Not buying clothes for a year: for many people it may seem impossible. Yet more than a thousand people have already participated in the Free Fashion Challenge, a challenge in which participants do not buy clothes for a year. The aim of the Free Fashion Challenge is to make people aware of what they have and to stimulate creativity. The Free Fashion Challenge is an initiative founded by Laura de Jong, a student at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute (AMFI). In her view, responsible fashion was not so dependent on the materials used; it was the thinking of the consumers themselves that caused the eventual overconsumption. As part of her final assignment, fifteen fashion fans around the world stopped buying clothes for a year in 2010; they therefore have to rediscover, appreciate and combine their wardrobe. With this project, De Jong wanted to demonstrate that fashion has nothing to do with consumption, but with creativity, quality and joy, for example. The campaign was well received; In 2010, an initiative was started in which private individuals could join and more than a thousand people have now taken up the challenge of not buying clothes for a year.
The idea behind the challenge
In recent years, fashion has increasingly become a consumer product. Where garments used to be mainly functional and durable, nowadays they have become disposable products: fashion changes quickly and often a shirt or trousers are no longer trendy after one season. This so-called fast fashion means that consumers want as much clothing as possible for the lowest possible price: however, they are often barely aware of the suffering that lies on the other side of the world, where these dirt-cheap clothing items are produced. In addition, it is of course also very bad for the environment.
According to Laura de Jong, consumption is an increasingly important part of the fashion industry: if fashion is to become more sustainable in the future, this must change. The only way to do this is to consume less.
How can you participate?
You can register as a participant on the Free Fashion Challenge website. You will then receive an email every few weeks with tips and assignments to help you rediscover and appreciate your wardrobe. There is no fixed start date, so you can register at any time of the year.
Of course you can also participate without registering. The assignments you receive when you register are also on the website, so that you still have access to the information.
The rules
The rules are as follows:
- Don’t buy clothes or accessories for a year (this also includes socks and underwear).
- Don’t buy fabric to make your own clothes
- Do not accept gifts of clothing, accessories or fabric
- Exchanging clothes with or borrowing clothes from others is allowed
This means that second-hand clothing or accessories may not be purchased. The rules are quite strict, but they ensure that nothing related to clothing is actually consumed for a year. Repairing broken clothing and accessories is permitted.
Tips
Have you become enthusiastic and would you like to participate in the Free Fashion Challenge? Here are a few tips to help you get through tough times.
You don’t need it
There is a good chance that during your shopping stop you will come across a piece of clothing that you secretly would like to have. It may seem obvious, but consider that you don’t need that new sweater or shoes at all. After all, what would change in your life if you did have this new item? Right, nothing at all. At the end of the day, it’s just clothes.
Needs come and go
It is very normal to see a piece of clothing that you would like to have. This is okay: feelings are allowed. However, it doesn’t mean you have to act on these feelings immediately. So accept that there is something you would like to buy, but that is simply not an option right now. Your desire will probably fade away after a while.
Be happy with your own wardrobe
If you know what clothes you have in your closet and are satisfied with them, the need to buy new clothes is a lot smaller. So make sure you know what you have: clean out your closet and try out new combinations. You might come across things you forgot you had.
