I like to think I’m a light packer, but even for a weekend out of town, I usually pack at least a dozen clothing items. So I’m a bit awed by a new bloggy experiment that started today. Called six items or less, the experiment has a simple challenge: Wear only six items of clothing — for an entire month. (via GOOD)
An impressive 94 people — from Silverlake, Calif., to Seoul, Korea — have signed up to take this challenge. In case you’re wondering if all these people have committed to washing their underwear every night to dry then overnight and wear them again in the morning, rest assured the challenge doesn’t include underwear — or shoes and accessories — or even workout clothes and outerwear.
Still, the challenge is pretty impressive. So far, the challenge-takers sound exuberant. “My only wish is that I could get my whole family to do it,” writes derbybeaver in Lansing, MI. “I think getting both kids and the man on this “clothing diet” would sure save me a lot of time & energy in the laundry department. ”
Anti-consumerism’s the motivation behind derbybeaver’s decision to join six items or less, but other challenge takers cite everything from creativity to curiousity as their primary motivator. Any motivation will do, according to the website:
People have asked what the philosophy is behind the experiment and most assume it’s a statement about consumerism. In reality, we haven’t dictated a driving thought. Rather it’s about putting a challenge out there and seeing what people bring to it, do with it and talk about.
Tamsin, a co-founder of this project, says her motivation is “uniform” — as in the desire to wear one, because she hates having to think about what she’s going to wear in the morning. Reduce the options to 6 items, and the daily outfit conundrum disappears.
The signup period for the bloggy challenge is over, but there’s no reason you can’t start your own personal experiment. Would you be interested in taking a minimalist wardrobe challenge? And if so, what would your motivation be?
Earlier:
>> The Great American Apparel Diet: Vow to wear what you already own
>> The Uniform Project: 365 new outfits — created with the same dress
>> Edit your closet with the One-Year Wardrobe Project
>> Pack light to save money, time, energy, the environment — and your back
>> New Dress A Day: A West Hollywood girl’s eco-fashionable project to upcycle 365 dresses for $365 in 365 days
Photo by c h e e s e roc
Just read Emma Cumming’s article in our ‘Scotland on Sunday’ and so needing to take a lesson. Going to try and not buy anything to wear for the rest of the month! Have also looked at all the comment on the Internet – well done everyone who joined in!
Comment by sheleew — August 8, 2010 @ 11:58 am