According to Heidi Hackemer (one of the founders of Six Items or Less) the Sixers, as we are called, fall into four categories in terms of what motivates us to undertake this experiment:
Creativity
You might be limited to 6 items of clothing, but accessories don’t count – and this group of people is challenged by the idea of how creative they can get working with a basic palette, so to speak, and accessorizing for maximum impact. Fun, but not my main motivation.
Anti-Consumption
Heidi says this is the largest group. These folks are obviously placing the highest importance on the buy less, consume less, recycle and use it up mentality. A strong motivation for me, as well.
Uniform
This group wants the ease and simplicity of just not having to think about fashion at all. I’m not a big clotheshorse, but I do prize uniqueness and creativity and have never been a uniform kind of gal. That said, I can see the appeal for people who work in a fast-paced office environment (I work at home, after all), and the relief and freeing up of mental energy that comes from not having to think about what you’re going to wear every day. Just days into the experiment, that’s been a nice aspect for me.
Curiosity/Masochism
These are the people who just want to see if they can do it – according to Heidi, most men who do the experiment fall into this category. So, really is it any surprise that this is my category? Yes, my main motivation is not only seeing if I can do it, but what the challenges will be and what I will learn from it. And, as Heidi says, will it drive me crazy by doing it?
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