The mere simplicity of getting up and putting one dress on, has dramatically reduced my stress about what to wear.

Our brand was founded on three principles: live simply, consume carefully, and do good. We created the 100 Day Challenge—where the goal is to wear one dress 100 days in a row—to encapsulate all three principles. Women are experiencing the impact of this challenge, affirming what they always suspected but had never quite put to the test. And they’re earning a $100 gift card in the process.

Participants have discovered some common insights.

• We don’t need more clothes, we need better clothes.

• Refocusing on what’s most important in life is imperative in this modern age.

• There is a subtle, but real benefit of limiting daily decisions.

• And finally, we all need to pause and remember what really makes us, us.

We don’t need more clothes, we need better clothes.
More than any other material, merino wool is a performance fiber. We love it for its wearability and its ability to go extra days between washing (even 100 days!). But merino wool has a myriad of other benefits including wrinkle- and odor-resistance, personal climate control, and of course, it’s naturally renewable. In short, we love it and it loves us back. It’s why wool is the heart and soul of our company, and will be the foundational material behind every piece we design. We think it creates the best garments for a challenge like ours, and for a lifestyle of owning less. However, whether you wear our dresses or not, we hope you’ll try the challenge because the benefits of simplifying your wardrobe aren’t exclusive to wearing our products.

Refocusing on what’s most important in life is imperative in this modern age.
Boiled down, the purpose of the challenge is to encourage us to find contentment in a life of less. The modern age supports over-consumption because it’s cheap, easy, and we get the thrill of something to look forward to. We think this is unsustainable, and oftentimes the thrill is cheap and immediately exhausted. So we’re looking to change our habits: to make fewer purchases, more meaningful ones, and start incorporating items into our lives that we love and will use for a long time. Our challenge provides the perspective to accomplish this.

Let’s be clear: we don’t call ourselves minimalists, nor do we even want to begin to define it. We don’t draw a line about how many things to own, or buy per year. Or how much to spend. We know the joy of getting something new. But we also know the pleasure of limiting choices.

There is a subtle, but real benefit of limiting daily decisions.
We make more decisions each day than we realize. And some of them just get in the way of living. If we can identify places in our lives to limit or predetermine our choice, we can find ourselves with more energy to work on the challenges that really need our attention.

And finally, we all need to pause and remember what really makes us, us.
How we adorn ourselves on the outside is an expression of who we are, but it doesn’t come close to encapsulating all of who we are. And some days, it just feels like it doesn’t match at all. But the choice to wear something not just for its look, but for its purpose, expresses in a deeper way who we are.

We’ll never forget the observation of one of the first women to complete the challenge:

We invite you to join these women by taking the challenge, and discovering your own findings. We design practical, merino styles to be worn every day, and think you can’t find a better garment for such a challenge than a simple, wool dress. No matter the time of year you start, merino’s breathability works year-round. Whether you spend your days inside or out, in the city or on a farm, you’ll find wearing merino brings benefits.

We’ll leave you with one last review from a participant in hopes it entices you to actually start the challenge. For the official information, check out this page.

“Doing this challenge is actually helping me through some of the harder aspects of this whole situation. Here's how it has helped me so far:
1) It gives me a reason to actually shower and get dressed in the mornings. I feel a sense of accountability and purpose rather than staying in my sweatpants all day.
2) On exercise days it helps me get out the door to run or bike first thing in the morning so I can put on my dress afterwards. Normally, I putter around and procrastinate getting myself going, but now I feel like I need to have my dress on before noon, or it doesn't count.
3) It seems a little anti-climactic to be doing this challenge without a lot of other people to notice me and marvel at my determination, craziness or environmental consciousness. However, sticking to this goal without any form of public acknowledgement has helped me determine my motives. By eliminating the factor of "seeking attention," I know I'm doing it sincerely.
4) Improved personal hygiene - I’ve quit wiping my wet or dirty hands on my jeans, there are no more piles of half-way used clothes on the floor by my bed or in my closet, I've been wearing aprons while cooking or doing dishes, and I've started caring about making sure my legs are shaved.
5) It is helping me stick to my weight loss goals. I had to get a larger size because I've gained a lot of weight in the past year. I don't like how my fat rolls show through the dress on my stomach and hips. Wearing the dress every day helps me remember to not eat the things that make me bloat, and it reminds me of my goal to be able to order a size or two smaller after this 100 days is over.
So, I just wanted to say thanks for issuing this challenge. It is a fun and encouraging part of my life during an otherwise hard time in which I could easily allow myself to sink further into apathy and ill health.”