My Dress, My Choice – Erasmus+ Youth Exchange

From the very first day, the objectives of the My Dress, My Choice project were to combat discrimination linked to clothing choices, raise awareness of the environmental and social impacts of fast fashion, promote sustainable fashion practices, and encourage critical thinking about media representations of culture and fashion. We approached this objective through non-formal learning methods that encouraged participation to engage with issues such as body image, cultural appropriation, and the impact of the media and fashion industry on self-identity.

Throughout the week, participants engaged in various, non-formal education based activities, including icebreaker sessions, fast-fashion and cultural dress workshops, team-building activities and upcycling sessions. These sessions allowed participants to explore how clothing can be a form of expression as well as a source of exclusion in social contexts. Participants were informed about how the media contributes to unrealistic beauty standards, which helped them develop their critical thinking and media literacy skills.

One of the key sessions were on upcycling and thrifting, along with practical fashion designing, where participants repurposed old clothing into new, wearable pieces that were also sustainable. They also explored alternatives to fast fashion and learned about fair trade practices, ethical consumerism, and the environmental impact of overproduction and overconsumption in the fashion industry. The “Fashion Show” session allowed participants to showcase their clothing pieces, which not only strengthened their confidence but also proved that fashion can be a tool of storytelling and social change.

Another important aspect of this project was to address the social and economic realities behind clothing production. Participants watched a documentary called “Made in Bangladesh,” and discussed labour exploitation and its gendered dimensions. These sessions encouraged participants to become conscious consumers and advocates for ethical practices.

SOYA is extremely proud of being involved in the ’My Dress, My Choice' project – huge congratulations to the 'Youth Avenue' informal group of young people for making this project happen. The project has highlighted the importance of freedom of expression and inclusion in today’s society, and has empowered young people to challenge the stereotypes and promote ethical practices in fashion.

A huge thank you to the wonderful project partners: Stowarzyszenie „Tylko Księży Młyn“ (Poland), Kartu Projektai (Lithuania), Lunghe Frequenze (Italy), and Creators of the Future (North-Macadonia).

The project has been supported by the European Union through the Erasmus+ program. Project code: 2025-1-HU01-KA152-YOU-000301447