Greening fashion, one day at a time

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How often do you wear the same outfit two days in a row? How about for an entire year? Sheena Matheiken is making social commentary and raising money for charity by wearing the same dress everyday for a year (she's actually wearing seven identical dresses, one for each day of the week).

Matheiken aims to prove that being fashionable does not necessarily mean consuming irresponsibly. She accessorizes to the hilt: different shoes, belts, hats, and tights, as well as multiple layers of frocks and smocks. But all of her accessories come from vintage shops, hand-me-overs, E-Bay, or donations from small stores looking for a mention on her site.

Matheiken was inspired to launch the Uniform Project by her childhood in India, where she was obliged to wear a school uniform. Kids quickly found their own ways to stand out by how they wore their uniform, and what they wore with it.

Matheiken is partnering with the Akanksha Foundation, which brings educators to children living in India's slums. Each day she puts a dollar in her "tip jar" and she encourages visitors to her website to donate as well. In the first 66 days of the Uniform Project she's raised $4,358, helped a little by coverage she recently received from PBS.

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