Youth Eco-Dress
Youth Eco-Dress
Youth Eco-Dress
Youth Eco-Dress
Youth Eco-Dress
Photos by Jay Sturdevant

Youth Eco-Dress

Made by 2,000 children out of recycled office paper!

During Ms. Judd’s youth presentations about recycling and the environment, she asks the kids write their names and something that they would do to help the environment on a strip of recycled paper. These eco-pledges were turned into long paper link chains to cover the dress.The base of the dress is made of discarded sheets from the historic La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe, NM, dyed sage green. The garment has two petticoats made from these same sheets as well as old table cloths. A four layered hoopskirt supports the two petty coats, the dress and the chains made from the pledges. The wire in the hoopskirt came from the frames used for yard signs during the Obama campaign. Before the pledges were made into the chains, each one was adhered to the white table cloths (also used in the petticoats) to assure that the chains do not get crushed over time. Completed in 2011.

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2,600 eco-pledges made by children across the United States cover this dress.

Here are samples of some of the pledges:

  • Lilia: I’ll get my clothes from second hand stores
  • Graham: I want to have timed 3 minute showers
  • Ethan: Unplug my charger when not using it
  • Emily: Turn off lizards heat lamp when it is sunny out
  • Abelino: Use fabric shopping bags
  • Manuel: Walk to school
  • Mayra: Composting
  • Laura: Yo voy a reciclar papel
  • Astrid: Use only what you need
    What can YOU do to live lighter on the earth?