FASHION FAST: What the #SixItemsChallenge taught us about our relationship with clothes
How many items of clothing do you have in your wardrobe? How many of them do you actually wear? And how much do you care about where they come from?
These are some of the questions two of our APDO members considered recently when they took part in the Labour Behind The Label #SixItemsChallenge earlier this year. Mel Carruthers of More Organised and Rosie Barron of The Tidy Coo both took part, each choosing six items of clothing from their wardrobes and wearing only these six items for the six weeks of the challenge.Mel and Rosie were both interested in the aims of Labour Behind the Label, a campaign which works to improve conditions and empower workers in the global garment industry. Their annual #SixItemsChallenge asks people to embark on a fashion fast, to rethink their wardrobe and really question their shopping habits. So, when APDO President Katherine Blackler suggested members give it a go, Rosie and Mel both volunteered.
This is what they learned along the way!
Why did you decide to take part in the #SixItemsChallenge?
- Rosie: I wanted to raise awareness of the impact that fast fashion has on garment workers.
- Mel: Over the past few years I have tried to keep only items of clothing that I really loved and wore regularly. Having been a fan of Courtney Carver’s #Project333 for several years, the #SixItemsChallenge seemed like a way to challenge my relationship with clothes even further.
What were the clothes that you picked and why?
- Rosie: Here in Aberdeenshire I live a fairly outdoor life, but I also had two conferences in London to attend during the six weeks, as well as clients to help, so I had to pick clothes that would be warm enough for home, but also smart enough to take away with me. In the end, I chose:
- a dress I could wear to the conferences and clients
- a cardigan
- a jumper
- a pair of jeans
- 2 T-shirts
[caption id="attachment_12623" align="alignnone" width="300"]
Rosie's 6 items[/caption]
- Mel: Like Rosie, I live in a rural setting so needed “outdoorâ€