The Lenten Wardrobe Challenge

 Hello Everyone & Welcome to Lent.
For those of you unfamiliar with it, Lent is a 40 day period of fasting leading up to Easter.
It starts tomorrow.
I'm not usually a fan of fasting unless I am trying to Lose Weight which is incidentally what I have decided to do immediately after carefully scrutinizing my midriff in today's Wardrobe Photo of me in a thrifted Hugo Boss wrap dress.
I must have a strong word with Ireland, my official Classroom Photographer tomorrow morning & encourage her to take more flattering photos of me if humanly possible.

Anyway, my desperate & sudden urge to lose weight is Absolutely Not what I want to talk about.

Instead, I want to talk about a Lenten Wardrobe Challenge that hopefully many of my fellow female colleagues will consent to be part of after they receive the email I just sent them.

Perhaps you could join us by starting your own Lenten Wardrobe Challenge at your own Workplace.

It would be such fun.

I'll now cut & past the contents of the email just so you'll know more about Lent (& let me tell you, there's lots to know) & about the Rules of the Challenge.

Hello Every Woman in the Humanities Staffroom & Affiliates,

As you all know, Lent starts tomorrow.
It is supposed to be a time of self-denial, self-renunciation, self-control, almsgiving & penance.

Many people struggle with the above.
It's so Medieval.
And it's not that much fun either.
So, we folk in the North Eastern End of the Staffroom have devised a Lenten Wardrobe Challenge
which has been specifically designed to give Traditional Fasting a fresh, fun & modern twist as well
as raise money for Charity.
It's a Win/Win for Everyone!

The rules are v. simple:

1. The challenge starts next Monday.
2. To enter, pick 10 essential items from your wardrobe & identify them to us - e.g. Frock, Blazer, Blouse, Slacks, Top, Leggings etc.
Let's call this Your Capsule Wardrobe.
4. You can only wear these items for the duration of the Challenge which finishes at the end of Lent. Check your diaries for the Exact Date.
3. Pay a (I think) $10 entry fee.
4. At the end of the first week, The Official Third Umpire,Trixie Drew, will draw the name of a wardrobe item out of a hat for each person participating in the Challenge. You must then immediately remove that item from your Capsule Wardrobe for the duration of the Challenge.
5. By the last week of Lent, which is mercifully only three days or so, you will be reduced to only 5 items.
6. If you wish to keep an item that is drawn out of the hat, you will be required to pay an additional $5 for each item you retain.
7. If you wish to replace an item with an entirely new item, you will be required to pay an additional $10.
8. All proceeds will go to a yet undecided charity.
9. Shoes & Jewellry are not included. If included, it would be Too Cruel & Virtually Impossible to Achieve (for at least one person)
I do hope that you will consider joining our Challenge.
Best Regards,
The Northern End of the Staffroom.