At a time when we hear stories about shoppers tripping over one another and readily resorting to violence to get what they want for Christmas, I’m fascinated by the "100 Thing Challenge" started by ordinary guy Dave Bruno in 2008 as a way of uncluttering his life.

To his surprise, his extreme challenge of breaking free from the burden of owning stuff by whittling his possessions to a mere 100 objects, as in one plate, one fork, one spoon, one towel, etc., resonated with people and quickly became an anti-consumerism movement.

Considering I probably own at least 50 pieces of jewelry and just as many dresses, I’m not sure 100 is within reach. But designer Abi Ferrin is making it easier for women who want to look chic while streamlining their war­drobes and simplifying their lives.

The Texas-based designer is the originator of the 5-Way Dress, which, as the name implies, can be worn at least five ways, thus reducing the number of tops and dresses one needs. In seven days, I managed to wear the dress three times: as a one-shoulder dress, a blouse with leggings and a one-shoulder top with a pencil skirt.

In town recently for demonstrations at Nordstrom, Ferrin said: "There are 10 great ways to wear the dress, but wearers have come up with countless ways to wear it."

Abi Ferrin:
Her Facebook contest
asks wearers to post
photos of their 5-Way
Dress looks

To emphasize wearers’ creativity, she just launched a "How do you 5-Way" contest on Facebook (www.facebook.com/abiferrininc) and on Twitter @abiferrin, that allows women to post photos or short videos of their best look wearing the dress. The winner, to be chosen Jan. 5, will receive a 5-Way Dress, valued at $258.

There was a communal spirit in the dressing rooms as women tried on the dresses at Nordstrom, and Ferrin showed multiple ways to wear it and helped them find their best looks. While there, I saw women of all heights and widths try on her tops and dresses, all achieving the most prized of looks: effortless chic.

Junko Yuen was shopping for her second 5-Way after picking up one to wear to a wedding a month ago. Pregnant at the time, but not ready to share the information with a lot of people, she wanted to find a dress that would hide her baby bump "without making me feel self-conscious."

She said it’s a dress that is roomy enough to accommodate her growing belly, and added, "I’m petite so I feel it works whether I want to hike it up or wear it longer.

"I like to travel, and it’s perfect for travel, too. It washes very well and doesn’t wrinkle."

Her favorite way to wear it is as a one-shoulder dress.

Even though the dress makes it look as if you’re draped in fluid, unforgiving jersey, Ferrin uses a high-quality jersey with double layers so there’s no need for smoothing undergarments. It’s like you’ve got Spanx built in. Wear it straight when you’re feeling most confident; wear it blouson-style if you have a tummy to mask.

With holiday dressing in mind, Ferrin said: "They’re designed for eating. You can look fabulous and eat at the same time!"

When one older woman remarked, "That’s not for me," Ferrin said, "That’s the most ludicrous thing I’ve ever heard," and brought out her mom in the 5-Way as Exhibit A.

The woman’s sentiment didn’t surprise Ferrin.

"Most manufacturers design for a small box of women, which means a lot of women feel left out of fashion," she said. "When you’re trying to empower women, the closet is a great place to start because clothes can really influence the way women feel about themselves. When they try on my dresses, they feel good about themselves because the clothes really work."

For Ferrin, the idea of empowering women covers many levels. Beyond the simple task of helping a woman look beautiful at her next holiday soiree or helping her to pack smarter on her next trip, Ferrin is helping to support women’s independence around the globe.

With her sister Kelly Bryant’s humanitarian work as an example, Ferrin founded The Freedom Project as the philanthropic arm of her company. Although her garments are made in the United States, each garment includes a handmade element such as a button or toggle that supports women-owned microbusinesses in Nepal and Cambodia. Through the respective Guardian Village and Sak Saum organizations, women rescued from the sex trade and other abusive situations are counseled, trained and are able to build sustainable livelihoods.

"It’s important for me to get this information out to people," she said, returning to the reason — the desire to help people and make a difference — she originally pursued a career in journalism and politics.

Ferrin was born with a knack for sewing, starting at the age of 5 and continuing through the 4-H program all through school in Jackson Hole, Wyo. She even won a national McCall’s sewing competition at 13, but in college chose to major in broadcast journalism and political science.

She moved to Washington, D.C., where she worked for PBS’ "NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" for three years before moving to Hollywood for a job at Paramount Pictures. She started sewing again to have original pieces to wear at industry parties, where no one wanted to be seen in the same thing twice. It didn’t take long for her creations to catch the eye of celebrities and media.

One of the first to wear her dresses was Dayna Devon, an anchor and correspondent at "Extra," who sent her stylist to pick up garments from Ferrin.

"I didn’t have anything, so I sent my personal wardrobe," Ferrin said. Her designs made it into InStyle and Us Weekly magazine as "The Look of the Week."

"That was eight years ago, and one thing led to another," she said.

But it wasn’t until she moved to Texas that her career really took off. In 2007, she was named Texas’ Next Top Designer, a title that came with a prize package that included placement of her product at the Dallas luxury boutique Stanley Korshak, a trip to New York Fashion Week, $5,000 and a rent-free work loft for a year, where her boutique storefront remains to this day.

She appreciates simple dressing, so she came up with an easy-wear top that draped well, which she loaned to a stylist.

"The stylist came back later and said, ‘Hey, I found another way to wear your top.’"

With a little more tweaking, the piece evolved into the 5-Way Dress that continues to be her signature piece and best-seller, even though she comes up with new designs every season.

"It’s a classic. It’s not a piece that will go out of style," she said. "Well, maybe the one-shoulder might."