Hi, friends! I’m so excited because today is the first official day of the Fall 10×10 Challenge! Yayy! I have been so excited for this challenge, especially since I missed out on the last one when I was traveling in Germany this summer. (I had serious FOMO, but loved following along from afar on all the amazing styling from the #10x10friends community!) Plus, not only does distance (and time) make the heart grow fonder for another challenge, but I’ve never actually documented a Fall 10×10 Challenge here on the blog! I did one on my own last year that I didn’t post about (mainly so that I could use it as a time to de-stress and not worry about styling myself each morning after my PhD qualifying exams), but I’m super excited to partake in and share my first Fall 10×10 Challenge with you here on the blog this time around!
Most of you who have been following along for a while now will know all about the 10×10 Challenge from posts past. But for anyone new, fear not! I will be covering all the basics of this mini capsule wardrobe challenge in today’s post. And for those who already know all about it and just want to see my 10×10 picks, feel free to scroll to the bottom to take a look!
Ok, so let’s get right into the Fall 10×10 Challenge!
The 10×10 Challenge is what I like to call a micro capsule wardrobe and it was started by Lee of Style Bee. Essentially you choose 10 pieces of clothing and shoes and style them 10 different ways over 10 days. It’s a super simple concept that really packs a punch in its impact. I love that ANYone can partake, it doesn’t require you to purchase anything new or purge anything old, and it teaches you to be content with the things you already own. Not to mention the amazing #10x10friends community that will support you along the way!
This challenge is all about getting outside your comfort zone, trying something new, and having FUN! It’s more about enjoying yourself and learning about your style than sticking strictly to the rules or being perfectly happy with every single look you put together. Love a look, great! Hate a look and need to change up something about it? How fascinating!
So again, here are the basic guidelines (not strict rules) to the challenge and a few reasons you might want to try it out for yourself!
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!
Why should you try this?
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! (Did you catch my latest post on taking a shopping fast?!)
- 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!)
So what all exactly is included in the 10 pieces of the challenge? And how do you go about choosing 10 pieces?!
What’s included?
Count these pieces toward the 10 items you choose!
- Tees, Tops, Sweaters
- Skirts, Shorts, Pants
- Dresses
- Shoes
- Cardigans, Jackets (I tend not to count heavier outerwear like rain jackets or wool coats because the weather can be unpredictable!)
What’s not included?
These pieces can flow into and out of your daily outfits freely! I personally, don’t include winter coats or rain jackets into my 10 picks and instead focus on what my “indoor outfits” would look like. I also don’t include snow boots or rain boots and just let those flow into my outfit choices as needed. The weather here in Boulder is so unpredictable, so I just keep my outdoor items on the sidelines until I need them and don’t feel guilty whatsoever about swapping them in when needed! (Remember, this is for fun!)
- Jewelry
- Purses
- Hats, Scarves
- Athletic Clothes
- Heavy Outerwear
Beginner’s Formula:
This formula is what I used for my first 10×10 Challenge and it’s a great place to start! But feel free to use whatever ratio of items works best for you!
- 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. Like I mentioned above, I don’t worry too much about my heavy outerwear or footwear. If I need to bring out the big snow boots or down coat, I do it. But I don’t include them in my 10 picks. Instead here I would just recommend thinking about what types of materials you want to be clothed in. For the fall, I tend to go with more breathable pieces that can be layered for cooler days and un-layered for warmer days.
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? I usually try to go straight through the weekends with the challenge if I can. So picking pieces that can be styled up for the office and down for weekend errands is something I try to do.
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!
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 or me trying out overalls last time around). 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!
Alright! Are you ready?! Here are my 10 picks for the Fall 10×10 Challenge. I’ll be sharing each of my daily outfits on my Instagram–so follow along there to see each day’s style creation! And then I’ll do a full recap of all 10 looks on the blog once I’m done with the 10-day challenge! I’ll include more in-depth photos and descriptions about what I liked/didn’t like in each outfit.
My two main style goals for this 10×10 Challenge are to 1) to style more warm, earthy tones (browns, reds, yellows) and 2) to style larger, flowy silhouettes (wide leg pants, billowy dresses, looser tops). So as a fair warning, you will see lots of reds and browns in my 10 picks this time around (lots of them!), as well as more flowy, oversized fits. So without further ado, here are my Fall 10×10 picks!
My Fall 10×10 Picks:
1. Sage Green Tank | I have been loving this sage/mint green color for fall, which is totally unexpected! I’m excited to pair it with all the warmer brown tones of the season. I wear cotton tees on a near-daily basis because they’re so comfy yet also easy to dress up with the simple addition of a nicer cardigan. And even though it can get frigid very quickly in Boulder in the fall, it can also be quite warm and sunny too! So having a shorter sleeve option for those warmer days seems like a good idea.
2. Redwod Long Sleeve Tee | Another color I’ve been loving lately is this beautiful red-brown color I affectionately call redwood. Mmmm! It’s just so warm and pretty! Like I mentioned before, the weather in Boulder can be pretty unpredictable, so having a long sleeve option also seemed like a smart choice!
3. Rust Red Sleeveless Sweater | Believe it or not, this sleeveless sweater was actually one of my 10×10 picks last fall during my undocumented challenge! It’s an oldie-but-goodie for sure. I love that it provides a little more warmth than a basic tee, but not too much warmth like a chunky sweater would. And it is a dream to layer! The exaggerated arm holes are so pretty to layer underneath and I love love love the angled hem line.
4. Dark Sienna Sweater | My new favorite sweater of the season! This sweater is definitely a little more bulky than I’m used to, but I’m up for the challenge of trying to style something new to me! Plus, I think the longer tunic length and oversized neck cowl will make it an extra cozy piece for those especially cold mornings.
5. Brown Butter Apron Dress | I love a breezy dress in the summer (in fact, I pretty much live in them), but for some reason, incorporating dresses in the fall is so hard for me. Perhaps it’s the bare leg situation on cold days? At any rate, I love that this little velveteen jumper somehow seems more approachable than other fall dresses because it’s made of a thicker material and can be layered with warmer pieces. In fact, I can’t wait to layer it with every single top I have during the challenge! I also love that the velveteen material adds a fun texture to any look!
6. Fall Print Dress | I couldn’t resist the pattern of this dress. It’s just so good–the colors are everything I could ever want in a fall print. The cut of the dress itself is a little oversized for my typical taste, but it’s nothing that a great belt or layered sweater can’t fix!
7. High-Rise Nutmeg Wide Leg Pants | I’ve only got ONE pair of pants in this challenge and they aren’t my go-to skinny jeans! What?! I know! I’m so curious and excited (and nervous!) to see how I like wearing high-rise wide leg cropped pants over the 10-day period without my trusty skinny jeans to fall back on.
8. Chocolate Brown Sweater Cardigan | I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect dark brown cardigan for a while now, and this one is amazing! It’s super soft and cozy and I will be able to layer it over just about any one of my 10×10 picks for some extra warmth!
9. Gold Sneakers | I do quite a bit of walking each day to/from campus, so comfort is paramount when it comes to my daily shoe choice. I love that these gold sneakers are both comfy but also so cool with their shiny gold metallic color. They will pair perfectly with all the warmer tones of my other 10×10 picks too!
10. Black Ankle Boots | And what Fall wardrobe would be complete without a stellar pair of black ankle boots?! I’m especially loving this pair because of the more pointed toe (that serves as a daily reminder that Halloween and #hocuspocus are upon us haha!).
And those are my 10 pieces for the Fall 10×10 Challenge! I’m so excited to start styling away! If you’re looking for more information on 10×10 Challenges, be sure to check out Lee’s and Caroline’s Fall 10×10 picks, and all the #fall10x10 outfits on Instagram. They are so inspiring to follow along with! And don’t forget to follow along on my style journey at my Instagram page!
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…My Past 10×10 Challenges and My Goals & Intentions for the Year.
Photos by Noah Berg
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Get the Look…
1. Sage Green Tank: Madewell (similar) | 2. Redwood Long Sleeve Tee: Target | 3. Rust Red Sleeveless Sweater: Express (similar) | 4. Dark Sienna Sweater: Free People
5. Brown Butter Apron Dress: Madewell (skirt version) | 6. Fall Print Dress: WHIT x Madewell | 7. High-Rise Nutmeg Wide Leg Pants: Madewell | 8. Chocolate Brown Sweater Cardigan: Madewell
9. Golden Sneakers: Target | 10. Black Ankle Boots: Old Navy
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