Hi, friends! Today I wanted to give a quick recap of my first experience with the 10×10 Challenge. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, make sure to go read up on what the 10×10 Challenge is in this post. Otherwise, keep reading for a look at each of the 10 looks I put together (+4 bonus looks!) and the top 10 lessons I learned!
So like I mentioned, this was my first go at the 10×10 Challenge, and I have to say that the final results blew my mind! While this challenge was definitely not without its obstacles, I was thoroughly surprised at just how many outfits I could put together using only 10 pieces. Not to mention how content I was with each look.
Recall the 10 pieces (below) I picked out for the challenge–to style 10 different ways over 10 days. Just a reminder that accessories were not included in these 10 items, nor were things like heavy coats/rain jackets, exercise clothes, and lounge wear. Easy enough, right?
Before starting the challenge, I was confident that I would become sick of my micro closet after the first week and only make it through the second week by sheer will power (and not because I was actually enjoying it). But lo and behold, I went 14 whole days on the challenge and even found myself reaching for the items in my 10×10 capsule on my “days off”. Color me surprised! So as an ending to this 10×10 Challenge, I’ve rounded up the top 10 lessons I learned below, along with links to each of the 14 different outfits I put together if you are interested in re-visiting any of them again. Here we go!
Look 1 | Look 2 | Look 3 | Look 4
ONE // Classics work for a reason. The first few outfits I put together were variations of ones I wear on a regular basis (sans 10×10 Challenge). The Tank/Tee + Cardigan + Jeans combo is a repeat offender in my more casual office setting and honestly represents a classic, fail-proof combo I can count on. So it was only natural that I gravitated towards these looks first. Nothing wrong with that! Sometimes you just gotta go for what makes you most comfortable. They don’t refer to them as classics for nothing, right? These are your tried-and-true favorites that you can always turn to when you need quick inspiration.
TWO // A chambray button-up can be flattering. I talked a little bit about it in this post (and also later in this post), but chambray button-ups can be so finicky sometimes! My biggest problem with them (and all button-ups for that matter) is that they end up creasing and pooching out at the waist after you’ve been sitting for a while. During this challenge, I was forced to style this item lots of different ways–some of which I’ve done before and others were are completely new to me. By trying new ways of styling the button-up, it really forced me to identify the main reason I didn’t like wearing it all the time, as well as ways which appeased the issue. The winners? Pairing a chambray with a high-waisted skirt to cover up the bunching, or even with jeans by adding a drapey scarf over top! I also experimented with styling it as a layering piece here and tied up in this look here. How fascinating!
Look 5 | Look 6 | Look 7 | Look 8
THREE // Dresses are the bomb diggety. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again… I’m convinced that dresses are one of the most versatile pieces you can own. They can be styled as a dress, as a skirt, or as a top and give completely different looks in each. And with a little practice, you can style a dress as a top or as a skirt without it feeling like it’s just a dress underneath (and you’re really stretching to make it work…no pun intended 😛 ). I can’t tell you how many people loved my “top” in this look. Score! Oh the places we’ll go and the outfits we’ll create together, dresses…you’re the best!
FOUR // Accessories to the rescue. Accessories really have a way of jazzing an outfit up, especially when you’re dealing with a pretty plain and uninteresting one to start with. Turns out adding on a polka dot bandana around your neck (here), or a bright green belt around your waist (here), or even a bright statement clutch (here) end up completely giving the outfit LIFE. Accessories have the power to take a simple (somewhat boring) outfit and make it into something you want to wear time and time again.
Look 9 | Look 10 | Look 11 | Look 12
FIVE // Layer, layer, layer! Layering your pieces adds texture, color, and overall interest to your outfits, and enables your wardrobe to work harder for you. I love how polished and put together these layered outfits turned out (here and here), and yet how easy and effortless they were to style. Layering is also a great way to keep warm on chillier days that will undoubtedly surprise you. (Did I mention it snowed during this challenge?! Yeah…) Layering is also a great way to give yourself an added challenge if you need one. I’ve been a huge fan of the layered look for a while now (see some of my favorites here), so this mini challenge within a challenge was right up my alley. The nested challenges fueled me!
SIX // Fight the bulge using a belt. There were a few outfits in this challenge that veered a little too sloppy and shape-less for my liking…that is before I added a belt to cinch in my waist! Wether its a free flowy dress (here), a sweater layered over a bulkier button-up (here), or even the crease around a high-waisted skirt (here), belts can really save the day by giving you curves and concealing any material wrinkles you don’t want seen!
Look 13 | Look 14
And now for a few of the deeper lessons I learned…
SEVEN // Fashion is less about the actual items you own and more about how you style the pieces you have . I talked more about this idea in this post (on my soap box 😛 ), but it’s definitely the most profound thing I’m taking away from this challenge. And really, it’s what this 10×10 Challenge is all about for me. Given a large enough closet, anyone can style 10 outfits that look great. But limit your closet to only 10 pieces and now you’ve got to get creative with your style, play with proportions, colors, and textures, and really start having fun! You can own all the items in the world and never truly understand your style until you challenge yourself to do something like this and really force yourself to work with the pieces you own and to style them in a way that feels honestly and whole-y like you.
EIGHT // Fashion blogging should be more REAL. Styling pretty new things on a blog is much less noteworthy (and personally satisfying for that matter) than styling outfits using pieces you already own in ways that are practical, attainable and REAL. (I also talked about this here–it was my favorite post!) Since finishing this challenge, I’ve had much less desire to go out and buy new things and instead have wanted to focus more on styling and playing dress up in the items I currently have. If 10 items can be styled 14 new and different ways that I feel good about, then I have more than enough pieces in my closet to keep me satisfied for a while, no?
Also…has anyone else been super frustrated with the fact that so many fashion bloggers tend to push-push-push purchasing all the time?! Honestly, how realistic is that? And perhaps more importantly, how un-healthy is promoting that kind of habit? With post titles like “The XYZ You NEED” or “My All-Time Favorite ABC”, followed closely by another “All-Time Favorite ABC” the very next week, doesn’t it make you wonder?… How many favorite ABC’s are you supposed to have? And I had no idea we needed that dress to live a fulfilled life? There’s a difference between needing and wanting and I don’t think the distinction has been made clear in today’s consumerist society. Oh! And don’t get me started on “The LJK Sale Guide”? Do we really need a guide to navigate an online sale? Call it what it is instead–a “Favorite Sale Picks” list–as opposed to treating the sale like an essential life event that everyone has to get through.
Anyways, my intent was not to be mean or hateful (I’m sorry if it came off like that), but rather to illuminate the silliness of the situation and to bring light to an issue I’ve really been struggling with (as a blog reader and a fashion blogger myself–I’m guilty too!). And don’t get me wrong…I respect that many fashion bloggers have to make a living from their blogs via online sells/affiliate link clicks. And I do also believe that there are people out there that genuinely appreciate and benefit from the guidance they offer on sales etc. (I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that I’ve purchased a few of said sale guide items before.) But for the vast majority of us, buying 3 new tops, 2 new dresses, and a new pair of shoes each week (like we see them promoting on their Instagram) just isn’t sustainable…for us, or for the Earth if I’m being completely candid here. It’s a life full of consumerism that we (for some reason) look up to and want to have but really shouldn’t have the desire for. It’s an unrealistic expectation that tends to only add jealousy, discontentment and anxiety to our already stressful (and might I mention wonderfully blessed on their own, thank you very much!) lives.
So I only mention these things here because I’ve been missing the real-ness, the practicality that fashion blogs tend to forget about when talking about this new trendy item or that “must-have” outfit. Many times, the outfits are either unattainable ($$$ too expensive) or of low quality (super cheap, but can only be worn once without falling apart in the wash), and tend to be unrealistic (i.e. where in the world could I wear that oversized ruffle out to?! ) and even at times over-redundant (how many pairs of those “favorites” does she have?!). Moving forward, I’d love to see more of the mantra behind #8 (above) in blogs. More like the philosophies behind Un-Fancy and Style Bee, who both have smaller sized closets and yet find tons of ways to style their clothes for how they really wear them, in real life. …and I’d like to do this more myself as well! Not to say that I will be cutting down my closet to 10 items permanently anytime soon, but just being more mindful of the items I have and styling them for how I would really wear them on the blog for you. I’m also not saying that I don’t like seeing (and styling) trendy outfits occasionally–just not all the time. 😉 What do you think about the topic? I’d love to know!
NINE // The test every new item must pass. Giving up shopping completely is an honorable albeit lofty goal to take on, especially when you’re like me and have unfortunately let it become a bad habit (to reward myself for successes, to pick my spirits up after setbacks, and even in dealing with boredom). And while I’m sure Allen and others who don’t enjoy shopping would gladly give it up, it’s just not that easy for me to let go of cold turkey. But after learning more about sustainable practices, doing my best to avoid fast fashion, and challenging myself in this 10×10 Challenge, I’ve come up with a few rules–a test of sorts–when deciding whether or not to add something new to my closet. And just so you know, this “test” fell out organically from the challenge and was not a planned thing at all! How fascinating! Ok, here they are: 1) Is this a good quality piece of clothing that I can easily wash and will hold up over time. 2) Can I style this piece multiple ways and in multiple settings (i.e. work vs weekend etc.)? and 3) Is this a trendy piece that will quickly go out of style, or a classic piece that will stand the test of time? These rules have helped me to cut down on my spending significantly since starting the challenge, without the need to really hold myself back at all. It’s become somewhat of an innate, gut feeling that I’m happy to have developed.
TEN // And last but not least… Less is More. This was perhaps the most predictable, nonetheless surprising to me lesson I learned in this challenge. While there were a few instances I wanted my entire closet back, most of the time I was completely content with the 10 items I picked out for the 2+ week time period. And getting dressed in the morning has never been easier, simply by eliminating all but a few choices to pick from each day. (I’ve also never followed the weather so closely when planning out the weeks’ outfit choices! Ha!) The hardest thing, in fact, was not picking out which outfit to wear, but rather keeping up with and trying to remember all the new ideas and inspiration I picked up along the way (thank goodness for these photos! 😛 ). It’s got to be the inner engineer in me trying to figure out just how many outfits I can make with the limited “resources” of 10 items… How fascinating! It turns out…sometimes the challenge itself can fuel you and get your creative juices flowing in the right direction! It just takes a little push to see how far you can really go!
P.S. – A HUGE shout out and THANK YOU goes out to Allen Ream, without whom I would not have any of these looks to share with you. He was a trooper and gave up a few hours each weekend (over the course of 3 weeks) to shoot with me. Thank you so much!
What about you? Did you partake in the challenge? If so, what did you learn? I’d love to know!
If you’re interested in joining in next time, I’ll be doing a Summer 10×10 Challenge sometime in July with Caroline and Lee! Get excited!
You might also like…My Favorite 10×10 Outfit and Another Favorite 10×10 Outfit.
Photos by Allen Ream
///
Get the Look…
1. Pink Tee: Madewell | 2. Red Tank: J. Crew | 3. Chambray Button Up: J. Crew | 4. Light Weight Sweater: H&M
5. Patterned Dress: 1. State (similar) | 6. Jeans: 7 For All Mankind | 7. White Skirt: J. Crew | 8. Beige Cardigan: J. Crew Factory
9. Beige Flats: Lucky | 10. Tan Clogs: Old Navy (similar here, here)
No Comments