new wardrobe as I have dropped five dress sizes and two skirts and four tee shirts have seen me through the summer but just one dress would definitely be a step too far for me. (And anyway the people who have done the challenge have worn skirts, tops etc. with the dress.)
ReplyDeleteIt's an interesting idea to combine with other waste reduction plans like buying second hand or upcycling.
I agree, and think creative use of what we already have is probably a better way forward for most of us.
DeleteI would love to try this challenge! I think of expensive purchases, such as my glasses, or my computer, in terms of how much they cost per day spread over how often I use them over the lifetime of the object. An expensive coat or dress that I wear over and over for 10 years or more (like several of the things in my wardrobe) can work out as a saving. Maybe I'll consider this for the winter, as I'm certain my legs are too battlescarred to be on show in Summer. The bliss of just not thinking about my clothes...
ReplyDeleteThanks for presenting the alternative view. "Amortising" the price in terms of cost per wear is an excellent approach. A cheap top which loses shape, fades and becomes unwearable after a few months works out more expensive than a well made, quality garment costing twice as much but lasting years
DeleteI have always worn a uniform at work-it's much easier as you just get up at put it on each day. When I retire in a year or two it will be strange having to think of what to work each day.
ReplyDeleteI am sure you will rise to the challenge. Have fun planning your future wardrobe
DeleteIt's not for me, I really can't see me leaping across the locks in a dress.
ReplyDeleteThat's true [you need a merino wool jumpsuit!] On the other hand, boat-life does require paring back possessions, so a smaller wardrobe is possibly useful
DeleteStep away from that over-priced,highly impractical marketing ploy! I have stuff in my wardrobe which I just can't part with, even though some of it no longer fits but the quality is still too good just to chuck out.Maybe I need JB's help!
ReplyDeleteBe strong! Accept that you will NEVER wear some of these items again. I agonised over my precious Jaeger Suit, but eventually sent it to a charity shop before we moved. It still fitted my body, but didn't meet any of my needs. I must set myself a target date for the rest of the "still loved but too small" If I can't get into it by The Day they must go
DeleteA post on this very subject would be great for inspiration purposes!!
DeleteI don't think I could do it, but it put into my mind the film Sweet Charity when I read later that Shirley McKenzie wore the same black shift dress all the way through the film, accessorising it each time as you say.
ReplyDeleteNo, Ang, not for me. I havent time or energy to wash it every day and accessorize it......
ReplyDeleteGood idea for some, I'm sure. I'd rather use what i have.
The costumer designer for that film, Edith Head , herself only wore clothes which were black, white, beige or brown. She was nominated for 30 Oscars in her career, and won 8. I think that means she won more oscars than any other woman to date
ReplyDeleteI too think carefully about ‘cost per wear’ when purchasing clothes/shoes/glasses or anything else come to that.
ReplyDeleteCheap garments are often a poor investment for the wearer and support bad employment practices.
Wool is always an excellent choice and rarely requires washing (unless you are foolish enough not to wear an apron!) so all round better for the environment.
I would certainly consider investing in one of these
dresses if I had the need for a new garment.
Am I allowed one dress and DOZENS of aprons?
DeleteThey say that merino doesn't hold odours but I just don't think that is true. I swear a lot and things smell! 100 days of the same dress????
ReplyDeleteAlso, for me, that dress is too boring. Am not into plain clothes.
I find it more of a fun challenge to remix my more patterned clothes (like I do with that Madras checked rainbow dress I own.
It took me ages to realise it was a typo - I couldn't work out why you are swearing and why that is smelly!
DeleteP.S. Do I get to see what you wore for the Wedding???
ReplyDeleteAfterwards... I'm still deciding
DeleteA very timely post for me! I just rearranged my closet, last week, and wondered if I had too many clothes! Could I wear one dress for 100 days? I suppose I could, if I had to. Would I want to? Probably not! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you'd have many beautiful things to accessorise one dress
DeleteNice dress, if I found one my size in a charity shop I'd buy it! :) I too have favourite ancient (a decade or more) garments that I love. I'm about to put a new zip fastener in a skirt that I bought in a CS before 1995 and shortened a decade later. It's a summer skirt so doesn't get worn much of the year.
ReplyDeleteIf they are as good as the hype would have us believe, you're not going to find one in a CS!
DeleteI looked at that dress a year or so ago when I first read about the challenge. I thought it was too expensive to risk buying through the mail without being able to try it on. I'm short & round so I'm afraid the rolls would show too much - plus, merino wool is quite warm and even though I live in Canada we do central heating pretty much everywhere.
ReplyDeleteI think the good point this challenge makes is for us to think about how many outfits we really need and to think about quality over quantity. I worked in the corporate world for many years and towards the end of this time I noticed more and more how the women had taken to the male way of dressing - neutral colours, good basics and stick to a sort of uniform. There was one senior woman and we used to joke that she had 52 black suits and 1 black suit with pink trim that she wore when announcing each year's Breast Cancer charity event!
These days I find that I tend to stick to a simple wardrobe - basics of black, navy & grey with lots of white shirts & tops - and in the Winter my various cardigans & scarves add a touch of colour. I don't wear dresses anymore so shoes are also kept to a minimum. I do find it easy and allows me to concentrate on quality.
I too am short and round - and would like to try the dress on first!
DeleteIt occurred to me that if I really wanted to try the challenge, I could start by making a merino wool dress... That might save £100...
ReplyDeleteI have looked at the availability of merino fabric online too. It isn't cheap!
Delete