Christin’s Six Items Challenge
I would describe myself as a mood dresser. I like to have a variety of clothing to choose from in the morning depending on what I feel like. Different colours, patterns and styles as well as dresses, skirts and trousers are all an important part of my wardrobe. Needless to say, I was a bit sceptical about how I would get on with a challenge that both required outfit planning and restricted my choices.
The first days
I have to admit I completely forgot about the challenge and had a mini panic attack when I realised I had to choose strategically and quickly. Not the best way to start a Monday morning. Especially, when you’re already in a hurry and haven’t had coffee yet. I went for a striped shirt dress and decided to choose the other five items later when I got back home.
I ended up selecting my favourite pair of black jeans, a warm wool cardigan, a beige t-shirt and two long sleeve shirts, one plain green and the other blue and purple with an abstract pattern. The next morning went smoothly. I chose from my pile of the six items without any problems: black jeans, t-shirt and cardigan.
Day 3 – Nearly half way
Wednesday is my non-working day. I usually spend time outdoors and at the gym. So, I only needed my sportswear, which does not count towards the six items and was the best choice for doing some yoga and a warm-up walk before heading to the gym.
The end of my work week
Towards the end of the week the challenge got more difficult. The sun was out and spring was finally here. My items were simply too thick and the colours too dark. But I did get through Thursday and Friday with my black jeans and long sleeve shirts. I was uncomfortably warm and had a feeling I was not going to make it through the weekend with my six items.
The weekend
And I did not. The weather continued to be lovely and it turned out to be a pretty active weekend. My plans included going out for dinner at a restaurant, meeting a friend in central London and visiting a nice cinema with proper sofas. The six items just did not work for me. They did not seem right for the weather and didn’t give me the chance to dress up for date night. So I went for other items.
Conclusion
I think the Six Items Challenge is great to engage people with themes around overconsumption and fast fashion. The challenge also raises awareness about the resources going into our clothing and the impact of the fashion industry on people and the environment. But six items do not seem like enough to me. After the week, I feel I would definitely need more to be appropriately dressed throughout different seasons and special occasions or social commitments. Overall it was an interesting experience and although I failed, it’s encouraged me to continue to go for items I truly like instead of following the trend. I’ll also continue to concentrate on second hand clothing or if buying new to do so from mainly sustainable and ethical brands or specific lines by high street retailers.
