About the Initiative

Every year, advocates take on the challenge of wearing the same dress (or outfit) for 5 consecutive days. The outfit serves as a conversation starter to educate our networks about an issue in the Greater Boston area. This year, we are raising awareness about the issues of poverty and violence against women. We hope to raise $30,000 to support initiatives in the greater Boston community that are working to end to violence against women. Our reach goal is $50,000 which represents the nearly 50% of women in Massachusetts who have experienced sexual violence other than rape in their life time.

Through your personalized fundraising page, you’ll be able to share your journey during the week with your network and make a difference for our community partners, Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC) and Catie’s Closet.

Sign ups to be an advocate are open, and you can also begin setting up your personalized fundraising page. If you have questions please visit take a look at our FAQs.

We Know :

Sexual violence affects people of all genders, ages, races, religions, incomes, abilities, ethnicities, and sexual orientations. Sexual violence, which is significantly underreported, disrupts the lives of survivors and those who care about them:

Our Impact

We are now in our second year of LBDI for JL Boston and excited to expand on the success of our inaugural LBDI week in 2018. Last year we were able to accomplish :

LBDI History

In February 2014, the Junior League of London pioneered the Little Black Dress Initiative (LBDI) with the goal to “Make Poverty Unfashionable.” While their fellow Londoners were attending London Fashion Week that month, local Junior Leaguers were wearing the same black dress every day to work, parties, dinners, and events to raise funds and increase awareness of poverty in the city. The first campaign was so successful that they decided to take the initiative worldwide and it is now going in to it’s 5^th year with over 80 Leagues participating.