100 Days in One Dress

I'm wearing the same dress - not just all week, not just all month, but for 100 days straight. 

Why would I do such a thing?

If you can believe it, I've been considering doing this for a couple years already. I have over the past several years been trying to live more simply. I learned early on that living simply does not always mean living easily - for example, trying to avoid plastic was hard right from the start, but all the more so when kids came along with all their plastic toys and individually wrapped snacks that somehow taste better to them than the ones I make and pack in Pyrex. Similarly, the end point of major decluttering sounds spectacular, but the process of getting there while my family brings in more and more stuff is like shoveling while it is still snowing. Result: discouragement, followed by tossing up my hands and giving up.

I don't want to give up. As life has gotten more complex, I have longed for a way to simplify in a way that does not add more stress to my life, but truly does make my existence simpler, even more peaceful. Similarly, I have been focusing my attention lately on finding what makes me feel real joy - not happiness, which is so often circumstantial, but real joy, the sort that makes me feel whole and my heart at peace - and I find again and again how I too often let physical and emotional clutter compromise my joy. Life is too short; ain't no one got time for that.

After several months of thinking almost every day,  "How is it that I have so many clothes, and yet never feel like I have something to wear? How can I not like so much of what I have?" I resolved to try something drastic, something that would force a reset at least about this basic activity I have to do every day, something that was somehow taking a lot more energy than I want or can afford to give it: getting dressed.

Cue the 100 Day Dress Challenge. I had a couple of friends who had tried this wacky challenge put forth by the company Wool&. The company insists that their merino wool dresses are so versatile, so durable, so classic, that one dress can be worn for 100 days straight. They have several styles and colors to choose from; you just pick one, and then take pictures of yourself wearing the dress every day for 100 days to prove you did it. If you can complete the challenge, you are awarded a $100 gift card, almost enough to cover another dress. (The marketing here is brilliant - they are investing in their very satisfied costumers to do their marketing!)

It was just quirky enough to interest me and my NorCal hippie heart, just the thing to force the reset I craved. Honestly, I didn't intend to do the whole challenge. I received my dress right before Advent began, and I thought, "This will be a way to simplify my life during Advent, but that's all." But then we left for vacation for a week, which is the perfect time to pack a simpler wardrobe, right? And by then I'm almost halfway there so why not just finish it?

Hence, I'm just over 1/3 of the way through (okay, it's not THAT close to halfway!), and I will tell you what, I'm having such fun. I haven't repeated an outfit yet, and still have a bunch of outfits in mind that I haven't tried. Here are some of my looks from the first 29 days:

Here are some things I have noticed:

1) Knowing every day that I am putting on this dress takes one thing off of my mental load, which in turn leaves more room for things that truly bring me joy. I don't spend those few moments each morning standing in front of my closet thinking, "I don't want to wear any of this." If I have the energy, I get creative with the dress (something which, when I have that energy, DOES bring me joy). If I don't, I just put on a pair of leggings and a cardigan or jacket and call it done, and put my energy toward other things. 

2) No matter what I end up with, I look put together and am super comfortable. I wear a lot of black anyway due to my work, and it always makes me feel classy. The material is incredibly soft (not itchy), and doesn't hold odors, and de-wrinkles itself just by hanging on my closet door. Even when I'm "dressed up" I feel like I'm wearing pajamas (side note - some women do actually sleep in these dresses because the merino wool is temperature-regulating!). 

3) Using this as the base of every outfit is helping me to see my old clothes with a new eye. I find myself thinking,  "I wonder if I could..." and often, lo and behold, the crazy ideas look good! I'm simultaneously simplifying my routine AND getting out of my comfort zone - the best of both worlds! This exercise is breathing fresh air into my old wardrobe. One of the ideas behind this challenge is that you "go shopping in your own closet," pulling out things you haven't worn in a while to give them new life. People commonly exclaim, "I'm rediscovering my scarf collection!" If you buy something "new," you are urged to buy it from a thrift or consignment shop. (I admit I did get some new-new things for Christmas - mostly tights and leggings, which aren't great second-hand!)

I have much more to say about this experience from a faith perspective, but for now I'll just say: I'm having a lot of fun with this. And finding joy in getting dressed and in my life. I'm looking forward to what other lessons I will discover in the next 2/3 of the challenge!