Our society pressures us into feeling as though we always need new clothes. After all, we couldn’t possibly wear the same dress, top, or skirt to a party that we’ve worn before, could we? This woman decided to join the 100 Day Dress Challenge, where you have to wear the same dress every day for 100 days straight. (1)
Having finished the challenge, she now says she doesn’t really need all the clothes she once thought she did. (1)
The 100 Days Same Dress Challenge
52-year-old Sarah Robbins Cole is a church leader and college Chaplain in Boston. On September 16, 2020, she decided to do away with fast fashion and join in on sustainable clothing brand Wool&’s 100 days same dress challenge. (1)
For the next 100 days, she donned her long-sleeved, knee-length black Rowena dress for every occasion – work, relaxing on the couch, out walking, and even for Christmas day. (1)
“To my surprise, wearing the same dress for 100 days in a row didn’t take anything away from my life,” she says. (1)
She loved it so much, in fact, that she decided she is going to give her own challenge a go. Between January 2021 and January 2022, Robbins Cole is committing to not buying any new clothes or accessories. (1)
“I realized that, at my age, I have clothes for every occasion, and if I need a ballgown, I’ll dust one-off that’s been in my wardrobe since 1992!” (1)
At the end of it, she says she likely do a big closet purge once she figures out what she does and doesn’t wear anymore. (1)
The Same Dress Challenge
The challenge was started by sustainable fashion brand Wool&, which challenges 50 women to wear one of their merino wool dresses for 100 days straight. Each woman then had to document it by taking a picture of how they were wearing the dress each day. They could either upload the photos to Google drive or their own Instagram. (2)
Robbins Cole created her own Instagram to document the challenge, @thisdressagain. Each woman who completes the challenge is sent a $100 gift card for Wool&. (2)
Why Merino Wool?
Merino wool comes from – you guessed it – merino sheep. It’s a natural fiber known for its ability to regulate body temperature, making it perfect for any climate. The fibers transport sweat away as vapor and whisking away odors with it. This means you can wear it every day without having to wash it every day. (3)
Not needing to wash your clothes as often means that you need fewer clothes, use less water, and fewer chemicals and particles go into the environment. On top of it all, merino wool is incredibly soft and comfortable. (3)
Other benefits include (3):
- It’s biodegradable
- Fire resistant
- Provides UV protection
Essentially, merino wool is the fabric of your dreams.
Lessons From the 100 Day Same Dress Challenge
For Robbins Cole, the hardest part of the challenge was uploading a photo to Instagram each day. Otherwise, she actually quite enjoyed it. She didn’t have to spend so much time deciding what to wear each day, and she had less laundry to do – which, with a family of five, she’ll take any reprieve she can get. (1)
Another big lesson she learned was about something known as “spotlighting.” (1)
“Spotlighting is that feeling that everyone is looking at you when in reality, they’re probably not,” she explained. (1)
Wearing the same dress every day made her realize that people really aren’t paying much attention to you at all. They’re too busy with their own lives and thoughts to notice what you are wearing. (1)
The one clothing item she did miss? Jeans! Though she did tuck the dress into a pair of jeans to go hiking a few times. (1)
What do you think? Would you try wearing the same dress for 100 days straight?
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References
- “Woman has worn same dress for 100 days – and vows never to buy clothes again.” Mirror. Susan Clark, Zoe Forsey. January 7, 2021.
- “WEAR A WOOL& DRESS FOR 100 DAYS STRAIGHT.” Journal.
- “ What is Merino Wool?” Smart Wool.