Winter 10x10

If you spend any time reading style blogs with a sustainable or capsule wardrobe focus, you might be familiar with the 10x10 Challenge. It was created by Lee Vosburgh of Style Bee and the idea is that you choose ten items and create ten outfits with them. You then wear those outfits for ten days. I participated last spring and had a lot of fun, so when the Winter 10x10 rolled around I knew I wanted to participate again. I've been mulling around the idea of starting up a blog for a while now and I thought the 10x10 challenge would be a good way to get the ball rolling.

Goals:

1) Add more color into the mix.

The first time I participated I stuck to a very small color pallet of black and gray. This time I wanted to have a bit more color.

2) Get creative with pairings.

I wanted to try some new ways of pairing pieces and accessorize more. 

3) Document.

I wanted to at least take a mirror selfie of every outfit I wore. 

Included:

• Green Button Up: A piece I was obsessed with two summers ago, but haven't worn a lot lately. It layers well and is dressy enough for days when I'm in court for work.

• Gray Turtleneck: I've been wearing turtlenecks constantly this winter and knew I would need one as a warm layer during this challenge.

• Bright Red Sweater: This is one of my favorite sweaters. It's comfortable, but the bright color makes it anything but boring. I wore it constantly last year and it's still in heavy rotation this winter.

• Burnt Red Sweater: Two red sweaters might seem excessive for a ten piece collection, but this one is another of my favorites. The more muted color and boxy shape give it a totally different look.

• Denim Pinafore Dress: I thrifted this dress in early December and it has been on heavy rotation. It's roomy enough that I can layer sweaters under it, which has been ideal for this cold winter.

• Black Jeans: I hadn't worn my black jeans in quite some time (mostly because I'm bad at keeping up with laundry), but they were the turning point for this collection. I originally had a pair of straight leg dress pants, but everything clicked when I switched them out for black jeans.

• Black and White Wide Leg Pants: I included these babies for a couple reasons. First, the wide leg makes me feel elegant, but also like a total boss (there's something great about taking up space). Second, they are roomy enough to fit a pair of leggings underneath, which makes them warm without adding a lot of bulk.

• Green Army Jacket: This jacket made the cut because it is warm, but thin enough that I can treat it like a sweater and layer it under my winter coats. I think it makes most outfits look more pulled together.

• Black Ankle Booties: I wear these boots at least four out of seven days a week, so they had to be included.

• Black Lace Up Boots: I recently bought these second hand and was dying to wear them. I like that they have a platform, which makes me taller without the making them uncomfortable.

What Happened

I went into this challenge with a lot of enthusiasm and a great batch of clothes. The ten days, however, did not go as planned. It was both the best and worst time for me to be doing this challenge. Eight out of my ten days were extremely busy and on days nine and ten I was seriously burned out. This meant I almost completely lost track of which outfits I'd warn, didn't take daily pictures, and was too rushed to do much accessorizing. It also meant that getting dressed in the morning was, for the most part, really easy. I didn't have to think too much about what I was going to wear.

What I Learned

• I was successful in adding color to the clothes I chose, but by the end of the ten days, I was craving more black. I've been trying to expand out of my black and gray comfort zone over the last year and I've been pretty successful. This challenge reminded me that it is great to expand, but it's also ok to stick with what you love.
• I had gotten it into my head that no one should see me wearing the same piece of clothing twice in one week (even if it was my favorite) and the 10x10 really helped snap me out of that. Now my coworkers can expect to see me in the same things over and over.
• I'm leaving this challenge with a desire to edit my wardrobe a bit. The ease of getting dressed during the challenge has me thinking about how I can edit or organize my wardrobe in a way that carries that ease into everyday. 
• Going ten eight days wearing the same ten items of clothing made me crave the rest of my closet. Styling outfits is my favorite past time and this little break has made me more enthusiastic than ever to play dress up. 

So the challenge may not have gone the way I had expected and I may have met only one of my three goals, but I did get this cute picture with my cat.

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