The OneWardrobe story started not long after I returned to Sydney after 6 months of exploring South and Central America. As I was jobless and a little lost with what to do next I convinced myself to enter a beauty pageant… as you do, right?
To all that knew me (well or not so well), this was quite a shock! I’m not a model nor have I done any modelling. I had absolutely no experience with pageants and to be honest, I didn’t really think it was my scene… Nonetheless, for some reason I got myself involved and I was in!
Throughout the whole process I was actually was quite surprised, I met a bunch of lovely women and as we progressed from heats through to finals we all really connected and built real friendships with each other. There was no bitchiness not even the fakeness that you may assume there would be within a beauty pageant. We all came together to the point where we all were really willing to go above and beyond to help each other out despite competing for the same title - this was such a beautiful thing and this togetherness also encouraged me to create OneWardrobe.
So I’m not sure how familiar you are with beauty pageants but let me tell you… it requires a lot of dresses and yes, a lot of hard work!
Now remembering my recent return from my trip overseas you must understand that my wardrobe was quite empty at this point (along with my wallet). I spent hours and hours searching for the perfect gown, designer dress, cocktail dress with shoes and jewellery to match… HOURS!
In the end, I did find all that I wanted and yes, even though I probably shouldn’t have, I did buy most of it brand new along with a hire dress in there as well. Obviously this wasn’t the cheapest option and I knew that there just had to be a better way! The girls wouldn’t wear any dress they’d previously worn, and they were pageant professionals more than once… this did make me think…. what are all these dresses doing now?
I do totally get it though and I am right there with everyone else. I know as women we all feel the need to wear something new or at least something new on us - something we haven’t been seen in before! I’m not trying to change that, I am just hoping to make it easier and more affordable!
It actually made me a little sad to think about the future of these dresses that we’d all just spent all this money on. To be worn once (if they were lucky twice) and then to be subjected to a lifetime of boredom in our wardrobes. This was not their purpose! They were created to be enjoyed and that they should be, until death do us part!
I thought surely I am not the only one who feels like this…and after speaking around it was clear I wasn’t. Then OneWardrobe was born!