Dressember - Day 31

Final day! And as my visiting relative thought it was cheating to change into trousers to walk the dog, here I am in dress and walking boots - complete with aforementioned dog!

So here I am photographed on our return, having shed coat, hat, scarf and gloves, but not yet the boots. I am wearing a lovely Nomads green dress that combines different fabrics in the same shade and then has added hand-stitching and beads for embellishment. It is worn with a Dorothy Perkins black-watch tartan jacket that I have had for years - originally with both a matching skirt and matching trousers but my waist grew out of those!

Dressember - Day 30

I had to wear the Christmas elf hat today as lots of relatives were here for lunch!

Red pinafore dress again, but with a blue linen shirt made in Nepal. I do think this dress is going to be very versatile and useful in a variety of settings.

The painted leather earrings were put together for me on a craft stall in Barcelona, as those I liked on the stall were really too long.

Dressember - Day 29

A dress from White Stuff today - warm knitted with lace overlay on the lower section. I rather think I bought it in the post-Christmas sale last year.

White stuff is at the top end of the Ethical Consumer ratings table for high street clothing shops, but that’s not a huge claim when none of them score over 50%. We need to put pressure on some of these retailers to improve as well as supporting more ethical brands. The major issue for both social issues such as trafficking and environmental ones is that we should all be buying fewer garments, and ones that will last.

Dressember - Day 28

People Tree little black dress but covered up with a bright jumper from a lovely little independent shop in Hitchin called Rosita Lollipop.

I particularly fell for this one to go with 'liquorice allsorts' earrings - also by a local crafter. The sleeves are a bit long - so I might shorten them, but haven't got round to it yet!

Beginning the count-down now, but only just over half-way to my target, so am hoping there are a few people waiting to see if I last the month before donating!

Dressember - Day 27

My Thought red pinafore dress again, but worn with navy this time - polo-neck jumper and tights that turned out to be dotty ones! I didn't remember I had those, and don't think they have seen the light of day since we moved house a year ago! Perhaps I have not been wearing dresses enough! Shoes are from the Little Shoe Shop - the only place I can generally find smart shoes in a size 2!

The dress is, of course, now in the sale!

I hadn't realised that there is a design competition as part of Dressember, until I got the chance to vote. I am not hugely impressed by the four winning entries, but have voted - and you can too at https://www.dressember.org/vote

Dressember - Day 26

Another new dress! When ordering the red pinafore from Thought, this dress was in the sale and I loved the asymmetric, patchworky styling. It turns out to be in lovely thick quality cotton jersey.

The elf hat had to be worn for further family celebrations today, having been in my stocking yesterday - though it did get swapped for a while with my great niece’s reindeer antlers! The elf hat did match her dress better than mine!

Dressember - Day 25

Beside the main Christmas tree in the village chapel where my husband and I led worship this morning. I am wearing the dress I made to greet people at our wedding and for the reception afterwards. I haven't got any photos showing much of this dress, so that was an added incentive to wear it today - especially as I won't get many chances to wear it, I guess!

Much of the fabric is reclaimed - a large proportion from someone giving up their own sewing business. Dark green squares with gold stripes or gold embroidery came from a sari I bought in Sri Lanka while house-building with Habitat for Humanity after the tsunami. Sadly the end piece of the sari began to tear after a few years of wear, so it has been made into a wrap, a brooch and incorporated into this dress. Off-white lacy squares come from a friend's wedding dress, which I altered for her to wear as a cocktail dress on a cruise later.