Hi, friends! I’m so, so excited because it’s finally time to try out another 10×10 Wardrobe Challenge! If you’re new around here and don’t know what I’m talking about, no need to worry! I will walk you through what the challenge is, what motivated me to start, and how you can get involved too! Yes, that’s right! It’s something you can join in on right NOW! So without further ado, let’s get into it, shall we?!
Essentially the 10×10 Challenge is a mini capsule wardrobe whereby you style 10 different pieces in 10 different ways over 10 days. It was started by Lee of Style Bee as a means of experimenting with her style and seeing just how far her existing wardrobe could take her. So whether you want to curb your spending habits, find your personal style, or just want an added challenge in your life, this 10×10 Challenge is a great way to experiment with your style this summer! Lee has some great advice and examples right here. And you can also take a look at the first 10×10 Challenge I completed this past spring right here.
For me, I started this challenge as a way to appreciate more fully the clothing I have. As a fashion blogger (and girl in general), I will admit that I get sucked into the mindset of buying lots of new clothing all the time. But recently I’ve tried to take a step back and appreciate the pieces I have instead of always wanting more. This challenge began, for me, as a journey to finding content-ness with the items I owned and led me to living a more sustainable life overall. (You can read all my revelations from the last 10×10 right here.) At any rate, I’m super stoked to keep the momentum going and to finish out the last 2 weeks of my summer internship at NASA using only 10 pieces of clothing. (Which should make packing up my things early for the move back to Colorado all the more easy!)
If you followed along on my last 10×10 Challenge, you will know that it veered more on the casual side of things since grad schools is a little more laid back than most jobs. But this time around, I’m putting together outfits that are more professional and office appropriate in the business world. I’m excited to try something new!
My favorite part about the challenge?! You don’t have to go out and buy anything. Nor do you need to do a full overhaul of your closet. Just pick out 10 pieces from your existing wardrobe that you want to mix and match over the next 10 days and voila! You’re ready to join me and all the other #Summer10x10 challengers on Instagram.
Want to join in?! Fantastic! Let’s go over the basic 10×10 Challenge guidelines!
Basic Guidelines
- Pick 10 pieces from your current closet.
- Style those pieces for 10 different looks.
- Use 10 days to do it.
- Have fun and don’t take it too seriously!
And just to re-iterate number 4, this is supposed to be a fun, exploratory challenge. Don’t take things too seriously and stress out about sticking to the guidelines if it doesn’t feel right. Try something new and you love it? Great! Try something different and you hate it? How fascinating! This challenge is all about getting outside your comfort zone and trying new things, whether they work out the first time or not. Change things up if you need to! Learn something you didn’t know before and have FUN! This is all about having fun!
So what all exactly is included in the 10 pieces of the challenge? And how in the world do you begin to chose just 10 pieces?!
What’s included?
Count these pieces toward the 10 items you choose!
- Tees, Tops, Sweaters
- Skirts, Shorts, Pants
- Dresses
- Shoes
- Cardigans, Jackets
What’s not included?
These pieces can flow into and out of your daily outfits freely!
- Jewelry
- Purses
- Hats, Scarves
- Athletic Clothes
Beginner’s Formula:
This formula is what I used for my first 10×10 Challenge in the Spring! It’s a great place to start!
- 4 tops
- 2 bottoms
- 1 dress
- 1 top layer
- 2 shoes
When choosing pieces…
Consider the weather. Choose pieces that fit the forecast but also allow for some room if it’s a little cooler/warmer than you planned. Also beware of rainy days too! Luckily for me this summer, I’m indoors most of the work day and don’t have far to walk if it’s raining outside.
Consider your lifestyle and the activities you will be partaking in. For example, are you taking the challenge during the work week where you need to look more professional? Or are you trying this out on the weekends when things are a bit more causal? Do you have any special events happening during the challenge that you need to accommodate?
Choose pieces that are easy to launder (i.e. do not require dry cleaning). You can also freshen up clothes between washes by using a steamer that not only de-wrinkles fabrics but also sanitizes them! Note: Business professional clothes tend to be dry clean only. So do what you can, but don’t limit yourself to only machine wash items. You would be surprised how many wears you can get out of a piece by just being mindful/taking care of it throughout the week! (i.e. I try to wear all my tops once before re-wearing any of them again, and always hang up my clothes immediately when I get home to air out/de-wrinkle.)
Choose colors that work well together. When in doubt, go with more neutral colors like white, gray, black, tan and only add in 1-2 additional pops of color. But feel free to go color crazy if you’re up for it! Just be sure the colors can be paired well with each other and in multiple ways (think about layering to get more bang for your picks!).
Pick mostly pieces you love and wear time and time again (and are comfortable styling). That way if you add in any newer pieces outside your comfort zone, they will be easier to style with pieces you are already an expert at wearing! However, you could also use the challenge as a way to try out a new style or vibe (like Caroline trying out the vintage/boho feel here). Since the challenge is only 10 days, it’s the perfect amount of time (not too short, not too long) to get you trying out new things and evaluating how you like/don’t like them!
Why should you try this?
Like I mentioned above, I love doing these challenges because it forces me to be more creative with my wardrobe and to more fully appreciate the items I already own.
But there are so many other reasons you may want to try this…
- Take a break from shopping!
- Reinvest in your existing closet.
- Test out your creativity.
- Find a better sense of personal style.
- Try out a capsule closet.
- Practice for traveling lighter on vacation. (a great way to test out the ‘re-wearability’ of pieces!)
Alright! Are you ready?! Here are my 10 picks for the Spring 10×10 Challenge. I’ll be sharing my first outfit tomorrow, so get ready to see which pieces I style first!
As a part of the 10×10 Challenge here on the blog, I’ll be posting a new outfit each night (to the best of my ability) and discussing pros/cons about how I styled the pieces. These posts will likely be less in-depth than other outfit posts, but by posting each night, I hope to inspire and motivate you to join in on the challenge with me! Ok, so without further ado, here are my 10 summer picks!
My Spring 10×10 Picks:
1. Floral Blouse | This blouse is gorgeous in person and one of my favorite purchases of all time. If you remember earlier this spring, I styled it here with the matching shorts and have since been wearing it non-stop to work and out-and-about on the weekends.
2. Blue Button Up | This blue button-up is a classic piece in any working wear wardrobe and one that is guaranteed to pair well with anything. I love this sleeveless version in particular because I can pair it with different colored cardigans without any unruly bunching of the sleeves.
3. Striped Tank | Stripes are a staple in my wardrobe, so this striped blouse in a satin-y material was perfect to include in the challenge. I love the drapey detail in the back too that should lend itself to some creative styling over the next 2 weeks. The neutral color of the blouse also means it will pair well with bright pops of color!
4. Black Sweater Tank | I love, love, love the texture a sweater adds to an outfit. There’s just something so satisfying about mixing and matching silky materials with rougher materials and the like. So when I discovered the summer-weight sweater last year, I knew it would become a seasonal favorite. Plus, gauging from the huge amount of versatility I got out of my sweater in the last challenge (it was my most worn top!–worn by itself, with a lacy bralette, layered over a button-up, belted over a dress, tied over a tank), a sweater is one piece I will likely include in every 10×10 Challenge moving forward!
5. Floral Dress | 90% of my summer working wear wardrobe is dresses. So including at least one fun patterned dress was a no-brainer. Since I have brightly colored cardigans, I decided to go with a dress in a neutral color palette, but the floral print and dropped ruffle hem keep the piece feeling fresh, modern, and fun!
6. White High Waist Pants | I love how classy and professional high-waisted pants look at the office. Choose a pair with a wider leg to give a more modern and sophisticated feel. I got this pair on sale from Club Monaco, along with the chambray pair I styled here. I specifically picked out this pair to style over the next 10 days because I want more experience styling this cut of pant in a variety of ways. It’s a relatively new silhouette for me, so the more practice the better!
7. Floral Skirt | I must really be feeling the floral print this summer because 3/10 items have one! #sorrynotsorry I love that pieces like this black and white skirt don’t have to be boring just because of their neutral color palette. But rather, with the addition of a fun, whimsical print, the skirt become instantly playful and feminine. And can’t you just imagine pairing floral on floral?! Eek! Cannot wait to try out tons of combinations with this one. I almost chose a bright red pencil skirt instead, but decided I wanted the added challenge of print mixing throughout the challenge. (You can see my tips for mixing prints like a pro right here!)
8. Black Flats | You can’t go wrong with a classic pair of black flats. In the last challenge, I had 2 pairs of shoes. But because I knew my working wear wardrobe revolved around my ability to pair a cardigan with every outfit (chilly office!), I decided that 2 cardigans were more important than 2 pairs of shoes. We’ll see how this goes! But I’m honestly not too worried about it. I don’t do much walking around at the office, so as long as I’ve got one pair of comfortable flats, I’m golden!
9. Yellow Cardigan | There’s nothing like a bright pop of yellow to really cheer up an outfit and bring life to an otherwise neutral color palette.
10. Purple Cardigan | And this purple cardigan provides another fun pop of color that can pair easily with any of the items above.
And those are my 10 pieces for the Summer 10×10 Challenge! I’m so excited to start styling away! Yippee! If you’re looking for more information on 10×10 Challenges, be sure to check out Caroline’s Summer 10×10 picks and Lee’s Spring 10×10 picks, and their respective outfits from the past week. (I’m off by one week from their challenges.) But they are so inspiring to follow along with!
What about you? Want to join in on the fun!? Let me know in the comments below and we can keep each other motivated!
You might also like…What I Learned From My Last 10×10 and My Go-To Summer Work Wear.
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Get the Look…
1. Floral Blouse: J. Crew | 2. Blue Button Up: Banana Republic (similar here, here) | 3. Striped Tank: J. Crew Factory (similar) | 4. Black Sweater Tank: Madewell (similar here, here)
5. Floral Dress: Banana Republic (similar here, here, here) | 6. White Pants: Club Monaco (similar here, here, here) | 7. Floral Skirt: J. Crew Factory (similar here, here) | 8. Black Flats: Madewell (similar)
9. Yellow Cardigan: J. Crew Factory | 10. Purple Cardigan: J. Crew Factory (similar)
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