Challenge Completed: 100 days in the Same Dress
I mentioned how I came across Wool&, a merino wool company (do those Instagram ads get you too?) that had an interesting challenge: to wear the same wool dress for 100 consecutive days. Last month I shared that I had started the challenge, you can read about it right here if you missed it. On March 31st I completed my 100 Day Challenge (and celebrated with a Negroni).
In the last few weeks I’ve had time to solidify my reflections, gather questions from readers (you had so many!), and am sharing my final thoughts on the challenge this week.
Reflections
Wool& originally set up the challenge as a way to prove to customers that wool was a sustainable, functional, and versatile fabric and that it could be the foundation to any outfit. Part of the reason that I started the challenge was to test this theory. What I found was that it was absolutely durable. My dress looks the same today as it did the day I started. I own no other piece of clothing that has held up that well for 100 days.
I was also shocked by how easy it was to style this dress. I have a closet full of clothes, but tend to only wear a small handful of my favorites. I knew that having the same base layer would force me to be creative, but in a different way. This challenge definitely forced me to be more creative, which was another one of my goals for this challenge. Some people who complete the challenge keep their daily outfit pretty basic, but I think it’s more fun to add layers, accessories, etc. Doing this challenge in this way really forced me to use a creative side of my brain that I don’t normally use. I did spend some time at the beginning of the challenge to see what items I already owned would pair nicely into outfits. This helped me get started for the first two weeks, and after that it was much easier to pull things together with things that were already in my closet.
I also found that this challenge was a perfect way to establish the base of a foundational minimalist wardrobe. As I tried to create outfits using my dress as a base, I came across many items in my closet that weren’t versatile (something that I could only wear a certain way). The least versatile items typically were “cute tops” that could only go with jeans. I also found many articles of clothes that didn’t make me feel my best or didn’t flatter my body shape. As I came across clothes that I didn’t love, weren’t versatile, or weren’t flattering, I added them to the donate pile. By the end of the challenge I had two garbage bags full of clothes that I knew I didn’t want anymore. The really amazing thing was that I had already pared down my closet, but doing this challenge made it easy to say “goodbye” to clothes that no longer needed to take up space in my closet.
The last little bit of reflection on this challenge is actually about the picture taking process. (You have to document yourself wearing the dress each day in order to be part of the challenge.) Taking a daily picture of an outfit really gave insight and clarity to me about what kinds of clothes look the best on my body. While Wool& perhaps doesn’t intend for this challenge to be a way to work through feelings about your body image, it does just that. I found myself to be less critical of how I look when I took a daily picture for 100 days. Taking that daily picture actually boosted my confidence.
Those are my reflections, on to your questions!
Answers to your Questions
Q: Can you wash the dress?
A: Yes! You can wash the dress as many times as you like. I washed mine every five to seven days (on average). I always washed my dress in the cold cycle of my washing machine, by itself, inside out, using Thieves Laundry Soap. Then I let it air dry flat. If I spilled something on it, I spot cleaned with Thieves Laundry Soap and then laundered like I always did. My dress would air dry within two hours.
Q: Doesn’t the dress smell if you don’t wash it daily?
A: Nope! Wool is naturally antibacterial and naturally wicking. That means it naturally pulls moisture away from your body and doesn’t hold onto bacteria. I would just hang my dress on a hanger (inside out) each night. It’s best if your dress can have a little airflow to give it a refresh, so I would just hang it by itself, not pressed in with other clothes.
Q: How did it hold up?
A: Perfectly! It looks the same as it did the first day that I bought it. No stretching, no loose stitches, no holes, no pilling, no thinning fabric. It looks and feels just as amazing as that first try-on.
Q: Wool is warm. Didn’t you get hot?
A: Wool is self regulating. If you are sweating it naturally wicks moisture away from you, keeping you cool. Because it’s self regulating, it also keeps you warm when that’s what your body needs. I was actually amazed at how versatile it was for temperature changes!
Q: Wool is scratchy. How did you handle that?
A: This is merino wool. Zero scratchy, super smooth. It’s also not bulky at all, and very easy to layer under jackets or sweaters without feeling like you are wearing a bulky wool outfit.
Q: Did you travel with it? How did that go?
A: I took two trips during the challenge. What I found is that these are the most comfortable dresses to travel with and they don’t wrinkle! The dress itself is super cozy for long airplane rides (again, wool regulates your body temperature!) I found that packing was easy also. I just packed items to style the dress with. It simplified packing so much for me!
Q: Didn’t people realize you were wearing the same thing?
A: Nope. Besides my family (who had to document my daily outfit via photo), not a single person noticed or commented on the repetition. I went on a work trip and no one noticed. I went to church and no one noticed. My friends didn’t notice in pictures or in real life. Literally no one noticed. Really makes you think, doesn’t it?! You can see all my outfits right here.
Q: What dress did you pick?
A: I ordered a Willow Swing Dress (regular length) in Plum. The measurements are true to size, but because it’s a swing dress you can size down if you are on the edge of two sizes.
Q: What is your “reward dress”?
A: Wool& sends you a gift certificate to put towards another Wool& item, and I picked Brooklyn in Black. She’s perfect for summer.
Q: Would you do it again?
A: Yes! I loved doing the challenge during the winter as it gave me lots more room to be creative with styling, but depending on where you live you could do this challenge year round. There is also a separate 30 Day Challenge that was recently released and I think I may try that one also!
This isn’t an ad at all (I don’t get anything by talking about it), but if you are curious and want to read more about the 100 Day Dress Challenge, you can right here. My dress is a Plum Willow.
Thieves Laundry Soap
We don’t often think about it, but the residues left on clothes and linens from conventional cleaners sit on our skin, often causing low-level irritation. Not to mention the chemical load that leaves over time! Even the ‘green’ options may contain hidden sulfates, dyes and fragrance. When I learned that conventional laundry soap is a leading cause of skin allergies and irritation - especially in children, I decided to choose a safer, better option. The EPA also cautions against products for household cleaning as often they pollute the air in your home much more than the air outside.
I mentioned that I washed my dress with Thieves Laundry Soap. Thieves Laundry Soap is made of plant-based ingredients and leaves no chemical or synthetic residue. I love that it doesn’t contain SLS, dyes, petrochemicals, synthetic perfume or optical brighteners - many of which are endocrine disruptors and can lead to negative side effects. Instead, it contains natural enzymes, cleaning agents, and essential oils that give it a light, citrus scent. My clothes always come out fresh and clean!
The best part about this soap is that it’s concentrated so a little goes a long way (the picture above is all that I use!) You can get 64 loads with just one 32-ounce bottle, making it economic AND a safe alternative for your family. Here are all my favorites for a better laundry room.
While you’re at it, ditch your dryer sheets and switch to wool dryer balls. I love to put four drops of Lushious Lemon on mine, they make my laundry smell amazing. This is an easy swap and will make a huge impact when it comes to that indoor air pollution mentioned above!
A Snippet From My Week
A friend was in town this week, and we got to meet up with her on Sunday in San Diego. The weather was beautiful and we enjoyed walking in the city, sipping coffee, eating at Crack Shack (one of our favorite restaurants) and playing at Waterfront Park. The younger ones loved this little pigeon!
Thanks for reading! Have you ever created a capsule wardrobe? I am seriously considering it and would love to hear your thoughts if you have! (When you hit reply, your message goes directly to my email. It’s a private conversation between just us.) I read all your messages and try to respond, but not always in a timely manner. Sorry! And if you enjoyed this email, you’d be doing me a favor by forwarding it to someone else who might like it.