Contents
- - - - -
What’s “Misson: Put Together”?
Mission: Put Together (M:PT) is simply an aspiration to be put together, which we define as:
Put together (adj): Intentional and cohesive, but not necessarily trendy or expensive
Participants post pictures of when they feel PT to the M:PT photo pool on Flickr, with notes and descriptors for the look. To be clear, the photo pool is NOT intended to be:
- A forum to criticize others
- A source of pressure to appear to be 100% on the ball 100% of the time
- A motivator to go out and spend a lot of money
However, we do want the pool to be:
- A way to share and gather fashion tips
- A motivator to be thoughtful and creative with everyday looks
- Fun!
In May 2008, OPH and I challenged people to be PT for the entire month. Over thirty participants submitted pictures to the pool and had a great time commenting on everyone else’s outfits, and I collected statistics and trends. After May ended, the pool remains open and the challenge to be PT stays alive.
- - - - -
OPH and I are posting the challenge to be PT for the month of October! As with last spring, we want to have fun with the photos and re-energize that community of comments, but with great fall looks.
For this round, though, we want to channel the massive amount of positive feeling from this project. In May, there were over 34,000 views on the photos, and almost 2,900 comments! What if that energy went toward the greater good? This time, think of it as Put Together with a Mission!
- The main charity we’d like to support is Dress for Success, whose mission is to “to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.” DFS really is M:PT! Donations of professional attire can help women gain confidence to return to or join the workplace, and financial contributions support the organization as a whole.
- In a more general way, we want to encourage M:PTers to purge closets and donate to their nearby Goodwill or Salvation Army. Oh, it’s painful to give up sentimental clothing items, but take a picture of your dearly departed pieces and we will commiserate with you!
- For even more fun photographic evidence, consider parting with your beloved prom dress with local affiliates of DonateMyDress.org. As their website says, “Once you’ve had your dream night, you can give another girl hers!”
- If you choose to donate clothing and/or money, let us know! Your individual contributions will never be disclosed, but we would love to share how many shirts, pairs of pants, and dollars went toward a good cause this month.
That said, we want to be firm in saying that M:PT is not a back door into your wallet. We want to have fun with the pool without imposing pressure to donate, so if all you do this month is post pictures, that is completely fine. Really! Just think, though — wouldn’t it be great if something really big and positive came out of it?
- - - - -
Q. What do I do if I don’t have a Flickr account?
A. Just e-mail your photos to me or OPH, and we will post them for you! Feel free to send along any notes you want us to include.
Q. How do I take a self-portrait without a full-length mirror?
A. Go for the (patent-pending) Two-Shot Self-Portrait technique, as invented by OPH.
Q. A lot of the pictures in the pool look really professional to me, but I work from home. Can I still submit pictures?
A. Yes, of course! M:PT does not include any anti-jeans or casual-wear sentiments. We want to see what you’re wearing when you’re feeling put-together and confident.
Q. What if I can’t be PT every day?
A. That’s fine; just post when you feel PT. We know it’s hard, but that’s why we call it a challenge, you know?
Q. I hate all the clothes in my closet; can I still join in?
A. Gather inspiration from the M:PTers; we know you can be creative with your clothes! We love pretty much everyone’s wardrobes.
Q. What if I can’t donate anything?
A. No problem! Just join in on the fun and spread good cheer.
Q. Ooh, can I wear a Halloween costume on the last day?
A. Yes, but keep it PT and clean, please. It’s a family show around here!
- - - - -
Join the Flickr pool so you can add content:
- Go to the M:PT group page and click Join This Group.
- Once you’ve joined, you can add photos! Go to the photo you want to add to the pool, and click the Send to Group button. Select Mission: Put Together, and the photo will appear in the pool. [Note: Photos that are marked private will still show up in the pool.]
- - - - -
Grab a graphic to spread the word!
200 px
150 px
100px
