kitenge #obsessed

This post has nothing to do with daily life in Uganda or teaching. It’s simply because I may have formed a slight obsession with “kitenge”.

“What is it?” You may ask? Look below…

CAN YOU BLAME ME?

I love color. I love pattern. I love dresses. Therefore, this is a dream. What’s better is that this specific shop is dedicated to fair trade and ethical fashion. I have made a conscious decision to not go to just any shop or stall (which could be cheaper). I love the idea of supporting the local community and women in this way. All these clothes are made right here in Uganda, in this region where I live.

The first dress I got made was for the Silver Jubilee Celebration at the university:

Then I couldn’t resist this one…

DRESSEMBER announcement: I have made the decision to only wear locally made dresses here in Uganda for all of December. This is to further support the idea of ethical fashion and to fight against slave labor & human trafficking.

To learn more about Dressember click here.

Lately, there has been a huge push for “Who made my clothes?”. This is an outcry of many people against low wages and poor working conditions in fashion. People are demanding retailers to be open about where and how their clothing is being made.

I will be the first to admit I have shopped at many cheap places and bought that $4 t-shirt. But, one piece at a time, I can make intentional fashion choices.

So this December, you will see me wearing some different dresses by women in Uganda. I will not have too many, so get used to the same few over and over 🙂

I just picked up this red dress (in the middle):

And this beautiful blazer to wear over dresses & for presentations:

Sorry for the awkward selfie-mirror pictures!

Hope you’re all doing okay back home! I’m doing well over here & enjoying a bit of a busier week. I’m excited to share some new projects I’m doing in the next couple weeks and months.