Capsule Wardrobe: What I'm Wearing This Month

If you’re just joining us, welcome to 31 Days of Fashion for Freedom!

I’m wearing only 10 items this month to change the way I shop and fight human trafficking. And today I’m introducing my ten things!

1. Stop Traffick Fashion Tee

Stop Traffick Fashion sent me the Beloved Tee to wear, and it is 100% fair trade organic cotton. This tee was made in India by Freeset, “a fair trade business offering employment to women trapped in Kolkata’s sex trade.”

The tee states “Be Loved, Be Free.” A flock of freed birds flutter across the front. I forgot to take a picture of the back, but it features the STF logo on the back.

I’m wearing a large, because it is 100% cotton and I’m not sure how much it will shrink. I LOVE the color. As you can tell in the pictures, it’s a brilliant aqua blue. I like that it’s a “slim fit” shirt, meaning that it’s more fitted.

For your information, this shirt is now on sale! So are many of the tees STF offers, they’re getting ready for a new line of designs. So if you haven’t already, check out their tees!

3. Sevenly Tee

I bought this tee a few weeks ago, to support All Girls Allowed, an organization that fights forced abortions of girls in China and provide resources for orphaned girls. Sevenly sells a different tee shirt every week to support a new cause. Check out the past causes and designs here, and see what Sevenly’s doing this week.

I think the design is beautiful. I especially love the sentiment, “Live Life.” This tee is unbelievably soft, and produced in Los Angeles, California in a WRAP (Worldwide Responsible Accreditation Production) certified factory, which “requires not only clean ethical cotton fields and sweat-shop-free manufacturing, but quarterly inspections of healthy workplace standards, and environmentally friendly products.” Sevenly states on their tees that they are a fair trade company.

4. Thrift Store Tunic

This particular tunic was a find from a thrift store in Iowa; you might remember it. I wore this yesterday, and let me tell you, it is WARM. I wore it with the sleeves rolled up, but it can also be worn with them down.

5. Grey Tank Top

This tank top has been in my drawers since early high school. At one point it had a fine sheen of glitter, but that’s long gone now. I think I got it at JC Pennys. It’s one of the ten so that I have something to wear under the thrift store tunic and Sevenly tee, as well as to work out in and sleep in. Yeah, it’s going to get washed a lot this month!

6. FashionABLE scarf

The lovely folks at FashionABLE sent me the Bezuayhu scarf to keep me warm this month! I’ll share more about FashionABLE in another post next week. Every scarf they sell provides sustainable business for women in Africa.

“Because of you, I am ABLE to Look forward to my future. Thank you, Bezuayhu”

Each scarf design is named after one of the women whose life has been transformed by working for FashionABLE. Each scarf comes with a handwritten note from the woman who made it, along with a picture. I don’t usually save the tags from clothes, but I’m probably going to save this one forever.

7. Bootcut Jeans

The dark wash jeans I’m wearing in every picture of me above are my favorite pair, and that’s why they’re one of the ten. They’re from Charlotte Russe, and I spent the most money I’ve ever spent on a pair of jeans on them: $30. I really wanted to find some fair trade jeans, but I thought since part of the point of this series is to stop buying so much, I should use what I already have. Baby steps, people!

But, if you happen to work for someplace that makes ethical jeans, and you’d like to send me some, hit me up! 🙂

8. Black Knit Capris

I thought about going to bed pant-less every night. However, I don’t think the women at the ladies’ retreat I’m going to this weekend would appreciate it, and those days when I’m lounging around eating breakfast when the maintenance men knock on the door would be 500 times more awkward. So these are here for casual days at home, sleeping, exercising, and when my jeans are in the laundry.

9. TOMs Shoes

The all-mighty Toms! I bought these at Ron Jon’s Surf Shop at Coco Beach in Florida a few weeks ago. At the time, I’d been wearing mostly sandals, and after a day at Epcot, my feet were KILLING me. I bought these shoes and breathed a gigantic sigh of relief. They provided just enough support and cushioning for my feet.

While I usually don’t spend $44 on shoes, Toms gives a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair purchased. So I think of it like they’re only $22.

10. Francesca’s Collections Dress

I wore this dress for my college graduation, and it’s one of my favorites. It’s made in the USA, and while that doesn’t necessarily mean it wasn’t made in a sweatshop, it is less likely, especially because it wasn’t cheap. Although I have a thrift store make-over dress, I picked this one because it is so versatile. You can wear it dressy or casual, with scarves, belts, or sweaters.

Speaking of which, a sweater is not one of my ten things. Hm.

10. ?

Yep. Question mark is right. After planning, emailing, asking on Facebook, and thinking some more, I cannot decide on the tenth item.

For awhile I planned to have a pair of shorts. After asking on Facebook how often people washed their jeans, most said after 3-4 wears, or once a week. So, I think it’s doable to just have the jeans and knit capris. Jen Hatmaker did a similar month long experience, but with only seven things, and she only had one pair of jeans and a pair of gray knit drawstring shorts. If Jen could do it, I can too, right?

Plus, I think I need another shirt more than I need another pair of bottoms. But what shirt?

A long sleeved tee from Old Navy:

Or, a Good&Fair Clothing tee.

Short sleeved or long sleeved? Fair trade or Old Navy? In my closet now, or order online and wait for it? These are the questions I’ve been wrestling with for weeks now. Let’s decide it once for all today!

Keep in mind, I live in Phoenix. It’s 100 degrees outside today. However, the month is expected to end in the low 80’s, with lows at night at 52. This weekend I’m going up to the mountains for a women’s retreat, where the high is 82 and the low is 49. Also keep in mind that I’m usually cold when everyone else is comfortable. Also remember that I already have that surprisingly warm tunic and a thick scarf (#6).

Cast your vote!

Although they don’t count as clothing items, I did receive a couple of special accessories that I can’t wait to share with you! I’ll show you those next week.

Now I want to know, if you had to pick ten items from your closet to wear for a month, what would you pick?

Linking up to What I Wore Wednesday, Friday’s Unfolded