For your consideration we have designed three different concepts varying in construction difficulty for the children of Sierra Leone. Considering that women in Libya are going to be making these garments by hand we felt it necessary to show a progression in skill required for construction; from concept 1, the most simplistic to concept 3 which is more advanced in the difficulty of construction.
In order to accommodate these children for the heavy rainy season we have designed a unisex detachable hood present in all three concepts. Employing the use of our allotted 15% of other material, we propose that the denim be either laminated to create a water tight seal, or treated with a hydrophobic chemical finish for greater breathability and water resistance. The hood is also convertible. When the hood is taken off, the student can pull the draw strings tight, loop the strings through the hood’s belt loop and tie it onto the garment creating a satchel (refer to concept boards). This will allow students the option of carrying any school supplies and snacks necessary for the day.
Though color options are limited, we used the underside of the denim to utilize the lighter color of the denim. In concept 1 we used mainly the underside of the fabric taking into account that the lighter color will not attract the sun as much as the darker denim.
Considering longevity, we decided that zippers, elastic and Velcro were not as easy to replace as button closures. Thus, all the fly-front shorts will employ buttons closures for easy repair and comfort. All of the buttons and hardware will be made of a non-corrosive metal that is cheap and lightweight, possibly unvarnished aluminum. Because of the accelerated speed children grow at these students’ age, we took adjustability into consideration as well. The boy’s belt in concept 2 is built in allowing initially a more roomy fit that can later be grown into. The tuxedo shorts in concept 3 expand several inches allowing a longer period of ownership per wearer. A simple belted a-line construction for the girl’s dress also allows for ample growth before the hand me down process begins.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to work on such a wonderful project and taking the time to look at our designs.

– Please contact us for higher resolution copy some key details were lost due to dimension constraints
-Ashley Austin & Joshua Lacey