No New Stuff

That’s right we’re talking about no new purchases, an empty shopping cart, wave goodbye to the High Street. How long for...how long can you handle?


About

Here's the thing: we have stuff... a lot of stuff. We have stuff we don't need and we keep buying more stuff. So it's time to mix things up a bit.

The Big Idea

In a world where ‘image’ is so important – what do your clothes really say about you? The WEAR IT OUT campaign will help us understand the forces of fashion that shape our thinking & lifestyle.

At the heart of the WEAR IT OUT campaign is a ‘fashion fast’: a commitment to abstain from buying new clothes (jewellery/gadgets) for a significant period of time (at least 3 months) – and put the money saved and the experience of self discipline & learning, to good use.

The Cost

Everyone taking part in the WEAR IT OUT challenge will be asked to pay a registration fee of either £15 or £35. This will help cover the cost of running the campaign and of providing you with your ‘fashion fix’. We believe it will be easily recouped from the thrifty months spent, or rather ‘not spent’ buying clothes etc. So it will probably cost you a lot more not to join in.

Get in Touch

For more info on the campaign or you have a query about part of the campaign please contact info@wear-it-out.co.uk

The Pledge

To buy NO NEW CLOTHES for at least THREE months
You may carry out the fast for longer than this time period but not beyond the final celebration on Dec 1st 2012.
To explore the issues thoroughly for yourself
Get together with others in your youth group/school/church and use the online resources provided here for free.
To take part in or organise at least one local initiative
Your organised initiative should raise awareness and funds for a charity dealing with poverty. Examples: Bling and Bag sale, Wardrobe Swap, Barefoot for a Day etc
To encourage ONE other person to join you in the WEAR IT OUT campaign

Timetable

Jan - Feb
Making the WEAR IT OUT challenge known and encouraging groups and individuals to sign up.
Mar - June
The fast begins on 17th March 2012 (St Patrick’s Day) and continues for three months (or longer). Groups undertake the some of the ‘forum’ sessions and explore the possibility of a local wardrobe swap, a bling and buy sale or going Barefoot for a Day (April 10th)
June - July
Groups will complete their fast and receive their ‘Fashion Fix’. Groups & individuals can head to the TOMS ‘style your sole’ workshop at Summer Madness Festival (29th June- 3rd July 2012) where they can pick up a few more tips about how to change the world – one purchase at a time.
Aug - Dec
Those of us that need a bit longer for the fashion fast to ‘hit home’ and those who have just joined in continue to Wear it Out. Then on December 1st – the campaign winds up with a celebration at St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast.
 

Details

The finer details of the campaign

STEP ONE _ Fashion Fast

The first part of the campaign is simple: you just don’t buy any new clothes (or jewellery/gadgets) for a chosen period of time – at least 3 months but not more than 9 months. Choose a time frame that will stretch you beyond your comfort zone and provoke you to think about the role of ‘stuff’ in your life.
The fast will start on 17th March 2012.

So declare your wardrobe awesome, display your ageing gadgets with pride and put last year’s tunes on repeat. But there is a lot more to it than simply hitting the consumer ‘pause’ button. We encourage you to take this journey together with others – schools, universities, churches, youth groups and families can all put the money saved and whole experience of self discipline and the learning, to good use.

STEP TWO _ Fashion Forum

This aspect of the project is where you can talk about the issues and explore with others why it is so easy to get caught up in the consumerist trap and let fashion shape us rather than building our identity on firmer ground.

You will have access to special resources, lesson plans and group discussions. These will help us talk about some of the issues that we all face when we do the everyday stuff of deciding what to wear, what to buy, how we want to look and what pressures we experience when it comes to ‘fitting in’ or standing out from the crowd. Tearfund, The Big House charity and Damaris have kindly agreed to provide these group resources so you can be assured of some excellent material to inform our discussions and help ‘us learn about ‘wearing our values on the outside’.



STEP THREE _ Fashion Fun

So who ever said fasting couldn’t be fun! Along the way you will be encouraged to join in several activities that will stretch your imagination, enhance your organising skills and test your endurance – or at least your sense of humour.

Break A World Record
You’ve heard it said – that you should walk a mile in someone else’s shoes before you judge them… but what if the other person has no shoes? Well we are going for a barefoot world record! On April 10th 2012 we will be attempting to walk a kilometre down the Prince of Wales Ave at Stormont Estate, Belfast. We hope to attract at least 3000 people to join us and establish a new Guinness World Record for the ‘largest barefoot walk’. Lot’s more information to come – but keep that April 10th 2012 free for a half hour stroll into the record books. Register Here
Bling and Bag Sales
What if all of the young ladies in your church / youth group got together and donated all of those formerly-loved handbags and jewellery items that are cluttering up your bedrooms. Raise loads of dosh – for your preferred charity and have a great time picking up a ‘replacement bargain’ for your own collection. (This is the only exception allowed during the fast.)
Wardrobe Swap
Maybe you could do this on a school wide basis or between church / youth groups… the bigger the better. Organise everyone to bring along however many items of clothing and or shoes that they wish, give them a token for each item – and that entitles them to leave with the same amount of baggage that they started with (or less, if they wish). You can make up your own rules – all items to be pressed and clean, no socks or underwear. You must have the permission of the owner of the items before participating in the swap. Go on, enjoy yourself getting a re-fit for free!

STEP FOUR _ Fashion Fix

At the end of the fast you get to celebrate with a ‘fashion fix’.  There are three options depending on the amount you pledge to do the fast.

    The TOMS Fix: You get a pair of TOMS shoes (Classics). For every pair purchased, TOMS gives a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for One. This unique ‘One for One’ business model is a great way to help you understand that the lifestyle choices we all make have repercussions all around us, which is why we have chosen TOMS as one of the ways to reward you.
    The T-Shirt Fix: You get a WEAR IT OUT t-shirt as your fashion fix – The t-shirts will be ethically sourced ensuring ‘living wage levels’ for those involved and in addition all profits from the t-shirt ‘fix’ will be donated to Fields of Life well-digging projects in Uganda.
    The Donate Fix: You simply pledge whatever amount of money you wish to take part in the campaign. We suggest you donate the amount you would have spent on clothes over the course of the fast. This money will go directly to Fields of Life well-digging projects in Uganda.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Do I have to Pay?

  • We generally value something a lot more when we pay for it!
  • The fashion fix at the end is a nice way to keep you motivated through the fast.
  • Both of the alternatives also ‘fix’ it for some one else. So you learn about how our lifestyle choices can influence others both at home and across the world.
  • Over the course of the fast you will probably save a lot more than the registration fee.
Can we swap clothes with someone else during the fast?

  • Yes, absolutely – why not organise a big wardrobe swap between friends, schools, university societies, churches or youth groups?
What if I need a new pair of shoes or trousers or skirt for work or school?

  • Necessary purchases for work or school are excluded from the fast.
  • However, your friends and family should be discouraged from offering you birthday presents or other treats of clothes or bling during this period. Be a little bit more creative and think of other alternatives.

We’re All In This Together

The WEAR IT OUT campaign has been designed to be completed together. We have some suggestions for whether you are a youth group, school or a family looking to take part in the fashion fast. Taking part as a group enables you to discuss the issues together, learn from each other and keep each other accountable.

Leaders
Check out the raft of resources to give you some easy alternatives to run one or several sessions around the themes of: Image and identity, consumerism and the ‘free’ market, justice, trade and personal lifestyle, beauty, fashion, faith, or tackle issues surrounding celebrity culture. Damaris has also kindly provided us with a free assembly plan and RE lesson to use in conjunction with the campaign.
Schools
The WEAR IT OUT campaign is a project that you can undertake very effectively with the support of your mates in school, SU, etc. There are resources designed for group and individual study and Damaris have offered a specific Assembly plan and RE lesson – if you would like to spread the word around more widely. The issues of identity, image, beauty, consumer justice, and ‘marketing pressures’ fit very well into aspects of the R.E. or PSHE curricula. If you would like any further assistance with the campaign do get in touch with the office at any time.
Youth Groups
Whether you are the ‘leader’ of the group or enthusiastic change maker – why not explore the possibility of getting your group involved together in exploring some of these issues. You could have a lot of fun with the ‘wardrobe swap’ or raising money through the ‘Bling & Bag’ sale idea – or take part in the Guinness World Record for the Barefoot Walk! There are plenty of free resources on the website – courtesy of our partners TEARFUND, FIELDS OF LIFE, STAND BY ME AND THE DAMARIS TRUST. Let us know how you get on.
Parents
The WEAR IT OUT project is some thing that may be undertaken as an entire family. It is probably best if it is not seen simply as a mechanism for adults trying to curb the excesses of ‘teenage’ acquisitiveness. This is surely a shared concern for us all to examine our lifestyle choices and issues that are at the core of our sense of identity and values. Why not give a lead and join in – of course for some of us it’ll take more than 3 months before we realize we’ve been on a ‘fashion’ fast. So bear in mind that the fast can be undertaken for as long as is ‘necessary’.
Churches
The WEAR IT OUT campaign has been directed in the first instance at young people but we feel that the issues and the learning involved should really be something that concerns the whole church family. Churches as a whole can get involved in the project through supporting the young people, joining the fast for themselves, and taking part in Bling and Bag sales, etc. It’s an ideal opportunity to connect the generations in an endeavor that affects us all in so many ways and ensures young people don’t feel isolated through the campaign.

Register

Sign up to take part in the campaign.

Click to Register for TOMSfix

Click to Register for T-Shirtfix

Click to Register for Donatefix

Resources

Access the resources you need to promote WEAR IT OUT & carry out the discussion element of the campaign. More resources will be available closer to the start of the fast.

  • Tearfund Resource Session 4

    Tearfund Resource Session 4

    PDF

    Part Four of Tearfund resource inspires us to take action

    details
  • Tearfund Resource Session 3

    Tearfund Resource Session 3

    PDF

    Part Three of Tearfund resource helping us understand our power as consumers.

    details
  • Tearfund Resource Session 2

    Tearfund Resource Session 2

    PDF

    Part Two of Tearfund resource looking at our shopping choices and their impact.

    details
  • Tearfund Resource Session 1

    Tearfund Resource Session 1

    PDF

    Part One of Tearfund resource looking at our appetite for consuming.

    details
  • Wear It Out Promo

    Wear It Out Promo

    Video

    Promotional video for the WEAR IT OUT campaign.

    details
  • The Devil Wears Prada

    The Devil Wears Prada

    PDF

    Resource based around the film “The Devil Wears Prada”.

    details
  • Fashion & Identity

    Fashion & Identity

    PDF

    Resource based around the themes of fashion & identity.

    details
  • School Assembly Plan

    School Assembly Plan

    PDF

    Resource for holding a Wear It Out assembly in school.

    details

Partners

Learn more about the organisations involved in the WEAR IT OUT campaign

  • Summer Madness

  • Christian Festival

Aims to support young people as they work out their faith in the context of their everyday experiences. The focal point is the annual festival but regularly develops new initiatives throughout the year.
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  • 3Rock

  • Youth Initiative

3Rock Youth is an initiative created by and for the United Dioceses of Glendalough and Dublin. Its goal to bring this teenage generation to an active living faith in Jesus.
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  • Tearfund

  • Aid Agency

Tearfund is a Christian international aid and development agency working globally to end poverty and injustice, and to restore dignity and hope in some of the world’s poorest communities.
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  • Fields of Life

  • Charity

Aim to change lives and build sustainable communities in E.Africa through teaching the Christian faith and providing education, water, health promotion and income generating projects.
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  • Big House

  • Youth Organisation

Big House Ireland provide residential programmes that address the difficult issues young people face from a Christian perspective. They also train youth leaders who work alongside young people.
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  • Damaris

  • Educational Charity

Damaris is an educational charity who seek to relate biblical Christian faith and contemporary popular culture. Damaris operates in three departments Church, Schools and Media.
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  • Stand By Me

  • Charity

Stand By Me is a global movement of people committed to rescuing kids in crisis. Stand by Me cares for over 3000 children in some of the world’s poorest countries.
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  • Girl's Brigade

  • Charity

. The GB is a dynamic, relevant, Christ-centred organisation effectively reaching out to all girls to value, nurture and equip them for life. It is NI’s largest youth organisation with 23,000 members.
+Visit Website