i dare you

because farmers, garment workers and the environment matter


I dare you to value people more than clothes.
I dare you to value the planet more than a new shirt.
I dare you to have less in your closet.
I dare you to wear, care for, and repair your clothes.
I dare you to buy only fair, when you need to buy.
I dare you to love your simple wardrobe.

​It took some courage + hope for me to really take on the fairdare...but I truly felt that people + our planet were more important than my fear + uncertainty. I didn't think that people should be treated the way they were being treated while making my clothes. I hated all the waste + pollution created in the process of making my clothes. The only way that I could think of to combat the unsafe working conditions, forced labor, child labor, and cruelty was to stop buying clothing that could have come from such conditions. I felt that I would have no valid voice against it, if I was not willing to do without its product myself.

In the beginning, I was a bit fearful that I wouldn't be able to find what I was looking for or be able to afford all fair clothing. I was uncertain about my own determination to stick with my commitment and wondered how it would work. I just knew that I needed to stop buying clothing that was hurting those making it. I decided to forge a new path for myself, and just do my best. I wanted to feel all of the feelings + be accountable to myself, so I made lists of my existing wardrobe, things I let go, my purchases, and what I really wore + didn't with each season. I noted the numbers of items I felt comfortable with + what I'd really like to be wearing. I made a lot of lists.  :)  

It has taken some attention + creativity. It's taken some time + deliberation. I've repaired, thrifted, mended, discovered fair brands, returned things, and chosen less. The fairdare is not the easiest undertaking, but it has honestly been one of the most rewarding things that I've done (and am doing). It feels amazing to hold strong values that align with my real life choices. I am not powerless to change myself...and maybe, just maybe I am not powerless to be a part of a bigger shift.

If I can buy fair clothing for myself and my family, I know that you can too! And if we can buy fair clothing + encourage those around us to think about their own purchases...well, the fashion industry can learn that all of us together want garment workers + farmers to be treated fairly + paid fairly. They can hear us saying with our dollars that people matter to us. There are already so many more fair brands to choose from than there were a few years ago!

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.  ~Eleanor Roosevelt

Happy New Year, friends! Have courage! This is the perfect time to take the fairdare... so, 

​I dare you.

With all the confidence + encouragement + love I have to offer,
​Jane