Have You Heard of the Flats Challenge Yet?

You know how in the world of fashion, black is versatile, and black goes with everything? It can be worn countless different ways, for countless different occasions, can be dressed up or down, and it never goes out of style?

Well, it's recently been said that in the world of cloth diapers, "flats are the new black".

Re-popularized by Kim Rosas of Dirty Diaper Laundry, flats have made a startling comeback thanks to her "Flats & Handwashing Challenge", dreamt up as an experiment involving hundreds of cloth diapering moms and bloggers who have signed up in solidarity for this challenge in order to broaden their CDing experiences and to show their support for cloth.

Many people are wondering, though: why bother using these inexpensive, "old school" flat rectangles of fabric when there are so many other choices for modern cloth out there? Basically, in response to plenty of news stories coming out about parents reusing disposable diapers or allowing children to go without their basic diapering needs being met, Kim and her hundreds of supporters want to let it be known that even in times of economic hardship and great need, you can still provide for your baby, even if all you have is some flat sheets of cotton and a bucket or bathtub to wash them in.

The Flats & Handwashing Challenge runs from May 23-May 30 and is being documented and tweeted by moms and bloggers all over the world. Throughout the process, expect lots of support, information, videos, and blog posts from everything about the joys of the simplicity and thriftiness that flats encompass, to the nitty gritty reality many moms will find themselves bogged down in (like the very literal poop-clogged bathtub drain one mom on Twitter has already endured!) ;)

You can read the original post about this challenge on Dirty Diaper Laundry, where Kim Rosas continues to add updates, tips, and how-to videos relevant to the new throwback trend of diapering with flats.

Also, be sure to check out the #flatschallenge hashtag on your Twitter stream for all the latest scoop on how hundreds of moms are dealing with the ins and outs of the challenge!