Virginia woman wows Facebook with 'Target Dress Challenge' likening pandemic to prairie life
Lesley Butterfield called the frocks 'as ugly as homemade sin' and imagined a hilarious backstory to go with her photos
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}It’s hard work weathering winter during a pandemic, so one Virginia woman decided to have a little fun with a hilarious photo shoot celebrating life on her "frontier."
The so-called #TargetDressChallenge has taken off on social media in recent months, with 7,700 posts currently tagged on Facebook. Savvy shoppers have been amused by the long-sleeve, tea-length, floral frocks sold by the superstore, teasing that the dresses seem suited for pioneer life — or a pandemic. To bring the challenge to life, men and women have been staging silly photo shoots in the dresses, drawing parallels between the challenges of 19th century farm life and today.
Lesley Butterfield recently shared her own spin on the #TargetDressChallenge, posting stoic photos of herself playing the part. (Lesley Butterfield)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Last week, Lesley Butterfield shared her own spin on the #TargetDressChallenge, posting stoic photos of herself playing the part in a rust-colored "prairie" dress. The Roanake woman’s hysterical photo shoot – and the story that followed – have since gone wildly viral with over 27,000 shares and 10,000 comments.
The Roanake woman’s hysterical photo shoot – and the story that followed – have since gone wildly viral (Lesley Butterfield)
"I saw the dress challenge online and thought it was a hoot… Little did I expect to snag the dress at Target on clearance a few days later when I was picking up milk and bread!" Butterfield told Fox News on Friday. "I decided to give it a shot because I think we all can appreciate comic relief during these times."
"I decided to give it a shot because I think we all can appreciate comic relief during these times," Butterfield told Fox News. (Lesley Butterfield)
Explaining that she already had a lot of farmhouse décor and antiques around the house, the mom not only had ready-made props, but a personal connection to the history.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"My ancestors were pioneers so I am somewhat familiar with the circumstances of frontier life," she said.
Explaining that she already had a lot of farmhouse décor and antiques around the house, the mom not only had ready-made props, but a personal connection to the history. (Lesley Butterfield)
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Playfully describing the Target dresses "as ugly as homemade sin," Butterfield shared a faux-journal entry titled "Day 332 of Pandemic." In it, she chronicled a fictional day in the life in the Old West, imagining herself burning rhubarb cobbler, churning butter and guiding her kids through a grand "5 minutes of homeschool."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Playfully describing the Target dresses "as ugly as homemade sin," Butterfield shared a faux-journal entry titled "Day 332 of Pandemic." (Lesley Butterfield)
The story struck a chord online, and thousands of Facebook users applauded her post, praising her wit and ingenuity.
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"I had no clue it would take off like it did!" Butterfield told Fox News. "I think so many of us are living a very isolated life right now and feel like we are alone in the wilderness. Between working full-time, being a single mom to 4 kids, and trying to facilitate virtual schooling, I certainly feel overwhelmed sometimes."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I think people appreciate the fact that humor can be used to help us handle our situation and connect with others in ways that are meaningful and take us out of the daily grind, and puts things into perspective," she mused of the greater impact.
"Plus it was nice to trade my sweatpants for a prairie dress for a change!"