ADDRESSING SLAVERY

There are 35 million people enslaved all over the world today. In fact, there are more people in slavery now than in any other time in human history. I’m taking part in Dressember to do something about it: to raise awareness, to raise money, and to see if we can end slavery in our lifetime. Last year Dressember raised $165,000 for the International Justice Mission, which rescues and rehabilitates victims of slavery. This year, Dressember surpassed that incredible amount only a week in. Together we’re making a difference, and having fun doing it! I’ve been having a blast wearing dresses everyday, with the goal of raising $400 for IJM’s work. Please help me get there! Make your contribution right here, right now!

Now, Mata wouldn’t be Mata without talking about the dresses! Let me take you dress by dress through my Dressember journey.

Day 1: I wore my all time favorite Mata dress and the best selling dress of the Fall ’14 collection, the Runs in Rows dress. You can see it here in my first Dressember post.
Day 2: The Mata crew stopped by Chicago Fair Trade’s Holiday Pop-Up Shop. In the photo above, I’m with Mata’s designer, Kristin, and wearing another popular style, the Oberlin dress.
Day 3: A vintage Mata piece, the Genevieve Jumper, paired with a scarf from the Maisha Collective.
Day 4: That’s Mata’s design intern, Kelly, on the last day of her internship. She was wearing her brand new Hello Dolly dress, and I’m wearing a comfy cozy flannel dress from Horny Toad.
Day 5: Another vintage Mata, the Grant Park dress, paired with a scarf from Global Goods Partners.

Boyeon, Alex, Justine, me, Kristin, and Katie at Chicago Fair Trade’s Pop-Up Shop

On to Dressember Day 6…

Day 6: I went fabric shopping for Mata’s trade show booth, which we are in the process of revamping. I was wearing a Mata dress from Spring ’09, which I could not find for sale anywhere online.

This turned out to be a very Mata week!

I didn’t intend to wear so much Mata, but it’s pretty much what I’ve got in my closet.
Day 7: the Hello Dolly dress
Day 8: the Starboard dress
Day 9: the Flights of Floral dress
Day 10: the Memory Lane dress
Day 11: the hand-embroidered Freelance Writer dress, a personal favorite!

That brings us to today! You’ll have to wait until my next Dressember post to see what I’m wearing; it’s not Mata but it is a fair trade brand. In the meantime, please contribute to my Dressember fundraising page and help me reach my goal of raising $400 to help fight slavery.