30X30, for a Purpose.

Sometimes, or possibly most of the time, I like to daydream.  My mind wanders into these alternate futures for my life, where I've become a fashion designer, or best friends with Jennifer Lawrence, or the mother of an adopted child.  I smile as I dream of how I would've gotten to those places, what the journey to get there might look like.  I daydream about the outfits I would wear, the runway collections I might have made, or the places I might travel to.  And then there are the days, like today, when my imagination is overtaken with a more frightening reality.

Yesterday was a day to Shine a Light on Slavery, and literally thousands of people participated in End It Movement's campaign.  There were red X's all over my Facebook feed, news stations interviewed people participating, and modern day slavery was at the forefront of many people's minds.

But it was just one day, in the days and years of exploitation many of these victims endure.

Sometimes, even in my attempt to keep most of my blog content light-hearted (it's about clothes after all!), there are days that I don't want to write about my outfits.  Today is one of those days.  I don't want to sit in front of my computer and try to find light-hearted words to describe what I'm wearing.  I want to scream and rant and cry and possibly punch something because there are so many huge issues to tackle in our world today.  I want to buy a one way ticket to Nepal and break into brothels and protect these children.  I want to wander the streets of New York and show real love to the 12 and 13 year old girls that have believed the lie that their pimp loves them as he sends them out to do his 'business.'  I want to buy each and every piece of jewelry that Starfish Project offers, so that the women that have been rescued from a life of exploitation can support themselves in their new life.

But, instead, I am a (mostly) stay-at-home-mom with two kids to raise and love, with limited financial resources.  One thing I can do?  Get dressed every morning.  A good friend and I are starting a 30X30 Clothing Challenge tomorrow, and continuing through the whole month of March.  Basically, we each picked out 31 (we added a freebie in there, since there's 31 days in the month!) pieces of clothing, and that's what we'll have to choose from when we get dressed every day.  Another part of the challenge is that we aren't going to buy anything new during this month.  It's a practice in being happy with the contents of our closet that we already have, as well as learning new ways to mix the pieces we picked instead of relying on the same combinations every time we wear them.  We're saving up our shopping money throughout the month, and at the end, we're planning on making a donation to Love146 to help support those that are going out and rescuing these precious lives. 

I'll go ahead and share with you the clothes that I picked out for these 31 days, as well as a few caveats:

What's Not Included: Belts, undershirts, tights, scarves, jewelry, and coats (I really only have 2, and never really consider them part of an 'outfit,' they're just for warmth!)

What is included: pretty much everything else, including shoes!

My freebie: I am allowing myself a little wiggle room, in that if I manage to finish one of my sewing projects, it can be added into the mix.  I only have like 3 or 4 things in the works right now (or 5, or 100...):

Seriously, it's like a fabric explosion in my craft corner right now!!

So, here's the rundown:

Here's all 31!

L to R: Aeropostale (clearance), black leggings from Wal-Mart, thrifted NY&Co jeans (DIY'ed to skinnies)... I didn't include a picture of a dark wash pair of flares, they were my #31 freebie added later!

Nude heels, black boots, and leopard flats all from Plato's Closet resale, studded loafers from Rack Room Shoes (clearance), thrifted Red BCBG Girls wedges

Clockwise from top: DIY circle skirt from thrifted fabric, gifted houndstooth skirt, thrifted Cato floral skirt

L to R: Print dress via 1/2 of 1/2, thrifted polka dots (DIY alterations), thrifted blue dress

Clockwise from top L: Target (clearance), JC Penney, thrifted, Old Navy LS tee, turtleneck from clothing swap, American Apparel tee via Plato's Closet resale

L to R: thrifted Coldwater Creek button-down, Ann Taylor top via 1/2 of 1/2, NY&Co white button-down

Clockwise from top L: grey sweater from Harp's (local grocery store, randomly enough!), thrifted black Banana Republic sweater, leopard Chaps sweater from Kohl's (clearance), striped sweater from Sears (clearance)

L to R: insanely old Old Navy jacket (DIY'ed to sleeveless), Aeropostale top (clearance), thrifted cape/sweater thingie

And that's it!  I went with mostly black/white and blue, with some other colors mixed in... I'm curious to see how all of these will come together (as well as how I'll dress myself for warmth when this impending ice storm hits)!

I'd love it if you'd join me in this campaign!  If you don't want to remix your wardrobe, maybe consider a shopping hiatus, and just saving up the money you would have spent this month?  It can be as little as $1 per day, and every little bit helps!  A recent blog post on Love146's website sums it up perfectly: "a red ‘X’ [or a bunch of outfits] won’t end slavery. But the people who wear it might." Be a part of this movement, and help to end slavery!