IJM Archives - A World of Dresses

Dressember after week 1

This year, I’m again participating in Dressember. If you follow me on my Instagram or Twitter, though, this is probably not news to you. Last year it was just me on my team and I raised $510 from my circle of family and friends. This year I have several ladies on my team with me. It feels like a wonderful, sort of natural progression. Each year I plan to participate in Dressember and do my part to make it bigger than the year before. The more people who know about Dressember, the better.

Social media has many great benefits. I love clicking on #Dressember or #Dressember to see how far and wide the campaign is this year. Another popular hashtag I’ve seen is #itsbiggerthanadress. That phrase comes to mind as I get dressed each morning and multiple times throughout each day. Women all over the world are wearing dresses each day this month not because it’s cute or trendy. In fact, it has nothing to do with us.

I’m constantly reminded of the privilege I have in my life. Millions of people around the world are being forced into slavery. Girls as young as 12 are being forced into prostitution. They are being robbed the innocent childhoods they deserve. If you are a mother, just imagine the anger you’d feel if your daughter had to go through that. It’s sickening.

It’s Bigger than a Dress could almost be the motto for my blog. I love dresses. Anyone who is close to me knows that. But I also have a strong passion for social justice. I have a passion to tell stories of women from all different backgrounds. I want to use dresses to make the world a better place.

Dressember is such a great way to do that. The hopeful thing is that International Justice Mission and A21 are strong, functioning organizations. They rescue trafficking victims, provide them with the aftercare and serve the perpetrators with justice. In order for them to be the light of hope they are, they need funding. The money from Dressember goes to both of these groups. The funding pays for case workers, therapists, attorneys and other trained professionals to commit their life to ending slavery. With 27 million people in the world in slavery, the need is great.

My hope is that during this most wonderful time of the year, you give a little bit of thought to those who are not having the most wonderful time. Perhaps you can help be that light by giving to Dressember. My goal is $650 and I plan to reach that. I would love it if you can help me. You can view my page here.

Why Dressember is important to me

I don’t exactly remember how it all happened, but around sophomore year of college I realized that I wore a lot of dresses. Maybe it was that time that I visited home and my mom handed me a wad of cash with her usual “don’t tell dad. Shhh!” Except this time she also added “and don’t go buy dresses with it!” They just became part of my self-expression. About a year and a half ago, I decided to do a dress challenge in April. I had no idea that Dressember existed, even though International Justice Mission has always been a group I admired. I was well aware of their work and mission, just not Dressember.

The following November, I stumbled upon Dressember through a Facebook post. My first thought was “I could do this again but for a good cause?” Because quite honestly, at times I felt a little vain during my first dress challenge. In fact, sometimes I wonder if people in general think I’m vain because I wear so many dresses. But Dressember allowed me to focus on an overwhelmingly large global problem. The fact that millions are currently enslaved is heart-breaking. Yet here I am with my comfortable life in the United States. Furthermore, I really didn’t need anything for Christmas. Any gifts I would have been given, I could just redirect to my Dressemeber fundraising goals. Dressember seemed like such a simple thing I could do to do my part.

At the end of December, I had raised $510 for IJM through Dressember. I had simply asked my friends and family to give what they could if they could. Each bit added up. I also had a blast doing it! I took pictures throughout the month. I’ll have to dig them up and share them on here.

This Dressember I’m planning to participate again. However this year, I want a team of women to join with me. All you have to do is commit to wearing a dress each day of the month. You can of course repeat dresses too. I plan to blog every day the entire month about Dressember. I plan to use my blog as a platform to highlight stories of people who have been trafficked.

The video above is a TED talk from the founder of Dressember. It’s so neat to hear the story of how it all started. So, will you join me in Dressember this year?