Dressember Days 8 + 9: Your Questions Answered

Today is Human Rights Day! Participate in fighting for human rights by supporting Dressember and subsequently International Justice Mission. IJM is a human rights organization working to rescue and restore victims of slavery and violent oppression through legal reform, investigations, and beyond.

I've been getting a lot of questions about Dressember, which is great! I love that it's generating open discussions about human trafficking, the cause, and what I'm doing. For this post, I want to explore and answer some of the questions I'm frequently asked.

>> What's Dressember?

To quote the Dressember Foundation's website, which says it best,

Dressember is a collaborative movement leveraging fashion and creativity to restore dignity to all women. Dressember uses fashion to advocate for women who've been exploited for their femininity. As women take on the creative challenge of wearing a dress for the 31 days of December, they are advocating for the inherent dignity of all women. Dressember exists to inspire and empower a global community of like-minded women who are locking arms to face one of the greatest injustices of our time. The heart of Dressember is freedom--that every woman has the right to live a vibrant and autonomous life.

>> Why are you participating in Dressember?

I'm participating in Dressember for several reasons. First, I firmly believe in fighting against human trafficking, slavery, sexual violence, and similar crimes. I want to help fight for girls who don't have anyone to fight for them. (More on that here.) I can do this through raising funds and awareness of the problem.

Second, I've been a supporter of IJM for a number of years now, so it was only natural for me to want to support them through Dressember. I want to be a partner in the work they are doing, and encourage my friends, family, and readers to do the same.

Third, I love a good challenge like this one! Raising money while participating in a month-long style challenge makes the process that much more fun. It also is something special, something unique, that I can be a part of!

>> Do you have 31 different dresses?

Nope. Well I might (I'm a dress lover; I didn't count how many are in my closet), but not 31 dresses I can wear in Midwestern December! I'm cycling through about 10 dresses, most are ones I've had for years. I'm hoping to show how to style the same dresses different ways and pass along some creativity to my readers.

Also, the point of Dressember isn't to have 31 dresses. Some participants are wearing the SAME dress every day, just styling it in different ways. Others are sharing dresses with friends or, like me, cycling through a select few. Dressember is bigger than a dress (or dresses).

>> Did you have to buy new dresses for Dressember?

No, I didn't have to buy more because, as mentioned before, I'm a dress lover. But, because of that fact, I did want to work a few new styles into the rotation, especially ones that would be seasonally appropriate. So I bought three inexpensive dresses before the start of Dressember. (From Forever 21, Ragstock, and the Black Friday sale at Kohl's.)

>> Are you tired of wearing dresses every day? / Isn't it hard to wear a dress every day?

No, and no. :) I'm actually having a lot of fun wearing dresses each day. It challenges me to pay more attention to the details of my wardrobe. Every day I have to ask myself, what can I combine with this dress to stay warm and feel cute at the same time? I can't just throw on jeans and a sweater. (Although you can wear jeans, under a dress!)

Because of that, I've actually been warmer this winter than in past winters. I'm layering up with undershirts, sweaters, scarves, leggings, tights, socks, and sometimes combining multiples of each! Also, leggings are super comfortable and so are lots of my dresses, so most days I'm cozy, comfortable and warm!

>> How do I donate to Dressember? / Are donation amounts pre-selected or can I choose what I donate?

To give to my Dressember campaign, simply click this link, it'll take you right to the donate page. Once there, you can select a pre-set amount or click "other" and input any amount you'd like. Thank you for considering giving to Dressember and IJM!

Got a question about Dressember? Leave it in the comments, or check out the Dressember FAQ page!

Dressember Day 8

For day 8, I restyled my Lauren Conrad sweater dress from day two! I combined it with charcoal tights, a cream scarf, and a braided belt.

Dressember Day 9

On day 9 I restyled another dress, my black Loft dress from day three. This time I wore it with a burgundy boyfriend cardigan from Loft, leopard print Forever 21 tights (for the Coast to Coast meets Dressember challenge), booties, and a Giving Key from Sevenly.

Here's my board of shopable looks that are the same or similar to the items I wore.