The uniform project

Sheena Matheiken has decided to wear the same dress for a year, documenting the various accesorizations of a simple, convertible black frock at theuniformproject.com. (Thanks NYT for the scoop.) This isn't just a cute whim either. The project is intended to attract donations for the Akanksha School Project, which supports children's education in India.

Because of my fondness for uniform dressing and buying used rather than disposable clothing, I love this project. You can donate accessories to Sheena and thus far, most of the donations have had a Ready Made, crafty feel. I predict opportunities for unique product placement should her project gain traction. Thus far, she looks sort of Amelie-esque and gamine in most of the pics...I'd like to see someone donate some Louboutin for Rodarte spiked platform heels and an armload of heavy metal bracelets.

How do you pick a dress to wear for 365 days? I guess versatility is key. This dress is reversible, the shape is easily changeable with a belt - it makes a nice empty canvas. I like how the dress becomes a base layer for other dresses in some outfits:

I'm curious to see how this all unfolds. Since she is still only two months into the project, there is plenty of time to watch the project evolve.  If I ever get into graduate school I'll probably launch a uniform project of my own...but inspired more by financial necessity than anything else.