And that’s the joy of a denim dress. It’s a dress so it’s – y’know, dressy – but because it’s denim you’ll never look overdone (which is actually one of my biggest phobias, along with slugs and eating wild mushrooms.)
In case you’re wondering, I did leave a day between wears and I always made sure it passed a deeply scientific sniff test. It probably helps that ‘Summer’ has not been particularly present so my sweat-levels are low and my normal deodorant kept me dry (and the dress fresh.) It’s now had a spin in the machine (at 20 degrees on a quick wash) and it’s ready to go again. I could have popped it in the freezer, instead of washing it, so I might try that next time it needs refreshing or I could give it a spray with Day 2 – self-styled ‘dry shampoo for your clothes.’
I’m already feeling smug about how much I’ve worn the Aligne denim dress because if you care about sustainable fashion, you’ll know that wearing your clothes more is key to reducing their carbon footprint. That’s why the #30wearschallenge exists. The more we wear our clothes and stop buying so much newness, the better for the environment. Interestingly, the challenge settled on 30 as the magic number, as that’s the average amount of times French women wear their clothes. In the UK it’s 14. *Insert shame bell here*
Usually, when something new slips into my wardrobe I feel a bit embarrassed. I know I should be shopping less and I’m trying, I really am, but guilt is the most usual emotion once I’ve made a purchase. Particularly as the Hot and Cool institute worked out that we should only be buying five garments each in 2023, to slow climate change.
But another big tick for the Aligne denim dress is that it’s made from deadstock fabric. (Deadstock is either unsold fabric that never got used due to overproduction, returned orders or leftovers which often end up in landfill…) As the most impactful part of a garment’s creation is in textile manufacture, using material already in existence is a major win for sustainability and makes it a piece I’m proud to shout about.