Recap of the Fall 10x10 Minimal Wardrobe Challenge

Gear up for a longer post! Today I'm sharing a recap of the 10x10 challenge I completed over the past two weeks. I have loved following Caroline over the past few years and she inspired me to participate in this 10-day challenge before I started a full-time job and would have less flexibility in my wardrobe. I am going to break down the full challenge, show you what pieces I selected for my wardrobe, what I wore each day, and my what my goals were, plus I'll talk about my successes and failures from the challenge.

For starters, here are the pieces I picked out. I followed a basic formula of 3 tops, 3 bottoms, and 3 shoes, plus one wild card option. I left the wild card in mostly because I wasn't sure if I wanted to use this for another top or for a layering piece, like a vest. I also didn't really know what I would be doing each day, if I would be outside or at home, and what the weather would be like (you know how sometimes a sunny 50 degrees is much warmer than a cloudy 50 degrees?)

Tops: cream turtleneck (mine is old from J.Crew, similar here) / black turtleneck (mine is old from Forever 21, similar here) / chambray shirt (mine is old from Old Navy, similar here)

Bottoms: black jeans / blue jeans / leggings (mine are old from Target, similar here)

Shoes: leopard loafers (mine are old from Tahari, similar here) / green slip on sneakers / black booties (mine are old from Marc Fisher, similar here)

On Day 1, I wore my black turtleneck, black jeans, and sneakers, and used my wild card to add a vest to the look. This day was chilly so I needed an extra layer to keep me warm, since my turtleneck is so thin. On Day 2, I wore the same black jeans but wore a denim shirt and loafers. 

Day 3 called for my cream turtleneck sweater with blue jeans and my loafers again. I got these shoes at the end of the winter last year and hadn't fully broken them in, so I wanted to wear them two days in a row. However, they gave me a blister in one spot so I put them aside for a while. On Day 4 I wore the same blue jeans but with my black turtleneck and booties. This is one of my favorite 'uniforms' for the fall! To spice up the outfit, I paired it with a leopard printed belt. 

For Day 5, I decided on leggings and sneakers since it was a casual Friday at home. I changed up my sweater using my wild card and opted for a rust colored chunky sweater. The next day, Day 6, I wanted to try layering my tops and so I wore my black turtleneck and black jeans with my denim shirt worn open on top. I felt a little like Bob Ross but either layer would have been too thin on their own, so together they were just right. I also wore sneakers since I was out shopping and needed to be able to try clothes on quickly and easily.

Day 7 was a casual day at home so I wore my leggings and cream turtleneck, but switched out the shoes for a pair of embellished mules that are easy to slide on and off. On Day 8, I wore my black turtleneck and jeans with booties for an easy monochromatic look. This was also the day when people started catching on and noticing that I was wearing the same combination of clothing items.

The last two days of the challenge I was starting to get tired of wearing the same things over and over again, so I switched up my look by wearing a different sweater as my wild card item on Day 9. I paired it with the same jeans and sneakers that were part of my challenge, but wearing a different top made the look feel different and not the same as the previous 8 days. However, on Day 10, which was Halloween, I completely abandoned all the rules of the challenge and wore a buffalo check flannel top, dark wash jeans and a different pair of off-white sneakers. I'm pretty impressed that I made it through 9 days of this challenge without caving, even if I used my wild card 4 times.

GOALS FOR CHALLENGE

I had a few goals for this challenge, and I think I did a pretty good job of meeting them. First, I have wanted to do a challenge like this for a long time (it's on my 101 in 1001 list) and I am glad that I took the opportunity now to do it. With a new job starting soon, I am going to be restricted to work clothes most days and won't have the same flexibility in my wardrobe as when I am home. Also, because most of my days are spent 'working from home' recently, it's very tempting to wear leggings and sweatshirts daily, and I needed to use this challenge as a way to wear some normal clothes.

THOUGHTS ON PEOPLE NOTICING

One of my hesitations about completing this challenge in the first place was that people would comment on my outfits and how I was wearing the same things, especially because I didn't add in any more unique styling layers like a dress or cardigan. However, I have wanted to participate in one of these challenges for a while now, so I decided to go for it anyway! I'm pretty impressed that no one said anything until Day 8, because at that point I was in too deep and wasn't going to give up with only two days left. Had someone commented right away, though, I would have been more likely to give up on the challenge at the beginning. I feel like there is a very negative connotation around wearing the same clothes over and over again, but there are also many upsides to having a strict "uniform." I can do a whole blog post all about this, but overall I think that challenges like these help you refine your personal style in such a severe way that down the road you are more able to pick out outfits quickly and seamlessly. 

RECAP OF HOW IT WENT

I honestly am impressed with how this challenge went! I wish I had picked better layering options than just jeans, tops and shoes, but for my first try at a 10x10, I think I did a pretty good job. I didn't repeat any exact outfits, and I picked items that matched the weather and my day-to-day obligations well. I was comfortable in everything I wore and it was easy to pick out my outfits in the morning. The biggest obstacle was making sure that people didn't catch on too soon, and I think I did a good job of that as well. I would definitely be curious about trying a challenge like this again, maybe in the spring when the weather is warmer!

Another important thing to note is that this challenge is excellent if you want to try paring down your wardrobe and live with a more minimal selection of clothing. In a lot of ways, minimalism and sustainability go hand in hand, and this challenge is perfect if you want to clean out your closet and work with less. If you choose to get rid of excess clothes that you realize you no longer need, you can always donate them at any of these locations.