ONE OUTFIT 100 DAYS

By Mari Allan Hanna

Day 100 of the One Outfit 100 Day Challenge

The idea for the One Outfit 100 Days challenge came from New Jersey teacher, Julia Mooney, who wore the same dress for one hundred days to raise awareness about zero waste and to model for her students a focus on inner beliefs rather than outer appearance.

When I saw her story, I had just left my job with Teton County Integrated Solid Waste and Recycling. I was happy with more life/family balance but was also looking for a way to stay involved in the zero waste effort. Oddly, I was also struggling with what to wear to not go to work. This challenge met my needs, but I wondered what difference it would really make.

14 Some research found that: · Over 100 days, reducing the typical American closet down to one pair of jeans would save enough water to fill a swimming pool (19,700 gallons). (Quantis Report) · Fast fashion is a term referring to the fact that American closets contain 5x the amount of clothing they did twenty years ago, and the items are typically only worn for 5 weeks. (Sustain Your Style) I decided to “become an active citizen through my wardrobe,” and to do so in a pair of green hemp and recycled polyester overalls from Patagonia, a leading sustainable fashion company.

The rules were simple: Wear the overalls every day, March 10 to June16, except while sleeping or exercising. Wash them twice a week with a regular load of laundry and hang them to air dry.

Overall, the mechanics of the challenge were easy. I loved the simplicity of only having one outfit and even now keep my closet small. What I didn’t expect was to feel empowered. The overalls gave me someone to be after leaving my job and an excuse to dive more deeply into a personal zero waste practice. Ultimately, though, what I appreciated most about this experience was a new perspective on zero waste. My original understanding centered around living with less: sacrificing for the good of the planet. But wearing less wasn’t a sacrifice. It was freedom. It didn’t feel like going without. It felt like living more fully.

DID YOU KNOW THAT, DUE TO FAST FASHION TRENDS, AMERICAN CLOSETS CONTAIN MORE THAN 5 TIMES THE AMOUNT OF CLOTHING THEY DID TWENTY YEARS AGO?

Learn more about the brands, companies, and people leading sustainable fashion:

@remakeourworld @sustainyourstyle @patagonia @thredup @allbirds @ecoage @truecostmovie @elizabethcline