Plaid Tunic Dress, Part II: One Dress Protest

So the dress is done, for now.  Ta-da!

Thought process and construction:
As I said in my previous post, I cut the dress out as a T-tunic.  This is just the sort of dress that I like, even if it does look a little prairie in that plaid (talk about a "fast from fashion!").  It is made of a cotton that should launder well.  I had considered ties for the back to draw in excess, or loops to lift up the hem sometimes.  After experimenting with these options, I decided the first didn't look good and the second put too much strain on this particular fabric.  So it's just the dress and the belt.  I can belt it higher or lower, or even lift the hem with the belt.  This belt is out of my garb bag, and I am considering making a wider one.  We'll see.  This style will also handle weight fluctuations, should I have any, and allows room for movement, should I end up having to do practical things while wearing it.  I even enclosed all the seams to make it last longer in the laundry!

Stylish?  No.  But it's practical, and it's me.

Now, I am going to wear this dress as part of Kristy Powell's One Dress Protest.  On her blog, she writes:

One Dress Protest is me, Kristy Powell, wearing one dress for one year in order to protest the ideas and motivations behind how and why I wear my clothes. Over the year I aim to challenge the ways identity is constructed through clothing, what sustainability means for consumption, how our perception of others is so often based on external presentation, and what “fashion” ultimately means for me going forward.

She also calls her experiment a "fast from fashion."  While several other worthy women have done similar experiments with clothing (my favorite being Alex Martin's Brown Dress Project at http://www.littlebrowndress.com/), Kristy's protest seems unique in avoiding accessories and supplemental garments that create new "looks."  The idea that one may wear not only the same garment but the same outfit (with layers for weather) day after day reminds me of modern Plain dress, which is something I've been looking into for a few years.  Kristy also brings a spiritual component into her protest and blog entries, so while we don't share the same style or religion, I find her quite inspiring.

 I am looking forward to this June 3-July 3 experiment, particularly because I will have company in it.  And the invitation to join in for a month was what I needed to go from thinking about Plain dress experiments to trying Plain dress experiments.  My disadvantage is that I am moving this weekend (exciting!), and one-dress-protesting will be the (sort of) first impression my new neighbors/coworkers/friends will have of me.  No problem, I think, except for my confidence about the matter. Perhaps if I'd been doing it months, I wouldn't worry.  But I do.  I worry I might alienate some people right off the bat, but I realize this may be nothing but my own fears speaking.  In light of this situation, I give myself permission to bend the rules if I feel it necessary.  But!  My first rule that I have laid down for my experiment is: Be honest with yourself.  Everything feels scary at first, and I have to push the limits of my comfort to grow.  So I owe myself a little discomfort, and I'll try not to cheat on the rules, or on myself.

Rules for myself:
1. I will be honest with myself.

2. My "one dress" following Kristy's example will be my new plaid dress.  I will wear it for all occasions that do not functionally require other clothes.

3. Reasonable exceptions include outdoor labor (nylon pants, T-shirt tbd, blue sweatshirt), sleeping/lounging/breakfast (PJ pants and T-shirt TBD), excercise (same as outdoor labor).  Other exceptions may discover themselves.  See Rule One.

4. The goal for this experiment is to have dedicated outfits for each function so fewer "looks" enter the rotation overall.  I will not, however, have multiples.  Should my clothes become too dirty (funky) between washings for my taste (that's saying something), I will wear something else rather than make others suffer.  That said, I will try to launder regularly within the constraints of my living situation and the weather.
5. Most of my shoes serve specific functions.  Other than those, I will have a pair of casual sneakers and a pair of sandals to wear.
6. Go-to warm layers are green skirt, maroon sweater, brown long-sleeved shirt, and maroon coat if needed.  Other accessories are fair game if called for due to weather or activity (poncho, apron, etc.).  I will stick to the yellow bandana and possibly make some other solid-color scarves for my head, tbd.

 Here goes!